New to Mixcraft and USB Keyboards

[jdburgess]

Good day; I am SO new to this technology, but wanted to give it a try. Running HP Probook 4730s Laptop, i7, Windows 7 Pro, 8G RAM. Purchased/Installed Mixcraft Pro 7 and purchased a Williams Legato 88-key USB keyboard to interface with Mixcraft. All is hooked up; Mixcraft working fine (getting sounds from Mixcraft internal devices), but I can't get the keyboard to control the software. Hooked up through USB3 via USB cable and control is being exported from the USB keyboard via a control function on the keyboard. Computer sees the keyboard in devices and drivers show up-to-date. The Williams keyboard is listed as the default device under MIDI Input devices in Mixcraft. Puzzling: Using WaveRT, but only Default Recording Device listed is a microphone. Should not the USB Piano Keyboard be listed there? Also, I've tried several implementation/restart sequences; turn keyboard off, restart; unplug, restart, replug, start software, etc. Note: I tried recording audio from a digital microphone to an audio track and it worked fine. Thanks for your help for this major rookie. JDB

[Rolling Estonian]

Hey there and welcome.

What do you mean by 'can't get the keyboard to control the software'?

Are you attempting to use the keyboard to control the volume, faders etc? Or just use the keyboard to play?

If you want to play an instrument with keyboard, open an instrument track, click on the piano and choose a vsti instrument.

If you want to control software (volume, faders etc) you have to map the midi device. Click on the midi button top left, everything turns blue, click on something you want to control and press a key on your keyboard. Program as many keys as you like.

In the Toolbar is the Help option, it opens the MC7 manual, a great help.

M

[sirmikd]

If you are having trouble getting sound from your keyboard try the settings/sound device/ select Core Audio wave RT and then check exclusive mode - My Novation Impulse works well with this but not so good with other settings.

[fredfish]

I had a quick look at your keyboard manual http://www.williamspianos.com/products/ ... ual%20.pdf

As this keyboard has on-board sounds you need to turn the local mode to "off" in order for it to function as a MIDI keyboard that will work with Mixcraft - page 11 of the manual on the above link.

I hope this sorts out your issue.

Cheers

John

[AHornsby]

+1 for fredfish

If you haven't got a keyboard stand yet, I'd recommend this one: http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/S ... /555-13830

[jdburgess]

Good day! Thanks for the replies! Yes, I'm just trying to get sound out of the setup. As per the Williams Manual, I had turned off the local mode. Also, per the recommendation, I set the WaveRT to Exclusive. Still no sound. I changed USB ports to no avail. The instruments play through the speakers with the 'musical typing' function in Mixcraft, so it's producing sounds, just not responding to the inputs from the Williams unit. I've looked at the Mixcraft manual, and will continue to search for a solution. Any additional suggestions are appreciated. Note: I have a music stand, thank you for the recommendation! Have a MUSICAL day, my friends! JB

[fredfish]

When you have Mixcraft started try unplugging you keyboard and then plugging it back in again. Do you get a message saying that "Mixcraft has detected a change in the MIDI devices available" (or something very similar)?

This will identify if Mixcraft is seeing your keyboard in the first place. I know you said you tried different ports but make sure that you try the rear ports on your PC (If you are using a desktop) - sometimes the front ports on a PC are actually internal hubs. (Sorry if you have already tried this).

Also try different USB cables - I once spent ages trying different ports, drivers etc. only to find out that I had a duff cable.

Double check the process of turning Local mode on and off - I don't mean to question your procedures but again I am talking from some experience - not with your keyboard but I do have a Yamaha keyboard that requires me to switch it from local to global mode and in the early days it took me a while to get the procedure right - I now have a number of different keyboards so seldom use that keyboard any more, partly because of the hassle of local / global mode!

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Cheers

John

[mick]

The keyboard is the controller "the midi information sender" and Mixcraft is the receiver. You have to make sure both are using the same midi channel. Click the down arrow then "all midi devices" and a list of midi channels will appear, "all channels" I believe is the Mixcraft default setting and as it implies will receive from all/any channel, however, if for some reason Mixcraft has fallen onto (for an example) channel 3 and the keyboard is using 1 (in other words sender and reciever are using different channels) then controller and receiver cannot not "talk to" each other and you will get silence. Page 12 looks at midi channel settings. This is the only thing I can think of to go with what has already been suggested so good luck with it.

CHANNELS.PNG (18.8 KiB) Viewed 8204 times

[jdburgess]

Thanks, everyone...as suggested, when I unplug the keyboard, I get the notification that it has "left the building"....I tried every USB port on the notebook...all 4 of them; 3 USB2; 1 USB3. Also, I tried different USB Cables. Have a ton of those. It's really strange. I checked the MIDI channels and it seems the units are on the same page there. The only thing I can think of is I'm missing a driver somewhere. Question: On the Preference Tab, in the Default Recording Device (Input), should I see the keyboard listed there when I plug it in? But the only input is Microphone. I would think that the keyboard should be there as well. The outputs are correct, as I'm getting output to my speakers. I also will continue experimenting with start sequence procedures. Thanks for all of your suggestions! The time you take to respond is appreciated. /jb

[mick]

Here's what I see in preferences > midi. If your keyboard doesn't show then you are probably correct about missing the keyboard drivers, maybe Mixcraft detects a midi device but cannot recognize it specifically. Mine is a Nektar impact LX61 usb keyboard.

MX midi.PNG (67.7 KiB) Viewed 8134 times

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi

You won't see the keyboard listed among the audio recording devices. Generally, it should just work with default settings, because Mixcraft is "listening" to all MIDI channels. In Mixcraft, you should have a virtual instrument track displayed and armed for all MIDI channels. If you record on an armed virtual instrument track while you're playing the keyboard, and then stop recording, does the MIDI clip persist or disappear?

Do you know if MIDI is coming into your computer? You could test it with a program like MIDI Ox if you don't have anything else to test it with.

Greg

[DutyHead]

JDB,

Perhaps this sequence might help.

1) Turn off everything.
2) Start Mixcraft.
3) Turn on your keyboard, (mixcraft should inform you of a change in the number of midi devices). If this happens then mixcraft sees your keyboard.
4) Mixcraft offers two types of tracks
Audio tracks
Instrument tracks

If your first track is a instrument track, play some notes on your keyboard. You should hear it in your speakers.
If not? We know alittle more about your problem.

Hope this helps.

[jdburgess]

Great suggestions, folks..thank you...I'm traveling on business until Saturday..will definitely try these when I get home. Your time to respond is sincerely appreciated! /jb

[jdburgess]

Well, good day folks. I tried this sequence: Turn off EVERYTHING; Restart computer, restart Mixcraft, plug in USB from keyboard, power up keyboard, turn off local control for the keyboard - sending it to Mixcraft. No sound. One thing I tried (when the logical doesn't work, try the illogical), was I shut down my antivirus and firewall. I do get input from the sounds on the keyboard, but when I switch off the local mode (supposedly turning the program control over to the keyboard), I still get nothing. I contacted the keyboard manufacturer asking if there was a driver I needed. Response: The MIDI is standard and needs no driver. So, problem still exists, but I'm not giving up. There HAS to be a reason and I'll find it. Thanks for your suggestions! JDB

[AHornsby]

I do get input from the sounds on the keyboard, but when I switch off the local mode (supposedly turning the program control over to the keyboard), I still get nothing. JDB

Turning OFF local mode will send the output to the USB port and leaving it on will play from the keyboard speakers (locally).

I have to also turn ON the external clock but I don't even know if it will have any affect with your playback issue. -h