Problems with MIDI keyboard, no signal in DAW.

Haiko

New member
I am a beginner in home recording. I've recently bought a new audio interface, the Tascam US-122MKII, to record audio, guitar and MIDI tracks. I've successfully recorded all but the latter. For some reason I can't get any signal from my keyboard in my recording software. I've also connected correctly the MIDI cables. I know that MIDI IN from my audio interface goes to MIDI OUT on my keyboard and vice-versa.

I've tried 3 DAW's, Reaper, Cubase and FL Studio 11, but with no avail. They're able to recognize that I have my audio interface connected, and I am able to record for example guitar with no problem, but no MIDI. If anyone could help me resolve this problem, I would really appreciated it. If possible, I liked to know how to do it with Reaper, because that's what I am currently using.

Useful info:
Computer: PC, Windows 8.1
Audio interface: Tascam US-122MKII
MIDI Keyboard: Korg SP-250

Thanks in advance for all the help :)
 
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Is there a driver you need to install?

Also, you might want to read the information on the right-hand side of the following web page, under the heading of "Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8":

YAMAHA Keyboard - Sound through the keyboard/computer

Yes, I've installed the necessary drivers for my audio interface. I'm not sure if I have to install drivers for my keyboard. Also, I don't know what MIDI mapping is that they were talking about on the web page that you posted. Plus, it's about Yahama keyboards.
 
It doesn't matter that the web site is devoted to Yamaha keyboards-- the issue that section is talking about has to do with using MIDI in Windows Vista, 7, and 8.

I'm not saying this is the cause of your problem, I just brought it up as something you might want to be aware of since you're using Windows 8.1 and MIDI. I use Windows 8.1, too, and have never had problems related to that issue-- but my keyboards have USB-MIDI ports and require that USB-MIDI drivers be installed on the computer. I do know that other people have been complaining for years about this particular issue with Windows Vista, 7, and 8.

This is normally handled by the drivers and apps. You shouldn't need to worry about a driver for the keyboard if it doesn't use USB-MIDI to connect; I meant the driver for the Tascam.

Have you set up the MIDI interface in the DAWs? (I would assume that you have, but you didn't specifically say.) See page 24 of the Reaper manual.
 
I've already setup the MIDI interface just like it instructs in the Reaper manual. But I still don't have any signal when I try to record.
Here, you can look at these couple of screen shots that I took to show my setup:

Untitled 2.jpgUntitled 3.jpgUntitled.jpg
 
Hello haiko,
Does the MIDI light on your interface blink when you play the keyboard? If not, there is no MIDI coming out of your keyboard, so you will need to enable MIDI transmission from your keyboard.
If it does blink, try setting reaper to record ALL MIDI channels instead of just one, and see what happens.
 
Yep . . . try the midi settings on the keyboard.

Also, what is your source material when you are trying to record midi? Is it demo stuff on the keyboard, or are you playing something? If the former, then there's a chance that the demo tracks have midi output disabled (as I discovered once).
 
The SP-250 should power up with midi on and channel 1 selected. Gecko's right about the demo material not transmitting, so be sure to bang the keys...
One thing we have not tried is reversing the cables. Take your out cable into the in and vice versa to see if there's a bad cable. (unlikely, but possible)
 
Hello haiko,
Does the MIDI light on your interface blink when you play the keyboard? If not, there is no MIDI coming out of your keyboard, so you will need to enable MIDI transmission from your keyboard.
If it does blink, try setting reaper to record ALL MIDI channels instead of just one, and see what happens.

On my Tascam the lights on MIDI IN blink red. When I press a key on the keyboard its just flashes red, when I release it blinks.

In reaper I've already tried recording on All channels and it didn't work.
 
The SP-250 should power up with midi on and channel 1 selected. Gecko's right about the demo material not transmitting, so be sure to bang the keys...
One thing we have not tried is reversing the cables. Take your out cable into the in and vice versa to see if there's a bad cable. (unlikely, but possible)

The cables are alright. I don't know what the demo material that your talking about is ? I know that my keyboard can play demo songs by it self, but I don't think that's what your talking about.

And yes I'm sure that I'm banging the keys :)
 
On my Tascam the lights on MIDI IN blink red. When I press a key on the keyboard its just flashes red, when I release it blinks.

In reaper I've already tried recording on All channels and it didn't work.
Your keyboard and MIDI cable seem OK. Your focus should now be turned to how you are operating the software. Sorry, I have no experience with Reaper, so I can only offer this very general suggestion: There are probably two record "buttons" that need to be pressed --- one for the MIDI track and one associated with the transport controls (play/stop/FF/rewind/RECORD).
 
I know that my keyboard can play demo songs by it self, but I don't think that's what your talking about.
That was exactly what I was talking about.

