CVP-103 MIDI Setup

[contrasia]

I'm using the UX16 Yamaha USB > MIDI cable with my CVP-103, and I've managed to get audio to travel from the PC to the Piano. However would it be possible, to record whatever I play on the Piano on the PC using the same method? If so, how do I do it? So far it seems to only be a one-way system.

I read the FAQ about setting up MIDI, but I wasn't clear on the finer details of that (I guess you could call me dumb). unfortunately indeed my soundcard is onboard, and I don't have any MIDI interfaces on the back of it (Not that it'd matter since i'm using the USB > MIDI cable anyways). My motherboard is an ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe, and in the MIDI audio section (And I suspect this means I don't have a capable MIDI synthesizer on my motherboard), apart from the Yamaha-OUT from the USB Cable the other available option is the Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth.

Do I specifically have to buy a soundcard with MIDI capability (Even though I'm using USB), in order to record whatever I play on my Piano, onto my PC? Also at the end of all this, is it also possible to record in a format other than MIDI? As I'd like to be able to keep the recording as close-sounding to when I'm playing on the Piano as possible, so a guitar sounds like a guitar (If you've ever played Guitar Hero online, you can really tell the difference between horrible Midi sounds and proper instruments).

Thankyou for any help you can give me, and I look forward to your response ^_^

[ericho]

Hi, Welcome

A few anwers:

First of all MIDI is data only, just controlling instructions for the keys so to say, No audio sound travels over midi from or to the pc

Consequently the audio card in your computer has nothing to do with midi.
Old soundcards may have a build in midi-interface via the game-port.
Up to date soundcards are audio only, everybody is using usb/midi interfaces anyway

The way to setup a midi/usb interface is connect the cvp OUT to the interface IN and vice versa.
Next you need to install driver if this did not go automatically (usb plug and play)

Next you'll need some midi data software.;; like a sequencer or a complete DAW package (Digital Audio Workstation)

Next you need to setup the software, tell it what driver/hardware is responsible for midi IN and OUT

Ones you got all that under control you can record and play back midi data on your pc

A few other thing,

Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth is a Software synthesizer included in Windows, in enables widows to play back a standard midi file, musically the quality is so poor that it should better not been there, it only makes things more confusing
In midi software it will also appear as a midi driver/device and leave you the option to play midi-data to this softsynth instead of the USB/Midi interface out port.

AUDIO is a completely different kind of signal, it has little to do with MIDI.
You can also make an audio connection to your pc with a usb-audio-interface or via the line in connection of your sound-card (same thing) + audio cables

The number of audio tracks you can record to your pc is only limited by processor speed, no correction of notes and so on, like possible with midi data, unfortunately Midi is limited to 16 channels/track for every midi interface you connect to the pc

Sorry about the post being so long
I hope this clarifies a few things

Kind regards
Eric

[contrasia]

Sorry for the late response, I was expecting an email on response but forgot to set it myself (d'oh). Thankyou for responding btw ^_^

I realise MIDI isn't audio as such, but for the sake of conversation it's easier to refer to it as audio rather than data in order to get what I meant across. Afterall, there's so many different types of data, and the pianos do have internal memory, I could mean practically anything if I said I wanted data from or to, one to the other.

The reason I brought up the audio cards, is because during the FAQ on setting up the MIDI between PC to Piano it mentions under "Does it make a difference whether I use a serial cable or MIDI cables to connect to my computer?" Method 1, about certain onboard sound cards not working properly, because the MIDI information on them isn't setup correctly. Thread: http://cvpug.com/forums/faq.php?faq=tips#faq_tips14

I've setup the MIDI so the IN is plugged into the OUT, and the OUT to the IN, but that only gave me what seemed like a one-way system. I can only get the audio from PC to Piano, but not from Piano to PC. There is no option in my sound configurations on the PC for MIDI-IN, and I tried various different software packages but none of them could pickup anything I played on the Piano. The drivers are fully installed, and according to the software that came with it, I should be able to get audio from the piano to the PC, but again the only option for MIDI on the PC apart from USB-OUT (From PC to Piano), I only have the nasty Microsoft Synth. So what should I do? What have I missed?

Edit:
btw any suggestions for what kind of DAW or Sequencer I should use would be appreciated ^_^
I'd prefer free, but if you know of any that are worth the money then by all means suggest those as well and I might get them later on in the near-future.

[ericho]

,

Install a sysex program for a while... midiox or bome'ss sendsx
http://www.bome.com/products/sendsx
Use this program as a diagnostic tool

Select the "UX16 Yamaha USB " in the midi in menu
Select the "UX16 Yamaha USB " in the midi out menu

Now you can see/monitor the data in de midi in window when you play the cvp,

Try to find out where the problem comes from

1 you cannot select select the "UX16 Yamaha USB" in de midi in menu
Bad driver or Bill Gates problem
2 you see nothing in the midi in window when you play the cvp
Look for the problem in the cvp's midi menu / setup or the cvp's midi out cable
3 you see de data apear in the midi in window
The cvp---interface----drivers are working, look for the problem in the software's midi settings like midi channel setup etc.

After you isolated the aria of the problem you can delete the sysex program or keep it for later use. , it was useful to see the data instead of hearing via software.

I use no DAW software in combination with the cvp, its internal sequencer offers more than I use/need.

In my home studio I use "cubase4 essential" I bought it used of ebay for $60 non registered incl dongle (usb licence key).
It has everything you'll ever need and much more
There are cubase tutorial video's on youtube, look at a few and see if this DAW is something that fits you

Good luck
Kind regards

Eric