Yamaha keyboard with MIDI (USB type B connector)

Eric V

Inquiring mind wants to know
I would like to connect my Yamaha DGX-230 which has a USB - type B connector to the Focusrite 4i4 which has MIDI IN and MIDI OUT connectors. Is there a cable out there somewhere that does that, or is there a MIDI hub that will do this?
 
looks like it has midi over USB. There are converters available.

Or simply plug your keyboard straight into your computer. Do not need to go through the 4i4.
 
On second thought, there might not be converters available that go from USB-B to 5-pin midi. So yeah, just plug your keyboard into your PC.
 
Thanks Chili. I looked at ones like that, but they have a USB type A and the Yamaha has a USB type B connector. I looked at adapters, but I have read at least once that USB- A to USB-B adapters don't work for MIDI.
 
On second thought, there might not be converters available that go from USB-B to 5-pin midi. So yeah, just plug your keyboard into your PC.
I thought of that too, but I am trying to figure out how to play back MIDI data in the DAW, out to the Focusrite 4i4 via MIDI cable (like the one you showed me) and then record audio from the Yamaha keyboard back into the DAW. My goal is to convert the MIDI data into audio data.

Example: MIDI in the DAW (Reaper) >>>>Focusrite>>>>Yamaha keyboard>>>>Focusrite>>>>DAW (as audio)

There must be a simpler way than I am thinking.
 
I've tried going directly from the keyboard to the PC (it's a laptop) but an error message comes up that says there is no soundcard. I have been working around that with the audio interface, which is why I am attempting to do what I mentioned in my last post.
 
Connectors A or B don't make any difference. If your keyboard has a USB output then when you connect to the computer, it should load a generic USB driver, or the manufacturer provides a USB driver that offers keyboard specific extra features. If you check the manufacturers site and see if there are drivers, use them - if there are not drivers, then your computer may not be using a driver that works. If the keyboard has the usual 5 Pin DIN connectors then I think your focus rite has these too - so try those. Using USB is critical for extra features not supported by MIDI - so my Kontakt keyboard has to go in via MIDI as it is a two way connection and the two devices need to communicate properly. My Korg synth I use from time to time, goes via MIDI.

If you computer asks about audio - it's an inside thing - the computer can't talk to the computers sound system fro some reason.

Your DAW converts MIDI to audio - If you wish to record the actual sounds from the keyboard then that is an audio connection - as in keyboard jacks to the interface sockets. MIDI is only control - it does not ever carry audio, totally a different thing altogether.
 
DAW hosts virtual instruments (VSTi), keyboard triggers VSTi via MIDI data over USB, DAW sends audio out through interface.

[Edit] Except I misunderstood. If the MIDI data is already recorded, then you should be able to assign a VSTi to it and just play it out of the DAW. No need to go back to the keyboard.
 
I've tried going directly from the keyboard to the PC (it's a laptop) but an error message comes up that says there is no soundcard. I have been working around that with the audio interface, which is why I am attempting to do what I mentioned in my last post.
What is giving you the error message? Reaper? or Windows? The sound card shouldn't make a difference if you are trying to send MIDI data to the keyboard, Be sure to read the manual to fully understand how to use MIDI.

Remember, MIDI isn't audio, there is no sound, it's only data to tell a sound generator (your keyboard) what to play.
 
Connectors A or B don't make any difference. If your keyboard has a USB output then when you connect to the computer, it should load a generic USB driver, or the manufacturer provides a USB driver that offers keyboard specific extra features. If you check the manufacturers site and see if there are drivers, use them - if there are not drivers, then your computer may not be using a driver that works. If the keyboard has the usual 5 Pin DIN connectors then I think your focus rite has these too - so try those. Using USB is critical for extra features not supported by MIDI - so my Kontakt keyboard has to go in via MIDI as it is a two way connection and the two devices need to communicate properly. My Korg synth I use from time to time, goes via MIDI.

If you computer asks about audio - it's an inside thing - the computer can't talk to the computers sound system fro some reason.

Your DAW converts MIDI to audio - If you wish to record the actual sounds from the keyboard then that is an audio connection - as in keyboard jacks to the interface sockets. MIDI is only control - it does not ever carry audio, totally a different thing altogether.

It does make a difference, unfortunately. My keyboard uses a USB - type B connector. I cannot connect a USB type A to it. I understand what MIDI is and am familiar with it. I know MIDI is just data and not actual sounds. I really do know that, but I just was trying to play MIDI, out to my keyboard, then use the resulting audio outs to record into the DAW. Can't do that it seems.
 
DAW hosts virtual instruments (VSTi), keyboard triggers VSTi via MIDI data over USB, DAW sends audio out through interface.

[Edit] Except I misunderstood. If the MIDI data is already recorded, then you should be able to assign a VSTi to it and just play it out of the DAW. No need to go back to the keyboard.
Ah, I see. That might work for me, thanks. I tried a plugin yesterday and it played beautiful, but I couldn't get it to record into Reaper. I must need to check my input on that track and try again maybe?
 
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What is giving you the error message? Reaper? or Windows? The sound card shouldn't make a difference if you are trying to send MIDI data to the keyboard, Be sure to read the manual to fully understand how to use MIDI.

Remember, MIDI isn't audio, there is no sound, it's only data to tell a sound generator (your keyboard) what to play.
Actually, I meant I tried it in Anvil Studio 64 bit. The error message comes up from Anvil saying my laptop has no MIDI connection on the soundcard, which I know. I tried an old driver for the keyboard, which they don't support any more. That didn't work either. I understand how MIDI works in a generic way, there are 16 channels, note on, note off, velocity, sysex messages, etc. I just though maybe I could play a MIDI file to the interface, to the keyboard and run audio out from the keyboard into the interface and record in real time into the DAW, which would be REAPER if I got that far. Reaper has been great with everything else I have tried. That is why I tried for the MIDI out of the keyboard and directly to the laptop, just to see if it would communicate but the error message from Anvil stated what I wrote a few lines up in this post.
 
