Please Help--Midi Keyboard Has Seemingly Disappeared

[Jazzooo]

I confess that in a moment of weakness last month, I bought an MBox 2 Mini with ProToolsLE for $300, just to see if I could get more comfortable with it than I've been able to with Logic after almost a full year (except for Logic's midi aspects, which up till now I've been doing well with).

 

Anyway, my Yamaha Motif was hooked up via USB to my MacBookPro like always. In Logic, all I ever needed to do was select an Audio Instrument track, assign a voice from the EXS24 and bingo, I'd be playing music.

 

When I loaded ProTools, I trie to do the same routine, using their embedded synth called Xpand. It didn't work so I tried to do it in Logic and...it stopped working for me there as well.

 

I downloaded the newest yamaha drivers. I spent 90 minutes on the phone with Apple tech support yesterday, and they suggested I uninstall PTLE. I did. I rebooted. It still won't work.

 

The Yamaha is visible in my Mac's Audio Midi Settup, just floating there. I have swapped USB cables and USB inputs on the computer. Nothing works--I can't rrigger any sounds from the EXS24.

 

Can someone please give me a talking to? What am I missing?

 

Many thanks,

 

Doug

[David Nahmani]

Hi Doug, long time no see! Sorry to hear about your problems.

 

Are you trying all that in a brand new template? If you open a transport window, does the MIDI monitor show any incoming MIDI at all? Did you check the environment click and ports layer to make sure the physical input is somehow cabled into the sequencer input? Can you see any incoming MIDI on the monitor there?

 

Also try resetting all MIDI drivers in your Logic MIDI preferences.

[Jazzooo]

Hi, David--I missed talking with you too. I've sent many a new Logic user here to the forums, and have always recommended you, ashermusic and a few others who have consistently attempted to help me.

 

"Are you trying all that in a brand new template?"

 

Both a new template, and an existing song with lots of existing midi tracks. I just enable them as if I'm going to re-record.

 

"If you open a transport window, does the MIDI monitor show any incoming MIDI at all? "

 

None.

 

"id you check the environment click and ports layer to make sure the physical input is somehow cabled into the sequencer input?"

 

I'll do that right now...crap, it's not there. It's been there for months--I've done a ton of projects. Where did it go and why? Even more disturbing is that I just chose a new keyboard and I think I hooked it up to the sequencer, but I was only guessing--all I could see was the keyboard icon and the GM Device, so I clicked on "Previous layer," selected Midi Sequencer from the list and now it seems to be hooked up to the sequencer...let's test it...

 

No. nothing.

[David Nahmani]

OK if you can create a MIDI track or simply select one of the 16 sub-channels of a multi instrument object in the environment, try to adjust its Port parameter. Your MOTIF should appear as one or several choices in the Port parameter menu.

 

If it doesn't, that means Logic is not communicating with the driver. Check that the driver is for your computer, your version of OS X, your type of processor (Intel vs PPC...) and so on, and reinstall if necessary. I have a working MOTIF Logic rig I use when I write music with a partner here.

[Jazzooo]

David, I never used the environment when I was doing all my work in Logic--is there a primer somewhere that describes what you're talking about? I see a big blue rectangle that says "Physical Input and at the top I see yamaha Motif SUM, then Yamaha MOtif ES port 2 and ES port 4--SUM is connected to a blue box that says Input View, which is connected to Sequencer Input. The keyboard icon isn't connected to anything.

[David Nahmani]

Then if you can see that, that means Logic should be communicating with the drivers. At least it sees the ports from your MOTIF. Now why Logic wouldn't show any incoming MIDI...I would suspect the driver, so try another one (earlier one?) or a new one... or just try yet another reinstall.. and try repairing permissions just in case.

[Jazzooo]

I had to take the pups to the vet--back now, and I'll try all of the above! Thanks, David.

[Jazzooo]

I'm back and still in trouble. I got rid of the old Midi/USB driver, and installed it again (downloaded it again from the site and installed it). Now I'm in the environment, I see the same as before, but still--no midi getting through to Logic.

 

Just to clarify: It says Yamaha MOTIF SUM, and that connects to the keyboard icon, which connects to the Input View icon, which conects to the Sequencer Input icon.

[David Nahmani]

OK, so it sounds good as far as the cabling in Logic, so my guess is it's easier a problem with the Yamaha or its driver. I would try calling Yamaha. If you have time you could reinstall OS X and then Logic, but I don't know how feasible that is for you.

 

You're saying it worked fine until you tried to use the Yamaha in Pro Tools? How did you uninstall Pro Tools?

[Jazzooo]

Hi, David. I just trashed my preferences. Let me try it now...doesn't work. But you know what? I just unplugged my Motif and then plugged in my MAudio O2 controller and it works. Damn--that means the Yamaha driver is bad, right? Unbelievable, the amount of time I've wasted on this. I wish I'd thought of trying a different USB keyboard.

 

It's the only driver for Mac OSX from 10.2 ro 10.4.8 (I've got 10.4.7).

 

Let me see if I can now make a little music. Thanks for your help, don't leave the room! I might be right back.