Recording MIDI keyboard with/without Audio Interface?

[Yuri Allyn]

Hi,

Been wondering whats the best way to plug everything:

Hardware:

• MAudio Code 49 - midi controller
• Steinberg UR22 MKii - audo interface

Software:

• FL Studio 12
• Windows 10

So I had MIDI keyboard before I had an Audio interface. That got succesfully plugged in to an USB port in my laptop. Didnt go through Preset Editor (but will do), everything kind of worked, tried to record - worked too.

Now I got myself an USB audio interface which supports MIDI IN/OUT.
What would be my best option for connecting it all together?

• Option 1:

(MIDI controller --> USB port on laptop) + (Audio interface --> USB port on laptop) = 2 USB ports taken

• Option 2:

(MIDI controller --> MIDI IN/OUT on Audio Interface) + (Audio interface --> USB on laptop)
In this case I`m not sure how to connect all those MIDI cables (and how many of them do I need?)

What have you tried? What works better? What are the PROS and CONS of each option? Will appreciate all the info you can provide!

Thanks

 

[Boswell]

If you are just using the MAudio Code 49 for note input rather than as a DAW controller, then either way would work acceptably. If you want to avoid using the second USB port, connect the MIDI in and out of the controller to the out and in on the interface using a pair of standard MIDI cables.

If you are using the MAudio Code 49 for more advanced operations such as DAW control, then there could well be advantages in interfacing it via USB and using its own drivers.

 

[Yuri Allyn]

Thanks,

In fact I do intend to use it for DAW control.
So USB it is then!

 

[pcrecord]

Midi communications aren't very complicated unless there is many sysexclusive transmissions.
Boswell is far more knowledgeable then me on those things but as far as I know, if you think you'll need to use midi for other things, you better use the USB on the controler and keep the one on the interface available..

Where it gets messy is with the drivers. I had 2 midi controller for many years (an edirol USB and my audio interface)
When I switched to my new DAW controler (QCon ProX USB) I had many detection problems until I unplugged the Edirol controler) Now everything runs smooth.

 

[Yuri Allyn]

Hence why I mentioned that the controller did actually work before I had purchased the interface, meaning that hopefully all the drivers are working fine..

To be honest, I havent even tried any of the options yet, so maybe I`m just being a little overconcerned about nothing - this weekend I`ll give it a test drive and see live what my issues are, fingers crossed!