Problem Using PA5X with a Piano VST or MainStage

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Korg finally got back to Sweetwater tech support... This is what they sent..

We have heard from Korg and they apologize for the delayed response.



They have sent the following information for the setup ypu are wanting to do:



“They will need to connect the headphone out of the computer to the audio input jack on the Pa5x which will enable them to play the audio from Native Instruments Kontakt 7 through the Pa5x outputs.

Please ask the customer to follow the steps below to route the incoming audio to the Pa5x outputs.”

View attachment 3646View attachment 3645

I will be trying this tonight to see if it works.... I will let you know... thanks to all who have contributed to this problem...

I do have a Behringer Xenyx 1002SFX mixer in the mix but it doesn't help..

First, I don't understand why Korg are telling you to set the Pa5X as a microphone input. As I've previously stated, I have neither a Pa5X or a Macbook but when I connect my Windows laptop headphone socket directly to Line In, it just works. I've tried it on three different keyboards that have Line In sockets so I'm not sure why it shouldn't work on the Pa5x. The fact that they also refer to Mic phantom power seems to indicate that either they don't understand the problem or Sweetwater have not conveyed it to them correctly.

Second, as far as I can see from the specs for your mixer, it doesn't have any USB capapabilities, so you still need to use your Macbook's headphone socket to feed your VST's sounds into the mixer. Make sure the Mac's audio output is set to 'speakers' or 'headphones', or however Apple designates it. Connect the mixer's output to Line In on your keyboard and you should hear both the keyboard and the VST sounds.

Third, the headphone sockets on laptops are notorious for dodgy connections so the alternative is do do what Biggles and others have been suggesting all along - invest in a USB audio interface. You'll still need one midi cable from Midi Out on the keyboard to Midi In on the interface and two audio cables (or one stereo cable with splitters) from the interface Line Out to Line In on the Pa5x. That would be the preferred choice over using the headphone socket.
 
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First, I don't understand why Korg are telling you to set the Pa5X as a microphone input. As I've previously stated, I have neither a Pa5X or a Macbook but when I connect my Windows laptop headphone socket directly to Line In, it just works. I've tried it on three different keyboards that have Line In sockets so I'm not sure why it shouldn't work on the Pa5x. The fact that they also refer to Mic phantom power seems to indicate that either they don't understand the problem or Sweetwater have not conveyed it to them correctly.

Second, as far as I can see from the specs for your mixer, it doesn't have any USB capapabilities, so you still need to use your Macbook's headphone socket to feed your VST's sounds into the mixer. Make sure the Mac's audio output is set to 'speakers' or 'headphones', or however Apple designates it. Connect the mixer's output to Line In on your keyboard and you should hear both the keyboard and the VST sounds.

Third, the headphone sockets on laptops are notorious for dodgy connections so the alternative is do do what Biggles and others have been suggesting all along - invest in a USB audio interface. You'll still need one midi cable from Midi Out on the keyboard to Midi In on the interface and two audio cables (or one stereo cable with splitters) from the interface Line Out to Line In on the Pa5x. That would be the preferred choice over using the headphone socket.
I have never used an interface.. Do i still need a usb cable from the pa5x to the mac? How does the vst know when i depress a key on the pa5x? Sorry for the lack of knowledge... I did get the vst to sound through my speakers along with the pa5x but only when i depress the keys inside the vst.... When i depress the keys on the pa5x they move in the vst but no sound comes out of the speakers from the vst, only the pa5x.... If this makes any sense.... thanks
 
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In my prior post I wrote:-

Using a Behringer UMC204HD audio interface connected to my MacBook Air via USB.

The Behringer UMC is connected via two MIDI cables to the MIDI In and MIDI Out sockets on the Pa5X.

Connect the two MIDI cables, one from the Behringer Out to the In on the Pa5X and the second from the Behringer In to the Pa5X Out.

Connect the Audio L & R outputs from the Behringer UMC204HD to the “Line Inputs” on the Pa5X.

In the Pa5X MIDI setup, Local is Off.

Now the Line In will not produce any sound unless it is turned on.

In the main LCD panel select Control, the fifth slider is the Line, tap under the slider to turn it On.

The VST’s on your MacBook should then sound on the Speakers attached to the Pa5X if you have routed the Audio outputs accessed via the Settings in the App you are using on your MacBook, the Behringer UMC204HD should show as one of the routing options and is the one to choose.
 
