Connecting External Keyboard Via Environment

I'm having a devil of a time trying to connect a Yamaha DGX-205 to Logic. I have

the driver installed
USB cable working
Keyboard set to Local (off), External Clock (on) and Keyboard Out (on)
a multi instrument object created in a MIDI instruments layer in the environment
PORT set to Yamaha DGX-205
All the subchannels activated
and a track selected to MIDI instruments > Yamaha DGX-205 > Channel 1 (Piano)

All I've been able to do is remotely control the Yamaha from my midi controller - but no sound is coming into or out of the system. I can record data that way (not from the keyboard itself), but get no playback from system.

What am I missing here? Is there a step-by-step process to setting up a multi instrument? I have read the entire Environment section in the Logic Manual and also have gone through the tutorial in the Apple Pro Training book... still no idea why this isn't working.... Any help would be extremely appreciated! Thanks!

Dual processor G4, Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Jun 4, 2007 10:55 PM

Reply
14 replies

Jun 5, 2007 3:48 AM in response to Bee Jay

It's a MIDI keyboard, and I'm trying to get it's sounds and playability to be recognized as a multi-timbral instrument. There was never any mention of selecting it as an audio driver in anything I've read - that doesn't sound right.

Shouldn't I be able to set it up as a multi instrument in the environment and play, record, and hear it's patches as an external keyboard?

Dual processor G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Jun 5, 2007 4:08 AM in response to calisoul

I wanted to do pretty much what you mentioned as well.....

I did a lot of searching.....on and off this board.

Spent alot of time reading the manual...

I finally came to this....

Keyboard > Logic >Record MIDI Data > Send MIDI back to keyboard > Send audio back to Audio Track.

I dont think its possible to do it as you mention....or as I think you mean...

If someone would prove that wrong I will be jumping for joy right along with you.

Jun 5, 2007 6:37 AM in response to Guitar Psycho

I see what you mean, I must've just read all the same stuff.

But it still makes no sense. You're supposed to be able to connect external synths, create instrument objects, and then Logic can speak to those synths - allowing you to program the names of the synths' patches/voices, select them, and hear, record, and control them in the sequencer - without getting into the audio side of things, right? Otherwise, it's just like hooking up 2, 3, 4 more midi controllers...

Jun 5, 2007 7:06 AM in response to Guitar Psycho

Right, MIDI does not contain audio information. But doesn't it contain PATCH information? It would be the same thing as a soft synth, or a rack synth.... you should be able to choose a patch/voice and control it via MIDI.

I keep reading this chapter over and over in Apple Pro Training, and the author gives every indication that this is exactly how it works. Just like setting up the Quicktime synth. You create a multi instrument in the environment, and then cable it to the Internal QT object, and voila! You have General MIDI sounds. He then says "go ahead and hook up your other external keyboards the same way." But leaves it at that... without saying what, if anything, you're suppose to cable those new multi instruments to. And it doesn't work otherwise...

Ugh.

Jun 5, 2007 8:15 AM in response to calisoul

Oh man this is coming back to me now.

I was sitting with that book too....going through the exercises and progressing....thought I was on the verge of cracking the case and then BOOM!! Nothing... ARRGGGG!!!!

Just had a thought....I think I will run this by Steve Horelick at the macprovideo forum and see if we can have this addressed in his Tips and Tricks series......

Jun 5, 2007 8:47 AM in response to calisoul

Well, I kinda got my head wrapped around this now. You can hear the sounds of the keyboard if you select it's driver as the audio interface. My keyboard, doesn't allow this... oh well. But, yes, the other option would be to patch the outputs into an audio track. The midi data first sent to Logic can be manipulated, then sent back out to the keyboard, which in turn is recorded onto an audio track. Which makes sense, but still seems a bit illogical to me...

Jun 7, 2007 9:40 AM in response to calisoul

Yeah... it just seems strange that people go out and
buy all these crazy awesome synths, and then end up
recording them as analog audio in the end.


