Setting Up a Tuning Box

The following illustrations show how to set up the Tuning Box with several different types of equipment, including keyboards and computers with internal and external sound sources. Its small size allows the Tuning Box to be placed directly on top of most keyboards in performance situations, minimizing cable lengths and setup time.

Keyboard with Internal Synthesizer or Sampler

This setup is recommended for live performance if you use your keyboard's internal synthesizer. In this configuration, the keyboard must use MIDI setting LOCAL CONTROL OFF. Two MIDI cables are required.

Keyboard MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to Keyboard MIDI IN Hundreds of keyboard synthesizers of various price ranges are compatible with TBX1. Please see the compatibility chart. Some recommended low-cost, portable (battery or AC powered) keyboard synthesizers are:  +  Yamaha PSR-E213 / YPT-210, no velocity sensing, typically around $100  +  Yamaha PSR-E313 / YPT-310, velocity sensing, typically around $150  +  Casio CTK-900, velocity sensing, sequencer, typically around $200 Ultra-portable solution (micro-sized keyboard synthesizer):  +  Yamaha QY-100, full featured sequencer, no speakers, typically around $500

Keyboard Controller with External Tone module

This setup is recommended for live performance if you use a keyboard controller and tone module. Two MIDI cables are required.

Keyboard MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to Tone Module MIDI IN Hundreds of MIDI tone modules of various price ranges are compatible with TBX1. Please see the compatibility chart. Note that the quality of sounds in a tone module is usually proportional to its price. Several affordable modules are:  +  Suzuki EX-100, typically around $100  +  Edirol SD-20, typically around $200  +  Kurzweil Micro Ensemble, typically around $300  +  Yamaha QY-100, full featured sequencer, battery or AC powered, typically around $400  +  GEM GM-X, typically around $500  +  Roland Sonic Cell, typically around $500

Computer with Internal Sound Card, Software Synthesizer or Software Sampler and Keyboard Controller

This setup is recommended if you use internal sounds from your computer's sound card, software synthesizer or software sampler. This arrangement is useful when working with sequencing and notation programs to record retuned MIDI input, or in live performance situations using a laptop. Two MIDI cables and a 1x1 MIDI Interface are required.

	Keyboard MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to MIDI Interface MIDI IN MIDI Interface relay to Computer Sound Card, Software Synthesizer or Software Sampler Computer Audio STEREO OUT to Headphones or LINE OUT to Amplifier

Computer and Keyboard with Internal Synthesizer or Sampler

This setup is recommended if you want to send MIDI to your computer and use the sounds from your keyboard's internal synthesizer or sampler. This arrangement is useful when working with sequencing and notation programs to record retuned MIDI input. The keyboard must use MIDI setting LOCAL CONTROL OFF. Three MIDI cables and a 1x1 MIDI Interface are required.

	Keyboard MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to MIDI Interface MIDI IN MIDI Interface relay to Computer MIDI Interface MIDI OUT to Keyboard MIDI IN

This equipment may also be arranged to send unmodified (untuned) MIDI directly from your keyboard to your computer while sending modified (tuned) MIDI from the Tuning Box to the keyboard synthesizer or sampler and on to your headphones or amplifier. When using a notation program this would result in conventional notation corresponding to the keys played rather than the retuned pitches sounding. This setup also allows your computer to send untuned MIDI data to the Tuning Box, which may be useful when working with sequencing or notation programs. In this case the following setup should be used. Three MIDI cables and a 1x1 MIDI Interface are required.

	Keyboard MIDI OUT to MIDI Interface MIDI IN MIDI Interface relay to Computer MIDI Interface MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to Keyboard MIDI IN

Computer and Keyboard Controller with External Tone Module

This setup is recommended if you want to send MIDI to your computer while using sounds from an external hardware synthesizer or sampler. This arrangement is useful when working with sequencing and notation programs to record retuned MIDI input. Three MIDI cables and a 1x1 MIDI Interface are required.

	Keyboard MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to MIDI Interface MIDI IN MIDI Interface relay to Computer MIDI Interface MIDI OUT to External Tone module MIDI IN External Tone Module STEREO OUT to Headphones or LINE OUT to Amplifier

This equipment may also be arranged to send unmodified (untuned) MIDI directly from your keyboard to your computer while sending modified (tuned) MIDI from the Tuning Box to the external module and on to your headphones or amplifier. When using a notation program this would result in conventional notation corresponding to the keys played rather than the retuned pitches sounding. This setup also allows your computer to send untuned MIDI data to the Tuning Box, which may be useful when working with sequencing or notation programs. In this case the following setup should be used. Three MIDI cables and a 1x1 MIDI Interface are required.

	Keyboard MIDI OUT to MIDI Interface MIDI IN MIDI Interface relay to Computer MIDI Interface MIDI OUT to Tuning Box MIDI IN Tuning Box MIDI OUT to External Tone Module MIDI IN External Tone Module STEREO OUT to Headphones or LINE OUT to Amplifier