how to play chords with one finger

knoqcotic wrote:I'm still pretty new on this forum but I've been here before with questions....well I was watching youtube today and I found an answer to a question I posted back when I first purchased my ren. It was regarding using a midi plugin called tone space. The plugin generates midi chords with one finger. I was told that the ren was not capable of this action until I saw this video of shizz beats doing this on a mac, now I know it's possible. My question is could someone help me figure how to do this using Windows 7. I would post a link to the video but I don't know how. The video is on YouTube...just search the name "shizz beats" the video is on his channel it's titled playing chords with one finger...he is doing this with the mpc ren...please can someone help me do this with Windows 7. Thanks

Watch this clip,

that's just taking a sample of a chord and repitching it, completely unrelated to the topic which is how to assign MIDI chords to single pads, for playing VSTs or external synths.

fdodds wrote:that's just taking a sample of a chord and repitching it, completely unrelated to the topic which is how to assign MIDI chords to single pads, for playing VSTs or external synths.

I misunderstood. But I looked it up.








Here are some other virtual-midi options, for Windows users.


http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html


http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/rtpmidi.html


http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software.html

Fdodds could you put step by step instructions on setting up loopbe with tonespace in having some trouble with the setup....thanks

Sure. First thing I want to stress is using loopbe like this won't allow you to use your Ren hardware as the input, so you'll need a seperate midi controller like a keyboard or an MPD... or whatever.

The idea is that your external controller triggers tonespace, which then sends it's midi chords to the MPC software through the LoopBe1 virtual port. The links that chillin posted probably do the same thing as LoopBe1, so if you can't get LoopBe1 working maybe try one of those.


1. Install LoopBe
Make sure LoopBe is installed. It should autorun when your computer starts up, so if it's installed you should be able to see the LoopBe logo in the notification area on the start bar

2. Run Tonespace as a standalone app
Don't run tonespace as a vst within the MPC software or any DAW, for this method you should open the standalone version which will run in it's own window.

3. Set Tonespace's midi input and output
First go into tonespace, up the top click Settings, then click Midi Settings. in the Input column click the box next to your midi controller to make sure the input is active. In the Output column do the same for LoopBe.

Making sure those boxes are ticked activates them in Tonespace and makes them an option for you to assign. Close the Midi Settings window. In the main Tonespace window on the right you should see the midi input and midi output drop down menus. Set the input to your controller, and the output to LoopBe1. You also have to change the Trigger setting to Midi Triggers Note.

4. Run the MPC software and set up Midi
Now open up the MPC software. Go into the MPC preferences, and navigate to the Midi page. In the MPC software midi settings, make sure LoopBe1 is active as a midi input.


And that should do it!

Fdods, I used your step by step method and its almost working for me...I'm using my Yamaha keyboard as a MIDI controller... I'm using a m audio uno connected to my keyboards MIDI in and out and I connected the USB end of my m audio uno to my mpc Ren USB port to trigger my ren....my problem is that I can't check my m audio uno box which is controlling my keyboard on in my mpc when it is checked on in tone space....what am I doing wrong....do I need to get regular MIDI cables and connect my keyboard to the MIDI in and out ports of the Ren instead of connecting my MIDI with the m audio uno....

wow this tone space is really cool. good looking out guys.

Hey Knoqotic,

I don't think you can have the midi device active in tonespace AND mpc ren. The MPC software isn't actually receiving any information from the controller (uno) you're using it, it gets its information from LoopBe1, which acts as a separate device.

So you correctly checked the box for the Uno inside tonespace, now you have to check the box next to LoopBe1 for Tonespace's output. Then in the MPC software check the box next to LoopBe1 for midi input.


The M-Audio Uno throws the first midi signal to tonespace, tonespace changes the input signal into a midi chord and then passes it over to LoopBe1, LoopBe1 runs down the field carrying the chord and makes a touchdown inside the MPC Software goal zone.

Thankz...I will try it thank you for all of your assistance with my problems.

Still not working...maybe I will upgrade to the 1.6 update and update my rens firmware and see if it helps.

ah yeah, i've only ever used 1.6 mpc software so that might be the problem. on the tonespace main window on the right, make sure your keyboard is selected as the midi in, loopbe1 as the midi out, and trigger must be set to midi triggers note not mouseclick.

let me ask you, when you play a key on your keyboard, does tonespace visually show that it's receiving information from the keyboard? the corresponding key should light up when you press it.

also, you can try clicking on a cell within tonespace which will trigger a chord. when you click a cell, do you hear the chord being played in the mpc software? or do you see it on the piano roll or with the pads lighting up? try hitting rec on the mpc then clicking around in tonespace.

both of those should work if it's set up correctly.

Yes everything works its not sending the message to the Ren. When I hit record nothing happens I get sound but no MIDI data in the ren

What up fellas? I've been following y'all conversation about the Tonespace program and I followed fdodds instructions on how to get everything to work right and I was able to get it working. So let me say thanks........

but here is my question. Say I use Tonespace to play the MPC WUB, which is on track 1 and I want to use and play another vsti on track 2 without Tonespace, cause i want to play the keys freehand. How do I turn off Tonespace for that track and the other tracks I don't want to have chords played on?