Just curious how you would record them if not audio? I mean
you can record it in midi and audio, there is no third choice.
What I do is record the midi which Logic sends back to my synth
so I can hear what the audio will sound like. Then edit the midi
which is much easier than editing audio but at some point you will
want to record the audio or you just have a track sending midi out
and you will be the only one hearing the audio.

Because the videos you mention did not tell you exactly how to do
this I made one. It should explain what you want but it does not cover
routing the audio back to Logic. Since it will depend on your set up which
way you will do this. I am sure this is what you are trying to do though.
And you are recording the audio digitally since Logic is a DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION. I record my synths audio from my SPDIF OUT so it never gets to the analog state. And yes, it goes on an audio track, where else would you put audio?
Type in the code that is displayed at the bottom to download the videos.

Part 1
http://w11.easy-share.com/640647.html
Part 2
http://w10.easy-share.com/640666.html

Dual Processor 1.8 G5,2GB Ram Barely limping along on an old outdated OS Mac OS X (10.4.8) Logic Pro 7.2.3 RME Fireface800 Peak Pro5.2

Jun 9, 2007 9:30 AM in response to Phillip K

I had an associate ask me why I use the intermediate step of putting
patch names into a spreadsheet and I thought that other people would
like to know why I suggest this.

When copying out of the PDF file I used from Yamaha (on some banks)
it was impossible to get all 128 names of one bank to highlight at one time.
I had success with the first bank but as you can see the PDF had 3 columns
on each page with 2 columns making up one 128 patch bank. This meant
that the 2nd bank started on one page and ended up on another. Since you
have to paste all 128 names at one time you cant do one half and then the
other, you have to do all 128 at the same time. The problem comes in this
PDF when you start on a third column and try to continue highlighting into
the next page.

User uploaded file


































As you can see there are two words of non relevant text that
get highlighted with the patch names. These two words are
inserted into the list throwing off the remaining 64 names and
make that bank only half accurate.

Using a spread sheet and making the columns 128 cells long allows
you to cut and paste as many parts of the bank as you need to and use
as many pieces to put the whole bank together, then, when you are
finished getting the whole bank put together you can just highlight the
whole bank from the spreadsheet and copy and paste it in
one fell swoop into Logics patch list.
Not the most elegant way to do this but practical since I just did not want
to type 500+ names individually into Logic.

Since I had only this one PDF to go by, I thought I should add the note
that if your synth manufacturer does not use this format and you can copy
all 128 names of each bank at one time (without any non relevant text
getting in the way) then you can bypass the spreadsheet because then
it would be unnecessary.

Dual Processor 1.8 G5,2GB Ram Barely limping along on an old outdated OS Mac OS X (10.4.8) Logic Pro 7.2.3 RME Fireface800 Peak Pro5.2

Jun 10, 2007 12:29 PM in response to calisoul

but still seems a bit illogical to me...


Probably because you expect to be able to record audio via MIDI.

MIDI doesn't work like that. MIDI is for controlling a synth.

You still have to hear it some way, whether you finally record it back to audio, just monitor the keyboard by plugging some headphones into it, or plugging it and Logic into an external mixer and then onto speakers.

If you just want to hear it live through Logic, connect it's audio outputs into your audio interface, say inputs 1 and 2, then in Logic's environment, create an "Input" object set to the inputs 1 & 2 you are using, turn it's fader up and turn on software monitoring. Then the keyboard's audio will always be live through Logic and you can hear it at all times while sequencing.

Jun 11, 2007 2:49 AM in response to Bee Jay

Thank you Bee Jay for that added piece of information. I was
unsure about the input objects details. Your patience level
is outstanding.
This would complete the OP's question and give all the details
of how to accomplish this little bit of midi magic. Now I hope they
have not been (maybe just a little) assimilated by the Borg (Microsoft)
because in a community where people are trying to help others
with technical pursuits without any compensation, I do not think
a quick thank you would be asking too much.

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Connecting External Keyboard Via Environment

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