Midi Keyboard for A4

DanielXiang · 2013-08-12T11:36:26.000Z

Hello all,

i´ve got a very noob-question, i´m planning to buy an a4…sold the op-1 ´cause i don´t liked the synthengines there. is it possible to connect an nanokey right on the usbport of the a4, or do i need a kenton midibox?

i´m just want to take some experimental journey at the evening while my daughters (1month) is sleeping…

void · 2013-08-12T12:22:21.000Z

you’ll need a USB host device such as the Kenton. A good alternative is an iPad, Camera Connection Kit and a USB hub.

Ihatederekreed · 2013-08-12T16:18:06.000Z

I just picked up a Kenton USB host for this reason. Aside from finding an oplab, or icontrolmidi box, the Kenton is your best option. My prior solution was using an iPad with camera kit or irig midi. This works great as you can run it usb and not interfere with your midi routing. On the iPad I use midi studio pro and midi studio lite. With both running I can have a split key controlling active channel for 2 octaves, and the other instance controlling 2 specific channels that I always want access to (track 1-2 typically).

DanielXiang · 2013-08-13T10:04:36.000Z

ok, so i will go for the kenton…thanks a lot!

one question further: when i´m routing audio in through the a4 filters, are there still 4 synth voices left? can i have 4 tracks + 1 audio in track (on a cv track perhaps?)…still reading the manual, but this case is´nt clear to me…

Ihatederekreed · 2013-08-13T13:09:54.000Z

You either forfeit a track for inputs with filter or use the fx track as inputs (without filter control).

void · 2013-08-13T20:50:02.000Z

yes… well, if you put external audio through a voice’s filters, the ext sound becomes part of the voice, it is inserted in place of one of the oscillators. so you can mix the external audio with internal oscillators before the filter.

i’m experimenting with this right now, with a kick from the MD sidechain-obliterating a nice poly pad :]

abstrakt · 2013-09-10T06:31:41.000Z

DIY MIDI USB host - $25
http://blog.makezine.com/2010/11/30/usbhacking/

Deep_Cycle · 2013-09-10T12:04:09.000Z

""void"":

i’m experimenting with this right now, with a kick from the MD sidechain-obliterating a nice poly pad :]

Ive just been using a ramp LFO on the AMP vol with a sight offset to get a sidechain feel, how to you trigger the pad to duck with the MD kick?
Would love to hear more on how you guys route between the A4 and MD and what has stuck as your typical setup?

void · 2013-09-10T12:34:43.000Z

yeah using envelopes / LFOs for pump-sequencing is pretty cool! i love doing this on the reverb volume with its decay turned up high…

it was just the level of the INL oscillator being quite loud, louder than the A4 internal oscillator… so the kick would saturate the filter, rudely pushing the pad out of the way.

If you do this with a TRX B2 machine (e.g. through an individual output, triggered by your main kick) and make its pitch low enough, and then on the A4 use the 2nd filter as a high pass, you’ll not hear the kick drum in the mix, but it will still have the push/saturation effect.

Deep_Cycle · 2013-09-10T13:59:35.000Z

Thanks for the insight void, it is smashing used on the reverb, great fun.
Ive been using the A4 inputs as a Aux send over my mixer recently so any other gear we have hooked up can get a burst of A4 verbyness chorus and delay, great craic

avantronica · 2013-09-22T12:08:59.000Z

following on from comments somewhere above, the kenton midi host thing sure would be handy to have, but if, like me, that seems a bit too spendy for you, there’s always the raspberry pi, i have it working fine with various class compliant gear including korg nanopad (i wrote a simple root levelscript to deduce what two devices (input & output) were connected at boot and to simply link them, no xwindows or pd patching required) it’s handy for portable setups and cheap, it’ll do other stuff as well

tiparit · 2013-09-22T18:35:12.000Z

hello, Ihatederekreed,

please, if you eventually can find the time to describe “step by step” how do you connect an iPad (1Gen, iOS 5.1.1) - with midi studio lite - with the Analog Four (MIDI details, channels …)
do I need an USB-Hub? (I have a CCK)
(noob here, willing to learn)

thank you for the already given information!

DanielXiang · 2013-09-22T22:48:20.000Z

hey, thanks for all the answers…i think i will looking for an QuNexus-Keyboard…it supports cv and has nice features using with the a4

namnibor · 2013-09-22T23:05:03.000Z

""DanielXiang"":

hey, thanks for all the answers…i think i will looking for an QuNexus-Keyboard…it supports cv and has nice features using with the a4

That’s what I have and use it for other things as well. MAKE SURE to purchase the Keith McMillen Midi Expander ($49. USD) as well. It’s pretty essential as it works seamlessly with QuNexus and you then also have proper midi DIN in/outs for controlling other hardware synths, A4 playing live–but do note that the A4 will not (yet) record live after touch, pitch bend, into the sequencer, but as a live performance tool, the QuNexus rocks and with it’s easy to use editor, highly configurable and works quite nicely playing Waldorf Nave App on my iPad2.

All the cv/gate in, and 3 cv/outs, it’s unlike anything out there for the price.

Jorgen1005 · 2014-12-02T14:44:56.000Z

So just to get things clear, to use this as a keyboard for the A4, you need the midi kit? And not cv?

avantronica · 2014-12-02T16:33:12.000Z

Yes, no CV ins on A4