Hello good people. I have Ableton Live and an Oxygen61 keyboard and can't get a sound out of it. When I hit keys, the channel lights up on my screen. The software can see my keyboard. I managed to get drum sounds once but am getting nowhere. I have a M-Audio keyboard that also fails to produce a sound. I have spent hours trying to make something happen to no avail. I have downloaded DAWs and allsorts. What can I do?
No Sound!
- Thread starter Yiggoto
- Start date
jimmys69
MOODerator
I am not familiar with Ableton specifically, but you just need to somewhere in the particular software/DAW, select the input device (MIDI) and then tell whatever VSTI you are using where to find the information. It may likely be an input track that you haven't 'armed' to record. It depends upon the DAW.
In Cubase, I scratched my head early on because I had to physically (mouse) 'Draw' in the track with a pencil tool in order to get an instrument to show up.
It's all a learning experience. Sometimes it don't make sense, but when it does, well it becomes easy.
Hopefully someone will come here with a 'click here and do this' type of answer. I bet there is a youtube video about such if you google "Ableton Live MIDI Connection".
Best to you man and welcome to the forum!
Yep, HERE is one for you. Hope it helps.
In Cubase, I scratched my head early on because I had to physically (mouse) 'Draw' in the track with a pencil tool in order to get an instrument to show up.
It's all a learning experience. Sometimes it don't make sense, but when it does, well it becomes easy.
Hopefully someone will come here with a 'click here and do this' type of answer. I bet there is a youtube video about such if you google "Ableton Live MIDI Connection".
Best to you man and welcome to the forum!
Yep, HERE is one for you. Hope it helps.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Jimmy wins the day !
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Oh, and Yiggoto, do be sure to let us know how you get on.
It can be one of this planet's most frustrating experiences when you have all these lovely instruments at your disposal and your keyboard won't connect to them. When I first got VSTis, I was totally computer ignorant and it took weeks before I finally managed to get sound. I don't even know what I did to get the sound, but once it was there, I didn't play about with any of the settings ! That computer stayed as is for the next 4 years, until it crashed.
My current set-up seemed like a repeat performance. It just wouldn't connect. I even paid for a tutorial and the guy couldn't connect the keyboard to the computer. A waste of £50. In the end, I took it to a shop and when I plugged it in and pressed a key in to show how it just wouldn't work, it worked ! I was so embarrassed, but that was the very start of 2010 and I've never looked back. My shitty 49-key M-Audio dummy keyboard has been a priceless asset, one of the mainstays of my recording activity over the last 12 or so years.
It can be one of this planet's most frustrating experiences when you have all these lovely instruments at your disposal and your keyboard won't connect to them. When I first got VSTis, I was totally computer ignorant and it took weeks before I finally managed to get sound. I don't even know what I did to get the sound, but once it was there, I didn't play about with any of the settings ! That computer stayed as is for the next 4 years, until it crashed.
My current set-up seemed like a repeat performance. It just wouldn't connect. I even paid for a tutorial and the guy couldn't connect the keyboard to the computer. A waste of £50. In the end, I took it to a shop and when I plugged it in and pressed a key in to show how it just wouldn't work, it worked ! I was so embarrassed, but that was the very start of 2010 and I've never looked back. My shitty 49-key M-Audio dummy keyboard has been a priceless asset, one of the mainstays of my recording activity over the last 12 or so years.
spantini
COO of me, inc.
You just described my last "number one with a bu***t"
Lest I be narc'ed on by some overly sensitive internet type looking to report domestic terrorists, here's an explanation of my bleeped terminology :
idioms.thefreedictionary.com
Lest I be narc'ed on by some overly sensitive internet type looking to report domestic terrorists, here's an explanation of my bleeped terminology :
number one with a bullet
Definition of number one with a bullet in the Idioms Dictionary by The Free Dictionary
idioms.thefreedictionary.com
Hi, you have not mentioned an Audio Interface and so can I assume you don't have one and are trying to use the On Board Sound card in the PC (laptop?)
I don't know Ableton either and in these situations it is best to K.I.S.Sir. Download the trial version of Modartt Pianoteq. This app gives you a very good piano sound but is also easy to configure.
First off, get the on screen keyboard working and producing sounds. After that you should be able to find the "USB MIDI" input that I am sure you need. Once that is done it makes sorting other DAWs easier.
If in fact you DO have an interface, tell us make and model?
Dave.
