Korg R3 Connecting to Laptop?

[ph.billy]

Hi,
Im using a midisport uno for my korg, even though i didn't need it.
Anyways, I am wondering if there is a program that allows you to write or record whatever you are playing on your keyboard?
Also, what does Sound Editor do, from the Korg r3 package (i didn't understand what to do with it)?

Thank you

[ph.billy]

to update, I have FL studio,
but I am unsure how I can record directly from the R3's sounds?

[xmlguy]

You have to hook up the audio outputs (L/Mono and/or R) with 1/4" mono audio plugs with a cable to some audio inputs on your computer or its audio I/O interface box. A midisport uno is only a midi in/out interface. Midi is not audio. You can't record any audio over midi or the R3's usb-midi interface.

Don't use the editor software or USB-midi drivers on the CD that came with the R3 because they are very outdated. You can load the latest version of this software from Korg's website. The software editor lets you view, edit and control the R3, which is very useful and the best way to learn and to see how it works inside. However, the software editor doesn't have anything to do with sending audio between the R3 and the computer. The audio output of the R3 has to be connected to some other audio device like the inputs of powered speakers or the inputs of a computer audio interface.

Once you have the audio output signals connected to the audio inputs of the computer, then you can use some DAW software like FL Studio to record or sample whatever you play on the R3. You can also use the midi sequencer in DAW software to send midi music notes to the R3 for it to play, so that you don't have to play the music on the keyboard for songs. You can also record the midi notes that you play on the R3 into the sequencer. None of this midi requires using the midisport uno at all, since the built-in USB-midi on the R3 does exactly the same thing. The main reason why the R3 has usb-midi is so that you don't have to buy a separate usb-midi interface like the midisport uno in order to control or edit the R3. The original MicroKorg and MS2000 only had midi ports, no USB, so those synths require your computer to have a midi interface of some kind to control them, and the midisport uno is fine for them or any other gear that has midi ports.

[ph.billy]

You have to hook up the audio outputs (L/Mono and/or R) with 1/4" mono audio plugs with a cable to some audio inputs on your computer or its audio I/O interface box. A midisport uno is only a midi in/out interface. Midi is not audio. You can't record any audio over midi or the R3's usb-midi interface.

Don't use the editor software or USB-midi drivers on the CD that came with the R3 because they are very outdated. You can load the latest version of this software from Korg's website. The software editor lets you view, edit and control the R3, which is very useful and the best way to learn and to see how it works inside. However, the software editor doesn't have anything to do with sending audio between the R3 and the computer. The audio output of the R3 has to be connected to some other audio device like the inputs of powered speakers or the inputs of a computer audio interface.

Once you have the audio output signals connected to the audio inputs of the computer, then you can use some DAW software like FL Studio to record or sample whatever you play on the R3. You can also use the midi sequencer in DAW software to send midi music notes to the R3 for it to play, so that you don't have to play the music on the keyboard for songs. You can also record the midi notes that you play on the R3 into the sequencer. None of this midi requires using the midisport uno at all, since the built-in USB-midi on the R3 does exactly the same thing. The main reason why the R3 has usb-midi is so that you don't have to buy a separate usb-midi interface like the midisport uno in order to control or edit the R3. The original MicroKorg and MS2000 only had midi ports, no USB, so those synths require your computer to have a midi interface of some kind to control them, and the midisport uno is fine for them or any other gear that has midi ports.

I see,
so will this replicate the exact, or try to replicate the sounds of the R3 better when connected to the Fl Studio?

I'm asking this because with midi only, I had to use some synth program in the FL Studio, which gave poor mimics of the Korg's sounds.

Thank you

[xmlguy]

The synth sound on the R3 isn't being "replicated" on FL Studio, or visa versa. The output audio of the R3 is being sent to the computer inputs, which the DAW software can record if you tell it to record from those inputs. When you connect the R3 to FL Studio via midi, then none of the sound on the R3 is what you hear in FL Studio. You are hearing FL Studio sounds that are triggered by the note date/values you play on the keys. All that's sent by midi is that you, for example, hit the C4 key with a velocity of 75, then FL Studio will respond with whatever sound/synth you have assigned to that midi channel using that note data. Midi has no sound and no sound is transmitted through midi, whether its midi cables or usb-midi. Midi is 100% silent, all the time. It is music data about what is happening on a keyboard (midi events like note on/off) and that data can be used to control other midi devices that respond to those same events.

[axxim]

You can think of FL as an orchestra director, the MIDI data as the music score or note sheets, and your R3 as a musician who can play several instruments (the sounds on your R3)
The orchestra director conducts the music to be played (tempo, volume, which instrument and note has to be played, etc. sending them via MIDI)

Now think if you have no musician (your R3 or any other synth), your friendly orchestra director (FL) has also several musicians in his house that you also can use (those included software synths with FL). Sou you can let him conduct those musicians, the R3, any other synth you may have in your setup or all at the same time like a real orchestra.

Every one could play the notes the director wants but not all musicians play the same way, the same instruments in the same manner. With the same note sheets, a real Carlos Santana would sound different to Mark Knopfler and very different again to any other guitar player, even if the notes ore score are always the same. Every musician (synth) will sound with its own characteristic depending what sounds and specialties or characteristic it has. That is why playing the same notes with the FL synths (or any other MIDI instrument in your setup) would sound slightly different to the R3 and viceversa. Each synth or MIDI instrument at all has its own characteristic.

At last, the orchestra director also has an audio recorder which lets him record the played sounds of each musician if he wants to postprocess them with any kind of additional effects whenever he wants. That all is was your FL studio or similar music programs like cubase, ableton etc. are capable to do.