And yes I'm sure that I'm banging the keys :)
Excellent. We've eliminated one possible problem.

Go through the steps very carefully IN Reaper. I note that your midi device is selectable and enabled, so that is a good start.

Here are the steps I take:

1 Turn the keyboard on before you load Reaper
2 Load Reaper
3 Insert a track (Ctrl T)
4 On this track's input, select 'input: midi', then 'all midi inputs', then 'all channels'.
5 Arm the track for recording.

All being well, at this stage if you play some keys you should see a thin red line appear on the track's meter. You won't be able to hear anything, because all you are doing is getting a midi signal.

6 If you know hit record and play, the recorded midi should appear on the arrange screen.

If you don't see the thin red line, it means that even though the device is connected, the signal is not getting through. This would require further investigation.

The easiest-to-fix cause is that you turned on the keyboard after you loaded Reaper, and Reaper doesn't know that it's on (this probably applies more to USB midi rather than DIN cable midi).

It seems, though, that the signal is getting through to the interface, but not getting further. Are you getting audio ok?
 
The demo songs rarely appear on the MIDI outs, they're generated internally and no real point them appearing on an output.

The fact that the red midi light changes when you tape keys means you can forget about keyboard to the tascam connection, it's done. If Reaper cannot see the MIDI information, then it's almost certain to be a driver issue. Do you have any other software that can record MIDI? This would also not work if it's drivers, but if the other software can see the midi data, then it's a routing issue in Reaper.
 
Do you have any other software that can record MIDI? This would also not work if it's drivers, but if the other software can see the midi data, then it's a routing issue in Reaper.

I've tried Cubase and fl studio 11 and none of them have worked. I'm not able to see the signal, that's the problem. I am able to configure the audio interface in the DAW's but there is just something that's not letting me record.
 
That was exactly what I was talking about.

Excellent. We've eliminated one possible problem.

Go through the steps very carefully IN Reaper. I note that your midi device is selectable and enabled, so that is a good start.

Here are the steps I take:

1 Turn the keyboard on before you load Reaper
2 Load Reaper
3 Insert a track (Ctrl T)
4 On this track's input, select 'input: midi', then 'all midi inputs', then 'all channels'.
5 Arm the track for recording.

All being well, at this stage if you play some keys you should see a thin red line appear on the track's meter. You won't be able to hear anything, because all you are doing is getting a midi signal.

6 If you know hit record and play, the recorded midi should appear on the arrange screen.

If you don't see the thin red line, it means that even though the device is connected, the signal is not getting through. This would require further investigation.

The easiest-to-fix cause is that you turned on the keyboard after you loaded Reaper, and Reaper doesn't know that it's on (this probably applies more to USB midi rather than DIN cable midi).

It seems, though, that the signal is getting through to the interface, but not getting further. Are you getting audio ok?
I am able to record guitar or microphone just fine. The problem is the MIDI. When I configure my track's input to "All midi inputs" and then "All channels" I still don't get any signal. I can't see the red lie moving on the track meter.

Is it maybe because my keyboard is old that the software isn't able to recognize it ? Or am just wrong and that any MIDI keyboard should theoretically work fine if I have an audio interface and the cables ?
 
Any MIDI keyboard connected via 5-pin DIN MIDI cables should work fine with the Tascam.

Another way to test the output of the Tascam is with MIDI-OX. It's not supported in Win8 but should still run as needed.

MIDIOX

Once you install MIDI-OX, turn on the Tascam, then open MIDI-OX and click Options> MIDI Devices. You should see the MIDI ports on the Tascam. Select them as your I/O. Next, click on View > Port Activity. This will open a window that will show the Tascam I/O and should light up a light in the window corresponding to whatever MIDI channel you have selected.

Alternately, there is another pane, View> Input Monitor that will show activity every time you depress and release a key.
 
I was going to recommend MIDI-OX, too, but then I figured that most DAWs already have some kind of MIDI monitor function built in. In any case, I can confirm that MIDI-OX works great in Windows 8.1.
 
I was going to recommend MIDI-OX, too, but then I figured that most DAWs already have some kind of MIDI monitor function built in. In any case, I can confirm that MIDI-OX works great in Windows 8.1.

I tried MIDI-OX and it didn't show any signal. No input.

I don't understand what the problem can be. I even installed the latest drivers for my Tascam from their website, even though I had already installed them with the disc that came with the audio interface.

Besides that, I also found out that the blinking red light on my Tascam on the MIDI IN signifies that my keyboard's active sensing message is on, but from what read on the internet, it shouldn't block the MIDI signal coming in. I think it just means that the keyboard is sending messages to tell the computer that its still on or something like that. I'm not really sure. I just wanted to point that out.
 
Do you have any other MIDI hardware device you can hook up to check the keyboard output, like a drum machine or synth module?
 
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