Midi Connection Problem (Yamaha YPT-210)

[lorre851]

Hello,

Today I finally recieved my LogiLink MIDI to USB adapter. Now, I want to use it with my Yamaha YPT-210, but it doesn't give any signal. 

I tried to use it with FL studio, but it doesn't do anything. When I play a MIDI file in FL studio, using the adapter as output device, the OUTPUT LED on the USB adapter flashes, but I don't hear anything on my piano. And when I play on my piano, the INPUT LED on the adapter doesn't flash at all!

I already configured the piano to send and recieve MIDI signals (Local = OFF and ExtClock = ON), but nothing works!

I hope there's somebody here who can help me  I'm really desperate.

Greetings,
Lorre

[lostinidlewonder]

Install midi controller device drivers on your computer?  Try other programs, I use to use Cakewalk when I did midi recordings.

[lorre851]

There are no drivers for the device. The manual said it was 'plug and play' compatible.

I now tried MIDI-OX, but same story: I can send output signals, but the keyboard doesn't do anything. Also I don't get any input signal...

[lostinidlewonder]

Yeah I should have realized that most USB are plug in and play, although I have a 64 bit OS running and sometimes that doesn't always work. Is there any INPUT device selection setting in the programs you use? Perhaps you can set the input midi device to a USB port? I have had no experience with the program you are using so I can only guess. To me it seems that it is not a hardware problem but a software. What is the Midi OX generated event that is in green? I see the USB device but it is red, maybe that means it isn't set to be on and the generated one is set on....

[lorre851]

So, I now re-installed the device to make sure it's recognized properly, and apparently Windows got the device driver from Windows Update, so it should work properly.

Now, these are my FL studio settings (same ports as Midi-OX settings)

(full screen)

The output port is mapped correctly, because the OUTPUT LED on the device itself flashes when I play a midi in FL studio. The only problem is that the keyboard doesn't play or even respond to the signals...

The green indicators in MIDI-OX are just the general outputs signals. If I send a signal, both red and green indicators will flash.

[lostinidlewonder]

I wouldn't have allowed Windows to automatically install the USB midi connection drivers it can really cause all sorts of problems as it is not always a universal fix. I see in the image the Input port it is named a generic controller which means Windows hasn't used the official drivers Yamaha created for the USB midi controller and thus you may lose functions. Try to download the new drivers from here and see if that changed anything.
https://www.global.yamaha.com/download/usb_midi/index.html

I see the output seems to be set correctly, so you should be able to play midis through your program and send it through to your digital so it plays (if you can't then the generic Windows driver failed that function as well). But the input device is the generic driver that Windows installed, remove that device from your Windows Device Manager and reinstall the official Yamaha Midi driver and then your input device should be properly set up and you should be able to record.

[lorre851]

But I can't use Yamaha drivers... The device is not manufactured by Yamaha, but by LogiLink. And the driver is only for "Yamaha USB-MIDI" devices...

Also, besides the "Generic Controller" in FL studio, there is no other option. Sending notes to the MIDI adapter itself works, but my keyboard doesn't respond.

It seems like this thing is just incompatible with my keyboard... I think I'd better return it and get myself one at a Yamaha store.

Anyways thank you for your help.

[danividanivi]

I have the same keyboard that you have, and a similar problem.
I connect it to my laptop with a midi interface, midi to usb.
I was unnable to make it work, using fl studio, but after lots of time with my computer I could make it work, but not properly (it´s imposible to work with it, sometimes it doesn´t work, or works after 10 seconds, it´s not a reasonable latency).
I don´t remember exactly what I made, but I installed lots of diferent drivers.
If I finally can make it work properly, I´ll help you.
And sorry for my english, I´m from Spain

[teamkiller]

Hi guys.
First sry for my Bad english i'm come from germany.
but we ( me and my wife) HAd the same problem but i've found something at the officel Yamaha support website

https://faq.yamaha.com/us/en/article/index/id/4180/?search_query=ypt-210&current_page_id=1

Look at the green note over the last pic at this site

bye

[john90]

Look at the green note over the last pic at this site

The green note referred to above says to connect the IN midi plug on the adapter to the OUT midi socket on the keyboard, and the OUT plug on the adapter to the IN socket on the keyboard.

First off I connected IN to IN, OUT to OUT, and nothing bad happened, just didn't work.

Latency issues (delays) can arise if the keyboard is turned on in a different order. So experiment, turn the keyboard on first, then plug in the USB to the computer, if that becomes and issue.

[anton_mac]

Holy thread revival, Batman!

Was there ever a conclusion to this? I'm in the same position with a yamaha ypt210 I got hold of. The pc can output to the keyboard fine, but the keyboard outputs the "note on" signal but doesnt do the "note off" signal. After some research I've found this is possibly due to "active sensing" and the keyboard not receiving a return signal from the midi adapter so not sending any more signals of it's own until it times out. Then itll play 1 more note. The yamaha cable is now obsolete but Roland sells a cable with active sensing, so I'm wondering if that will sort it out?

I wont hold my breath for a response, but it's worth a go!!

Thanks

[j_tour]

Holy thread revival, Batman!

