Connecting my Yamaha YDP-131 to a PC via Mistar Midilink

[dave brum]

Hello. I seem to be having a bit of difficulty here, and I wonder whether another YDP131 owner, or a technical boffin (which I most definitely ain't) could give me some tips.

I connected both MIDI sockets to a spare USB port, switched on the piano, and checked that my 'Found New Hardware' wizard had picked up the Midilink leads, which it has done. I then install Yamaha Musicsoft.

The problem is that when I open Musicsoft, it isn't recognising the YDP, even though it is turned on. The connection check on Musicsoft always comes up as 'Failed'.

Where am I going wrong? All help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.

[markymark]

Are you turning the digital piano on after or before the computer has been turned on. Sometimes having the keyboard on first and connected will get a better response from your computer.

I have had similar problems in the past but that was owing to my computer hardware. Has you computer been upgraded recently?

[dave brum]

I have just this minute tried turning the piano on and then booting up the computer - Still absolutely no joy even after a connection check.

I think it's very strange that this particular MIDI lead set, purchased at M*pl*n Electronics does not require a driver! No driver CD came with the leads, and according to some research I did these leads are unique as in they don't need drivers to operate them. There was not even a web address on the packaging for the manufacturers. I had to use Google.

Still, if the computer is recognising the leads as new hardware, one wonders if there's something I should be doing to the actual piano that I'm not doing?

[markymark]

I was going to suggest software for your MIDI cable! Make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of Musicsoft.

Something else that I've done in the past is muddle up the connections. Have you made sure that your IN jack is going into the OUT socket on the keyboard and that the OUT jack is going into the IN socket?

I can't really understand any other reason that would explain a connectivity issue with the computer.

[Grenache]

Does the software have an option to select which MIDI devices it will use? I've never used that one, but I did use Cakewalk a few years ago to connect to a PSR keyboard.

For example, on my PC, I could select output to the software MIDI generator, the MIDI in my soundcard or the MIDI port. For inputs I had a couple of choices too. I got the PC to play through the keyboard first, to confirm my cables were the right way round, then tackled the input to the PC from the keyboard.

I also used the MIDI leads which terminated on a game port DIN connector which plugged into my soundcard rather than USB, so you will need to identify in your list of ports & sound devices the correct name for your cable's "device".

Some other settings which I had to consider: my keyboard had an option to enable/disable the MIDI in/out, and also I had to select an option to do with timing (I can't remember what it was now), but it definitely prevented the keyboard receiving MIDI from the PC.

To eliminate problems which might be due to the software, you might want to try simply playing a MIDI sound on the PC (a .MID file) with Windows media player, and trying to get the YDP131 to play it. This eliminates settings inthe Yamaha software and verifies the hardware works.

To configure the PC (assuming you have Windows XP), go to Control Panel / Sound & Audio Devices / select the Audio tab, then look at MIDI Output Devices. If your cable is being recognised, it will be listed there. If it's not, time to call the aforementioned electronics retailer!

[dave brum]

Hello!

Tried absolutely everything, no luck. Swapped the leads over, looked at MIDI devices, no problems with the leads, and the drivers are recognised too.

The YDP owners manual is absolutely no help whatsoever. I'm still unaware of whether there's a MIDI on/off control on there because the manual isn't written in English but hi-tec computer jargon which they (Yamaha) assume every single English-speaker automatically understands. The offside rule in football comes to mind.

I'm gonna look at other, less complex ways of recording music, such as connecting my YDP's headphone socket to the record socket on my PCs sound module (via the good old fashioned 3.5mm jack) and see if I can't record my playing that way.

Or using an analogue mike. At the end of the day, best stick with those old fashioned tried and trusted methods that you know.

Thanks anyway to yous Marky and Grenache for trying to help me dig myself outta this big 'ole.

[scarbies]

Hi

Did you solve this issue?

I have the YDP S30 (same range, very similar specs) and also cant get the thing to send MIDI events.

I have another keyboard which uses the same cable and setup so its definitely not my PC...

Please let me know...

