MIDI Controller Problem

After searching through nearly every thread of people that have had the same problem, I am sorry to ask this but I just cannot find a solution. Here's what has happened...
About a fortnight ago I purchased a Korg Microkey to use with my projects in Sonar, I installed it and it worked fine (it wasn't perfect because I had to use my computers soundcard, but it was definitely usable.) Next I installed my E-MU 0204, and of course I had to switch all the ins and outs to be able to work with the interface. So I was putting down some guitar and drum tracks when I realized I needed to switch back to the computer soundcard to work with the controller so I switched all the ins and outs again and the computer recognised the controller. However, whenever I would try to play it with a soft synth, it would never work. I knew that the computer and Sonar recognised it because the midi indicator lit up when I pressed a key and the 'green bars' on the midi track also light up when I press a key. It seems that for some reason, the soft synth is not recognising the controller because nothing is 'moving' in the soft synth's program screen. I know that the soft synths are working because they play when connected to the step sequencer. Here are other things I have done;
- In preferences : Midi|Devices, the controller is checked in both in and out.
- In preferences : Midi|Playback and Recording, notes and controller are checked.
- A preset is chosen in the soft synth itself. 
- In preferences : Audio|Devices, the soundcard is checked in both in and out.



Also, I don't know if this means anything, but only the left red dot of the midi indicator is lighting up when I press a key.

Sorry for the long winded post, but I tried to get as much detail in there as I could remember.

I hope you can help me with this ongoing problem.

- Jon

I have just unchecked the output of the controller, and checked the soundcards outputs also. No luck.

Make sure that the midi output at the bottom of the track is assigned to whatever soft synth you're using.

So I was putting down some guitar and drum tracks when I realized I needed to switch back to the computer soundcard to work with the controller so I switched all the ins and outs again and the computer recognised the controller.

 
the e-mu 0204 is your soundcard now. you should not have to go back and forth between soundcards from audio to midi, the e-mu should do both. disable the computer soundcard, its causing confusion.. and whatever midi track you are on, go to its track parameters on the bottom left and make sure the input is set to the microkey=omni or all inputs=omni and select the softsynth for the output.

bottom line,you need a soundcard,one that supports what your doing,you may have corrupt a driver apon switching back and forth,it happen to me.
try looking up asio4all.
http://www.asio4all.com/
install it and use it till you can afford a good soundcard.

you can check your onboard card by running the dpc latecny check
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

it never seems to amaze me how one spends 400+dollars on a ditital audio workstation but yet forgets the most important part,the soundcard,not the onboard card,thats for computer assigments,media player,listening to videos on the web,exc.
a soundcard is the engine.

chuckebaby

it never seems to amaze me how one spends 400+dollars on a ditital audio workstation but yet forgets the most important part,the soundcard,not the onboard card,thats for computer assigments,media player,listening to videos on the web,exc.
a soundcard is the engine.

Well I just don't really want to spend more money on an audio interface when I've already spent £100 on my E-MU.
Actually on this topic, would a MIDI merge box be able to withstand the power of the E-MU and the Korg Microkey?

Ok, it looks like I cannot do this then if it is a bad idea to keep switching soundcards. The problem is most likely due to a corrupt driver like chuckebaby suggested.
In that case, is there a way to connect the E-MU 0204 and Korg Microkey to the computer at the same time without the computer crashing?

Stone House Studios

JonBoh


In that case, is there a way to connect the E-MU 0204 and Korg Microkey to the computer at the same time without the computer crashing?

The two (E-MU 0204 and Korg Microkey) should work exclusively to each other. The Korg should do nothing but send midi note (possibly some other things) commands to Sonar (or any program that accepts midi) and the EMU should do nothing but do digital audio conversion.  Each has its own driver, and each work independently of the other.
 

So you are saying the computer shouldn't crash?