It was the MIDI Device Manager/Install Device list (actually about 120, not 10K - never very good at the jelly bean in the jar guessing games). So I don’t need to fret about my RD700-SX not being on the device list?
It’s not that I don’t get the concept of signals coming in and out, I just don’t find the nomenclature intuitive. Basically the cables are referred to in reference to the opposite piece of equipment you are connecting to, but the convention could just as easily be the other way around. But I get it now, and it’s not the problem.
Before I saw Elektrobolt’s very helpful post, I noticed the statement in the manual about making sure to make the MIDI connections when all devices are powered off. So I powered everything off, double checked my water pipe connections, and voila it works now. I hope to live in a time when we look back and say “remember how software used to be so sensitive that you had to do things like power off equipment before making simple signal connections?”. As a non EE/SW person, it seems unacceptable to me that it should make a difference. We can split an atom, send voice data across the world in real time, etc. but don’t connect your MIDI cable live or the system won’t register it properly.
Now I still have the problem that I can’t hear anything playing back but I’ll delve into the manual to understand the ins and outs of routing audio (haha) before coming back for help.
Really appreciate the responses - I’ll try to do my best to exhaust the manual before throwing more questions to the forum.
-FB