Quote:

Glenn,
As I'm reading this, I need to clarify a few questions.

First, are you exclusively using Pianoteq? The reason I ask is because that is a program on your computer. The sounds it generates are being generated internally to your computer, and can be played back by any sound card. Also, they can be rendered as a wave file without use of any sound card, except to play them back.

In fact, the following song was recorded using the Pianoteq demo, and rendered directly to my desktop. It was played back on two different sound cards, and sounded the same. I DID NOT use a sound card to record this, it was a direct render from a MIDI file. It would be possible to record your playing as a midi file, and then do the same thing.

http://www.catsmeowcafe.com/Music/RootbeerRag.wma

Rootbeer Rag. Sounds like Billy Joel playing it to me. About 5.7MB.

Since you can record this either as a VSTi or a Stand Alone application, any application that is a VSTi host would allow you to play it. Then, you could configure that application to save it internally as a wave file. What that means is that you can play into the application; Real Band, Sonar, whatever; and record the track as audio, again, without the need of a sound card.

This song, Kitten on the Keys (Zez Confrey, played by Sue Kellerman) was recorded using Pianoteq as a VSTi inside of Sonar.

www.catsmeowcafe.com/Music/Kitten.wma

If you are also recording the sounds of the Roland, then that makes a difference, because you want the sound of the Roland added to the mix.

I'm not sure why you spent $500 on a sound card. From what you're telling me, you didn't need to.

Unless I'm missing something, I would recommend the old faithful M-Audio 2496, which has an unbalanced stereo in, an unbalanced stereo out, S/PDIF ins and out, and MIDI in and out. Everything you're telling me says you'll be happy with it. It even has a mixer control panel on screen.

Gary



Well Gary, you've made some interesting points:

1. I don't use the onboard piano sound of my Roland anymore.

2. Don't know why I had missed that rendering a midi to wave with Pianoteq didn't need the soundcard (rendering isn't done in real time - it takes about half the time as does playing in real time - it's just generating a wave file, so the S/C isn't being used). PT uses the midi commands to supply the piano sounds and obviously doesn't go through the S/C. At one time I played the midi file in real time in PT and recorded the sound with Goldwave, but that's too time consuming. The one advantage of doing this is that I can use the real time effects of the EMU (usually just reverb which is quite a bit more sophisticated than the reverb on PT).

3. How I edit a midi file is by playing it in Pianoteq (to get the sound), and midi editing in Powertracks. All I really need is something that will give half decent sound while I'm listening/editing. You're right - it doesn't require an expensive S/C.

You are correct, the 2496 would probably work for me. Now if I can just find one (I'll check the local Long and McQuade - I did see at least one M-Audio box there today).

Thanks for straightening me out. I needed it.

Just one more question - does the 2496 have a headphone out with volume control?


And again thanks to Mac for his assistance on the Multimedia Production Forums with diagnosing the EMU.

Glenn

Last edited by Glenn Kolot; 11/11/09 12:43 AM.