Cheers
John

[dave brum]

Hello John - I'm afraid the answer is no, six weeks after my original posting, I still can't get the blithering contraption to do as it says on the label, although I have experimented with all sorts of things in vain. The good news is that I can record myself playing (in dreadful sound quality) and email those files to my friend, who's a piano teacher. It's a very complex rigmarole: 1) record my playing onto the voice recorder of my mobile phone 2)send that file via multimedia message to my email inbox 3) save the file to my hard drive 4) attach the file to a new Email 5) commit the message with the attached file to the realm of the Almighty before sending it.

I always thought technology was supposed to simplify our lives rather than sending us back in time towards the age of Thomas Edison's wax cylinders!

[scarbies]

Maybe we need to use the Yamaha UX16 USB-MIDI device?

It mentions this device in the manual repeatedly...

But what I dont get is that MIDI is a standard and should work without a PC even...

[dave brum]

Yes it does, doesn't it. Where I live (on the margins of civilisation in a county that nobody knows exists) I cannot get the Yamaha leads, so I would assume MIDI to be a universal format. And I'm cautious to spend money that I don't have on more leads that might not work when I get them back home and then even more egg would be on my ugly face.

I'd actually like to hear from a YDP 131 or similar owner whose MIDI leads actually DO work!!

[dave brum]

Could anybody recommend any other software downloads besides Yamaha Musicsoft that might actually work with my instrument?

Thanxx

[dave brum]

The thought has just come to me.

When you connect a new piece of hardware to your PC, a little balloon appears at the bottom right of the screen (assuming it's Windows XP) saying 'Found New Hardware' .

So I get this of course when I plug the USB end of the MIDI leads in (something like 'Found New Hardware, USB-Midi lead'.

So, the question is this. Should I also be getting a balloon that says: 'Found New Hardware, YAMAHA YDP131 digital piano' or something like that?

Thanks.

[markymark]

Hi Dave,

I was talking to someone who's really into sound and he told me to try out a few things which I am going to get to this week, provided nothing else crops up. He is encouraging me to use the USB port as opposed to the midi out and in for recording.

Will let you know how I get on!

[dave brum]

This is continuing to vex me even after this long. It really passes me off when I can't send any decent quality files via email to either my friend, who's a piano teacher, or to prospective piano teachers closer to home.

Yeah Mark, please do let me know how you get on, you seem to me like you know how many beans make five when it comes to computers, mine's got a proper little anarchic streak in it!

[woodie]

I will hopefully soon be the owner of either a YDP131 or YDP140 and will be connecting it up. Having some 22 years IT exp. may yet count for nothing but if I get this sorted I will let you know!

For the time being perhaps you could run a lead from the phones output to your pc soundcard. You can use the line in socket (blue) BUT START WITH YOUR KEYBOARD VOLUME ON MIN. If you are already trying this but getting a distorted output it is likely that the recording levels are set too high, though soundcard abilities are always very limited. You really need a preamp or better still USB recording input device to get anything approaching good quality.

There are several routes to the level settings dependant on your machine and card software but control panel>sound and audio device properties>volume tab>advanced button should get you there. You may then have to select properties from the options menu and add the relevant level control to the recording section as these are not always shown in the volume controls by default. Click OK to bring up the recording controls and check the relevant select tick box.

Yamaha seem confused about all this themselves. The 140 manual gives the UX16 USB-midi link as an option yet the US site specifically says that it IS NOT compatible with the 140, bizarre. Can someone enlighten me on this point?

[markymark]

I've a funny feeling that the CP300 manual holds the UX16 USB cable link in high esteem also. Maybe it was a generic reference in all recent manuals?

[benwillcox]

I'd actually like to hear from a YDP 131 or similar owner whose MIDI leads actually DO work!!

Hi Dave,
I recently bought a YDP-140, and when looking at MIDI/USB converters I bought the cheapest thing I could find from eBay for around £7.
I wasn't too sure whether it would work, as I'm using Linux and sometimes it can be trial and error depending on whether drivers are available, but I was pleased to find it was just as easy as plugging it in and it worked straight away.

I am using Rosegarden as my MIDI sequencer, installed in UbuntuStudio..

I would suggest trying a different sequencer instead of the Yamaha thing in case that is the problem,

Thanks,
Ben

[chadyk]

hi everyone

i think i solve this issue at least with my yamaha YDP-131
just make sure to connect the output midi in the input midi in the piano and the input midi in the output one. this works with me.
i hope it will will u.