tips...37.
a reasonably low cost way to get into midi recording.

i realise some folks have very fancy set ups.
but this is a suggestion for folks with little money starting out
with midi.
lets cover the input side first.
how do we get the midi trak recorded into powertracks (ptw) ??
i favor a midi keyboard thats essentially dumb with no sounds in.
sometimes u can pick one up used for cheap.
ideally u want one thats touch sensitive.
if it doesnt have usb built in prolly youll need to buy a midi to usb box
for your computer. (eg pgmusic sell one..um2ex.)

an example of a few controller keyboards might be...
http://www.music123.com/MIDI-Controllers-Keyboards-and-MIDI.Music123
they start at 50 buks.
as you can see there are a lot .
(google for more manufacturers...enter in google midi controller keyboard.)

mebe your into softsynths....
but ..if u want to keep the load on your computer down an option is external midi modules.
particularly MULTI TIMBRAL SOUND MODULES.
read this...
http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/tutr/multi.htm
for example pg sell the SD 20.
and there are many others. includeing buying used.

for example ive seen more than a few used roland sound canvas for cheap.
for 100 buks.
just google for lots of used midi modules.
in summary..for 300 buks prolly you could buy a controller keyboard and a couple of used
midi modules that are multi timbral.
this would get you started.

now how do u mix in the audio from the multi timbral sound modules.
lets say u want to mix the outputs from several outboard multi timbral sound modules,
and record the result as a track in ptw ??
for this youll need a line mixer....
eg....el cheapo. 20 buks.
http://www.zzounds.com/a--884907/item--BEHMX400/sid--ProdPage_Name
there are more expensive ones if u google.
take output of line mixer into your sound devices line input...
and record audio trak(s) in ptw.

buying used gear n adding some cables n we are prolly looking at 350 buks.


if you have a sound device/sound card ALREADY with midi inputs n outputs...
then simply connect midi out of controller keyboard to midi in
for example, and midi out of sound device to a midi splitter box
with several midi outs . each midi out of splitter would connect to a
outboard midi sound module.
in this scenario...
input.
controller kbd>>>sound card midi in>>>>record a midi trak in ptw.
(make sure the correct mid in driver is selected in ptw preferences.)
output.
sound card midi out>>>midi splitter box>>>>external multitimbral sound module(s).
multitimbral sound modules audio outs>>>line mixer input>>>
line mixer output>>>>sound device line input>>>>record a audiotrak in ptw.

if...on the other hand you have a reasonably powerfull pc...
u can use softsynths. either alone or in combination with external
midi modules.
the attraction of softsynths is obvious. lots of free ones.
and thus it saves buying dedicated often expensive hardware synthesisers. but some of the expensive synths and commercial softsynths have really nice sounds. yer pays yer money (or not) n yer makes yer choice.