Can Soft Arranger work with other DAWs or hardware synths?
Some users say that they already use x, y or z DAW and they would like to use Soft Arranger with the software they already have installed and they would like to know if it will work. The short answer is yes. Soft Arranger simply sends MIDI data so if you have a DAW or hardware synth that receives MIDI it will “work”.
The problem you will find is that for example if you load a style in Soft Arranger where note D4 on CH10 is mapped to a snare drum but your DAW is set up in a way that on that note and MIDI channel you have a violin. Then obviously it wont sound as expected.
The idea of using the recommended setup (Reaper + TX16Wx + included presets) is that styles will sound exactly the same regardless of the computer and OS (Mac or Windows).
Please note that you can have multiple DAWs installed on your computer and they will not conflict with each other. If you like you can even set up Reaper as a portable installation and put it on a pen drive.
To get started with the recommended setup you won’t have to buy anything and you won’t have to “learn” Reaper because you just need to load a project and leave it in the background. Then once you are set up and running you can try and duplicate the setup on your DAW or hardware synth if you really want to.
Another option is to simply make your own styles with your own mappings however you are already set up.
6 comments to “Can Soft Arranger work with other DAWs or hardware synths?”
I have a Yamaha MOXF8 multi track keyboard set to receive omni and send on ch 3
I have the drums on 10 – base on 2 etc. The keyboard is responding to midi from SA without any other software needed..
This is very exciting to me as it could give me the same utility and function as a program that cost 3 or 4 times as much as you would ever charge – that’s amazing!I’m referring to the KARMA-LAB Software for Yamaha Keyboards.
But I am running into problems.
Transmit channel is set to 3 but SA does not respond and change chords
Takes to long too load styles
Error 1 – no text file found
Error 2 – does not clear after pattern selected.
How do we edit or make our own styles?
YIKES – Computer crashed I’ll try it again after some upgrades.
Hi Paul,
I’m glad you are enjoying Soft Arranger. I’ve responded to you via e-mail to try and iron out the problems you are having.
Regards,
Hi,
What should I do to use my NEKTAR IMPACT LX25+ midi keyboard, ONLY TO CHANGE THE ARRANGER’S CHORDS ?
Hi Giuseppe,
I’m not sure exactly what is the problem you are having. This is basically all you need to do.
– Set your MIDI keyboard to transmit on CH3.
– Load a style.
– Click on a pattern (it should start blinking to show it is waiting for a chord).
– Play a three or four note chord on the left part of the keyboard.
That’s all there is to it. If it doesn’t work there is probably something not configured right. Contact me at info@softarranger.com and we can try and figure it out.
Regards,
It seems to work very well with my Yamaha DGX-640 all I had to do was change the soft arranger port for my keyboard’s port and uncheck the box “Send PG as cc109 messages”. Now all I need to know is how to make my own styles. For more than a year now, you’ve been writing about making a video on the subject. Could you just give us written instructions in the mean time? Without that Soft Arranger becomes much less interesting for me.
I would also like to know if it could become possible to access the setup window without having to quit and restart the software? Also, why does the main window occupy the whole screen on my Mac after closing the setup window but never displays anything in the big right side window?
I’m replying to myself to correct my comment on the empty window. The content of a text file associated to the style file will appear in this window.