HELP!! midi keys set up - esp1010-cubase sx

> > > HELP!! midi keys set up - esp1010-cubase sx

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Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member Since: Feb 03, 2005

Ok I know i'm dumb but hey I'm only a drummer!

I want to get to grips with midi. I have been given an Evolution MK-261 keyboard from my bruv'.

How do I get cubase to recognise the keys. Now I believe I have it hardwired properly, using an esp1010 sound card.

In cubase I can see the midi level indicator moving when i stike a key but i hear no sound....

This is my first venture into the realms of midi and god do i need help!!!!

Cheers then!

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jan 20, 2007 05:57 pm

Do you have an audio track with a VSTi synth or drum synth set up? And if so, then you need to assign the midi tracks output to the synth audio track input. That should get you going. Don't forget to assign the synth/audio to an output pair on the ESP 1010.

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Jan 21, 2007 07:15 pm

Ok, insert a midi track, then go devices, VST instruments. Select the instrument you wanna use. Then, in your track window, select the midi track and in the input select the device that's going to be the control surface, and select the output to be the synth. Sometimes you'll have to go into the synths track (it should make it's own track when you insert it) and change the ouput to whatever bus you're currently using.


That's for working with soft synths with the keyboard as a controller... or were you asking on how to use the sounds on the keyboard?

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 22, 2007 12:48 am

Ok This is what I haveso far. I have the midi track and VST instrument set up.

Midi track with input midi 1, output Syth(example tassman) Channel 1 , the keys are transmitting on channel 1 aswell. The output bus is the stereo out.

Still no sounds?

Loki - you mention Selecting the device that will be th control.??? On the input I have a choice of Midi in 1 or 2. Any midi. or Fl (fruity). Does cubase need to recognise the exact keyboard?

Also as this is my very first foray into midi i suppose i want to use it for both Soft synth, on board sounds and then some drum patterns etc.

Thanks for being patient. I am at a total loss.

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Jan 22, 2007 01:33 am

yeah cubase is going to need to see the exact keyboard.

How are you connecting the keyboard to the pc? Cause here I'm kinda at a loss, since I just run straight into my usb with my controller, but if I can dig up a midi cable tommorow I will try and see what happens when I hook up one of my synths straight into the midi on my soundcard... try digging around in the device manager or midi device manager to see if you can get it to recognize it.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 22, 2007 06:01 am

I have set up the key board in midi device manager. It was listed as a GM Device.

I have set up a midi track with the input being Midi 1 and the output being the Keys.......

The way I have the keyboard connected is as follows. The cable is pluged into the back og the Keyboard, which then splits out into Midi in and Midi out. I have connected these to the midi in and midi out on the sound card. the keyboard does have another (standard midi) connection marked 'Out', but I assume this does not need to connect unless I have other devices?

I have noticed inthe transport panel of cubase that the midi in activity level VU is moving but the midi out VU isn't. So i reckon that I must have my routing skewed., don't know if this helps

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Jan 22, 2007 10:42 am

so on your inputs you still only see midi one, midi to, any midi, and FL? There is no option for like GM?

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 22, 2007 10:48 am

nope

Should the keyboard show in VSTinstruments as well?

Also I may have the hardwiring confused. I am assuming that the cable that came with the card

www.esi-pro.com/upload/download/ESP1010_english.pdf

should be plugged into the ci card and not the keyboard? I am sending from the keys via a stanard midi cable from the out port to the in port of pci cable. (i have tried it otherways aswell! Sorry if this may seem dumb but I have no idea with midi.

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Jan 22, 2007 11:34 am

no the vst instruments is just for the soft synths. If you are seeing the VU meter move then to me that makes it seem as a sign that you're getting signal.. I will plug in my synth late ron when i get time to dig through the garage for a midi cable, and also read through some of my cubase sx notes and stuff and see what I can't come up with.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 22, 2007 11:36 am

cheers matey i appreciate it alot

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Jan 22, 2007 12:47 pm

ok, so this may not help, but is just some random stuff I am reading at the moment in "Cubase SX/SL version 3 Power!".

How To Verify installed MIDI ports (under windows).

1. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel
2. In the control panel, double-click the system icon.
3. Click on the Hardware tab to make it active and then click on the Device Manager button.
4. Locate the Sound, Video, and Game controller entry, and expand the list to view the items under this entry.
5. Double-click on your MIDI interface or audiohardware if you have a MIDI port on it to view its properties.
6. The device's properties dialog box will appear. CLick on the Properties tab inside the dialog box to view whter your port is installed properly.
7. Select your installed MIDI port and click on the Properties button to see whether there are any messages warning you that the device is not installed properly or whether this device is in conflict with another peripheral.


at this point, if you have not seen any question marks or exlamation points next to your device and there are no indications that it isn ot installed porperly, you should be able to use this port in cubase.

