MIDI keyboard appears only if external audio device is on
I'm trying to use a MIDI keyboard for note entry in Musescore v2.0.3. As part of my audio setup, I have a PreSonus Firepod microphone preamp that connects to the computer via Firewire.
My computer system is a (new) Dell XPS 8900 running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit; a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy FX sound card is installed.
In Musescore's PortAudio section under Edit | Preferences | I/O, none of the three dropdown boxes (API, Device, MIDI Input) are populated UNLESS THE FIREPOD IS ALSO TURNED ON.
When the Firepod is turned on and then Musescore is started, my keyboard, the Firepod, and my soundcard hardware are listed in the dropdown boxes. I can enter notes via keyboard, etc. But when Firepod is turned off and Musescore is restarted, the dropdown boxes are completely empty, and MIDI note entry does not work (obviously).
I've read other posts where users at least mention seeing their sound cards etc. in the dropdowns, but I get nothing unless the Firepod is turned on.
Any help to remedy this is appreciated.
Comments
It is a known limitation that MuseScore will have problems with MIDI if your device is not connected and turned on when MuseScore is started. So just make sure to do that.
In reply to It is a known limitation that by Marc Sabatella
My keyboard *is* connected and turned on before I start Musescore. The problem is that, if my *Firepod* is turned OFF when Musescore starts, nothing shows up in the dropdown boxes in Edit | Preferences | I/O | PortAudio. If my Firepod is turned *ON* when I start Musescore, then the boxes have information and I can get things to work. If the boxes are empty, I'm out of luck. This situation happens regardless of whether the keyboard is connected or not.
The question is, why can't Musescore fill in the boxes with information unless my Firepod is on? Is there anything system-related than I can look at see what the problem might be? Everything appears to be operational when I look at Device Manager. It's as if there should be some specific audio device(s) active that Musescore is looking for before it can fill the boxes, and in my case, that doesn't happen when the Firepod is off, regardless of whether the keyboard is connected. Maybe Musescore is trying to get Firepod-specific info from Windows, and when it can't, Musescore gives up? Even if that's so, why should that stop the keyboard from being listed?
Again, any help to get this resolved is appreciated.
In reply to My keyboard *is* connected by markb
I don't know what a Firepod is, but sounds like your OS needs it on in order to recognize your MIDI connection and transmit the necessary information to MuseScore, so just consider that part of the same process - connect and turn on both your keybaord and your Firepod.
In reply to I don't know what a Firepod by Marc Sabatella
The FirePod is a microphone preamp, connected to my PC via Firewire. I'm only using it temporarily and it's sitting on my computer desk, so keeping it connected just to use a keyboard for Musescore note entry would be too much clutter and hassle.
After trying things for several hours, I seem to have worked through the problem -- but I'm not 100% sure how. I tried a bunch of different things: uninstalling the FirePod drivers; reinstalling the FirePod drivers; re-enabling motherboard audio in the BIOS (I had turned it off when I installed the SoundBlaster sound card); disabling motherboard audio again; rebooting the computer while the keyboard was still connected; and disabling devices in Device Manager in various combinations.
What I *think* solved it was this -- it was the last thing I tried before it started working:
- Closed Musescore.
- Connected and turned on the keyboard (via USB) and FirePod (via Firewire).
- Started Musescore.
- Went to Edit | Preferences | I/O | Port Audio. The boxes were not empty because the FirePod was turned on beforehand.
- In the API list, "MME" was selected. I changed this to "Windows DirectSound".
- In the Device list, "Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output" was selected. I changed this to "Speakers (SoundBlaster Audigy Fx)".
- In the MIDI Input list, "MMSystem, FirePod MIDI In" was selected. I changed this to "MMSystem, Arturia KeyStep 32".
- Selected OK, then closed Musescore.
I then turned the FirePod OFF. When I restarted Musescore, everything worked! The Port Audio boxes showed "Windows DirectSound", "Speakers (SoundBlaster Audigy Fx)", and my keyboard. Previously, the boxes would have been completely empty at this point (no items to choose).
Then I closed Musescore, turned the FirePod ON, and restarted Musescore. The Port Audio boxes showed "MME", "Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output" (these two were the same as before), and my keyboard. MIDI keyboard input still worked.
As a final test, I closed Musescore, turned the FirePod OFF again, and restarted Musescore. The Port Audio boxes showed "Windows DirectSound", "Speakers (SoundBlaster Audigy Fx)", and my keyboard. MIDI input still worked.
Could the problem have been solved by finally *choosing the "right" combination of items* in Port Audio before closing Musescore? I.e. if the "right" combination wasn't chosen before closing Musescore, it wouldn't work when Musescore was restarted without the FirePod being on? I'm not sure about that, because I can't test it -- I can now change the combination of things to what they were before, and then back again, and the problem doesn't occur any more. So, the root cause of the problem is still a mystery. :-/
Anyway, I hope this helps if someone else has a problem like this. It may depend on selecting the right combination of settings under Port Audio before closing Musescore, but unfortunately I can't confirm that now.
Mark
P.S. Solving this problem also fixed another problem where starting Musescore would cause other audio in other running applications (media player, YouTube in a browser, etc) to go silent until Musescore was closed and the other applications were restarted.
In reply to The FirePod is a microphone by markb
Interesting, thanks for the update!