Trying to use a keyboard as a MIDI controller...

[Eurythmic]

Could anyone give me a couple of pointers (or direct me to a link) as to how this is done? I bought an old Casio MT-240 from a moving sale, figuring I might be able to use the MIDI ports to drive my soundcard or my Roland MT-32 - and if the MIDI ports didn't work, I thought, I'd at least have something to plunk around with.

The keyboard itself works fine, but so far I haven't been able to get any MIDI response out of it. I tried plugging it into my MT-32 - nothing. Then I tried plugging it into my MIDI card. I tried recording something in Cakewalk, and in another MIDI sequencer, and again got nothing. I know that both the MIDI card and the MT-32 work correctly. I tried switching the in and out plugs, and still got nothing.

I've never played with a MIDI keyboard before - I've always used a score to compose my music. Is there something I'm missing here, or do the keyboard's MIDI ports probably just not work correctly?

 

[DavidK]

Take one step at a time.

From the casio, midi out to the MT 32 midi in. both should be set to midi channel one, should work. Does it?

 

[Eurythmic]

Ah, sort of! It looks like I can change instruments on the MT-32, with the keyboard. But when I actually play the keyboard, I'm only getting output from the keyboard itself. Nothing from the MT-32.

 

[DavidK]

A-HA!! Progress. Now you know the Casio Midi works.

The next step, make sure the audio works on the mt32. What are you plugging it into? Mono or stereo? Make sure all the connections from the Mt32 to whatever are good.

If the casio works ( which it does), what kind of soundcard do you have? The more info, the better, but at least the casio midi is working...

 

[Eurythmic]

Okay, here's what my setup looks like:

I have a seperate soundcard and MIDI controller card, because I also wanted to use the MT-32 for games, and I'd heard that the Sound Blaster's MPU-401 emulation was no good for games.

I actually just tested the MT-32 today, so everything should be fine there. I'd taken the MIDI controller card out of the computer to free up an IRQ, and then put it back in today in anticipation of getting the new keyboard. Was able to play a song on the MT-32, no problem.

The MIDI controller card is a Midiman MM-401. It's a little slow in getting sysex files to the MT-32, but otherwise I've never had any trouble with it.

My main soundcard is a Sound Blaster AWE64Gold, which really isn't part of this equation except for the fact that I plug the output of the MT-32 (it's stereo) into the SB's line in. I've already doublechecked - I don't have the line in muted. That's a mistake I make often.

So I'm hoping to accomplish two things here - to use the Casio as a controller for the MT-32, which should output to the SB (and my stereo), and to hopefully use the keyboard and the MIDI card to record midi messages.

What next?