Here's a thread on connecting your particular Yamaha to a computer via USB you must download the Yamaha drivers into you computer...
 
Here's a thread on connecting your particular Yamaha to a computer via USB you must download the Yamaha drivers into you computer...
I'll check it out. I downloaded the most recent driver I could find, but maybe this article will clear it up for me as to where to find it. Thank you.

UPDATE: I read that thread just now. In the recent past, I installed the latest driver for this keyboard from Yamaha's site, but it didn't work for me. Unless I need to restart the computer after installing the driver? I think I did that before too. This was about a month ago that I tried it, so it was the last driver that Yamaha has issued, and they are not updating them to my knowledge past the driver release that I recently tried.
 
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I'm really confused. The USB connector on this unit is the same as practically every keyboard I've ever seen - the same as the ones I have and with the Yamaha driver should work fine? I misunderstood when you said "My goal is to convert the MIDI data into audio data." I imagined you expected some kind of MIDI in to Audio out process. Good to hear you were using VSTis in your system.

The kind of USB cable you need is pretty common - printers and even some external drives used this connector at the far end.

If you have the driver on your system, when you plug in the keyboard, does it make the usual noise and appear in device manager? In Cubase, you should also see an entry appear in the inspector for the new MIDI input. Can you check these things and report back, otherwise we're guessing. Tell us what works, what appears in the inspector, what your input routing is - and of course there is a setting on the keyboard to turn OFF sending MIDI data - could this just be set to the wrong setting?
 
There are a number of steps you need to go through, but if your keyboard has USB, you don't need a USB-DIN connector.

1 Connect keyboard to computer via USB. Unless you need special drivers, your system should recognise it and set it up all by itself.

2 Open Reaper, go to Options/Preferences/Midi Devices where you shouold see the keyboard listed. If you see <disabled> against it, you need to right click on it and enable it. If you don't see it listed, then something has gone amiss and requires further investigiation. You need to enable it as both an input and out device.

3 To record midi you need to arm a track, and select the input source as being midi and yor keyboard (or simply select all midi).

4 To use the midi to go back to your keyboard and play its internal sounds, you need to go to the routing panel and under where it says "midi harware output", select the keyboard.

5 If you then want to capture the keyboard's audio, connect its line out to the focusrite, create a new track in Reaper, arm it to record and select the focusrtie as input.
 
I'm really confused. The USB connector on this unit is the same as practically every keyboard I've ever seen - the same as the ones I have and with the Yamaha driver should work fine? I misunderstood when you said "My goal is to convert the MIDI data into audio data." I imagined you expected some kind of MIDI in to Audio out process. Good to hear you were using VSTis in your system.

The kind of USB cable you need is pretty common - printers and even some external drives used this connector at the far end.

If you have the driver on your system, when you plug in the keyboard, does it make the usual noise and appear in device manager? In Cubase, you should also see an entry appear in the inspector for the new MIDI input. Can you check these things and report back, otherwise we're guessing. Tell us what works, what appears in the inspector, what your input routing is - and of course there is a setting on the keyboard to turn OFF sending MIDI data - could this just be set to the wrong setting?
I will check it out tomorrow - got to get ready for work right at the moment. I have that cable and have downloaded the driver. When I open Anvil to use it to record MIDI Anvil says there is no soundcard. That's all I can say about that aspect. I have the cable and the driver was installed. But no go so far. I will try to get back tomorrow at some point after another attempt.
 
There are a number of steps you need to go through, but if your keyboard has USB, you don't need a USB-DIN connector.

1 Connect keyboard to computer via USB. Unless you need special drivers, your system should recognise it and set it up all by itself.

2 Open Reaper, go to Options/Preferences/Midi Devices where you shouold see the keyboard listed. If you see <disabled> against it, you need to right click on it and enable it. If you don't see it listed, then something has gone amiss and requires further investigiation. You need to enable it as both an input and out device.

3 To record midi you need to arm a track, and select the input source as being midi and yor keyboard (or simply select all midi).

4 To use the midi to go back to your keyboard and play its internal sounds, you need to go to the routing panel and under where it says "midi harware output", select the keyboard.

5 If you then want to capture the keyboard's audio, connect its line out to the focusrite, create a new track in Reaper, arm it to record and select the focusrtie as input.
Thanks, like I told Rob Aylestone, I will try again tomorrow and get back with more exact information and most likely screenshots as well. Got to head to work now, but thanks to everyone so far for being patient.
 
If you haven't yet looked, there may be some settings in the keyboard that affect how MIDI is sent out. Pages 80 and 81 screenshots below.

It appears there are drivers that are compatible up to Win10 both 32 bit and 64 bit if that's what you're using. I just tried installing the driver on a Win7 64 bit PC and the keyboard evidently needs to be connected during the install.
 

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Don’t know what anvil is, but it seems the issue is that the computer isnt connected to any sound producing components, so it’s getting the MIDI but doesn’t know what to do with it. Earlier you mentioned the keyboard to daw then Daw back to keyboard route if you have reaped as you mentioned, it certainly can take in midi and send it out, not sure about anvil, but I suspect it can too. Your problem seems the routing. As I don’t use anvil or reaper I can’t help with that process. If at all possible I’d suggest using only sounds inside the computer, your Yamaha isnt known for unique sounds, so almost everything it can do can be done even better with VSTi type instruments nowadays and simplifies the system so much
 
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