MIDI to USB Question

• Apr 24, 2011 - 08:06

I just bought an old MIDI keyboard from Craig's List, A Kawai FS690. It has the round five pin MIDI In and Out connectors. What are the options for connecting it to a Windows XP machine with USB ports to use it with MuseScore?

Thanks --

-- J.S.

Comments

• Apr 24, 2011 - 09:07

You can get a MIDI to USB interface. I use a Edirol UM-1X but it's discontinued apparently. It would be great if we can setup a list of working interface. Anybody else using a MIDI to USB interface ?

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• Apr 24, 2011 - 19:14

This cable -- it has two MIDI plugs at one end, a USB plug at the opposite end, and an "interface" in the middle -- is all you need.

If you want to buy one online, Google's "shopping results" will list many options at a very wide variety of prices. You can get what you need for as little as $5 or so (plus shipping) through Amazon or eBay if you don't mind buying a Chinese-made "Brand X" product. (I'm sure such cables are widely available at local retailers as well, but beware of inflated prices for what is essentially a basic and inexpensive gadget; the equivalent of a Monster Cable with gold-plated connections would be serious overkill for this application.)

Once you get your cable, remember to connect the MIDI OUT plug into the MIDI IN socket of your keyboard and the MIDI IN plug into the MIDI OUT socket -- which might seem counterintuitive. Many people connect the cable in the reverse pattern (i.e., MIDI IN to MIDI IN, and MIDI OUT to MIDI OUT), and then assume that something must be broken when it doesn't function.

Have fun!

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• Apr 26, 2011 - 08:49

I just ordered a couple of these from Ebay yesterday and should have them in a few days. //cgi.ebay.com/USB-MIDI-Cable-Music-Keyboard-Interface-Adapter-/130506163720?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e62c60608 . That one is cool because you don't have to buy additional cables commonly referred to as 'midi cables', which can be a bit pricey at music stores and stuff.. Just remember things marked 'Input' connect to the other device jack or plug marker 'output'.

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• May 4, 2011 - 18:28

This is a great deal, $5.85 including postage. I can play a chord on the MIDI keyboard, and get a chord in MuseScore. Fantastic!

There is one little quirk: during note entry, the computer only plays one note of the MIDI chord. No big deal, it plays back fine after it's written, and I can turn off sound on the computer and listen to the MIDI keyboard's speakers. You have to listen to only one at a time, because they're not quite tuned the same. And there's a slight delay from the MIDI to the computer speakers.

MIDI chord entry is quite different from actual playing. You have to be very careful to get all your fingers all the way off the keys after each one. Slur it just a little, and it doesn't advance to the next chord, it just piles more notes into the same one.

-- J.S.

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• Apr 26, 2011 - 14:18

I used a unit made by M-Audio with a used older keyboard, but found that the keyboard polyphony was too low to permit any input speed without getting overloads. If you can't get things to work you may find the used keyboard circuits may have been blown, in that case get a service tech to run a loop tester to verify the MIDI in & out is OK. Also keep your voicing simple. Some sounds are multi layered can increase input overload.
Since I started using Muse, my direct input on the computer, is almost as fast as using a music keyboard. If you've never used MIDI cable connections before, don't turn any power on until everything is hooked up and you are sure it is correct.
Good Luck

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