Hello,
I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on choosing the right software for a particular task I have.

I have a MIDI keyboard connected to my Mac (Intel). I want to be able to programme each key on the keyboard to trigger a particular sound when hit and be able to record it.

I'm sure it's out there I just can't think of the search terms to track it down.

Thanks in advance
Trist

you're talking about at least two different tasks.
the first is creating a 'sample map' in a 'sampler'. that's the sound to key programming.
then there's the process of recording your performance.

you may choose to split these into separate programs or not.
the easiest thing to do might be to use a simple software sampler, loaded as an AU plug in in Garage Band.
there are free samplers out there for you.
this site lists software, as do several others, including KVR.

EVERY major audio sequencing platform with some native plug ins can do what you're asking.
good luck, and have fun.

If you asking if there's a way to program each key on your MC to play a different note I'd say no because your 'keys' are probably not programmable. I know on my M-Audio they aren't. Your sound banks in your DAW should be programmable and you can program your MC to access those sound banks which then would give your MC access to those programmed sounds ... which is what I would do to accomplish what I think you want to do. Instead of programming the MC keys themselves, you're programming the DAW sound banks and then calling that bank from your MC. You can program individual control buttons to play a particular note, but I'm not sure why you would want to do that.

If your MC has buttons, knobs, and faders, these are programable and the very least you want your MC to be able to do is to control your DAW Stop, Rewind, Play, and Record so you don't have to go back and forth to the mouse or computer keyboard.

It would be helpful to know what MC and DAW you are using.

Thanks for info, I think part of my problem is that I wasn't clear what I was looking for. Simple now you've said!

just a thought:
If you're trying to program your MC to work with GarageBand, you're limited to the Stop-Start-ReWind-Record functions. You may hear and see visualizations of pans & volume but they won't apply to your tracks. I guess you could set the track volume levels but forget pans, or volume transitions ... really everything. When I first got my Mac & MC I wasted so much time on this.