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Topic: Help with MIDI input (Read 3587 times) previous topic - next topic

Help with MIDI input

A few months ago I got my Yamaha PSR-303 talking to my PC. I then ended up having to take the setup apart and have just come back to it.

Unsurprisingly, I now cannot get it to work. The cables appear to be in the same way, but I've completely forgotten what needs to be where, what I need to do and just about everything else!

I have a fairly bog-standard MIDI-to-USB connector. When I plug it in I appear to get a 'USB controller' recognised but no notes, so I'm guessing that I haven't setup the software correctly (MIDI input is active). Looking at the 'available play devices' in the MIDI section of Tools>Options I've got:

Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (says it can't use it as not set up properly)
MPU-401 (?!)
USB Audio Device
USB Audio Device (2)
Microsoft MIDI mapper

In 'Record' I get MPU-401 and USB Audio Device.

I've got absolutely no idea what any of this means, and all I do know is that one day this did actually work.

If anyone can contact me and help, it would be very much appreciated! And yes, I have tried swapping the two MIDI cables over... :D

Many thanks,

Jenny.

Re: Help with MIDI input

Reply #1 –
OK, I retract my last statements. I restarted NWC and...it's fine. It inputs AND outputs. So far?!

AND LO: I have discovered a problem. Latency is causing recordings to be a semi-quaver behind the click track. Are there any clever people out there who could create me a brief click track that would compensate for this?
 

Re: Help with MIDI input

Reply #2 –
G'day Footnote,
Quote from: Footnote75 –
AND LO: I have discovered a problem. Latency is causing recordings to be a semi-quaver behind the click track. Are there any clever people out there who could create me a brief click track that would compensate for this?

The latency you're running into is normally associated with softsynths.  Most hardware synths respond fast enough that latency is not a problem.

Roughly speaking, what happens is this:
  • You play the click track
  • sound is generated - with whatever delays are created by the synth
  • You hear the delayed click and play a note (which is now running late)
  • the sound generated by your key press is played back - also delayed though this doesn't affect the recording time - can just sound weird
  • Stop the click track
  • Delayed notation is displayed

I haven't tried it, but perhaps you can approach it like this:
Create a new click track file and start the first bar with enough rests that your first click sounds just before the start of the second bar.  E.G. minim+ crotchet + quaver + semiquaver (half+4th+8th+16th) rests and then start the click with a semiquaver (16th) tied across the barline to a dotted quaver (dotted 8th).  Then start the next click early with the same set of tied notes (OR you could use a crotchet for the notes that don't cross a barline).

You may need to vary the rest durations etc. to get the timing right.  Of course, you'll only be able to get it close, it is unlikely that you'll be able to get it exactly right.

It would probably work better if you can use the synth in the keyboard to play the click track AS WELL as what you are playing instead of using the above rigamarole - dunno if your keyboard will allow this...  It would need to be a full duplex connection on the MIDI interface too.  It likely is...
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Help with MIDI input

Reply #3 –
Footnote, I wonder if NWC still shows 2 USB Audio Device listings in Available play devices after your reboot.  If it does, perhaps somehow the PC is getting bogged down with a duplicate MIDI interface driver.  Likely not, but I have to agree with Lawrie that a hardware kbd synth should produce virtually zero latency.  Try stopping (may be called "ejecting") both (or the only) USB audio devices by:

1. In the taskbar on the bottom right edge of the monitor, right-click on a green arrow and left-click something like "Stop USB device"
2. Stop or eject anything that says "USB Audio Device"
3. Unblug the USB cable of the MIDI interface from the PC.

Now reboot with the USB cable still unplugged.  When the PC is fully rebooted, plug the USB cable back in and look for windows that say "New Hardware Found.." etc. until the green arrow reappears in the taskbar.  Now try recording in NWC and see if there is still latency.  Good luck and let us know what happened!