Total noob needs help with MT

I just downloaded the trail beta version of MT pro.

Unfortunately I know nothing about midi and have no clue what to do and it doesn't come with any noob friendly documentation.

I only just learned what VST means. I have a virtual music player called HappyEO which lets me play on on screen piano keyboard with my qwerty keyboard and it lets me select quite a lot of different instrument sounds but it's not so hardcore i think. I don't know if the MT pro will interface with it and let me alter the inputs for it on my keyboard.
I also have Bome's mouse keyboard so i could use that.

To start with, All i really want to do is know how to set it up so i can decide what key on my qwerty keyboard plays what note. I want to be able to play sharps/flats with the single press of a key also.
When i start MT Pro i just see a bunch of terms that i have no understanding of and i really know know how to even get started.
Could someone please post a basic tutorial for me but please go under the assumption that i don't know any terminology so explain it as if to a child

Hope someone can help.

Peter wrote:Unfortunately I know nothing about midi and have no clue what to do and it doesn't come with any noob friendly documentation.

Indeed, documentation is quite high on the priority list. That's one of the reasons, why it's still in beta status.

Peter wrote:To start with, All i really want to do is know how to set it up so i can decide what key on my qwerty keyboard plays what note. I want to be able to play sharps/flats with the single press of a key also.
When i start MT Pro i just see a bunch of terms that i have no understanding of and i really know know how to even get started.
Could someone please post a basic tutorial for me but please go under the assumption that i don't know any terminology so explain it as if to a child

Hope someone can help.

Definitely a good start will be the Harmony MIDI link I gave in my other post.

In MIDI Translator, click on "new translator", double-clicking it will open the edit window. Basically a Translator defines:
- input action (i.e. what triggers this Translator) -- you will use keystrokes for that
- Rules (ways to modify the input data, or to cancel this Translator in spite of successful trigger)
- Output Action: what happens in response to the input trigger. For you, this would be the MIDI commands.

Maybe just play around with it, and load some of the project files that come in the "Presets" and "Presets Pro" folders of the installation.

More later, at best, ask specific questions where you're stuck.

Regards,
Florian

I loaded up a preset and looking at the list of instructions there gives me some clue. If you could tell me what the line for pressing A on the qwerty keyboard and getting the note a in an octiave would look like then i could go from there. It doesnt matter what octave i'll just use it as a refference of what the line of instructions should look like.
Also, after that, how do i make that list, that preset correspond to your piano player or any other VST compatible player. How do i link them to your MIDI tranlsator?

Hi,

here is a preset which makes the key X play the Note C:

Translator 1: Key X down to Note C
Options: stop=true
Incoming: Key down: X
Outgoing: MIDI 90 30 7F

Translator 2: Key X up to Note C
Options: stop=true
Incoming: Key up: X
Outgoing: MIDI 90 30 00

For connecting MT to a VST player, install a virtual MIDI driver. Then choose the virtual MIDI port as MIDI OUT in MT, and choose the same as MIDI IN in the VST player.
This tutorial lists some virtual MIDI drivers:
http://www.bome.com/midi/keyboard/help/rsn3_tut.php

Regards,
Florian

Hi Florian.
It's been a while since i wrote on this forum, i've been away for a while (no it wasn't prison ha ha).

To be honest I'm still a bit confused. This is due to me being totally inept at understanding programs rather than a lack of advice from you. I'm just not technically minded i'm afraid.

Can I recap and see if i understand so far?

Basically I want to use a prgram such as your 'Mouse Keyboard' or another that I have. I want to play live music with my qwerty keyboard and be able to select different instruments such as 'Piano, Harpsichord, Violin etc'.
That's all I want to do but what I need is to specify the keys the exact way I want them, including sharps/flats (not the traditional left to right chronology). I also want to be able to hold down shift before pressing a key to make it play the note one octave higher and space to make it play one octave lower.
That's basically all i need to do.

I have your MouseKeyboard program and also the beta of Midi Translator Pro.

Do I also need something like 'Midi Yoke'? (is that called a 'VST"?)
Do I also need a full music program such as 'Reason'?
If I don't need a music program like Reason then how do i get different insturment sounds from your MouseKeyboard program?

I thought your 'Midi Translator Pro' was the same 'kind' of program as 'Midi Yoke'. Is it not? So do i need both?
What exact programs do i need in order to achieve the objective as stated above?

In the tutorial you linked to it seems to suggest that I need 'Reason'. I'm not coposing or anything and as i said i just want to play real time music with my qwerty keyboard.

In the 'MouseKeyboard' options it lets us select the initial key for the musical note 'C'. Why don't you just have a full range of options for every key so that the user can have full control over the exact layout?

Finally (for now) When i use the 'MouseKeyboard' program the vollume is very low. Even at max and with my system sound turned up high the piano sound is very low. Also the keys are very short but in a picture i've seen they are longer. Do i need to register it to get more volume and to stretch the keys out?

Well, I'll be sending you a nice postcard for here in Korea soon.

In advace, thank's for your help and i'm sorry for the trouble.

Peter wrote:Do I also need something like 'Midi Yoke'? (is that called a 'VST"?)

Midi Yoke is a virtual MIDI cable that you can use to connect 2 MIDI programs. Midi Translator cannot produce sounds, it can only generate/modify MIDI messages. You need some sort of tone generator. Windows has one built-in, which you can select as MIDI OUT in MIdi Translator, the so called "Microsoft GS Wavetable". It's OK, and it lets you play different voices, but it has quite some delay (the time from when you press the key and when you actually hear something), and the quality of the instruments is not really great.

Peter wrote:Do I also need a full music program such as 'Reason'?

No, but Reason would provide a good tone generator. But much simpler ones would suffice, e.g. the ones that come with soundcards.

Peter wrote:In the 'MouseKeyboard' options it lets us select the initial key for the musical note 'C'. Why don't you just have a full range of options for every key so that the user can have full control over the exact layout?

It's just not (yet) implemented in Mouse Keyboard. You can use the "feature rush service" to have us add this function to Mouse Keyboard (see http://www.bome.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=178 ). You can use Midi Translator Pro to emulate this behavior and to "program" the key assignment that you want. But, it's quite clumsy initially to "program" Midi Translator so that it creates what you want.

Peter wrote:Finally (for now) When i use the 'MouseKeyboard' program the vollume is very low. Even at max and with my system sound turned up high the piano sound is very low. Also the keys are very short but in a picture i've seen they are longer. Do i need to register it to get more volume and to stretch the keys out?

No, the feature set of trial version and full version is identical.

And maybe it's a good idea to search a bit on the net and get more informed about MIDI...

Regards,
Florian