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How do I use this MIDI keyboard (CASIO CTK-541) in Garageband (10.0.3) within OS X (10.10.2)?

How do I use a CASIO CTK-541 keyboard to input notes into Garageband 10.0.3 within OS X Yosemite 10.10.2?


I cannot figure out why my MIDI keyboard is not working, and Apple's Help menus and software are useless in identifying the problem. By all appearances, it appears the driver is already installed automatically, a plug-and-play matter, and that I should just hit 'record' and start playing, since:

  1. There is nothing in Apple's documentation about actually using the MIDI input keyboard in the software once it's connected (at least after >30 minutes of looking for help).
  2. In Audio MIDI Setup's MIDI Studio it shows a "USB2.0-MIDI", although the test results are incomprehensible -- it could be working or not. Clicking 'Test Setup' only changes the button's color from blue to white and back; clicking the individual arrows within the MIDI Studio's block icon results in the two 'down' arrows pointing away from it to flash blue; the one 'up' arrow pointing towards the device doesn't flash. There is one down and up triangle under the number '1' and one down triangle under the number '2', which may or may not correspond to the Input 1 and Input 2 listed in Garageband (see below).
  3. In Garageband it says in Preferences... within the Audio/MIDI tab, "MIDI Status: 1 MIDI Input(s) detected"

However, when I create a new track in GarageBand (if that's the right word for it -- a Classical Guitar voice element to receive input from my CASIO MIDI keyboard):

  1. I select the option "Record using a microphone or line input." because I'm assuming that's how I make use of the cables ("lines") coming from this MIDI keyboard.
  2. There is ambiguity before proceeding: Input is listed as 'No Input', 'Input 1', 'Input 2', 'Input 1 + 2'. I choose Input 1 + 2 assuming it matches the Audio MIDI Setup description of this CASIO keyboard. However, below it says "My instrument is connected with: Built-in Input" and "I hear sound from: Built-in Output"; I click the right arrow beside these statements to open the Preferences window, but this Preferences window says "System Setting" instead of those Built-in options.

Apple suggests installing drivers. I look for downloads. First I find the CTK-451 Manual; although this model is CTK-541, it's not listed, and the MIDI section's figures appear to match this keyboard. However, looking for drivers, it appears there are none relevant to me, and that they are all for Windows. But is it not true that Garageband saying "MIDI Status: 1 MIDI Input(s) detected" means the driver is already installed, as in plug-and-play?


Is CASIO saying on this webpage that their products are not compatible with this OS X Yosemite? Is this why it's not working? What is the problem?

Thank you for your help.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), 2.4GHzIntelCore2Duo;4GB 1067MHzDDR3

Posted on Feb 28, 2015 8:06 PM

Reply
2 replies

Mar 1, 2015 5:02 AM in response to ethereality

ethereality wrote:


I select the option "Record using a microphone or line input." because I'm assuming that's how I make use of the cables ("lines") coming from this MIDI keyboard.


this is the mistake; you are creating an audio track, you need to create (and select) a Software Instrument track.


for more info:


http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#midionreal

(Let the page FULLY load. The link to your answer is at the top of your screen)

Mar 1, 2015 5:30 PM in response to HangTime

Yes, I realized it was incorrect; thank you for this notice. I was able to solve my problem some time after posting by taking the following actions:


  1. Reading the instructions for my MIDI-to-USB converter: The lead marked 'IN' goes in the piano's 'OUT', and the lead marked 'OUT' goes in the piano's 'IN'. (I had mistakenly treated it like the colored audio-visual cables on the back of a television, i.e. yellow in yellow, white in white, etc. So I put the cable marked 'IN' where the piano had 'IN'. Apparently the MIDI-to-USB cables were marked relative to the computer, not the electronic keyboard. Thus 'IN' refers to the signal going into the computer, i.e. 'OUT' from the keyboard. Likewise 'OUT' referred to the signal going out of the computer, 'IN' tothe keyboard.)
  2. Changing Garageband's Preferences to 'Built-in' input and output, rather than 'System Setting'. (The converter's instructions said to set the software's preferences to use the converter's built-in driver.)
  3. Selecting the first option 'Play sounds from your Mac' when creating a new track (voice?) rather than the 'line' option. As you said, the 'line input' creates only an audio recording track. I realized the 'line input' was grouped under "Audio" whereas the first option is labeled as "Software Instrument". Apparently the "Play sounds from your Mac" description means literally that you can hear the various Garageband instruments' sounds being played from your Mac when playing the keyboard. (I suppose it might also include sending signals to the MIDI device's speakers ...)


I should add that I got it working with a KAWAI Digital Piano 180 rather than the keyboard mentioned in my original post. I may use that keyboard later, but this KAWAI is superior due to the key weight and sending the MIDI off 'velocity' when the depressed key is released (apparently the CASIO doesn't do this, sending only the initial velocity when the key is pressed).


I hope this detailed explanation helps whomever has this problem in the future.

How do I use this MIDI keyboard (CASIO CTK-541) in Garageband (10.0.3) within OS X (10.10.2)?

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