No MIDI Output

Hi, I'm a new user and just setting up Mouse Keyboard for the first time. I have an Ensoniq ASR-10 sampler, connected to my computer via an Edirol UM-1 MIDI interface and I'm using Acousica Mixcraft with VSTi's loaded.

I have set MK's MIDI Output to the Edirol UM-1, which is on, is connected and the ASR-10 is on, also. The ASR-10 has no trouble at all sending MIDI to Mixcraft and my soundcard via the Edirol. However, MK isn't sending anything. There is no response at all.

What is my MIDI Input supposed to be set to? I have not seen this mentioned at all in the Quick Start section of the MK Help documentation. Is there something I'm missing, here?

I have tried this with the ASR-10 both turned on and off and it makes no difference; I get the same result. The Edirol, of course, has to be on, otherwise, there is no MIDI interface connection. So, how do I get MK to communicate with the Edirol?

UPDATE: I have verified that MK is sending MIDI data to the Edirol, as the MIDI IN light on the Edirol lights up when I press a key on my keyboard or the left button of my mouse. However, the sample I have loaded in my sequencer (Mixcraft) does not play. There is still no sound at all. Strangely enough, I can control MK's keys from the ASR-10's keyboard, but I can't control anything from MK. MK won't even play the sound I have loaded into the ASR-10.

Just FYI, the Edirol UM-1 is a device that is about the size of an MP3 player. It has two cables at each end. One cable splits and plugs into the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks of the ASR-10. The other cable goes to my computer's sound card.

MK can play it's default sounds, plus GM Synth just fine. It's just not sending anything to my sequencer. The sequencer has no trouble at all receiving MIDI input from the ASR-10, which is coming to the sequencer via the Edirol MIDI interface. So, the weak link in the chain is MK, somehow. It's not doing what it's designed to do.

Gary

Hi Gary,

sorry to hear about your problems. As far as I understand, your setup is the following:

MK MIDI OUT: UM1
UM MIDI OUT: connect to ASR10 MIDI IN
ASR10 MIDI OUT: connected to UM1 MIDI IN
Mixcraft MIDI IN: UM1

Now in order to have all messages be passed from MK to Mixcraft, you need to enable "MIDI THRU" on the ASR10. You could also use a virtual MIDI port (e.g. Yoke or Maple) and use this setup:

MK MIDI OUT: Yoke 1
ASR10 MIDI OUT: connected to UM1 MIDI IN
Mixcraft MIDI IN: Yoke 1 and UM1

Like that you open two MIDI ports in Mixcraft and it should receive signals from both MK and ASR10.

As you can see, I doubt "the weak link" is MK, rather, the setup is not complete yet. It can take a life to fully master the MIDI world...

Regards,
Florian

florian wrote:Hi Gary,

sorry to hear about your problems. As far as I understand, your setup is the following:

MK MIDI OUT: UM1
UM MIDI OUT: connect to ASR10 MIDI IN
ASR10 MIDI OUT: connected to UM1 MIDI IN
Mixcraft MIDI IN: UM1

Now in order to have all messages be passed from MK to Mixcraft, you need to enable "MIDI THRU" on the ASR10. You could also use a virtual MIDI port (e.g. Yoke or Maple) and use this setup:

MK MIDI OUT: Yoke 1
ASR10 MIDI OUT: connected to UM1 MIDI IN
Mixcraft MIDI IN: Yoke 1 and UM1

Like that you open two MIDI ports in Mixcraft and it should receive signals from both MK and ASR10.

As you can see, I doubt "the weak link" is MK, rather, the setup is not complete yet. It can take a life to fully master the MIDI world...

Regards,
Florian

Thanks, Florian. How do I create a MIDI yoke, exactly? I don't see any such options available in either Mixcraft or MK and it certainly doesn't exist on the ASR-10. You said this is virtual, so I assume it doesn't involve adding any additional hardware, right?

If I opt not to use a MIDI yoke, but rather, to enable the ASR-10's Thru port, do I leave the MIDI In and MIDI Out cables where they are and connect a third cable from the MIDI Thru port on the ASR-10 to....where??? The UM-1 only has In and Out, no Thru.

Gary

GaryR56 wrote:Thanks, Florian. How do I create a MIDI yoke, exactly? I don't see any such options available in either Mixcraft or MK and it certainly doesn't exist on the ASR-10. You said this is virtual, so I assume it doesn't involve adding any additional hardware, right?

Yes, please check out this tutorial for a different sequencer -- but the scheme is the same with any other sequencer:
http://www.bome.com/midi/keyboard/help/cubase_tut.php

GaryR56 wrote:If I opt not to use a MIDI yoke, but rather, to enable the ASR-10's Thru port, do I leave the MIDI In and MIDI Out cables where they are and connect a third cable from the MIDI Thru port on the ASR-10 to....where??? The UM-1 only has In and Out, no Thru.

"THRU" is usually a setting that you can enable. Then the ASR-10 will relay all MIDI data from MIDI IN to MIDI OUT. There are also some devices with MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, and MIDI THRU jacks. If the ASR-10 has a MIDI THRU jack, use it instead of MIDI OUT. Otherwise, your setup would remain as is.

Regards,
Florian

florian wrote:

GaryR56 wrote:Thanks, Florian. How do I create a MIDI yoke, exactly? I don't see any such options available in either Mixcraft or MK and it certainly doesn't exist on the ASR-10. You said this is virtual, so I assume it doesn't involve adding any additional hardware, right?

Yes, please check out this tutorial for a different sequencer -- but the scheme is the same with any other sequencer:
http://www.bome.com/midi/keyboard/help/cubase_tut.php

GaryR56 wrote:If I opt not to use a MIDI yoke, but rather, to enable the ASR-10's Thru port, do I leave the MIDI In and MIDI Out cables where they are and connect a third cable from the MIDI Thru port on the ASR-10 to....where??? The UM-1 only has In and Out, no Thru.

"THRU" is usually a setting that you can enable. Then the ASR-10 will relay all MIDI data from MIDI IN to MIDI OUT. There are also some devices with MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, and MIDI THRU jacks. If the ASR-10 has a MIDI THRU jack, use it instead of MIDI OUT. Otherwise, your setup would remain as is.

Regards,
Florian

I have moved the MIDI IN jack of the UM-1 to the ASR-10's MIDI Thru port now. The ASR-10 is still communicating with Mixcraft just fine and I can see the virtual keyboard in MK responding visually when I use the ASR-10, however, I can still not control anything from MK. I have only three options for MIDI Out in MK: MIDI Mapper, Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth and the Edirol UM-1. My only MIDI input in MK is the Edirol UM-1. Should I set both the input and output to the UM-1, or just the input or output and, if so, which? Since the ASR-10 and Mixcraft are functioning just fine together, the connectivity problem has to be related to my MK settings, somehow.

Thanks for the tutorial link. I'll check it out.

Gary

Update: Downloaded and installed Maple and have it all set up now and working fine! Thanks, again, Florian!

Gary

nice, great to hear!
Florian

By the way, if anyone's wondering why I'd want to use MK instead of my MIDI keyboard, it's just that, the way my "studio" is set up, I have to pick up the keyboard stand, with the ASR-10 on it, and physically move it to where I can work with it every time I want to compose/record music. It's a bit tiresome, not to mention inconvenient. Also, sometimes, I want to be close to my computer while I'm working, in order to more efficiently run Mixcraft, etc. Besides, now that I have MK working, I'm in love with these one-fingered chords!

Gary