Flaky MIDI Connection

Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
phil5633
Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 154
  • Joined: 2005/08/13 17:04:29
  • Status: offline
2017/10/29 21:50:41 (permalink)

Flaky MIDI Connection

I need help getting my MIDI keyboard to work with SONAR.
 
I'm using an older AKAI MPK49 MIDI keyboard as an input to SONAR Instruments. Currently I have Lounge Lizard loaded. Lounge Lizard plays fine when I use my mouse to play the keyboard on it's popup.
 
I've verified the keyboard is selected as the MIDI input device and I've selected the Omni input from all MPK49 inputs to be sure I'm not missing any possibilities. I've also tried the Omni input individually from all 3 MPK49 MIDI outputs. The input indicator on the little MIDI icon in the system tray blinks when I hit a key on the MPK49 and SONAR's MIDI connection lost dialog pops up when I disconnect the MPK49 USB cable, but Lounge Lizard is not receiving MIDI commands from the MPK49.
 
The MPK49 works fine with stand alone instruments but not with SONAR.
 
I'm using SONAR Version: 23.8.0 BUILD 30 [2017-08] - x64.

BillP - SONAR Platinum, MOTU 828mkII, Focusrite 18i8, Akai MPK49, Windows 10 x64, Core i7-6850K 3.60GHz, 32GB DDR4, ASUS X99-DELUXE--II MB, AMD R7 250 GPU,  Behringer ADA8000, dbx 386,  (2) Aphex 207, (2) ART TPS II, Presouns E5/E8, Avantone MixCubes, Presonus Monitor Station v2
#1

3 Replies Related Threads
    slartabartfast
    Max Output Level: -22.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 5289
    • Joined: 2005/10/30 01:38:34
    • Status: offline
    Re: Flaky MIDI Connection 2017/10/30 09:37:05 (permalink)
    If the MIDI activity indicator is lighting every time you press a key, then likely the problem is not with the connection itself. How do you know that your softsynth is not receiving MIDI messages from SONAR? If the problem is, as I suspect, that you are not hearing the synth or not seeing a waveform, then most likely it is not a MIDI connection problem, but a SONAR routing problem. Work your way through tutorial #4 in the Reference Guide or web help at:
    https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=Tutorial4.1.html 
     
     
    #2
    bitflipper
    01100010 01101001 01110100 01100110 01101100 01101
    • Total Posts : 26036
    • Joined: 2006/09/17 11:23:23
    • Location: Everett, WA USA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Flaky MIDI Connection 2017/10/30 13:23:58 (permalink)
     
    Turn on Input Echo.
     
    "...The input indicator on the little MIDI icon in the system tray blinks when I hit a key on the MPK49 and SONAR's MIDI connection lost dialog pops up when I disconnect the MPK49 USB cable."
     
    This tells you the problem is not a cabling or MIDI interface issue. Make sure the Input selector is set to the correct device, initially in Omni for simplicity. Then click the red circle button to enable recording on the MIDI track, press "R" and hit some notes. You should see some dots appear in the MIDI track, and when you hit play Lounge Lizard should make some sound.
     
    If that's all working, but you just don't hear anything when you play in real time, then the problem is that you're simply not turning on Input Echo.


    All else is in doubt, so this is the truth I cling to. 

    My Stuff
    #3
    phil5633
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 154
    • Joined: 2005/08/13 17:04:29
    • Status: offline
    Re: Flaky MIDI Connection 2017/10/30 21:32:07 (permalink)
    Well, today when I started up my PC and launched SONAR, Lounge Lizard worked with the MPK49. I didn't have to change anything. I had closed and opened SONAR several times yesterday which didn't solve the problem, but it's solved now. I don't have a clue what was wrong. I found the two responses I received helpful and worked through them to see if I could find any problems with the synth setup.
     
    slartabartfast
    Work your way through tutorial #4 in the Reference Guide or web help at:
    https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=Tutorial4.1.html 

    Thanks slartabartfast, I ran through my setup using the tutorial as a reference and didn't find any problems with what I'd done.
     
    bitflipper
     Turn on Input Echo.
     
    Make sure the Input selector is set to the correct device, initially in Omni for simplicity. Then click the red circle button to enable recording on the MIDI track, press "R" and hit some notes. You should see some dots appear in the MIDI track, and when you hit play Lounge Lizard should make some sound.
     
    If that's all working, but you just don't hear anything when you play in real time, then the problem is that you're simply not turning on Input Echo.

    Thanks bitflipper. The input echo was on and that's all I needed to hear the synth. I went through the record steps you suggested to be sure things were working and recorded a short midi clip. So it looks like the problem, what ever it was, was either intermittent (hope not) or was fixed by restarting my PC.
     
     

    BillP - SONAR Platinum, MOTU 828mkII, Focusrite 18i8, Akai MPK49, Windows 10 x64, Core i7-6850K 3.60GHz, 32GB DDR4, ASUS X99-DELUXE--II MB, AMD R7 250 GPU,  Behringer ADA8000, dbx 386,  (2) Aphex 207, (2) ART TPS II, Presouns E5/E8, Avantone MixCubes, Presonus Monitor Station v2
    #4
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1