USB midi keyboard losing connection

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Level 5

5,518 points

USB midi keyboard losing connection

Hi all,

Recently upgraded my (admittedly old but trusty) 27" iMac to the latest OS it supports (High Sierra) and Logic Pro to the latest current version (10.4.8).

Since doing this, I'm finding that every single time I open a new project, the little midi USB keyboard I use (Korg microkey) is no longer registering input in Logic. It's an easy fix every time - you just have to unplug and re plug in the USB cable. But it's obviously annoying.

This is new behaviour since a clean install from a much earlier OS (Yosemite) and much earlier version of Logic.

Any ideas on why this is happening and how to fix it permanently?

Cheers

iMac 27", macOS 10.13

Posted on Feb 18, 2020 5:25 AM

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Answer 1

Wilddrums

Level 5

4,268 points

Feb 19, 2020 8:11 PM in response to tbirdparis

As others hinted, there is no need for drivers. The Korg Microkey is Class Compliant: No drivers are required. I have a Microkey and used it from an old 2010 iMac up to a recent MacBook Pro through different macOS versions without problems. It was just plug it and play.

You can try one of the following:

Shutdown (power off) the Mac, unplug the power, wait few minutes, plug back and restart.
Start in Safe Mode. Safe Mode take can take some time. Please wait. Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac - Apple Support
Reset SMC. How to reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support. You can also look at reset the PRAM. See at the bottom of the page.

Hope that helps,

WD

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Answer 2

tbirdparis Author

Level 5

5,518 points

Feb 20, 2020 1:45 AM in response to DaCaptain

Hey, thanks for the continued advice.

Just checked, it turns out I don't have the drivers installed at all, neither of those two system files listed above are on my system.

Interesting to see that notice from Korg on the matter. They mention specifically it's to do with Macs from 2014 and later on High Sierra, this particular iMac I'm working with is from a few years earlier than that. But still, I'm sure this doesn't necessarily rule it out from being affected.

I think I may have found a solution though. Till now I've always had that midi keyboard connected to a powered USB hub, the very same one I used before having the iMac refurbished and updated. I just tried connecting it directly to a USB port on the iMac and it seems to have changed something. I just launched Logic from scratch and opened a new project, and on opening I hit some keys and saw that midi data was coming in. I then closed the project and opened another, which previously would have made the keyboard stop working till I unplugged and replugged it in. Now it seems to stay working.

So, it looks like we have a problem solved. I guess for whatever reason, the powered hub was fine on my old setup, but with the new OS/Logic version combo it doesn't like it anymore. Using a USB port directly does the trick.

Thanks everyone for the help with troubleshooting.

Cheers.

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Answer 3

DaCaptain

Level 4

1,048 points

Feb 19, 2020 12:36 AM in response to tbirdparis

I had the same issue with a nanoKontrol.

You need to de-install the Korg drivers. Here' the link to the un-installer:

https://www.korg.com/us/support/download/driver/1/285/3856/

No drivers are required anymore, which is good,

Best,

DaCaptain

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Answer 4

tbirdparis Author

Level 5

5,518 points

Feb 19, 2020 2:41 AM in response to DaCaptain

Thanks for the tip. I tried the uninstaller and restarted the Mac, unfortunately no change. Not sure if I even had the driver installed in the first place. I'll try running it again, or see if I can find some other possible culprit.

Thanks again.

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Answer 5

TTabby

Level 2

291 points

Feb 19, 2020 3:06 PM in response to tbirdparis

I imagine the un-installer from ‘DaCaptain’ worked, but if you want , you could check and see if the proper files were removed. There’s 2 of them;

Your Hard Drive/Library/Audio/MIDI Drivers/KorgUSBMIDIDriver.plugin

Your Hard Drive/System/Library/Extensions/advKorgUSBMIDIDriver.plugin

Final Tip with another file.

Just move this to the desktop, in case you need to put it back because it Re-Inits some other things too.

YourName-HomeFolder/Library/Preferences/com.apple.logic.pro.cs

Let us know how it goes.

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Answer 6

tbirdparis Author

Level 5

5,518 points

Feb 20, 2020 1:16 AM in response to Wilddrums

Thanks everyone,

As I mentioned before, I'm not sure i ever installed a driver of any kind for the Korg midi keyboard in the first place. I'm pretty sure I knew it was plug and play from when I got it and have been using it that way since. It's only now since having the iMac refurbished, updated from Yosemite to High Sierra and Logic to the latest version (10.4.8) that this has started happening.

That being said, I'll still look and see if any of those files that need removing do in fact exist on this system, and I'll also attempt the usual round of P-RAM resets etc etc.

Cheers

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Answer 7

DaCaptain

Level 4

1,048 points

Feb 20, 2020 1:27 AM in response to tbirdparis

Another idea: Next time the keyboard disappears, try pressing this in the Logic Preferences/MIDI/General [Reset All MIDI Drivers].

I re-read your original post and you mentioned you're on High Sierra, the latest OS your machine does support. Here's what Korg says:

https://www.korg.com/us/news/2018/042702/.

Somehow, they're describing your issue.

Best,

DaCaptain

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USB midi keyboard losing connection

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