Audacity MIDI -can't get it to work

[macstatic]

I have Audacity (3.7.1) and noticed it has a MIDI option. Unfortunately I can't get any response with my (Roland A-800 Pro) MIDI controller. The MIDI-controller works fine in Logic Pro X or other MIDI related apps.

So either I've misconfigured it in Audacity (hard to do as there aren't many MIDI options), or I've misunderstood how to use it in Audacity (I assumed it would allow me to play back any audio present in the editor, using the MIDI keyboard).

 

[BrianBaughn]

Based on this page I'm thinking that what Audacity can do is send MIDI tracks to an external keyboard…the kind with built in sounds:

MIDI Devices Preferences - Audacity Manual

manual.audacityteam.org

 

[macstatic]

Hmmmm.. not very useful in my opinion.
Are there any other audio editors I could look into that allows an external USB/MIDI keyboard to be used to play the audio you're working with at different pitches?
I can do this in Logic Pro X of course, but it's a little overkill when you just want to work on a small audio clip.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I can't answer as I don't understand exactly what it is you're trying to do.

 

[macstatic]

I would like to be able to play whatever audio I'm editing by pressing a key on the external keyboard controller. That would allow me to play it at different pitches (unlike just clicking the "play" button (or pressing the space-bar on the keyboard) in Audacity -which just plays the audio back at its original pitch).

 

[BrianBaughn]

I'm thinking the audio would have to be loaded into a sample player in a DAW or a stand-alone sample player.

Audacity isn't going to do this.

 

[MajorFubar]

What you're wanting is Audacity to work as a sampler, to play back segments of audio at different pitches.
No, it can't do that.
Although I'm not judging, I don't even know why Mac users choose Audacity for anything midi related when we have GarageBand at our fingertips, which absolutely rinses it as a midi DAW.
And yes, Garageband has a built-in sampler that can be controlled by midi controller. As well as a ton of VSTs, loops, and an AI drummer.

 

[macstatic]

What you're wanting is Audacity to work as a sampler, to play back segments of audio at different pitches.
No, it can't do that.

I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

Although I'm not judging, I don't even know why Mac users choose Audacity for anything midi related when we have GarageBand at our fingertips, which absolutely rinses it as a midi DAW.

I'm not one of those.
I've chosen Audacity for editing audio files in various ways (mostly simple truncating and normalizing the levels, or for exporting to other file-formats). Each app for its own purpose.

And yes, Garageband has a built-in sampler that can be controlled by midi controller. As well as a ton of VSTs, loops, and an AI drummer.

Hmmmm.... I have both Garageband and Logic Pro X, but never thought of them as "audio editing apps". They appear too complex for simple tasks as described above, but maybe I should see if I can find a good tutorial on editing audio in those apps. At least there, I will for sure be able to audit the audio at different pitches.

 

[MajorFubar]

You're right they're not really audio editing apps, but what you appeared to be asking for is a way to import / record / play samples via a midi keyboard at different pitches, like hardware samplers from the 80s. Both GB and Logic can do this.