I have onboard sound. Do I need an interface? Thanks for taking the time to reply. I will try and digest your responses over the next few days. I was gigging tonight but I have the school holidays off to play with things. I got a midi keyboard working on my old computer quite easily. I had a choice of several synth sounds from some Windows programme.
I looked at the YouTube video on Ableton and I am doing everything right so far. I have no idea how to assign a control to the keyboard. I looked in 'Create' to insert a Midi track but all the folders were empty! I think I am going to buy a cheap midi keyboard with the right software and dump the Oxygen 61 before I throw it out of the window and take up knitting.
Don't do that. Looking at the connectors back of the Oxygen 61 it is virtually identical to my very old Evolution EKeys 49 controller which in turn is identical to a smaller M-Audio controller, even the drivers for each work for the other!
That EK49 has worked famously with every OS and computer change from XP, W7 and now W10. It is a "Generic USB Device" and Windows just finds it.
Yes, it can be frustrating getting MIDI to work but I sure you can do it. If you do get an interface (DO get an interface!) make sure it has DIN MIDI ports and don't forget to buy a DIN to DIN 5 pin cable. You should be able to power the Oxygen from any 5V USB source.
Dave.
Chris Drums
Member
I suggest OP tries to get any sound out of Ableton before assuming it's a MIDI problem. Import a wav-file and make sure it plays. If not, install asio4all.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
Midi can be a bitch when you first start out. All those channels, send, receive, thru. Plug it together and expect it to work and you get ...... ZIP! Where's it breaking down? I don't have a clue.
I spend an hour last night trying to get my SR-18 drum machine to work with Reaper and MT PowerDrumkit. I tried a half dozen things and never heard a peep, until I hit upon the one control setting that was needed. Set up the Send on the midi drum track that I had for testing, and suddenly I had drums in my headphones! Hallelujah! I now have 30 different drum sets instead of one.
All I can say is keep plugging away at it until you find that magic button.
Oh yeah.... get a real interface. Internal sound cards aren't the way to go.
I spend an hour last night trying to get my SR-18 drum machine to work with Reaper and MT PowerDrumkit. I tried a half dozen things and never heard a peep, until I hit upon the one control setting that was needed. Set up the Send on the midi drum track that I had for testing, and suddenly I had drums in my headphones! Hallelujah! I now have 30 different drum sets instead of one.
All I can say is keep plugging away at it until you find that magic button.
Oh yeah.... get a real interface. Internal sound cards aren't the way to go.
There are no connectors on the back of the keyboard, just USB and sustain. I have the din cable but nowhere to plug it! I have set-up the old computer that I did get a sound out of but I can't remember how. I have progressed slightly, I now get lots of lights flashing when I hit keys on Midi channel 1 but still no sound. I thought I had downloaded sample sounds but can't find anything to 'assign' to the keyboard. I must have spent eight hours on this so far. I am tempted to buy a little Midi keyboard with software and see if that works. I have attached a screenshot of my 'response' lights on the bottom left.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
The midi notes aren't "sound". They are just pointers that say "play this note at this velocity". You must have some type of sound generating program loaded that is then triggered by the midi note. You need a virtual instrument.
Try downloading a free Piano VST such as the ones found here: https://output.com/blog/best-free-piano-vsts,
Add the plugin to the channel where you have your keyboard routed and see if it starts to play notes.
Try downloading a free Piano VST such as the ones found here: https://output.com/blog/best-free-piano-vsts,
Add the plugin to the channel where you have your keyboard routed and see if it starts to play notes.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
Hmmmm... I didn't think about that. I don't use Ableton, so I should be excused!
My apologies! I must have been looking at a slightly different model or one of the many 'clones' that do have a DIN output. Cheap,rotten barstewds! I bet if you looked at that rear PCB you would find a position for a socket and probably holes for the few extra components needed. The ONLY excuse for not fitting the port IMO is on something SO tiny and SO slim it won't go (and even then they could probably fit 3.5mm TRS!) That M-A designer should be hung up by his wedding tackle.
OK, so you are looking for "USB MIDI" or maybe "USB Controller" in the DAW and then "MIDI Out" which should be the onboard card. If it shows up "Windows Wavetable Synth" try that. Now, WWS is truly bloody awful. It defaults to a crappy sounding piano and the latency is ***t but it usually WORKS! Once you have that path, MIDI in, MIDI out sorted you can change to a better sound generator (but be prepared for more effing about as Mr Beak says).
You could look for another keyboard in charity and cash genny shops, cheap as but of course, look for that DIN port! Preff' two.
Dave.