Vista & Arranger Keyboard as Midi Controller

Has anybody used an arranger keyboard to drive samples on a PC with Vista O/S?
I'm trying to drive Native Instruments samples through Kontact 2 on the PC and would like to utilise one of my arranger keyboards set up as a midi controller (not using styles or voices of the keyboard). I can get it going one way with the PC playing midi files through Notation Composer using the keyboard voices. However I get no reaction the other way, trying to send midi data from keyboard to PC.
A search of the internet shows midi problems with Vista but no solutions!
My two keyboards are KN7000 and Tyros 2.
Keith

[This message has been edited by KeithB (edited 09-06-2009).]

Hi Keith

The below assumes you are using Kontakt in Stand Alone Mode

1. Make sure you have an ASIO driver for your sound card (You can download a general purpose one here http://www.asio4all.com/ if you sound card does not come with one) and set the output of Kontakt to use this driver.

2. Choose which keyboard to use

3. If you use a USB connection, make sure you load the Midi driver for that keyboard, if you use Midi connections, load the driver for your Midi interface. (Not all drivers are compatible with Vista, so you will need to find out which one works) with an external Midi interface more Vista drivers are available.

4. Set the input of Kontakt to use the Midi interface you have loaded

5. Connect Midi out of the keyboard to Midi in on the interface (This will be automatic if using a USB interface)

6. Connect the output of your sound card to an amplifier or active speaker system (Some USB interfaces will automatically feed the sound back into the keyboard, so as to use its own speakers)

7. Set your keyboard (RH) to transmit on Channel 1, and turn Local Off (You will need to consult your keyboard manual for this)

8. Select a sound in Kontakt that you wish to use (The actual sounds appear in the Right hand grid) and double click to load it. (Make sure it is set to receive on channel 1, usually the default)

9. Play a note on the keyboard and the Kontakt sound should play (Make sure you have the volume turned up)
Note also that the keyboard range should match the range of the sound. (As shown on screen)

Once you have mastered the basics, you can move on to more advanced uses (Don’t try and run before you can walk)

Hope this helps

Bill

Hi

The MIDI support in Vista is limited. Perhaps you could try experimenting with:
Windows Vista MIDI-Mapper from http://akkordwechsel.de/15-windows-vista-und-der-midi-mapper/
or
Vista Midi Picker 1.00 from http://www.download3k.com/System-Utilities/System-Maintenance/Download-Vista-Midi-Picker.html

Regards
Jørgen

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The Unofficial YAMAHA Keyboard Resource Site

Thanks Bill & Jørgen,
Everything is in place, everything works EXCEPT the KN7000 does not send midi messages to the PC that are recognised by the software. The PC does play midis on the KN7000 though. My conclusion is that the midi driver for the KN7000 is now out of date within Vista, and there is no way now of getting a revised one.
I will have to abandon the project and start again with the Tyros 2 and see whether I can get two way communication with that keyboard. The other alternative is to scrap Vista and use Windows XP as I earlier had all this working under XP.
Keith

You should be able to do that if you make sure you have the latest Vista driver from here:
http://www.global.yamaha.com/download/usb_midi/index.html

I had Ty2 communicating via USB with midi software on a Vista PC, and now Ty3.

John

Well we are getting somewhere! Now have Kontact 2 on my Vista Laptop responding to the Tyros 2 set up as a midi controller to drive the sampled Notre Dame de Budapest organ samples. Oh Happy Day!
Keith

Hi Keith

If the KN7000 Midi driver is installed via its own program, (Not from Device Manager) then copy the program from the Disc/Floppy/USB to the computer hard drive.
Right click the program icon and choose compatibility mode, then choose the option that worked on your previous OS, and save it.
Double click the icon and the program should then install as if it was an earlier OS (Doing this after the program is loaded doesn’t usually work)

There is no guarantee that this will work, but it’s always worth a shot.

Regards

Bill