MIDI input...how do I get my Yamaha keyboard up and working on MIDI input

Hello,

I’ve got a Yamaha Portable Grand DGX 200.
I want to use it for midi note input on my Dorico Pro (I’m a Finale “convert” and am having alot of trouble with Dorico) … A Dorico video tutorial says I should make sure the keyboard is listed in preferences under the midi input devices heading.
It is not and it’s not allowing me to type in anything.
Can you help me with this ? Thanks in advance…Barney

If your Midi keyboard works outside Dorico, then it should work if it is connected via USB or Midi cable, but you should power up the keyboard before you open Dorico to let Dorico find the device.

Download the Yamaha USB-MIDI from Y site and install it. Connect the Keyboard with an USB cable. Then start the keyboard and the driver, before launching Dorico.

Thanks for trying to help me…but I am not getting results…I have a Yamaha USB midi driver and I’m using a Mac OS.

I don’t know how to get the midi driver to put the Yamaha keyboard onto Dorico.

I have the keyboard USB plugged into the computer. It’s coming from my Yamaha keyboard. At the keyboard the cable is plugged into both the in and out midi connections

I AM turning on the keyboard before I start the Dorico program, but the keyboard is not being picked up.

The Dorico tutorial says to go to preferences while in “play” and I’m doing that…scrolling down to see if Dorico has accepted the Yamaha as a midi device…but it hasn’t …

Any ideas ?

I appreciate your help

all the best,

Barney

Starting at the keyboard and working in, You are using a midi to usb converter of some kind right, because that model of keyboard didn’t come with a USB jack.? And then straight into the computer , no hub? I would want to make sure that the Mac sees the keyboard first of all, so look in the Mac’s midi setting to verify that it is there and is enabled with no errors. That’s my first suspect, but since I’ve said that it will naturally be something else :slight_smile: Generally if the Mac sees it, then Dorico should…

In addition to the information given by @gdball:

  1. If your MIDI connection is a cable with a USB plug on one end (to go into the computer) and 2 MIDI plugs on the other end (MIDI-In and MIDI-Out) to go into the Yamaha MIDI keyboard, try swapping the 2 MIDI plugs. It can be easy to plug them in the wrong way around.

  2. I have had an experience with a MIDI connector cable where the documentation said that the USB plug should be plugged directly into a USB port on the computer because it would not work when plugged into a USB hub. As it turned out, it only worked when plugged into the USB hub and did not work when plugged directly into the computer! I don’t know the reason why it behaved like that, but it can be worth trying all possible configurations just in case one works even if the documentation says it won’t.

  3. As well as using Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup (in the Utilities folder), I use MIDI Monitor to display MIDI signals. It can be downloaded from snoize: MIDI Monitor .

2 Likes

I’ve used Yamahas before but I’m not familiar with this particular model. I looked it up and it’s rather old and does not have a USB output. According to this page you are going to need a Yamaha UX16 USB/MIDI Interface.

Assuming you have that and your midi cables are wired properly, the next thing you should try is to take Dorico out of the picture and try using Garage Band - if you cannot get things working with Garage Band then it is not a Dorico problem.

1 Like

Hi Barney! Reading your post I can just add some little notes:

  1. You installed Yamaha USB-MIDI driver OK?
  2. Click on it: what happens?
  3. If it tells “Device not connected”, press OK and switch the Keyboard on.
  4. Go to 2.
  5. Now you should see the interface. Press All MIDI ON
  6. Do you hear quite a sound? :wink:
  7. Press All MIDI OFF
  8. Now start Dorico and your project
  9. Go to Play and activate your keyboard in VST and MIDI, MIDI Instruments

I hope you can solve. If not, consider where your attempt fails.

1 Like

Still struggling…

I have the Yamaha keyboard turned on and the midi cable USB plugged into the computer.

I then went to "System Settings " …I found the Yamaha midi driver but it will not go on. I clicked on it and nothing happened. There is no “OK” button.

There is something that says “old style port name (includes device name)” but it’s not letting me type anything into it.

This seems to be where my attempt is failing…

I will try the steps again, but if anyone notices something I need to do and am not…please tell me what that thing to do is…

Once again…thanks in advance for your help …!

Barney

OK Barney, now we know the problem. You don’t have a working Yamaha USB–MIDI driver . The driver works even with the keyboard off and no cable:

If you have Keyboard and PC connected it allows you to test the connection with all MIDI on and off. But you failed the previous pass. Be sure you downloaded the correct driver for your keyboard (and you have the right cable).

It looks like your keyboard is no more supported. The most similar is this, but I don’t know its ports, respect to yours:

Hi Barney - I’ve been there before and know that this must be very frustrating. In any event it is clear that the problem is not with Dorico.

I used to work with Yamaha and they were a bit fussy - you need the right cable and the most current driver You say that you are using a “midi cable USB” - but is this a a “Yamaha UX16 USB/MIDI Interface” cable? If not, then you will need to get this cable. Also - as several folks have suggested, you need the most current Yamaha midi driver. You can get them here: Firmware and Software - Yamaha - United States

One other thing you can check - on Mac there is a “Midi Studio” app - I’ve never understood exactly how this works, but it has something to do with configuring external midi hardware.

That said, your keyboard is very old. What precisely do you want to do? Are you composing/playing piano music and thus need a full size weighted keyboard? Or perhaps you just need any old keyboard to do basic note entry ? In either even (if it is within your budget) I’d recommend getting an up to date USB keyboard and save the hassle - they’re quite reasonable these days - you can get a decent entry level model for under $100 USD.

1 Like

Hello elheilner…Thanks very much for getting back to me about using midi to make entries onto Dorico. I used Finale for years and never used midi input from a keyboard . I used note entry using a mouse and became fluent at it .
The Dorico situation is like learning a whole new language and it’s frustrating . So I’m trying to start using midi input for notation onto Dorico.

The midi cable I’m using says "ART " on it. It’s got the in and out midi cables running into a black connecting thing and the black connecting thing has one cable coming out the other side of it and THAT is the USB cable.

All this other stuff about Yamaha cables and midi drivers is "news to me " and I’ve been having trouble with it… no success so far.

What I may try is your idea about getting a USB keyboard … I’ll look into that. Is there one of those you think is really good ?.. I appreciate your help…if you have anything else you’d like to say I’m sure I’d be thankful.

Barney

Hey Barney - I know how frustrating it is to want to compose and be stymied by some obscure technical issue that apparently no one else is experiencing.

As far as USB Keyboards go the decision depends on whether you need a full 88 key rig with touch action. If you’re simply looking to enter notes, then I can’t make a specific recommendation - I’m not knowledgeable - but I’m sure that they are all more than adequate - it just depends on price & features.

If you need 88 keys and really good piano action, I can recommend the Kawai VPC-1. Good luck.

Surely if the keyboard doesn’t have a usb port then using a usb driver won’t help. If you’re using a device to convert from 5 pin midi to USB then you need to search for a driver or if it’s class compliant, search for that device. You won’t find any references to a Yamaha keyboard in Dorico or on your Mac, because the 5 pin midi doesn’t have any way to communicate what keyboard is plugged in to it…

P

1 Like

Yes, exactly right, @Toaster1974.

@Barney_Griffin, what is the “black connecting thing” you’re using to connect your MIDI keyboard to your Mac? It must have some manufacturer and model information printed on it. Hopefully that is a USB-connected MIDI interface, or possibly an audio interface that includes MIDI connections. That is the name you should be looking for in the list of MIDI input devices in the Play page of Preferences.