Was there ever a conclusion to this? I'm in the same position with a yamaha ypt210 I got hold of. The pc can output to the keyboard fine, but the keyboard outputs the "note on" signal but doesnt do the "note off" signal. After some research I've found this is possibly due to "active sensing" and the keyboard not receiving a return signal from the midi adapter so not sending any more signals of it's own until it times out. Then itll play 1 more note. The yamaha cable is now obsolete but Roland sells a cable with active sensing, so I'm wondering if that will sort it out?

I wont hold my breath for a response, but it's worth a go!!

Thanks

This is the first time I've ever even heard of such an odd problem.  It's been twenty years, I guess, since I last used a DAW to interface with MIDI.

At the time I was using IIRC just the cheapest Edirol USB-MIDI device, to go into Steinberg's .... I forgot what it was called, but it was basically a bit of software dedicated only to hosting VSTis and effects.  And yes, I remember MIDIOx very well.

Out of curiosity, what's your equipment on the other end?  USB-C (could be a problem, not fully standardized yet is my understanding), or just USB-A into a Mac or PC or Linux box, I'm guessing is more likely.

I've never heard of "active sensing," but assuming that's the way Yamaha designed the MIDI for the YPT-210, then, I'd guess an interface that supports that protocol (which seems like a bizarre, one-use way to have things set up, except as an added feature that could be disabled) might work.  IIRC Roland/Edirol and Yamaha have some different ways of implementing things like polarity on expression pedals, so who knows.

But, it would be better to just strip out the active sensing, either through menu-diving on the board, or through using a "dumb" interface.  Why would the keyboard want a signal back from the DAW (or vice versa)?  At best, you'd be duplexing the path, so any latency inherent in the MIDI standard would be multiplied.

That's an odd design, so, if that's what it is, shame on Yamaha.  It's probably in the manual somewhere, if you can decipher it.

I have to think Yamaha must have included some way to defeat this little "feature."  If it's your main keyboard, and you need to go into your computer, I know that there are people who make pretty inexpensive MIDI "inter-interface" boxes that can defeat this kind of thing for pretty cheap.  But if even MIDIOx can't remap it, I'm not too sure I'd hold out too much hope.  You could automate a signal returning to the Yamaha upon receiving note-on, and that would probably work, but it doesn't seem too ideal.  Or, maybe just doubling up, taking a second MIDI cable from the interface into the "in" on the Yamaha (or vice versa). 

[anton_mac]

Yeah, it is a weird one. I've only recently started playing, so upgraded from a Yamaha f50 to this ypt210, purely because it has midi. I thought it was a simple "sure fire" interface. Apparently not haha. To be honest I wouldnt want to put too much effort into making this £65 2nd hand keyboard work, but its just annoying I'm going to have to sell it and upgrade again so soon. I wanted midi to connect to my laptop so I could use "piano booster", a great program for playing and learning midi files, and I actually have already downloaded midi OX to diagnose my issue. That's where I found that it wasnt sending a note off signal. I'll have another look on there if you think there might be a way around this. Cant hurt to try.

Thanks

[j_tour]

Yeah, it is a weird one. I've only recently started playing, so upgraded from a Yamaha f50 to this ypt210, purely because it has midi. I thought it was a simple "sure fire" interface. Apparently not haha. To be honest I wouldnt want to put too much effort into making this £65 2nd hand keyboard work, but its just annoying I'm going to have to sell it and upgrade again so soon. I wanted midi to connect to my laptop so I could use "piano booster", a great program for playing and learning midi files, and I actually have already downloaded midi OX to diagnose my issue. That's where I found that it wasnt sending a note off signal. I'll have another look on there if you think there might be a way around this. Cant hurt to try.

Thanks

Well, TBH, now I'm like a mental patient for this added feature to MIDI I'd never even heard of.  Granted, at most I've done and begrugingly still do simple things via the protocol, so, maybe, just "idle bystander."

But, why not just allow your software and the keyboard to do its active sensing, especially if it's not a question of live performance where latency would be a problem.

Or, if the hardware allows it (i.e., your interface), just plug in two cables, one for each M-IN and M-OUT.  It could be that just digital noise from the connection would defeat the active sense.

I'm really, as you can see, just guessing.

There is a Yamaha rep somewhere who responds to letters to the editor from that old magazine "Keyboard Magazine," but I wouldn't know if they have a forum or whatever, and I'm not interested in promoting anything except my own ego.

I'm just saying since I don't think there's a lot of interest in live sound or raw tech here, and if I'm the only one here who has anything to say, then I would say "lots of luck!" 

I'd just go for the obvious, and allow the active sensing to (i) be defeated by repeating the cables IN/OUT etc. (the "InClock" in the OP sounds suspicious, but I don't know the menus:  as you know, clocking, if it's an option, has to be dedicated to one or the other device, but I don't know this board) (ii) try an available active sensing interface either in the store or via mail order with a good return policy.

[anton_mac]

Thanks for taking the time to respond again. I played around more with no success, but I also kept my eyes on ebay and managed to get a YPT340 with USB midi and touch sensitive for £75, so a bargain that I am well happy with. Sold the 210 for £60, so alls well that ends well 👍

[jankee]

The Roland um one MK2 cable works on an iPad with the ypt-210 without delay
Tested with app simply piano

[jankee]

The Roland um one MK2 cable works on an iPad with the ypt-210 without delay
Tested with app simply piano