Studio setup help and advice please!

[QandA]

Hi all,

I'm just looking to gain some understanding of what's possible regarding my setup as I have had it for a number of years without ever really getting the most out of it.

I currently have Cubase and Reason on my machine, an MPC 2000xl and a Dave Smith Evolver Monophonic Synthesiser. I would basically like to arrange my setup to perform the following (relatively basic) functions but I'm just not sure if they can all be achieved at the same time with what I have currently.

What I would like to do is:

a) Use the Dave Smith as a midi controller for Reason and Cubase
b) Use the sounds stored in the Dave SMith Synth
c) Use any drums/samples I have programmed on the MPC
d) Sync everything (Dave Smith, MPC, Cubase and Reason) together so that, say, Cubase is the master and everything else is a slave.

So far I have been able to do all of these things but not at the same time, and I was wondering if anyone knew the best way to set this up - in terms of both hardware and in the settings on Cubase/Reason?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Will

 

[scandal]

Yea that is possible but will require a midi interface with at least 2 i/o, a audio interface with at least 4 analog i/o and 4 audio cables. Using reason with cubase is fairly easy you just have to use a plug-in called rewire which basicly opens up reason like it was a vsti, and automatically slaves it to the master program.

for the other items such as your snyth and mpc your gonna need the midi interface and go from the midi out from the hardware synth to midi in of the interface and midi out of the interface to the midi in of the snyth. This will allow for you to use the snyth as a controller and to still be able to use it's sounds. If the synth has an option to disable local control i would select it because it means the synth will only take instructions from midi signal and not it's own keyboard.

Now for the mpc I believe your just gonna go from the midi in on the mpc to the midi out on the interface since you dont wanna use it as a controller just for the sounds so I think thats all you would need to do.

now lastly, while I'm not that familiar with cubase, I know all daws have a midi setup menu your gonna have to set up midi channels for you equipment.

The only bad thing is your gonna have to record the synth and drum loops to cubase the sound is not gonna automatically save in your session

Oh yea and I forgot your gonna need to plug the audio outputs of your gear to the audio inputs of the audio interface.

 

[thedreampolice]

If you want the MPC in sync you will need to set up midi sync. But to be honest that seems like an overly complicated setup in general.

 

[LouBez]

Listen to scandal and consider adding a pre amp in your chain

 

[7thangel]

not familiar with the synth, but if it has a patch editor or sysex data (it should have this), get all the info from the manuals and learn it.

there might also be cubase device panels for your synth, check here http://www.rivetedstudios.com/cubase-downloads/cat_view/34-cubase-files/36-device-panels.html, it has the evolver device panel, this will make things easier

midi set up won't be hard but it's still up to you to read both manuals

 

[QandA]

Thanks for the help people. Looks like I might need another set of mid i/o