Before I buy a new midi device

obcbeatle

New member
Hello, if this is not the proper forum for this post, my apologies. Any pointers to the proper place appreciated (no luck w/ M-Audio support so far).

I have an Oxygen 49 3rd Gen. midi keyboard that refuses to play a note. It's plugged into a Macbook Pro (MBP), OSX 10.8.5 laptop. It has worked on this laptop many times before. Here's what I have done so far to troubleshoot: cold booted the MBP; kept the MBP plugged into AC power; plugged Oxy 49 into MBP USB port (I've tried both USB ports, both ports work fine w/ other devices); test MBP audio by streaming YouTube video (audio plays fine thru MBP internal speakers); turn on Oxy 49, Oxy 49 LED comes on; launch MBP Audio Midi Setup app. which indicates Device Is Online (check box is checked); select Oxygen 49 icon in MBP Midi Studio app. and play Oxy 49 control surface keyboard but Oxy 49 does NOT play a note thru MBP (silence); left click Rescan Midi icon in MBP, but Oxy 49 still silent; left click Test Setup icon, Oxy 49 renders a beep tone when I push down a key on the Oxy 49 (same tone for every key); launch 3rd party app. Midi Monitor (MM) and press a Oxy 49 key and MM renders data in its report log (ex: Note On, C4, 90, Note Off, C4, 0). So Oxy 49 midi data appears to be sent to the MBP, but there is only silence when the Oxy 49 keys are played.

After going thru this troubleshooting method multiple times, the Oxy 49 still does not send any surface played audio tones to the MBP (other than the one tone beeps when the Midi Studio app. is open, and I click the Test Setup icon). I have tried Oxy 49 on another laptop, still silent. I have tried resetting the Oxy 49 to factory defaults by holding the two octave buttons and then turning the Oxy 49 power button on, still silent. I've also removed the Oxy 49 cover to make sure there were no loose connections to the PCB. Anyone have any advice on something else to try before I give up and buy another midi keyboard? Any comments/suggestions appreciated. Thank you.
 
Not familiar with Macs at all, but you don't say what you're using for an audio source. What do you use to make sound?
 
Not familiar with Macs at all, but you don't say what you're using for an audio source. What do you use to make sound?

Thanks for the reply Chili, of course the audio source that is not working is the M-Audio Oxygen 49 3rd Generation Midi Keyboard. However, if you mean what audio source between the keyboard & laptop, I use a Apogee Duet. However, while troubleshooting I removed the Duet to try to eliminate as much as possible from the loop, though I experience the same behavior when the Duet is added to the loop (silence). I just tried a new USB cable too, but still silence. I feel like I'm missing something really simple. It looks to me like midi data is being sent to the laptop, but that the tone data (when the keyboard keys are pressed) is not getting through the laptop audio channel. I don't think there is a 3rd party driver in the loop, other than the midi/audio driver that shipped with this Mac/OSX laptop. I've used this keyboard on this laptop before with no problems. Sorry if I mis-understood the question. I'm a more of a musician than midi expert. In fact, I'm pretty much a midi novice. Thanks again for the reply!
 
Maybe it's me who is misunderstanding. The M-Audio Oxygen 49 does not make any audio. It only sends midi data. You need something to convert the midi to audio.

How are you connecting the oxygen to the Duet? 1/4" audio cables or midi cable?
 
It looks as if the M-audio only has USB, so it has to be connected striaght to MBP via USB.

The m-audio, like most other controllers, is the equivalent of a dumb terminal . . . it has no audio of its own. It simply sends midi instructions.

To be able to hear any sounds you need to get into your DAW, add a track, arm it for midi, and insert a virtual intrument. Then you will hear something.
 
It looks as if the M-audio only has USB, so it has to be connected striaght to MBP via USB.

The m-audio, like most other controllers, is the equivalent of a dumb terminal . . . it has no audio of its own. It simply sends midi instructions.

To be able to hear any sounds you need to get into your DAW, add a track, arm it for midi, and insert a virtual intrument. Then you will hear something.

Chili, gecko zzed's, thank you so much! You were both correct. I needed to use Garageband to be able to hear the midi keyboard. For some reason I thought that the midi keyboard worked w/o a DAW (software), drivers, etc. I realize now that it is just sending data (not sounds) that need to be interpreted. It has been a few years since I've used this midi keyboard (I primarily play the guitar and use the midi keyboard occasionally for creating drum fills, etc.). Anyway, it's working now. So my bad. I really appreciate the help, and for setting me straight :-) Thank you for replying, you made my day. Now I can record! :-)
 
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