How To set a default MIDI Device:
1. From the devices menu, select the Device setup
2. Click on Default MIDI ports in the list
3. In the default MIDI ports properties, next to the MIDI input field, select the appropriate MIDI port from the drop-down menu.
4. Next to the MIDI output field, slect the appropriate MIDI port from the drop-down menu.
5. Click apply to accept the changes.

maybe something in that will help ya.

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002

Jan 22, 2007 12:50 pm

Also, it looks like from the PDF you posted, that the 1010 works on midi port 2, so that should be your default midi port.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 22, 2007 01:15 pm

apreciate all your effort but still no joy i'm afraid... I'll keep diggin and bugger everything up knowing my luck!!!

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jan 23, 2007 09:09 pm

The ESP1010 has 2 ports for midi i/o and they should show up as in 1 and in 2 and out 1 and out 2 in your midi devices menu in Cubase. 1 will be the in and out on the PCI card and 2 will be the ports on the rack unit. Your keyboard will have nothing to do with be recognized as Cubase will only recoginze the midi i/o ports. You should be hooked up as you stated with the midi out from the keyboard to the midi in 1 or 2 of the 1010 and the midi in from the keyboard to the midi out from 1 or 2 on the 1010.

One thing that is getting missed here is the assigning of the synths audio track output to an audio output pair on the 1010. You don't assign it directly from the midi track but from the synths audio track.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 24, 2007 12:04 am

Noize-

The out from the midi track is set to the synth and the synth track has been set to the stereo pair out.

I think i see what the real problem is.

On the key board there is the midi out - 5 pin din and another connector marked computer - 8 pin din. (same as the connector on the pci card.) Unfortunaely I don't have this cable...... I have used the one supplied from the 1010. then going into ports 2 n the rack unit. but i guess this just isn't going to work. I've emailed m-audio for details of the cable and will see if i can get one. maybe this will help. I wish the keyboard had standard ports in out thru

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jan 24, 2007 10:42 pm

I wonder if there is a setting in one of the menu's on the keyboard to switch between the serial port 8 pin and the standard 5 pin din. The 5 pin is the standard midi config used throughout the world. the 8 pin thing is something proprietary to the keyboard itself, it is not a standard midi type connector.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 25, 2007 01:33 am

Nothing in the manual explains that. www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/mk261/mk261eng.pdf

It looks like I have to have that connection, hich is 8pin to 9pin serial according to m-audio. Can I then get a converter cable from 9 pin serial to 2 x 5pin midi, so I can use the sound card ins & outs? I do have a serial port on the back of the computer from the mother board.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jan 25, 2007 10:35 pm

Kaos, when I get back on Sunday from winter camping I will have a look into the Evolution and see what I can dig up. There has to be an easy way to get midi output from it into the PC.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 26, 2007 01:04 am

Thanks paul. I really really really apreciate yours and loki's efforts.

Have a great time camping - I just hope it's not a flimsy two man single sheet tent :) Don't forget to pack your thermals!!

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jan 28, 2007 04:12 pm

OK, since in your first post we know you are seeing midi activity in Cubase you know that the keyboard is hooked up correctly and getting the midi data into Cubase. So the problem is getting the info to the software synth itself and or getting it out the audio outputs to the ESP 1010.

As for the unit needing the connection with the serial connector that is not needed as long as you have a power supply feeding the unit as specced in the manual you posted. So that would allow you to use the standard 5 pin midi output connection and go right into the 1010's midi input.

At this point I'll ask exactly which software synth you are trying to use in Cubase and then we can try and go from there.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 29, 2007 02:16 am

How was the camping, good I hope.

Quote:
You should be hooked up as you stated with the midi out from the keyboard to the midi in 1 or 2 of the 1010 and the midi in from the keyboard to the midi out from 1 or 2 on the 1010.

but in your last post you state I only need the midi out...

For example if i'll take the a1 synth which is direct from cubase. or the tassman synth that came with the card.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jan 30, 2007 10:33 pm

Yep, since the keyboard is really only controlling the software synth it does not need to have any communication back into itself. I keep forgetting your only using it as a controller and not needing to store patches in it. The cable back into the midi in would be for that purpose only.

Kaos is only a form of insanity
Member
Since: Feb 03, 2005

Jan 31, 2007 08:48 am

ok i have had some progress yipee!! When I load the Tassman esi synth directly I can get play the keys and get sound being generated.

But when i load it as a vst instrument I get nothing!! I have created a midi track with th input being port 1 and the out being the tassman. Teh vst instrument out is the stereo out. Still nada!!!!

Have i got the routing wrong?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Feb 02, 2007 11:03 pm

Well it is a good sign that it is playing directly which means the midi i/o from the 1010 is working as well as the audio output.

Is the synth audio track routing to the main out of cubase? If so you need to make sure that the main out is assigned to the 1010 outputs you are using to go to what ever your monitoring source is.

> > > HELP!! midi keys set up - esp1010-cubase sx

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