So… as the RPM Challenge starts tomorrow, I thought it might be a good idea to set up my keyboard today and check that everything still works.
To set the scene, there is a coffee table to the left of my desk, under the window, which is where the keyboard normally sits. It uses a USB connection to send MIDI signals to the computer (and is also powered by the USB). I have a USB cable plugged into the back of the keyboard which then plugs into a USB extension cable, which goes all the way round the back of my desk, then plugs into a USB hub, which in turn is plugged into a USB port on the front of my computer.
I put the keyboard back onto the coffee table, plugged the USB cable into it, switched it on and it powered up. I started my recording software (Reaper), selected one of the VST synths, tapped the keys on the keyboard and sound came out of the speakers! Everything was fine. I played a few notes, everything still was fine. I played a few more notes, and no sound came out! NO SOUND! And looking at Reaper, it wasn’t showing any MIDI signals coming in on the track. This was not good…
The lights on the keyboard were still lit, and as it is powered by USB that suggested the cable was ok, which made me worry that it could be the keyboard that was the problem. After a little googling, I found a website which picks up MIDI signals and shows the information on screen. Tapping the keys, it didn’t show anything. I tried plugging various parts of the chain direct into the computer and still nothing. I looked for (and quickly found!) another USB cable and plugged that into the keyboard, tapped the keys, and now the signals were showing up on the website! They keyboard was fine, it was just the cable!
So I went back to Reaper, which now told me something along the lines of “Cannot find MIDI device…”… oh…
I checked the website again, which was happily showing MIDI data every time I tapped the keys, then I’d go back to Reaper which was still saying “Cannot find MIDI device…”. I restarted Reaper, I restarted the computer. Still the website was happy, Reaper was not.
I did some more googling. Eventually I found a page saying “Check there isn’t another program using the MIDI”. There wasn’t. The page continued, “… even some websites now can use the MIDI”… a lightbulb lit above my head. I bookmarked the MIDI test website (useful to have in the future) and closed it down. I went back to Reaper and it no longer said it couldn’t find the MIDI device! I tapped the keys, and sound came out! Everything was working again!
So that was not quite the start to this year’s RPM Challenge that I really wanted. I’m glad to see everything seems to be ok now, and I look forward to getting started on a whole new album tomorrow!