If I buy the FastTrack Pro...
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MagnaOpera
Comes Equipped...
ill o.g.
Not unless you really want to run your MPK through the FastTrack via MIDI... It's largely unnecessary though (correct me if I'm wrong), being that you can already connect the MPK via USB.
Keep in mind, if you are going to send information out of the MIDI-OUT port of your MPK, you're going to need to get a power adapter for it... when powered via USB the MIDI-OUT port is disabled.
Personally I wouldn't run the MPK through the FastTrack. If I were you I'd just run the MPK to my PC via USB and save the MIDI I/O on the FastTrack for possibly another piece of gear.
But yes, you would need to get a MIDI cable to run the MPK through the FastTrack.
Keep in mind, if you are going to send information out of the MIDI-OUT port of your MPK, you're going to need to get a power adapter for it... when powered via USB the MIDI-OUT port is disabled.
Personally I wouldn't run the MPK through the FastTrack. If I were you I'd just run the MPK to my PC via USB and save the MIDI I/O on the FastTrack for possibly another piece of gear.
But yes, you would need to get a MIDI cable to run the MPK through the FastTrack.
MagnaOpera
Comes Equipped...
ill o.g.
My understanding is that it's basically the same.
What you NEED and or should get heavily depends on what type of computer you have i.e desktop or laptop. If you have a desk top, as far as sound cards you need to upgrade to a studio quality INTERNAL sound card. If your set up (like mine) uses a laptop computer you need an EXTERNAL sound card.
It's best to get what you need RIGHT NOW and what you'll probably need in the NEAR FUTURE especially if you know more than like you'll be expanding your set up. I can tell you right now in this game whether you do it for fun, a hobby or for the potential of profit, you will be adding new gear. It's best to look 6 months to a year out and get the little things that you'll need to expand your set up. All you should know this to be true because look at what you're doing right now. You started there (less shit) and now your here (more shit) right? right!
I would highly recommend that you invest in two things that won't break the bank for possible expansion of your gear ESPECIALLY if a laptop is the type of computer you have. 1) USB hub, at least with four usb inputs and 2) a midi hub with at least two midi ins and two midi outs.
If you're going to purchase the Fast Track Pro it makes all the sense in the world to take full use of it. By that I mean USE the midi in and out on the back of it! Why? midi thru usb is not as stable as a direct midi port. The power stream to you usb connections on your desk top or laptop are not as consistant for neither.
The Fast Track Pro won't be recognized by your computer unless it's directly connected to the laptop or computers midi port but all your other gear will. For your main stays, i.e your midi controllers, these things that you can't afford to have a "hiccup with" when laying down a track, you may want to power externally to be safe. A power blink or midi blink can prove disastrous. Having either with the sound card is not so crucial unless your recording from an external source!
For example here's my set up:
1) MacBook laptop
2) Fast track pro
3) MPC2000 (main controller)
4) M-Audio Axiom 25
5) M-Audio Keystation 49e
6) (a) Maxtor 500 Gig external FireWire hard drive with extra firewire input (you'll see why in a minute) and (b) G Drive mini 250 Gig external FireWire hard drive
EVERYTHING'S CONNECTED AS FOLLOWS:
Fast Track Pro to USB connection (powered and midi'd there)
MPC2000 (I have but didn't need the midi hub) because my MPC has (2) midi ins and (2) midi outs. MPC is connected (A) midi out to Fast Track Pro Midi IN. Then I come midi out of the Fast Track Pro to the midi IN of the MPC. Why? So I can external control my daw (Ableton Live 7) or if I decide to sequence thru with the MPC because I've midi'd out of the Fast Track Pro I can control my MPC thru Ableton Live (press play on Ableton and the MPC will start, press stop and it will stop, works in reverse if I'm controlling Ableton by way of the MPC)
Then I go midi (2) out of my MPC to the midi IN of my Axiom 25. (if i didn't do this I couldn't trigger anything in ableton with the Axiom.
