How to connect the Take5 to Logic and have logic play the Take5 via USB MIDI

[Deepblue625]

Hi Guys !

I'm new here and trying to work out how to connect up my Take5 to logic pro.  I have connected the USB midi and this plays midi software instruments in logic.  What I want to be able to do is play the Take5 via the midi in logic. In other words as I play the take5 (as a midi keyboard in logic) I want the midi to play the sounds in the take5.  I have spent hours trying to figure out how best to do this...  The USB connection sends and receives midi and so to my mind should be able to send the midi to logic and then receive the midi from logic at the same time in order to play the sounds in the Take5.  I realise I can pass audio out from the take5 into an audio interface and then into logic - but that seems less elegant than just using the USD midi.  Youtube videos mention using another midi keyboard to control the take5 but I want to use the Take5 keyboard.

In summary I just want to use the Take5 and logic pro to records Take5 sounds via midi USB - without using an audio interface or another midi keyboard.  Is this possible?

Can anyone help this absolute beginner - please ?? It is too in depth a question to find on google.

Thanks!

Richard

[kpatz]

So you want to play your Take 5 keyboard, send the midi to Logic, and have Logic send the midi back to the Take 5 to play the sounds?

Yes, you can do that.  You’ll need to turn Local Off in the globals in the Take 5 so you don’t get double triggered notes.  Once you do that, the Take 5’s keyboard won’t play the synth, but will still send midi notes out, and the synth will respond to midi notes in.  Then you’d set Logic to echo the midi back so you can play live.  Alternatively, you could leave local on and turn midi echo off in Logic, then you can still play the T5 from its keyboard when Logic isn’t running or USB isn’t connected.  Logic will still receive the midi and let you record it.

As for audio, it’s not sent via the USB port on the Take 5 (Audio is not MIDI).  You’d have to connect the T5 to an audio interface to get the audio into Logic.

When I say “Audio is not MIDI”, think of audio as a tape recording of actual sounds, and MIDI as sheet music or a player piano roll.  MIDI is instructions to play specific notes, and then the synth generates the audio.  Your DAW can record either midi, audio or both, but they’re separate things which you can do different things with once recorded.

[Deepblue625]

Thanks Kpatz - this is helpful - and yes you summarise exactly what I'm trying to do.

So in LogicPro I created a new software instrument, and selected to Use "an external MIDI or USB device" and then selected Take5 as the "MIDI destination" - so then it looks to me like it should work.  (The Audio input option is greyed out since I'm not connecting the Take5 via an audio interface to Logic).  The software track is created in Logic - and the MIDI notes play and are recorded in the track - but there is no sound -  and the volume (VU?) meter does not show any signal.  (I don't mind getting double notes at this stage as can solve later once the connection works).  I am offered a choice of 16 MIDI channels for the Take5 as the MIDI destination in Logic.  I selected track 1 as there isn't an option to select all 16 channels - perhaps I need to choose a different channel or configure the Take5 to receive MIDI on channel 1??  I can see MIDI out option in the global settings but not a MIDI in option..

[lewisfrancis]

Thanks Kpatz - this is helpful - and yes you summarise exactly what I'm trying to do.

So in LogicPro I created a new software instrument, and selected to Use "an external MIDI or USB device" and then selected Take5 as the "MIDI destination" - so then it looks to me like it should work.  (The Audio input option is greyed out since I'm not connecting the Take5 via an audio interface to Logic).  The software track is created in Logic - and the MIDI notes play and are recorded in the track - but there is no sound -  and the volume (VU?) meter does not show any signal.  (I don't mind getting double notes at this stage as can solve later once the connection works).  I am offered a choice of 16 MIDI channels for the Take5 as the MIDI destination in Logic.  I selected track 1 as there isn't an option to select all 16 channels - perhaps I need to choose a different channel or configure the Take5 to receive MIDI on channel 1??  I can see MIDI out option in the global settings but not a MIDI in option..

If you have things configured properly in the External Instruments plugin and the Take 5's MIDI in is enabled for the USB connection then you should be able to hear the recorded MIDI notes play back through your Take 5, but you'll need to monitor your T5 directly since no audio was recorded to Logic.

[kpatz]

For the midi channel set the External Instrument plugin’s midi channel to the same channel your Take 5 is set to.  Then when you play the track the T5 should play the notes from Logic just like if you were playing them on the keyboard.  You would need to monitor the audio out from the T5, or connect it to your audio interface to bring the audio into Logic.

[Deepblue625]

Hi Guys !  I worked it out !

I was using the simplified Logic Pro interface and when you create a new track in that the create "external MIDI" track option does not appear!  I switched to complete mode and then it does appear and then I was able to configure and have the Take5 sounds played by the midi in Logic !  Sounds simple outcome but major major breakthrough for me !  Many thanks guys !

[lewisfrancis]

Hi Guys !  I worked it out !

I was using the simplified Logic Pro interface and when you create a new track in that the create "external MIDI" track option does not appear!  I switched to complete mode and then it does appear and then I was able to configure and have the Take5 sounds played by the midi in Logic !  Sounds simple outcome but major major breakthrough for me !  Many thanks guys !

Ha, I had forgotten that the simple mode in Logic existed!

It's a whole different workflow when using external hardware, I'm still working on optimizing mine. These days I often record audio and MIDI at the same time so that I have an easy reference and a way to fine tune the performance if needed.

[lewisfrancis]

Hi Guys !  I worked it out !

I was using the simplified Logic Pro interface and when you create a new track in that the create "external MIDI" track option does not appear!  I switched to complete mode and then it does appear and then I was able to configure and have the Take5 sounds played by the midi in Logic !  Sounds simple outcome but major major breakthrough for me !  Many thanks guys !

Thought I'd share some notes I've taken while settling on a Logic/Take 5 workflow, fwiw:

External MIDI Plugin yay or nay

On:
- saves sysex patch data
- Sound is routed through the audio engine, so you get efx, etc.
- Has Phase/flam issues when the direct signal is also audible due to latency (or MIDI FB?)

Off:
- saves sysex patch data
- Sound is NOT routed through the audio engine, you can only hear the direct signal
- No phase latency issues (is this true or has Local been set to off?)

When using the Take 5 as a controller, turn off Local Control

When using Local Off for the Take 5 then the synth can only be heard in Record Monitoring mode or while recording that MIDI track.

However, that won't work for arpeggiator performance recording because the arpeggiator only works with Local On. Unfortunately, when Arp Notes is enabled you get a MIDI feedback loop that either prevents the feature from working at all or does so erratically. The fix for this is to decouple the Take 5 from the destination target in your External Instrument plugin.