A friend wants to know if its possible to run his harmonizer via his laptop. He's using standard MIDI files...

He's saying one of the channels from the harmonizer should be able to read the chords from the laptop.

I'm not seeing how this would be done since there is also the issue of no originating vocal signal..

Comments, please?

Thanks-

Bill

Being Fran is banned............heres your answer...

"Bill of course that can be done

The laptop via sequence program[VanBasco] will send all data out thru midi..The assigned channel usually 5 , has vocoder data ..He will have to use his voice into the harmonizer..The result will be harmonized.."

Bill,

The only way this can work is if he has a midi connection on his laptop and a midi connection on his harmonizer that essentially communicate with each other. The channel that reads the chord changes must match at both ends, and both pieces of equipment must be set to the correct channel in order for this to work. And, not all midi files will do this properly. Some will have to be modified in order to transmit the chord changes.

Good Luck,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Thanks guys...

My friend plays a Yamaha QY300,a QY700 and a PSR550...all in combination with a laptop. Also in this loop is a Digitech Vocal Harmonizer.

Bottom line is he's a steel guitar player (and a great one) who wants to be able to trigger all 4 of the above sequencer with his harmonizer.

Does he need some kind of junction midi box?

Does something like that exist?

I'm guessing his whole setup could be radically streamlined...

Bill,

Is he running midi files in the computer and firing them through the keyboards while playing his guitar? And, is the Digitech connected to the computer output, or directly to one of the keyboards using the midi-thru? The hookup here is a bit complex, especially if he want to use three keyboards at the same time along with the Digitech Vocalist. Lots of ways to mess up, and only a single glitch can really ruin your night.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Gary-

Not 100% certain, but I think the way's he's described it to me is that he stores his sequences in all 4 keyboards AND his laptop...and wants ALL to be able to interphase with his harmonizer.

He also said he used to use something called a "MIDI Box" to facilitate this.

(Its setups like his that make me glad mine is what it is, lol...)

Bill

I question why he is storing differnt songs on different keyboards. I would do that if I was not using a computer, but with the PC it's much easier if everything is stored there. This way you are using and getting a consistent method to output your music. My warning is that if you start chaining keyboards - and that includes the Digitech - then you increase and compound your chances of getting it WRONG. Also, playing live on one keyboard would have an effect on anything further UP the chain, but not prior.

In my experience the GM soundbanks of most top keyboards are both very good and very similar. Unless your friend is using modified soundmaps for special sounds, saving songs in separate keyboards is redundant and unnecessary. Unless your friend has a real need to use more than a couple keyboards, maybe he should consider consolidating.

Good response Cassp....

I think he's using them for storage devices, lol...

He doesn't even play KB...he's created these sequences (songs) at home, then when performing, he play his pedal steel guitar and sings...

Its sounding more and more to me like he has the worlds largest storage devices...

I have an Ensoniq patch bay I used to use in my studio that is a MIDI eight in/out. Hadn't used it in a while, and I forget the actual model name/number (no longer made of course). Any of the inputs can be sent to any of the outputs, so this could be the "MIDI box" your friend used to route 5 inputs to one output as you describe. You can also Google for MIDI merge boxes.