Now I go out of my M-Audio Keystation 49e to the midi IN of the Axiom (once again, if I didn't do this I couldn't trigger anything in Ableton with the 49r)
***EVERYTHING HAS TO BE CONNECTED IN SERIES MIDI WISE OR I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE ALL MY MIDI CONTROL SURFACES**
And lastly, both hard drives are connected to the one and only firewire connection I have. The 500gig is connected direct and the G mini is connected in series thru the 500G, my 49e and my Axiom are powered THRU THE USB HUB that's connected to the last laptop usb connection that I have( but I do have two external power supplies in the wings just in case they blink). With out the usb hub I'd be two usb connections short because I also have an external mouse connected.
I could have eliminated the usb hub from the equation based on the gear I have but I would have had to connect the 2 power supplies. One for the Axiom and one for the 49e. Good powers supplies are some what expensive and with those extra power supplies I would have another power strip to connect them too. Senseless because I already have at least 20 other things connected to power strips. My usb hub is powered by that last usb connection on laptop which in turn powers the Axiom & 49e. Space saver and money saver plus I have one more unused usb connection for anything else I might won't to add.
If you don't have the number of midi ins and outs as I have on your main controller do yourself a favor and buy that midi hub. You will....i repeat YOU WILL need one in the very near future. Get it now and the ports you don't use will be there when you add a new piece. The usb hub is there for the same exact purpose.
Etch it in the palm of your hand, IF YOU EXPAND...and you will...YOU'RE GOING TO NEED EVERYTHING I LISTED HERE. Grab 2 or 3 extra usb cables for your controllers in case one goes out, grab a couple extra midi cables for the same reason and you can never have too many 1/4 cables laying around.
HOPE THIS HELPS...HAPPY BEAT BANGING ONE AND ALL! lmao
It's best to get what you need RIGHT NOW and what you'll probably need in the NEAR FUTURE especially if you know more than like you'll be expanding your set up. I can tell you right now in this game whether you do it for fun, a hobby or for the potential of profit, you will be adding new gear. It's best to look 6 months to a year out and get the little things that you'll need to expand your set up. All you should know this to be true because look at what you're doing right now. You started there (less shit) and now your here (more shit) right? right!
I would highly recommend that you invest in two things that won't break the bank for possible expansion of your gear ESPECIALLY if a laptop is the type of computer you have. 1) USB hub, at least with four usb inputs and 2) a midi hub with at least two midi ins and two midi outs.
If you're going to purchase the Fast Track Pro it makes all the sense in the world to take full use of it. By that I mean USE the midi in and out on the back of it! Why? midi thru usb is not as stable as a direct midi port. The power stream to you usb connections on your desk top or laptop are not as consistant for neither.
The Fast Track Pro won't be recognized by your computer unless it's directly connected to the laptop or computers midi port but all your other gear will. For your main stays, i.e your midi controllers, these things that you can't afford to have a "hiccup with" when laying down a track, you may want to power externally to be safe. A power blink or midi blink can prove disastrous. Having either with the sound card is not so crucial unless your recording from an external source!
For example here's my set up:
1) MacBook laptop
2) Fast track pro
3) MPC2000 (main controller)
4) M-Audio Axiom 25
5) M-Audio Keystation 49e
6) (a) Maxtor 500 Gig external FireWire hard drive with extra firewire input (you'll see why in a minute) and (b) G Drive mini 250 Gig external FireWire hard drive
EVERYTHING'S CONNECTED AS FOLLOWS:
Fast Track Pro to USB connection (powered and midi'd there)
MPC2000 (I have but didn't need the midi hub) because my MPC has (2) midi ins and (2) midi outs. MPC is connected (A) midi out to Fast Track Pro Midi IN. Then I come midi out of the Fast Track Pro to the midi IN of the MPC. Why? So I can external control my daw (Ableton Live 7) or if I decide to sequence thru with the MPC because I've midi'd out of the Fast Track Pro I can control my MPC thru Ableton Live (press play on Ableton and the MPC will start, press stop and it will stop, works in reverse if I'm controlling Ableton by way of the MPC)
Then I go midi (2) out of my MPC to the midi IN of my Axiom 25. (if i didn't do this I couldn't trigger anything in ableton with the Axiom.
