Xv5050 and windows 10....

[Kingmaker661]

Hi Everyone - total newbie here and returning to dabbling with my Roland Xv5050 which has been untouched since 2009! Kids, 2 home renovations and life in general has meant I haven't had time for any hobbies apart from DIY...but now I want to make time for something I enjoyed a lot in the past.

Back then my xv5050 was connected to a windows XP PC and I controlled via a convoluted arrangement using my Yamaha DGX305. Coming back, I'm now on a Windows 10 PC and unsurprisingly there are driver issues - and the xv is not recognised. I'm trying some fixes from the Web without too much success but hopeful there is an answer. Ultimately I still want to be able to use the xv5050 editor (which is still available for download but doesn't see the unit itself when connected) along with sequencing software. So this is my starting point. I'm less wedded to the yamaha as a controller but before I buy a dedicated MIDI controller (e.g. Novation Keystation 88) I want to be sure I can actually still use the XV. I still think it's an excellent sound module and will be suitable for my needs. And I'm no Mozart anyway.

So the question is, does anyone know how I can make all this work? I've seen posts elsewhere about using 5 pin MIDI instead but not sure how that works or what cables I need to buy. Any help much appreciated.

Sorry if this all comes across as very amateurish! And if anything isn't clear just ask. In the meantime I'll keep my tin hat ready in case I need to take my question to the beginner's section!

 

[Kingmaker661]

Meant to say m audio Keystation!

 

[SeaGtGruff]

If you can't find an updated driver that will work with the XV-5050's USB connection, you can try using the MIDI connections.

To connect from the XV's MIDI to your computer's USB, you can use an interface cable such as the iConnectivity mio. That isn't the only option-- Roland makes an interface cable of their own, the UM-ONE; or you could try using Roland's WM-1 and WM-1D for a wireless MIDI connection-- but you should generally avoid the very cheap interface cables such as found on the internet, because they can be problematic. The iConnectivity mio is one of the least expensive interface cables that users have reported favorably about.

You can also buy a USB audio interface that includes MIDI IN/OUT ports. That option will be more expensive, but it might be the better option if you have other audio devices that you want to connect to your computer. Otherwise, a USB-MIDI interface cable such as the iConnectivity mio should be all you need.

Alternatively, if you just want to connect another MIDI device, such as a keyboard controller, to the XV then all you should need is a simple MIDI cable, such as made by Hosa and other companies.

Note that when connecting with MIDI cables, you need to connect from a MIDI OUT port on one device to a MIDI IN port on another device, because you want the MIDI data coming OUT of the one device to go IN to the other device.

When using a USB-MIDI interface cable, the MIDI connectors on the interface cable should be thought of as being the MIDI IN and OUT of the USB device, so the MIDI IN on the interface cable would go to the MIDI OUT on the XV, and the MIDI OUT on the interface cable would go to the MIDI IN on the XV.

I guess the big question is whether the XV editor software will be able to communicate with the XV through a USB-MIDI interface-- that is, does it look for a USB device which identifies itself as an XV, or will it try to work with any connected MIDI device?

Have you contacted Roland Support to see what they recommend? You might ask them if they have a generic (i.e., device-nonspecific) Windows 10 USB-MIDI driver that will work with the XV-5050.