YAMAHA DGX 640 MIDI does not work.

Question

Level 1

9 points

YAMAHA DGX 640 MIDI does not work.

Hi all.

I just got a new Yamaha DGX 640 recently, and I've been dying to play around with it in GarageBand. However, when I plug in the keyboard, GarageBand doesn't detect any sound.

I've installed the driver, and it even says in the preferences that one MIDI device has been detected. But when I open Audio MIDI Setup, it doesn't detect it. Even when I add a new device. Nothing.

I really want to try this out, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Randy

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Dec 26, 2012 11:49 AM

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Answer 1

isteveus

Level 5

4,334 points

Dec 26, 2012 12:18 PM in response to TehRandax

Midi does not transfer any sound only data. If the keyboard is detected then you need to create a software instrument track and choose a software voice.

If you want to record the keyboard audio you will need to plug a line out or headphone output on the keyboard to the mac audio input.

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Answer 2

TehRandax Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 26, 2012 12:24 PM in response to isteveus

I had created a software instrument track as well. Forgot to mention that.

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Answer 3

isteveus

Level 5

4,334 points

Dec 26, 2012 1:39 PM in response to TehRandax

Did you turn track monitoring on in track info window?

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Answer 4

Dec 26, 2012 1:43 PM in response to isteveus

(There is no monitoring option for software instrument tracks.)

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Answer 5

isteveus

Level 5

4,334 points

Dec 26, 2012 1:46 PM in response to Christoph Drösser

I guess that shows how much I use garageband and Midi 😝

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Answer 6

TehRandax Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 26, 2012 4:23 PM in response to TehRandax

Also: I should mention that while the Installer SAID that the drivers were installed correctly, the files that are mentioned in the Yamaha readme are not where they should be.

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Answer 7

handels

Level 1

0 points

Dec 28, 2012 9:18 AM in response to TehRandax

I just did this same setup yesterday to a Macbook Air, and these steps worked for me.

1. Install the Yamaha Midi drivers to your Mac.

2. Connect the USB cord from the DGX 640 to your mac (using the back USB port, not the one on the front).

3. Start Garageband. Wait a few seconds.

4. Turn on the Yamaha.

5. Make sure the Yamaha PC MODE setting is set to OFF (that's a set of presets that seemed to work for me).

6. Check System Preferences on your Mac. You should see a new icon at the bottom under "Other" called Yamaha USB-MIDI.

7. If you click into that setting, the Device Name setting drop-down box should now have "Portable Grand" in it.

8. Go into Garageband, create a new track or select an existing track.

9. On the right panel, select Software Instrument and select from the browser the type of software instrument you have the Yamaha set up to be.

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