Here we are. Finally after a lot of dough, a lot of youtube tutorials, and plenty of loneliness, I have finally dove into working with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). For those who dont know, MIDI is a way for digital musical instruments to talk to each other. It took two weeks for the MIDI interface cables to come in from Amazon. I needed a bunch. The magic table of devices looks like a spaghetti disaster. I’m starting to learn the magic is how you have things wired. This makes all the difference.

In this case, the Kaossilator pro is set up as the “master clock” meaning, this device holds the tempo. I’ve also found a way to use the sequencing/looping aspect of the Kaossilator pro to make things a bit simpler. It’s really interesting to speed things up on the Kaosilator and watch all the device’s blinking tempo lights speed up at the same time. It gives me a bit of a power rush. So this means the Kaossilator’s Master Clock is running the tempo of the MicroKorg (including arpeggios) and the Volca Beats. A MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru box is used to handle and divvy up the MIDI signal from one device and handing it out to 4 others (in this case only 2, the volca beats and the microkorg).  Also there’s the Rolls Mini Mixer in there to handle the audio signal cables flying around (1/8″ stereo jacks).  Here’s a crappy power point explaining.

Annnnd after hours of goofing around and filtering MIDI signals making sure that changing the settings on one device wasn’t changing the settings on another, I made a recording.  I used the vocoder on the MicroKorg so don’t laugh at my singing, “Yer gonna have to get it right”.

This was time consuming but was quite fun.  I think there is a lot of room for me to improve.  Should go a lot faster the more I do it.  In summary, WOW, WHAT POWER (and was really a load of fun)!  I plan to make another really soon! 🙂

For now enjoy the track “First MIDI Exploitation (Yer Gonna Have To Get It Right)”

Special thanks go out to Todd Smith’s Synthesizer YouTube Channel. This guy is inspiring because it looks like he just has a good time doing what he does and he teaches stuff too! He’s awesome!!

With the Korg MicroKorg Synthesizer Vocoder

That’s right.  Got a Korg MicroKorg for a steal (I hope it aint hot) off of craigslist.  Picked it up from a guy at the Tenleytown metro stop in a garbage bag, no manual, and no AC adapter.  Seems a bit shady, but the thing works like a charm.  I got a lot of learning to do but this thing is an arpeggiating monster.  Listen to this shit!

This second one has more “verve”.