Are MIDI keyboards "plug and play" in Garageband?

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Level 1

9 points

Are MIDI keyboards "plug and play" in Garageband?

Hey, folks:

Apologies if this comes off as the stupidest question ever, but as the title implies I'm a huge MIDI newb. My Google Fu is failing me big time on this.

I've got two MIDI keyboards I want to hook up in Garageband '11: a really ancient Suzuki Keyman PK-61 and the new Rock Band 3 keyboard controller (PS3). Mac hardware is the 2010 iMac and Macbook Pro, running i5 chips. Here's what I've tried so far:

1. I'm connecting the Keyman to a HDE USB MIDI Cable Converter ( http://www.amazon.com/MIDI-Cable-Converter-Music-Keyboar/dp/B001LJUVO4), and then plugging the converter into USB. The Keyman has a RS-232/MIDI toggle that is set to MIDI.

2. Connect the Keyman to a Rock Band MIDI Pro converter ( http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Rock-Band-MIDI-PRO-3/dp/B0042B3EOM/ref=sr11?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1294590628&sr=1-1) via a HOSA 5 pin MIDI cable, and plugging the converter into USB. The MIDI cable plugs are simply labeled "top", not "in" or "out".

3. Connecting the Rock Band 3 keyboard into RB MIDI Pro converter via a 5 pin MIDI cable, and plugging the converter into USB.

In all three cases, I can't record anything. I've taken a spin through the Audio MIDI Setup in Utilities. Plugging in the HDE results in a new USB MIDI icon. Garageband will recognize the HDE with the "There is now a MIDI device" dialog when it is plugged/unplugged.

The RB 3 MIDI converter is not recognized at all.

I can get my guitar running in GB in seconds, but obviously MIDI is more complicated than I realized. The Rock Band gear is being advertised as true MIDI equipment and I've seen anecdotal evidence that people are using it successfully.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks and talk to you soon.

iMac 2010, MacBook Pro 2010, Mac OS X (10.6.6), Garageband, MIDI, Rock Band 3, Suzuki Keyman

Posted on Jan 9, 2011 8:36 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Christoph Drösser

Level 6

11,318 points

Jan 9, 2011 9:51 AM in response to Mattand

The keyboard model doesn't matter as long as it has a midi out. The interface is the device that your computer has to communicate with.

That the HDE adaptor is recognized by GB is a good sign. It should work! So:

• Have you connected the keyboard's out jack to the interface's in?

• Have you created a real instrument track to record?

• When you hit notes on the keyboard, does a little blue dot light up in GB's "LED panel"?

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Answer 2

Mattand Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 9, 2011 1:24 PM in response to Christoph Drösser

Hey, Chris:

Thanks for the response. Much appreciated.

• I plugged the HDE's "in" jack to the keyboard's "out" connector. That leaves the "out" cable dangling free. For the heck of it, I plugged that into the Rock Band 3 MIDI adapter's "in" port. Still no go.

• I had been creating a new software track. Just tried using Real Instrument with no success.

• No blue lights on GB's display.

There's a red LED on the HDE that lights up when everything is plugged in. I even tried creating a new instrument setting in Audio MIDI setup and connecting to the HDE's icon by dragging an arrow from the new external device out (up) arrow.

I'm coming to two conclusions:

1) As was suggested on the Rockband.com forum, the MIDI on the keyboard may be damaged, or the keyboard is just too old (it's circa 1990).

2. The Rock Band adapter only functions with the game consoles it's designed for. Harmonix really hasn't made any claims it would work outside of the gaming world.

Oh, well. Appreciate you writing back.

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Answer 3

Jan 9, 2011 1:26 PM in response to Mattand

Hm. In this case, it would help if you had access to another midi device that you could try with the interface!

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Answer 4

Feb 15, 2011 7:47 PM in response to Mattand

Hey Mattand,

I have a casio with the same cord, all you have to do is plug in the midi IN cord into the piano OUT port and then plug in the USB and GB picks it up automatically!

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Answer 5

Feb 19, 2017 8:01 AM in response to Mattand

The suzuki keyman was actually made to plug in to the Commodore 64/128. As such, it doesn't actually have midi on the device. The two 5pin connections are to control the Pedal switch, and "serial."

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Answer 6

omits

Level 1

18 points

Feb 21, 2017 12:03 AM in response to Mattand

I Have a Nectar Impact GX49 and was given some files to download into GarageBand. Don't know what they are for though at this time.

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