Yamaha PSR-290 and iMac with Mac OS X 10.5.3

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Level 1

11 points

Yamaha PSR-290 and iMac with Mac OS X 10.5.3

hi

i'm new to this garage band thing (also a first time mac user), i got a MIDI/USB cable that is Midi In/Midi Out one end and USB the other, i have it connected to iMac, GarageBand says there 1 device connected but that's as far as i can get i fiddled around with everything. I even tried pressing the PC button on the keyboard and turning it on and nothing. The manual tells me absolutely nothing. I press a key on the keyboard, and sound comes from the built-in speakers on the keyboard (as like playing it normally) and nothing happens on the iMac. Do i need a driver? I have been on Yamaha site and searched and i can't find a driver anywhere, nor were they helpful. I take it that i'm suppose to use the keyboard as a controller to lay the sounds that are on GarageBand, which is too hard using the iMac keyboard. Has anybody got any idea on what i'm supposed to do? So much for plug and play as i was told.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on Jun 6, 2008 1:33 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 6, 2008 2:38 AM in response to queequeg731

You do need a driver, and that's a driver for your "cable" (which really is a midi interface), not for your keyboard.

Try this:
http://www.yamaha-europe.com/yamahaeurope/download/products/30_computer_related_products/Drivers_Utilities/Drivers/ USB_Driver/USB_Driver_for_MAC_OSX_Ver__1_11.zip

You might have a driver already, since GB seems to recognize it. So make sure that

• You are recording to a software instrument track in GB
• You have the "midi out" of your keyboard connected to the "midi in" of the interface cable.

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Answer 2

queequeg731 Author

Level 1

11 points

Jun 6, 2008 9:19 PM in response to queequeg731

i didn't know this, but i thought the MIDI in plug went in the MIDI in plug and MIDI out plug in MIDI out, not MIDI in to MIDI out and MIDI out in to MIDI in, that is very weird, but it is working now after about 3 days of trying. I have blue light flashing on the thing in the middle where the MIDI converts to USB. That last thing about MIDI IN gave me the answer. THANK YOU!

Thanks for your help. Really do appreciated that.

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Answer 3

HangTime

Level 9

53,853 points

Jun 6, 2008 9:21 PM in response to queequeg731

think of it like water pipes: what would happen if you connected an Out to an Out and an In to an In?

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Answer 4

queequeg731 Author

Level 1

11 points

Jun 6, 2008 9:23 PM in response to HangTime

True, but then shouldn't they make them slightly different (like most connections with pipes etc) so people like me "Stupid" do not do these things.

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Answer 5

HangTime

Level 9

53,853 points

Jun 6, 2008 9:32 PM in response to queequeg731

blame 1983 when MIDI came to be.

at the time, things weren't keyed as much. a 1/4" plug could just as easily plug into a 1/4" input as a 1/4" output ... which could be a very bad thing.

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