I just want reverb for (soundfont) MIDI. Can it be simple?

Colmino

Subject says it all. Spent three hours going over all the resources I could find, and have come to the conclusion that while it seems as though these drivers will enable what I'm after, I will have to earn a Master's in its functionality before the correct path becomes clear. Here's all I'm after:

I want to force some reverb on soundfont-based MIDI playback (preferably with a slider), ignoring for the moment the possibility of a reverb setting built into the soundfont itself (it has none, for the curious). Simultaneously, I wish to avoid applying reverb to any other aspect of my soundcard's output (Audigy 2 ZS Platinum).

I've got sound working. I've got MIDI working. I can use the FX sliders to apply reverb globally (though interestingly it seems not to affect MIDI at all). But the likely painless sequence of steps necessary for achieving reverb for MIDI eludes me.

I feel I need to suggest in advance that efforts to explain how FXBus-this or FXMix2-that operates will likely prove not to be what I'm after; I've seen such explanations in past threads here and they tend to assume a lot of technical knowhow (or else they simply forget that people aren't born with the missing info). Something more along the lines of "connect this to this, slide this bar, voila" would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Maddogg6

Yeah... I didnt care for MIDI-reverb either, so I made my own DSP config to make full use of ALL the FX sends available (CC#16-19 AND CC91/93)

So, I strongly suggest reading up on DSP configuring (its pretty easy once you understand some basics) - and once youve got that... theres 2 other important apect to graps as well -
1) how FX are used in soundfonts... as theres an 'instrument' layer and a 'patch' made up of 1 or more instruments. Each instrument layer has a potential reverb and chorus 'preset' send ammount... then theres the asbolute or relative offset the patch can apply to all or individual instrument layers in the patch.
2) The KX router also has sliders that 'interact' with the SF2 midi send ammounts.

So - the quick and easy answer for you is to open up the KX router - and open up the KX SYTNTH 1 & 2 - and adjust the SEND C (reverb) and SEND D (Chorus) sliders


Now in response to your lil 'rant' about info, I tend to agree - BUT - I have found the complexity of KX is necessary in order to have the HUGE ammount a flexibility it provides.. and like anything else, more complex - more learning curve - but I promise the results warrent the efforts.

If I say one thing that you should take to the bank.... learn how to make your own DSP configs - the default one sux for midi. - As it was meant to be more of an all purpose multimedia setup.

Colmino

Thanks for replying.

I did actually locate those C and D sliders, following some tangents garnered from other posts. When I found them, they were both set to the topmost setting, and adjustments to them had zero audible impact on MIDI playback, using two different soundfonts (Creative's default and the latest Fluid). They are still maxed, with no apparent effect. I assumed, therefore, that they had to be controls for a synthesized form of MIDI, which of course doesn't meant soundfonts, which are digital audio. Regardless of whether this assumption is accurate or not, the fact remains that controlling those two sliders nets zero effect. Hence my post. ;p

Anyway, if anyone knows what might be going on, please help.

Russ

In addition to what Maddogg6 said, if you do not want any Reverb applied to anything except MIDI, then set all the InLevel sliders in FxMix2 to 0 (with the exception In1Level which is used for MIDI under the default DSP). BTW: This will also effect Chorus for everything except MIDI.

Additionally, set the Send C/Send D amounts in kX Router to 0, for anything that you do not want Reverb or Chorus (i.e. evrything except Synth1 and Synth2) applied to.

Colmino

I got it. Hooray! Thanks for everyone's efforts. The critical function I'd been failing to discover was the menu you get when you double-click one of the banks in the DSP window. Some simple adjustments there and it's all working great. What a relief!

And what a shame that Creative has such poor drivers.

norgran

Since the Creative EAX does not allow (though it appears it should) MIDI and WAV to have separate levels of Reverb, I was hoping someone here would give detailed start to finish instructions on replacing my Creative drivers with KX. I'm a bit reluctant to get my feet wet, but if someone would be so kind as to lay it out real simple, I'll take the plunge.

Thank you so much-