MIDI mania indeed! HELP!

V

Vigilante

Gear nut
Hello everybody.

Here is the deal.

I have a laptop, running Cubase LE.
I have a Tascam US-122 which is a USB audio device.
I have a Yamaha S90 keyboard.
And a Eurorack UB2442FX-Pro mixer.

I do all my normal recording fine. But now I want to get into MIDI.

Since LE does midi, that's great, I started a new 16 channel midi project and was able to set my input to the US-122 midi-in port.
Of course my keyboard midi-out is to the Tascam IN, and my Tascam OUT to the keyboard IN.
So I hit record and was able to play an instrument and it recording in LE, so far so good. The little midi-in light on the Tascam is solid, so I know the setup is working.

However, when I playback, I hear nothing. Woops, there is no MIDI output set in LE. But the drop down box has only two options, my laptop's Microsoft synth, and "not connected".
Where is the Tascam USB out?

Oh well, if I set it to the MS synth, it will play back, through my mixer and through the Tascam as regular audio output. In other words, it never goes through the Tascam MIDI out, the MIDI out light never shines. Obviously this isn't what I want. I want the the midi signal to go through my keyboard.

So I'm left with a dilema here.
First, how is all this wired? I want my S-90 to be the MIDI source for recording, and also the synth for the actual sounds, however you word that. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about. I have a pretty standard setup: computer, mixer, usb audio device, digital keyboard.

My mixer is not involved in the midi loop. It just handles playback sounds from my laptop, which is also confusing. Because when I play back what I've recorded, it needs to go out my laptop as a midi signal, into my keyboard where it plays the internal sounds, heading back out the keyboard through the mixer and out my speakers. Or something like that. I'm just not following the path of sound here.

Anyway, first thing's first, how do I get my Tascam to show up as a midi output? I've read the Tascam manuals and found nothing. I've done some searching, I've read the LE help file about midi. Messed with device setup and VST and junk. I've looked in the audio control panel and it doesn't list sepparate choices for midi in and out, just one selection for midi, and the Tascam is in there.

Know what I mean? Any help would be lovely, I'd like to get into MIDI.
 
Ah, I found it.

In some remote setup screen somewhere this is a table with some devices in it. And the Tascam MIDI output "active" column had "no" in it. Switching this column to yes, turned on my Tascam output!
So yes, I can now output MIDI to my keyboard, works like a champ.

What I am now struck with is multi-track recording. I tried it but the tracks were woefully out of sync, even with the metranome ticking.

So now I have to figure out how to hear my tracks and record over them with proper timing.
 
You've gotten pretty far on your own.

Now what you need to do is find the local on/off switch or setting inside the S90 and set it to 'off'. That will break the connection between the keyboard and the sounds inside.

There is also a 'SmartMedia™ Playback Sequencer' on the S90 that's intended to play back standard midi files. If you're going to use Cubase for your own compositions, be sure this is off. That may be your problem with out of sync tracks.

If not, post again.


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