So, I'm totally new with the whole MIDI thing. Been using mostly analogue keyboards etc. It's gotten to the point where I just can't take all this stuff to shows anymore. So I'm thinking about getting a sampler (AKAI S2000, EMU ESI2000 something like that).

Here's my question, can I, using MIDI, run two keyboards into one sampler (with only one MIDI input) and play different parts on them? Do I need some sort of MIDI mixer?

Basically what I'm trying to do is replace a main keyboard with piano/string type sounds and a little MOOG synth, which I play during different parts of the same song. The idea being that I don't want to switch out MIDI ins for two separate controllers duing the middle of a song.

As I said, I'm completely new to this, so please be gentle.

Thanks in advance for the help.

there are a few things to consider…

- The sampler you are to use has a sound and all are not born equal
- The size of the banks you'll need, as it's suppose to replace on stage your beloved old keys, you won't cut corners and optimise to the max

the 2 parts into one sampler should not be an issue as you don't have 5165764 fingers

I don't remember the exact polyphony of each ones, but either these or the just higher model should be ok. 16 voices are sufficient (correct me if I'm wrong, maybe you play with you feet AND your nose then it would be a trouble
If I remember well that it's ok.

then these samplers are not top of range ones, so have memory limitations (32 Mo for ESI32). You can have a lot of sounds in 32 megs. But if you want to have the best of your Moog, maybe you'll end up with a big bank for it. So watch for at least fully memory expanded samplers (their memory IS expensive). If you are really in doubt, check for the superior model (ESI4000-ESI5000)

Then the sound… Some like Akai, Some like EMU better…

If you're into analogue stuff, I think (try before you buy anyway) that the EMU sound (fuller and warmer) should suit you better. ESI are sampler that are relatively easy to master and they sound good.
S2000 in my opinion (I told you I'm sold to EMU) are not sounding right. At least not for you. Colder and harsher.

One more thing to check on the memory side is that loading samples in a hardware sampler take a small but definetly firm on the ground time to LOAD, so if you have to change a bank (eg you want to have different patches of your old moog available during the performance) thelargest memory you'll have, the less hassle it'll be if you hve to load during the performance.

Anyway, as samplers are getting dirt cheap 2nd hand… have a look… it's worth it.

hope this will help

(I've been gentle you see

beware... the EMU ESI2000 is not mac friendly.... you can't use mac CDROM to load samples to it... you can connect it via midi or scsi and use with some sound editors like recycle though. I sold mine because was too much of a pain to load and store my samples to zip.

I'm still waiting to know a sampler that likes an internal CDrom from a computer…

(friends that have samplers -Akai, Ensoniq, EMU- use external dedicated ones for a reason)

Anyway a sampler with an internal hard drive would be better (less hassle on the road)

Thanks for the advice. I guess my only question now is, how do I set up the two keyboards to run into a sampler with only one midi input? Ideally what I'd like to do is run say a full size controller for the main parts of the song (piano sounds, strings etc.) and then something small like an Oxygen8 to be able to play moogy type stuff during the same song. Do I run one of the keyboards into the other one, and then run the 2nd one into the sampler? Thanks again for the help.

If the parts are assigned to two different midi channels I can't see the trouble.

But you can have a controller with a "splitable" keyboard. When splitted, each zone can be assigned to whatever you want it to. Some controller even support up to 4 zones. You can layer parts of them sometimes…

a lot can be done.

Maybe a Fatar or other keyboard user could tell us more (I'm using the synths themselves so…)

I use M1 and Oxygen8 together. The way I do it is fairly tricky, but in a nutshell, what you should do is to have Oxygen8 connected to your master keyboard's MIDI Thru port. then MIDI output from your master key goes into the sampler. Just know that Oxygen8 and the master key need to transmit on different MIDI channels and you need to setup your sampler to accept those MIDI channels and set it up so the desired result will be achieved.... or something like that. Good luck.