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I have never used an interface.. Do i still need a usb cable from the pa5x to the mac? How does the vst know when i depress a key on the pa5x? Sorry for the lack of knowledge... I did get the vst to sound through my speakers along with the pa5x but only when i depress the keys inside the vst.... When i depress the keys on the pa5x they move in the vst but no sound comes out of the speakers from the vst, only the pa5x.... If this makes any sense.... thanks
"I have never used an interface.." It will make life easier for you but make sure you get one with at least one Midi In and one Midi Out 5-pin Midi sockets. Behringer do one for about $40 but it doesn't have these so would be no use. The UMS204HD model that Biggles recommends is also what I use and works great.

"Do i still need a usb cable from the pa5x to the mac?" No, you need a Midi cable from Midi Out socket of the Pa5x to the Midi In socket of the interface. The usb cable goes from the interface to the mac. Note: Biggles refers to two midi cables but the second one would only be needed if you were sending midi data back to the keyboard from the Mac, which in your case, you're not.

"How does the vst know when i depress a key on the pa5x?" It obviously does at the moment with your direct usb cable hooked up as you say "When i depress the keys on the pa5x they move in the vst" . When you use a usb interface, you need to change the Piano Noire VST settings to show the interface as the Midi In source. Likewise, the output should also be set to the interface.

"Sorry for the lack of knowledge..." We were all in your shoes at one point. This is one reason the forum is here - to help each other learn.

"I did get the vst to sound through my speakers along with the pa5x but only when i depress the keys inside the vst.... When i depress the keys on the pa5x they move in the vst but no sound comes out of the speakers from the vst, only the pa5x.... If this makes any sense...."
No, I'm slightly confused! When you first posted you said that you were getting the vst sounds only through the Mac speakers. Are you now getting them through the Pa5x speakers/monitors when you depress the vst keys? To be honest, you shouldn't be, not unless you've hooked up your mac's headphone socket to them. Is that how you're using your mixer?

As I explained earlier, you can achieve 'dual sound' with the direct usb cable controlling the vst and using your mixer in the output leg but the better option is to use a usb audio interface.
 
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In my prior post I wrote:-

Using a Behringer UMC204HD audio interface connected to my MacBook Air via USB.

The Behringer UMC is connected via two MIDI cables to the MIDI In and MIDI Out sockets on the Pa5X.

Connect the two MIDI cables, one from the Behringer Out to the In on the Pa5X and the second from the Behringer In to the Pa5X Out.

Connect the Audio L & R outputs from the Behringer UMC204HD to the “Line Inputs” on the Pa5X.

In the Pa5X MIDI setup, Local is Off.

Now the Line In will not produce any sound unless it is turned on.

In the main LCD panel select Control, the fifth slider is the Line, tap under the slider to turn it On.

The VST’s on your MacBook should then sound on the Speakers attached to the Pa5X if you have routed the Audio outputs accessed via the Settings in the App you are using on your MacBook, the Behringer UMC204HD should show as one of the routing options and is the one to choose.
Just to clarify for the OP, he would need Local turned On as he wants to hear his Pa5X along with the vst sounds.
 
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I will purchase the interface and hopefully get this working.. I appreciate all the help and patience... I will let you know how I make out.. Thanks Again..
 
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Don’t forget to order a pair of MIDI cables and a pair of TS cables if you do not have them.
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You have been given the solutions multiple times.

Time to spend your cash $100 on one of these or $6000 on a Genos, your choice.

Other makes are available.
Slight addendum, only Genos 1 doesn't have an audio interface, but G2 does (bafflingly so does PSRsx600, P125). You *will* need to spend money to get an audio interface if you wish to record audio from a G1; *or* use the built in rendering on board (G1&G2 can record wav/mp3, PA5x can record Mp3).
 
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I spent a good hour or more with a Mac specialist from Sweetwater the other night and he said after watching what was going on a Audio Interface is not going to help my problem... He took control of my mac and he had things on the screen I have never seen before... He could see what was happening in real time when I depress my keys on the pa5x... He believes the problem resides in the Mac but he was still going to write again to Korg.... I will wait and see what comes from it... I will post the results for those who are interested.... Thanks again to all the suggestions...
 
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I spent a good hour or more with a Mac specialist from Sweetwater the other night and he said after watching what was going on a Audio Interface is not going to help my problem... He took control of my mac and he had things on the screen I have never seen before... He could see what was happening in real time when I depress my keys on the pa5x... He believes the problem resides in the Mac but he was still going to write again to Korg.... I will wait and see what comes from it... I will post the results for those who are interested.... Thanks again to all the suggestions...
I find it hard to believe that the "specialist" doesn't think the interface is going to help. It sounds like he doesn't realize that your Pa5x has no USB audio capability. I hope you have already ordered your Behringer interface as I have no doubt that when properly set up, it will definitely work for you, as it has for Biggles, myself and probably a good number of others here.
 

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