DM48 SETUP WITH DAW: 4 MIDI channels OUT to 4 MIDI channels IN on 4 tracks or ALL channels IN on one track
Ivan Johnstone
In order to play the DM48 as naturally as a standard chromatic harmonica, I have found that setting the MIDI Channel to Multich 1-4 (4 channels OUT) is a primary must followed by adjusting Sensitivity (adjusting the volume control on the amplifier output has the same effect for me), Trigger level, and Solo Assist to personally best suit the patches (instruments) within a VST plugin. The DAW I use is Mixcraft 8 Pro. In my early experiments playing the synthesised patches provided within Mixcraft, I found that I had to set up 4 separate instrument tracks 1 to 4 with MIDI channel IN of each track set to channels 1 to 4 respectively. I got garbled sound using only one track with the MIDI channel IN set to ALL. Some DAWS may have a feature where a group of MIDI channels IN can be selected.
Now that I have experimented with a number of more sophisticated VST plugins, I have found that using only one track with some VST plugins is sufficient provided the MIDI channel IN of that track is set to ALL within Mixcraft 8. With the same sophisticated VST plugins, if I use 4 tracks with MIDI channel IN set to 1 to 4 respectively, then each track records all MIDI notes. Using 4 tracks is therefore redundant if one is recording only a DM48 player. However, if a MIDI keyboard player is recorded simultaneously, then using 4 tracks and 4 MIDI channels IN for the DM48 and track 5 with MIDI channel IN set to 5 for the MIDI keyboard would be necessary in order to separate the MIDI content being recorded.
David Fairweather
Ivan Johnstone
It has been a learning curve for me. For example, when I started out playing my DM48 I changed the sensitivity setting on my DM48 according to the VST I was using. Some VSTs sound quieter and some louder. I now adjust the volume of my amplifier system (Steinberg UR22 USB Audio Interface and Beta Aivin Guitar Amplifier) accordingly and keep my DM48 sensitivity setting low in order to retain a wider dynamic range.
When I started out using only one DM48 MIDI channel out, I needed to use solo assist to avoid unwanted notes. I would still need to use Solo Assist to avoid unwanted notes if using only one DM48 channel out, but I now use four DM48 channels out.
As I have become more used to playing the DM48 I have perhaps adjusted to playing each hole more precisely square on. I now turn Solo Assist off when using 4 channels.
I suspect the trigger level is more of a personal setting which is a balance between sensitivity and avoiding unwanted notes.
The DM48 has a number of settings. Inexpensive VSTs have similar hardwired settings. Expensive sophisticated VSTs (e.g. Sample Modeling SWAM engine instruments) have a wider range of settings, including variable settings which can be controlled using the pitch bend wheel, modulation wheel, and sustain pedal on a MIDI keyboards or foot pedal and foot buttons on a MIDI controller (e.g. Behringer MIDI Foot Controller FCB1010). The overall effect coming out of the speakers is the end result of a combination of the DM48 settings and the settings of the VST. Sophisticated VSTs enable savings of settings. The DM48 also saves settings. The approach I prefer to adopt is to reserve the DM48 settings for changes in Octave Transp and Key Transp and control of sliders while keeping all other settings fixed. My approach now is to adjust the settings in the VST to suit my preferences according to the fixed settings in my DM48 and then save the VST settings. The DAW file saves the number of tracks and MIDI channels allocated to each track, the VST instrument (patch), and the settings of the VST. The filename of the DAW file can be used to describe the setup (see my posting on filename convention of DAW files).