Ok so I need some help connecting my keyboard.

[corsecdropout]

Before we start, I am aware this post has been made thousands of times, and I did read a lot of threads on this same problem, but they unfortunately didn't help much.
I recently bought a Yamaha PSR-E233 and today I've tried connecting it to my computer to step up my production game. I bought a generic MIDI to USB cable (There's no usb port on the E233, mind you). So I look up on the internet if theres any drivers I need to install for that to happen and I find nothing specifically stating the E233, probably because of its age I would assume, but I do find some general Yamaha drivers and when I try to install that, it tells me to connect a midi device, which I had already done (error 25001).
I try to use it without the drivers anyway to see what happens and absolutely nothing, as I expected. But for some reason, I don't remember why, I thought about inverting the IN and OUT cables on the keyboard. So now I have an OUT-OUT and an IN-IN connection (I know, stupid but I was getting desperate). And that did sort of work, but the problem is, I can only play one note a time in that configuration and the notes never really register as released until FL studio forces them to, meaning it's nearly unusable.
Since then I've trying reinstalling the drivers in every way imaginable, I've tried all kinds of cable configurations and nothing seems to work the way it should. So, oh wise masters of the MIDI, what should I do?

 

[happyrat1]

FIRST OF ALL.

MIDI IN >>> MIDI OUT ;;; MIDI OUT >>> MIDI IN

ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gary

 

[corsecdropout]

I'm aware lol. That is what I started with and what I'm currently with but that inversion thing was a desperate attempt in case the cables were mislabeled or something like that

 

[happyrat1]

Secondly, depending on what brand of USB MIDI Interface you bought. THEY DON'T NEED DRIVERS!!!! MOST ARE CLASS COMPLIANT.

 

[corsecdropout]

That's interesting but then what could be happening here? I'm still not getting any feed at all from the keyboard

 

[happyrat1]

Look for a program called MIDIOX

Run it and see if it's sending anything.

Does Windows see it as a MIDI device?

Gary

 

[mris]

Hi
The PSR E233 uses the UX16 USB/MIDI interface with his own driver(yamaha)
The Generic MIDI/USB needs HIS driver ( NOT the Yamaha ) so you'have to install it before
you can use your KB with your DAW and PC.
Which DAW do you use ???
Good luck and stay save

 

[anotherscott]

(There's no usb port on the E233, mind you). So I look up on the internet if theres any drivers I need to install for that to happen and I find nothing specifically stating the E233, probably because of its age I would assume,

Not because of its age, but because there's no such thing as drivers for 5-pin MIDI, only USB, and as you said, that keyboard doesn't have USB. Therefore there is of course no driver for the E233. The only thing you might need a driver for is whatever device you are using in between the keyboard and the computer to adapt the MIDI to USB. Usually not, but not impossible.

for some reason, I don't remember why, I thought about inverting the IN and OUT cables on the keyboard. So now I have an OUT-OUT and an IN-IN connection (I know, stupid but I was getting desperate). And that did sort of work, but the problem is, I can only play one note a time in that configuration and the notes never really register as released until FL studio forces them to, meaning it's nearly unusable.

Flipping the cables around like that can't work at all, not even for one note at a time. Since you got anything at all in this configuration, I would assume that this is the correct wiring, and if you look closely at you cable, they are probably not labeled IN and OUT, but rather "TO IN" and "TO OUT" which creates the opposite wiring, and of course works. I have an interface labeled this way.

I think you may be running into an issue that has come up here a number of times before, that many old Yamahas use a MIDI function called "active sensing" with no option to turn it off, which means it is constantly sending data, which can essentially overload the inputs on other devices/software that are not equipped for it. See if FL studio has any option to filter out active sensing. If not, see if you can find an app that does. Also, you haven't mentioned the USB-to-MIDI interface that you're using between the computer and the Yamaha, that could also be the issue. For example, the M-Audio Uno has known issues with Yamahas (possibly for this active sensing reason, I don't know).

 

[corsecdropout]

Not because of its age, but because there's no such thing as drivers for 5-pin MIDI, only USB, and as you said, that keyboard doesn't have USB. Therefore there is of course no driver for the E233. The only thing you might need a driver for is whatever device you are using in between the keyboard and the computer to adapt the MIDI to USB. Usually not, but not impossible.


Flipping the cables around like that can't work at all, not even for one note at a time. Since you got anything at all in this configuration, I would assume that this is the correct wiring, and if you look closely at you cable, they are probably not labeled IN and OUT, but rather "TO IN" and "TO OUT" which creates the opposite wiring, and of course works. I have an interface labeled this way.

I think you may be running into an issue that has come up here a number of times before, that many old Yamahas use a MIDI function called "active sensing" with no option to turn it off, which means it is constantly sending data, which can essentially overload the inputs on other devices/software that are not equipped for it. See if FL studio has any option to filter out active sensing. If not, see if you can find an app that does. Also, you haven't mentioned the USB-to-MIDI interface that you're using between the computer and the Yamaha, that could also be the issue. For example, the M-Audio Uno has known issues with Yamahas (possibly for this active sensing reason, I don't know).

