Yamaha Psr-140 Keyboard & Us-144 Options

[enuenu]

I have a new iMac running OSX 10.9. I have a Tascam US-144 interface. I have managed to get this interface to work in Garageband when using electric guitar.

I have an old Yamaha PSR-140 MIDI capable synth. I have connected the PSR-140 to the interface. I see the "MIDI In" light on the interface flashing. When I play a few notes on the keyboard the light goes solid while I am playing. The signal seems to be arriving at the interface.

However I cannot get the signal to the computer. I installed a program called "MIDI Monitor" to see what was being transmitted to the computer. Not sure if I am using it correctly but it seems to show nothing. When I use garage band and create a piano track, the keyboard doesn't do anything.

There is now an app on my computer called "Audio MIDI Setup". Not sure how that was installed, I didn't install it (maybe it was always there, never seen it on my desktop before). Anyway, in this app I go to "Window > Show MIDI Window" and I see icons for "IAC Driver", "Network" and "US-144". When I click the little down arrow located under the "US-144" icon, the "MIDI out" light on the US144 interface flashes.

I double click "US-144" and it shows "US-144 Properties". Under "Ports" it shows "MIDI" and 1 connector for MIDI in and MIDI out.

I am at a loss as to why my iMac is not receiving MIDI signals from my keyboard. Maybe it is and I am doing something else wrong?

[houstonmusic]

you're almost there.
in Audio Midi SetUp, choose 'add device' and create an image for your keyboard. you can edit its properties, but its default should work.
from the arrow icons on each of your two virtual devices, (the interface and the keyboard) draw connecting cable lines.

if you've got the real world midi cables connected correctly (out to in) you should now be able to get midi into your software.
good luck!

I have a new iMac running OSX 10.9. I have a Tascam US-144 interface. I have managed to get this interface to work in Garageband when using electric guitar.

I have an old Yamaha PSR-140 MIDI capable synth. I have connected the PSR-140 to the interface. I see the "MIDI In" light on the interface flashing. When I play a few notes on the keyboard the light goes solid while I am playing. The signal seems to be arriving at the interface.

However I cannot get the signal to the computer. I installed a program called "MIDI Monitor" to see what was being transmitted to the computer. Not sure if I am using it correctly but it seems to show nothing. When I use garage band and create a piano track, the keyboard doesn't do anything.

There is now an app on my computer called "Audio MIDI Setup". Not sure how that was installed, I didn't install it (maybe it was always there, never seen it on my desktop before). Anyway, in this app I go to "Window > Show MIDI Window" and I see icons for "IAC Driver", "Network" and "US-144". When I click the little down arrow located under the "US-144" icon, the "MIDI out" light on the US144 interface flashes.

I double click "US-144" and it shows "US-144 Properties". Under "Ports" it shows "MIDI" and 1 connector for MIDI in and MIDI out.

I am at a loss as to why my iMac is not receiving MIDI signals from my keyboard. Maybe it is and I am doing something else wrong?

This post has been edited by houstonmusic: Sat 21 Dec 2013, 17:23

[enuenu]

Thanks for that but it still won't work. Check the screenshot attached. MIDI monitor still shows nothing with this setup in place, nor does Garageband. I did borrow a UM ONE Mk II MIDI to USB adaptor and that worked. However I can't see why it won't work with my interface and MIDI cables.

This post has been edited by enuenu: Tue 24 Dec 2013, 06:37

Attached File(s)

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[houstonmusic]

argh. thanks for the screen shot. you've got it set up correctly, as far as i can tell. and the fact that it'll work with the UM ONE mk II is telling. seems like the Tascam isn't passing MIDI for some reason. it's not hard to imagine that it might work for audio, and not MIDI. perhaps there's a driver upgrade (or firmware upgrade) for the Tascam that could help...?
good luck.

Thanks for that but it still won't work. Check the screenshot attached. MIDI monitor still shows nothing with this setup in place, nor does Garageband. I did borrow a UM ONE Mk II MIDI to USB adaptor and that worked. However I can't see why it won't work with my interface and MIDI cables.

[enuenu]

argh. thanks for the screen shot. you've got it set up correctly, as far as i can tell. and the fact that it'll work with the UM ONE mk II is telling. seems like the Tascam isn't passing MIDI for some reason. it's not hard to imagine that it might work for audio, and not MIDI. perhaps there's a driver upgrade (or firmware upgrade) for the Tascam that could help...?
good luck.

Thanks for trying to help. It's a mystery.

[enuenu]

argh. thanks for the screen shot. you've got it set up correctly, as far as i can tell. and the fact that it'll work with the UM ONE mk II is telling. seems like the Tascam isn't passing MIDI for some reason. it's not hard to imagine that it might work for audio, and not MIDI. perhaps there's a driver upgrade (or firmware upgrade) for the Tascam that could help...?
good luck.

Thanks for trying to help. It's a mystery.

I just tried it on a Windows laptop. It works fine.

[Logicpro1]

Are you creating an "External MIDI Instrument" track or a virtual instrument track. When you say that you are creating a "Piano track" it sounds
as if you are creating a virtual instrument track which of course only works with internal software synths. You have to create an external MIDI instrument track.
The "Audio MIDI Setup" has, as far as I know, always been in OSX. I think that when you go to 10.9 it does place it at the bottom of the screen with your
preferred applications and the regular system apps. After reading the history of your problem, seems like the line of reasoning goes like this

[enuenu]

Are you creating an "External MIDI Instrument" track or a virtual instrument track. When you say that you are creating a "Piano track" it sounds
as if you are creating a virtual instrument track which of course only works with internal software synths. You have to create an external MIDI instrument track.
The "Audio MIDI Setup" has, as far as I know, always been in OSX. I think that when you go to 10.9 it does place it at the bottom of the screen with your
preferred applications and the regular system apps. After reading the history of your problem, seems like the line of reasoning goes like this

Thanks, I'll try that. You might have something there. However MIDI Monitor has never showed any MIDI signals getting to my iMac.

[enuenu]

It's an OSX 10.9.1 Mavericks problem.

My shiny new iMac lasted less than a month before going haywire and to their credit the local Apple store replaced it. The replacement had OSX 10.8.5. Mountain Lion installed. Instead of following the auto prompt to upgrade to 10.9.1, I declined and gave my interface and keyboard another go. The US 144 worked flawlessly with the Tascam OSX 10.8 driver (which the Tascam download page states is an unsupported driver, whatever that means).

So unless Tascam write a driver for the US 144 to work under Mavericks, it's a paperweight unless I stick with Mountain Lion. If they never do write one, I won't be buying another Tascam product. Why would you with this sort of inbuilt obsolescence?

This post has been edited by enuenu: Thu 2 Jan 2014, 09:17

[houstonmusic]

well that's a success of a sort, i guess. protracted hassle, of course. still, a win. thanks for the update. good to know.

It's an OSX 10.9.1 Mavericks problem.

My shiny new iMac lasted less than a month before going haywire and to their credit the local Apple store replaced it. The replacement had OSX 10.8.5. Mountain Lion installed. Instead of following the auto prompt to upgrade to 10.9.1, I declined and gave my interface and keyboard another go. The US 144 worked flawlessly with the Tascam OSX 10.8 driver (which the Tascam download page states is an unsupported driver, whatever that means).

So unless Tascam write a driver for the US 144 to work under Mavericks, it's a paperweight unless I stick with Mountain Lion. If they never do write one, I won't be buying another Tascam product. Why would you with this sort of inbuilt obsolescence?