Trying to play midi files from Windows 10 to Technics KN720

[Jandanz]

I'm trying to set up my Windows 10 laptop to play midi files into my Technics KN720 keyboard. I have a USB to midi in/out converter, which Windows 10 accepts. I have plugged the midi out to the midi in on the keyboard and in to out,
I have the user manual, and there are a raft of options available on the KN720 but I don't know which ones to select, and there's nothing coming out of the keyboard. I would really like some advice/help to set it up please.

The Menu Items are: (with further options on most of these):
P1 Channel
P2 Part Setting
P3 Common Set
P4 Control Msg
P5 In/Out Set
P6 Realtime Msg
P7 MIDI Presets
P8 GM Mode
P9 Bulk Dump

 

[happyrat1]

Set the channel to Omni or 1 if Omni is not available.

Then set GM Mode to ON

Then in your Windows MIDI Software set the MIDI OUTput to your USB-MIDI Interface, whatever it identifies as.

Then Cue up your playlist and hit play and it should work.

Gary

 

[Jandanz]

Thanks Gary, does that mean I can't just select a midi file, play it and the USB adapter will do the rest?
Or do I need a sequencer? I have got Busker (jos maas) and have sequencer on that, which I haven't tried yet

 

[happyrat1]

You need a MIDI file sequencer or player yes that's compatible with your operating system.

Then point it's output setting at your interface and you should be able to load any standard MID file and play it.

Here's a Simple MIDI Jukebox player that should work easily.

https://download.cnet.com/General-MIDI-s-Jukebox/3000-2139_4-76430708.html

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

Actually, you might have better luck trying one of these.

https://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pc/PCMidi.shtml

Gary

 

[SeaGtGruff]

The operating systems on most modern computers are set up to automatically play a MIDI file to the computer's speakers using a built-in MIDI "soft synth" when you double-click on the MIDI file.

To make the computer send the MIDI to an external device such as a keyboard or sound module, you must either select that device as the computer's default MIDI output device, or use MIDI sequencer software that lets you manually select the desired output.

Windows got rid of the option for selecting the default MIDI output device some time ago; I think it might have been done away with beginning in Windows 7, but I might be wrong about that.

Fortunately, MIDI sequencers are pretty easy to use, and they also give you a great deal of flexibility as to how you play back a MIDI file. For example, you could send channels 1, 2, and 3 to one keyboard; send channels 4 and 5 to a different keyboard; and send each remaining channel to a specific soft synth or "plugin" on the computer.

 

[Jandanz]

Thanks for the answers, unfortunately as you say, I cannot select a midi output in Windows 10. the interface is a cheap Chinese one, so I will have to check with a music shop here to see if it actually works (unless I put a multimeter on the OUT plug, but which pins? ) Have attached a pic and hope to make some progress in a day or so.

 

[Ted Nicoson]

The USB-MIDI adapter cable you show is a digital device, It can not be tested in any way with a simple battery and ground multi-meter. As a matter of fact, doing so runs the risk of completely destroying an otherwise good device. It needs to be tested digitally. The best digital tester you have, at the moment, is your computer. If you connect the cable to your computer, and it does not show up under either "Sound, video, and game controllers" or "Universal Serial Bus controllers" in Windows Device Manager, then it is not connecting, which could indicate a defective adapter cable. If it is showing up in Device Manager, then it is connecting.

For additional testing, I recommend downloading and installing a free testing utility known as MIDI-OX, available from www.midiox.com. MIDI-OX shows realtime flow of MIDI data through your connection, and is invaluable in isolating problems with your MIDI software (MIDI file player, etc). Like Windows Device Manager, MIDI-OX will also show if the adapter cable is actually connecting. If Windows Device Manager and MIDI-OX show the adapter cable connected, but MIDI-OX shows no MIDI data flowing, this usually indicates that your MIDI software (MIDI file player, etc) has not been properly configured. This usually involves nothing more than going into your MIDI software's Settings menu and selecting the adapter cable as its MIDI Output Device.

Now, all of this said, the low priced MIDI-USB adapter cables, of the type you show, are notorius for causing the exact problems you describe, particularly with Windows 8 and 10. At one time, if you spent at least $15 USD, you were fairly well assured of getting a working unit, but of late, the cheap, non-working knock-offs are showing up in the $20 to $25 range. Some, when opened, have missing parts. So, you are best sticking with the name-brand units (Yamaha, Roland/Edirol, M-Audio, etc) up around $40 or more.

If the 5-pin connectors on the adapter cable are labeled correctly, then they are labeled for what they ARE and NOT for what they connect to on the keyboard. The adapter cable is a MIDI device. The MIDI Spec requires the output connection of any MIDI device to be labeled MIDI OUT and the input to be labeled MIDI IN. So, on the adapter cable MIDI OUT is an output. It needs to connect to MIDI IN on the keyboard. MIDI IN on the adapter cable is an input, so it needs to connect to MIDI OUT on the keyboard, but the problem is, many of these low priced adapter cables have the labels reversed, so once you get yours to connect to Windows, if data is still not flowing, try reversing the 5-pin connectors to the keyboard. These connections are opto-isolated, so there is no chance of shorting anything out, if they are reversed. As a matter of fact, the opto-isolators are exactly why you do not want to test with a multi-meter. If the multi-meter applies reverse battery to an opto-isolator, the opto-isolator will be destroyed immediately, and that connection will no longer work.

 

[Jandanz]

Thanks for the answers. After reading these through, I found that yes the USB to Midi adaptor was shown in the Device Manager. And then I downloaded and ran MidiOx, which was just about over my head, but I did see the data flowing through and some red and green heartbeats, so I was reassured that that side was working. I am using Serenade Karaoke and Midi Player v5.2. After a closer look, I found Preferences which I hadn't seen before, and pointed the output to the USB Midi adaptor. Everything is working fine now, the keyboard needed little attention.

Now to sort out some Karaoke words!

Thanks all for helping me.

Cheers, John

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Ahhh ! ! ! That's just great, Johnnie ! ! ! Glad you got it all sorted - and just in time for the week-end. Enjoy it, but don't forget to get a little sleep here and there !

 

[Jandanz]

Ahhh ! ! ! That's just great, Johnnie ! ! ! Glad you got it all sorted - and just in time for the week-end. Enjoy it, but don't forget to get a little sleep here and there !

Thanks, now watching a bit of cricket, NZ v. India, could be a close result!