That did seem to work! I used midi-ox to check the signal as someone else recommended and I've been able to get signal through to the keyboard like a breeze, and the input log does show the active sensing doing its thing. I didn't, however find a way to deactivate it, do you have any recommendations in that department?

 

[anotherscott]

I used midi-ox to check the signal as someone else recommended and I've been able to get signal through to the keyboard like a breeze, and the input log does show the active sensing doing its thing. I didn't, however find a way to deactivate it, do you have any recommendations in that department?

Just to make sure I understand, I think you're getting signal FROM the keyboard to midi-ox, not TO. Assuming I do understand what you're doing and seeing, as I mentioned in the previous post, Yamaha does not provide an option to turn active sensing off, IOW you can't "deactivate" it, but midi-ox does have filtering options and you might be able to use that to filter out the active sensing on the way to FL Studio (I'm assuming you have determined that FL Studio does not, itself, have an option to filter it out). I don't know, I've never used either program, and I don't use Windows, so I don't know if there's a way to "insert" midi-ox "between" your keyboard and FL Studio, but I bet someone else here knows. Worst case, you can use an external box from MIDI Solutions to filter out the active sensing before it gets to your computer. (Alternatively, maybe there's a program besides FL Studio that will do what you need, that includes the active sensing filter option.)

 

[corsecdropout]

Just to make sure I understand, I think you're getting signal FROM the keyboard to midi-ox, not TO.

No, I'm getting computer keyboard notes (you know, like when you type in q and that's a c and the w is a d and etc) to they keyboard and the keyboard synth is playing those notes. The problem isn't exactly that I'm not getting notes from the keyboard, it's just that they come one at a time with at least 8 seconds of space between them, making it sort of unusable.

IOW you can't "deactivate" it, but midi-ox does have filtering options and you might be able to use that

I've tried the midi-ox filter and the constant active sensing messages stopped showing up on the log, but the problem is still happening (I've tried both with the "Filter out data as well as display" box selected and unelected) . I've read a post on the midi-ox forum about a person with a problem similar to mine and someone replied the problem might be that most generic midi to USB cables simply just do that. Is that true? And if that is true, is there anything at all I can do?

 

[happyrat1]

To b e fair we are talking about a keyboard that ca be had at a yard sale for $20, right?

Unless there is some masochistic attraction to making it work, is there any reason not to cut your losses and blow the same money on a vintage Casio?

Gary

To be honest I crossed Yamaha off of my list of Linux compatible devices decades ago.

As far as I'm concerned, Yamaha is the Betamax of the electronic keyboard industry,

 

[corsecdropout]

I live in Brazil an I'm 16 so this was actually kind of a big purchase for me so yeah I'd really really like to make it work

 

[happyrat1]

Trade it in for a used Casio.

 

[corsecdropout]

I mean I probably could, honestly. But I'd really like to make this work I still think this might be easier, especially since it would be ideal that I get this to work until friday since I'm going to be performing something and I'd really like to use an external synthesizer instead of the native one on the keyboard.

 

[Rayblewit]

Stubborn!

 

[anotherscott]

No, I'm getting computer keyboard notes (you know, like when you type in q and that's a c and the w is a d and etc) to they keyboard and the keyboard synth is playing those notes. The problem isn't exactly that I'm not getting notes from the keyboard, it's just that they come one at a time with at least 8 seconds of space between them, making it sort of unusable.

I've tried the midi-ox filter and the constant active sensing messages stopped showing up on the log, but the problem is still happening (I've tried both with the "Filter out data as well as display" box selected and unelected) . I've read a post on the midi-ox forum about a person with a problem similar to mine and someone replied the problem might be that most generic midi to USB cables simply just do that. Is that true? And if that is true, is there anything at all I can do?

Do I understand correctly that FL Studio has the sounds you want to play from your Yamaha; and that you established that there is a way to go from the Yamaha keyboard (through whatever MIDI-to-USB interface you have) into midi-ox for its active sensing filter, then out of midi-ox into FL Studio? And you've tried that and it still isn't working?

Generic MIDI-to-USB interfaces have a mixed reputation. Some people use them and say they work fine, other people have problems. Assuming that's what you have, and keeping in mind that it sounds like you need to keep any additional investment minimal, is there anyone you might be able to borrow a different interface from, to see if that solves the problem? Preferably a name brand one like maybe a Roland UM-One or similar? Otherwise my next suggestion would be to buy one from someplace with a good return policy, so you can send it back if it doesn't fix the problem.

 

[corsecdropout]

Stubborn!

Sorry I Just really cant afford this not working but it's starting to hit that it will not

 

[Rayblewit]

No offence mate, but you did ask advice.