New With ??? About My Set Up Options

[torchsong]

Hi, new girl here with lots of questions about hardware and software.
I've read just about everything I can that is somewhat related to my situation but still have ????

I am a cellist and vocalist and want to make backing tracks to play with live and also make demo recordings on my computer. I come from the portastudio school of home recordings so the MIDI stuff is making me nuts!

Here's what I have:
imac running OS 9.2
DX7
Boss DRmkII
Behringer Eurorack
MOTU Fast Lane
Metro 5
OMS 2.3.8 grrrrrrr.....
cello with pickup (although I usually am miked for studio recording)
guitars
cables

I've tried to keep the basic set up simple but am having problems with OMS I think. Metro doesn't seem to like to work with Free MIDI.
I am also having problems playing back audio after recording a track, how am I supposed to hear what I've played to do over dubs?

BTW, I downloaded Pro Tools Free to try it out and just can't get the thing to open (memory error 1,010) so I gave up and went with Metro instead because it was inexpensive to start.

Thanks for any help, this is a great site!

[Levon River]

aah yeah, playing music the old fashioned way... with a bow!

<Sigh> At least it doesn't have ins and outs.

I took a break for holiday and family stuff, thinking that when I returned to this everything would work...  

Ahhh, yes: the metaphysical approach to MIDI. Tried it many times.

Extensions seem to be under control, no conflicts but I still have no sound when I play the DX7 and no sound when testing the set up in OMS or with Free MIDI. What gives???

Good on the extensions. You're absolutely going to have to break down this MIDI vs. audio mess into two separate, distinct parts, and there are only two ways I know of to go about it, both of which include being able to hear your MIDI device (the DX-7) one way or another:

1. Ignore computer audio to solve the MIDI aspects, which means you'll have to have the output of the DX-7 either going directly>amp>speakers (or listening to it with headphones) while you debug the MIDI, or,

2. Ignore computer MIDI problems completely while solving the computer audio situation, meaning you run the output of the DX-7 through the computer, and do *nothing* with the MIDI part, only play the DX-7 yourself by hand until you KNOW you are hearing it through the computer (and/or until you get recorded tracks playing back so you can hear them--I've gotten lost, now, on whether you can get NO sound out, or only from your DX-7).

Once you have ONE or the OTHER solved completely, then and *only* then should you start on the other. I've said this till I'm blue in the face, but you still seem to be trying to solve both simultaneously.

I made separate sets of extensions for each application so I'm running one or the other (OMS/FreeMIDI) not both at the same time. (and no graphics stuff either!) Will this help?

Of course it will help. Anything you can do to reduce variables helps when you're trying to narrow down the problem.

ProTools Free still refuses to work

Come on, torchsong: what does *that* mean? Never mind; rhetorical question. But it's just adding more confusion. You need to solve first your audio *OR* MIDI problems (ONE and *only* one of those), then solve the *other* (audio or MIDI), *then* you can start determining wheter programs that use both of those things are working or not. And not until then. And the programs work.

It is embarrassing to have to post these requests for help because it probably is something really basic causing the problem  

Lots and lots of people go through it to begin with, so it's no cause for embarrassment--unless you persist (a-HEM!) in not doing the things people suggest to solve it.

I still have my hair but the dent in my head is getting bigger  

Oh, that's normal: it's when you start denting the *furniture* that you need to start getting concerned...

I tried Metro first because of cost (cheep!) but now I'm wondering if it was worth the headache  :sad:  

Horsepuckey. Fortunately kaboombahchuck is on hand as a fellow Metro user and can guide you through those whitewaters. But you ain't even got yer raft wet yet, and won't have until you separate out the audio and MIDI situations and get both working with certainty. Then is when you can start exploring the eccentricities of any given DAW or sequencer packages--and not until then.