Posted by: rasputin
« on: August 16, 2023, 10:01:00 PM »Web page on my site: https://crow-caw.com/2021/07/29/my-midi-collection-jar/
Points to this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6awu1GGh1Y&ab_channel=TScott
A couple years ago I was casting about for a simple "MIDI listening app": I wanted to be able to noodle and improvise on my (Yamaha CP88) digital piano, capturing the MIDI just in case I hit on something brilliant and wanted to drag it into Live/Reaper (spoiler: I didn't hit on anything brilliant.) But I didn't want to buy a new laptop and install Reaper on it, etc., something much simpler.
Anyway, I found that the FL Studio Mobile (FLSM) app ran very well on a barebones Chromebook (it's a Lenovo S330, probably worth $100). You should get the Lenovo USB dongle ($15) to make it less awkward. And FLSM was like $15 for a real license. That's the best deal since Reaper.
I will say that that is without a doubt the best engineered $15 piece of software I've ever bought. It's simple, versatile, and never crashes.
There are a number of ways to get the captured MIDI file from the Chromebook to the PC. The first problem is finding where FLSM puts exported MIDI files. Then you set up something like Google Drive to the Chromebook and move the MIDI file into a folder on Drive. By having Google Drive available on your PC or Mac, you can just get the MIDI file from there. You may have a better method by putting the Chromebook on a local network with your main music computer, or using Bluetooth, but I haven't tried those approaches yet.
Even though I monitor using the CP88's sound, the grand piano sounds in FLSM are incredibly good for that cheap a DAW.
If you ever set up a similar workflow, let me know.
Cheers, Tim S.
Points to this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6awu1GGh1Y&ab_channel=TScott
A couple years ago I was casting about for a simple "MIDI listening app": I wanted to be able to noodle and improvise on my (Yamaha CP88) digital piano, capturing the MIDI just in case I hit on something brilliant and wanted to drag it into Live/Reaper (spoiler: I didn't hit on anything brilliant.) But I didn't want to buy a new laptop and install Reaper on it, etc., something much simpler.
Anyway, I found that the FL Studio Mobile (FLSM) app ran very well on a barebones Chromebook (it's a Lenovo S330, probably worth $100). You should get the Lenovo USB dongle ($15) to make it less awkward. And FLSM was like $15 for a real license. That's the best deal since Reaper.
I will say that that is without a doubt the best engineered $15 piece of software I've ever bought. It's simple, versatile, and never crashes.
There are a number of ways to get the captured MIDI file from the Chromebook to the PC. The first problem is finding where FLSM puts exported MIDI files. Then you set up something like Google Drive to the Chromebook and move the MIDI file into a folder on Drive. By having Google Drive available on your PC or Mac, you can just get the MIDI file from there. You may have a better method by putting the Chromebook on a local network with your main music computer, or using Bluetooth, but I haven't tried those approaches yet.
Even though I monitor using the CP88's sound, the grand piano sounds in FLSM are incredibly good for that cheap a DAW.
If you ever set up a similar workflow, let me know.
Cheers, Tim S.