Now I go out of my M-Audio Keystation 49e to the midi IN of the Axiom (once again, if I didn't do this I couldn't trigger anything in Ableton with the 49r)
***EVERYTHING HAS TO BE CONNECTED IN SERIES MIDI WISE OR I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE ALL MY MIDI CONTROL SURFACES**
And lastly, both hard drives are connected to the one and only firewire connection I have. The 500gig is connected direct and the G mini is connected in series thru the 500G, my 49e and my Axiom are powered THRU THE USB HUB that's connected to the last laptop usb connection that I have( but I do have two external power supplies in the wings just in case they blink). With out the usb hub I'd be two usb connections short because I also have an external mouse connected.
I could have eliminated the usb hub from the equation based on the gear I have but I would have had to connect the 2 power supplies. One for the Axiom and one for the 49e. Good powers supplies are some what expensive and with those extra power supplies I would have another power strip to connect them too. Senseless because I already have at least 20 other things connected to power strips. My usb hub is powered by that last usb connection on laptop which in turn powers the Axiom & 49e. Space saver and money saver plus I have one more unused usb connection for anything else I might won't to add.
If you don't have the number of midi ins and outs as I have on your main controller do yourself a favor and buy that midi hub. You will....i repeat YOU WILL need one in the very near future. Get it now and the ports you don't use will be there when you add a new piece. The usb hub is there for the same exact purpose.
Etch it in the palm of your hand, IF YOU EXPAND...and you will...YOU'RE GOING TO NEED EVERYTHING I LISTED HERE. Grab 2 or 3 extra usb cables for your controllers in case one goes out, grab a couple extra midi cables for the same reason and you can never have too many 1/4 cables laying around.
HOPE THIS HELPS...HAPPY BEAT BANGING ONE AND ALL! lmao
MagnaOpera
Comes Equipped...
ill o.g.
^ to add to what he's saying, make sure you get a POWERED usb hub; this means that the USB hub will draw its own power from a wall-wart style power supply, and thus will be able to power all your USB-connectable weaponry. It's pretty much imperative that you get the powered usb hub, because if you get "normal" usb hub, often times it will not draw enough power from the computer to run everything plugged into it.
I learned that the hard way.
I learned that the hard way.
^^^Here's the deal with that. If you use external power for your usb hub and it's not connected to one of your computer usb ports you're computer will not recognize any of the devices connected to it. It'll only be serving as a source of power like an outlet. You would then have to connect all devices by way of midi in order for your computer to recognize them.
Each one of my midi controllers work flawlessly connected to my usb hub that's powered by my laptops usb connection but I do have the option of externally powering the hub as well. One of the keys to having stable power at your usb connection is to go in and adjust some things on your computer. There are a few tweaks you can make to insure the power stays continuous at your usb connection. People don't realize that certain usb connections will toggle off with out setting them not to do so!
Each one of my midi controllers work flawlessly connected to my usb hub that's powered by my laptops usb connection but I do have the option of externally powering the hub as well. One of the keys to having stable power at your usb connection is to go in and adjust some things on your computer. There are a few tweaks you can make to insure the power stays continuous at your usb connection. People don't realize that certain usb connections will toggle off with out setting them not to do so!
MagnaOpera
Comes Equipped...
ill o.g.
Yes. You have to go to your device manager, go down to Universal Serial Bus controllers, open the drop down and go to each and every one of your usb connections that say "usb root hub, right click, go down to properties, next window select the power management tab and REMOVE the check mark in "allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. A lot of usb powered devices don't draw the same mA either. You need to make sure that you have your usb connected devices set for the right out put power for that connected device. Basically "USB ROOT HUB" are any device that you have connected to your usb port. I have 6, you may only have 1 or 2. If you add a new usb device you have to go in and adjust that one as well.
Just like if you use you computer for music production you never want it to hibernate or any of the hard drives to go into sleep mode. You have to go to power management and choose "never" for anything that would normally toggle off to save power. The only thing you should let toggle off is your screen and I don't even do that just for safety reasons. And never try and produce music on a laptop that's not connected to an AC power source. You won't make it thru a session and it'll definitely cause your computer to crash and lose shit.
