Need some help finding the problem with my MIDI keyboard

hugeidiot

New member
Hello, I'm trying to use MIDI to learn how to play piano, but the keyboard I purchased on amazon doesn't seem to be working. It's a MIDIplus AKM320 that came with a USB MIDI wire that I've set up and connected to my macbook air. The problem is that I have no idea why, when I go into garageband and select the option to plug in a MIDI keyboard, nothing happens when I press any of the keys on the thing. I thought it could be the wire, but it seems to light up and indicate that it's on whenever I plug everything in, so the wire seems to be functioning. I've also gone into the audio MIDI setup and added it to the MIDI studio and it still does nothing. I've pretty much searched everywhere and found no solutions to the problem I'm having, so could it be the keyboard itself? looking for anyone who might know what's up with it, thanks.
 
Hello, I'm trying to use MIDI to learn how to play piano, but the keyboard I purchased on amazon doesn't seem to be working. It's a MIDIplus AKM320 that came with a USB MIDI wire that I've set up and connected to my macbook air. The problem is that I have no idea why, when I go into garageband and select the option to plug in a MIDI keyboard, nothing happens when I press any of the keys on the thing. I thought it could be the wire, but it seems to light up and indicate that it's on whenever I plug everything in, so the wire seems to be functioning. I've also gone into the audio MIDI setup and added it to the MIDI studio and it still does nothing. I've pretty much searched everywhere and found no solutions to the problem I'm having, so could it be the keyboard itself? looking for anyone who might know what's up with it, thanks.

One of the "mac people" will surely be along in a mo'. Meantime I suggest you download the trial from pianoteq.com This is a wonderful piano synth program but also has the benefit of being a very simple install and way to test a MIDI keyboard.

Dave.
 
Before you try to work so many things you're a bit green on at the same time, you need to take some simple steps to confirm your system works. Forget the keyboard for the moment. I have GarageBand, but never used it - so I downloaded 1.6Gb and installed it. It didn't;t like my existing plugins, but it installed. I created a new project, picked piano and an on-screen keyboard pops up that I click on with the pad and it plays a piano sound on the VSTi. I also loaded in a midi file and this plays too - can you confirm this works for you, and then we can move on.
 
Hello, I'm trying to use MIDI to learn how to play piano, but the keyboard I purchased on amazon doesn't seem to be working. It's a MIDIplus AKM320 that came with a USB MIDI wire that I've set up and connected to my macbook air. The problem is that I have no idea why, when I go into garageband and select the option to plug in a MIDI keyboard, nothing happens when I press any of the keys on the thing. I thought it could be the wire, but it seems to light up and indicate that it's on whenever I plug everything in, so the wire seems to be functioning. I've also gone into the audio MIDI setup and added it to the MIDI studio and it still does nothing. I've pretty much searched everywhere and found no solutions to the problem I'm having, so could it be the keyboard itself? looking for anyone who might know what's up with it, thanks.

You have probably done everything right so far. But there is still a bit to go.

Your keyboard generates midi notes. This is simply a list of instructions that tells something else which note to pay, when to play it, and for how long. It's the "something else" that you need to sort out now. You need to read Rob Aylestone's post about loading up an instrument of some sort into GarageBand so that the keyboard has something to play on.
 
On a PC I usually tell people who have this basic playback problem to use Windows Wavetable Synth. It sound bad and the latency is poor but it does at least prove the system.

I have no idea if macs have an equivalent? Also, something somewhere should at least "blink" when you press a key.

Dave.
 
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