Recording and notation with M-Audio Keystation 49. I'm confused

[vindibona1]

I recently purchased a Keystation 49es (mk 3) as it was deeply discounted and I wanted a keyboard to do simple notation and have a compact keyboard in my studio (rather than haul out my old Yamaha DX7 synth that I rarely used). I'm a terrible keyboardist anyway. But sometimes I just want to write some notation and using MuseScore off a QWERTY keyboard is cumbersome to the point I'd just print out some staff paper and write.

The purported software that supposedly came with M-Audio has been impossible to download and install, and apparently Pro Tools First Ed isn't available with the Keystation any longer. I can use MuseScore to hear notes through my computer, but the latency is 2 seconds and it only notates quarter notes.

If I wanted to record I have Reaper but can't seem to even play through it, let alone record anything even though everything I've read says that I can do it. I can't seem to get the preference right.

So far the best I can to do get any voices is through my iPad Mini6 and garageband. But I've never really used that either.

So in general, I have no idea what I'm going. The Keystation, unlike my DX7 with midi in/out ports only has a USB which has to provide power and export the midi signal. Can anyone help me get straightened out with something? I've spent way too much time with this for no results. TIA

 

[Tosh]

I don't use Reaper but I read that new versions (5.2 or later) will do music notation, so I assume it can work for you.

You mention that you have a DX7 and you know about 5pin MIDI ports, so I assume you know that MIDI events don't make any sounds unless you direct those events to a synthesizer.

Therefore, I ask if you are certain your M-Audio drivers are loaded correctly. If memory serves me, Windows still has Device Manager, where you can verify your M-Audio device is working properly or not.

 

[vindibona1]

I don't use Reaper but I read that new versions (5.2 or later) will do music notation, so I assume it can work for you.

You mention that you have a DX7 and you know about 5pin MIDI ports, so I assume you know that MIDI events don't make any sounds unless you direct those events to a synthesizer.

Therefore, I ask if you are certain your M-Audio drivers are loaded correctly. If memory serves me, Windows still has Device Manager, where you can verify your M-Audio device is working properly or not.

Thanks for the reply.
It seems I have even bigger problems with this laptop at the moment. I noticed it had some problems and stalled when scrolling emails. Functionally that seemed to be the only problem, but I couldn't fix it. Without getting into the chronology, I can't access restore points nor boot in safe more or even boot in bios. I will probably have to call for professional help before going forward.

 

[Tosh]

Sorry to hear that. I suspect your laptop problem is in software, and the MIDI problem is just another symptom of the bigger issue.

If it was me facing this problem, and I had a backup of my user data, I would try to boot to the Windows installation media and re-install. I've had to do that so many times I can't remember them all.

 

[Aloe]

latency probably means, you're not using the right audio interface or don't have it set up correctly. the average consumer or audiophile audio interface isn't capable of sub-10ms latencies. the latency you're hearing, is the audio out latency, not the midi latency. iPad was done with all this in mind, so it's much better on it.

if you want to use your PC, first, download and run latencymon. if you'll get bad results of running it for five minutes, it means, your computer won't be able to deal with real-time audio. sometimes you can improve things with software or hardware settings, sometimes not.

now, if your PC passes the latencymon test, you'll need an audio interface. a starter audio interface from Focusrite or PreSonus will give you like 5-7ms latency, but that's a huge improvement over your setup. use a proper ASIO driver in whatever you're using and set the buffer rate as low as possible that works stable for you. and that's it.

 

[seamonkey]

This might be helpful

PC Optimization Guide for Windows 10 - SweetCare

 

[Tosh]

As I understand it, this started as a MIDI issue, and transmorgrified into an overall computer system problem.

 

[Crater]

First order of business is to get the USB MIDI driver working. Then make sure your MIDI hardware is active and enabled in Reaper's "Options...Preferences...MIDI Hardware Settings" menu. Any MIDI device you've ever plugged into your PC seems to generates entries in this menu.

You then insert or select the track you want to record on and select the appropriate MIDI input for your track, and assign a virtual synth plug in as an "FX". The only VST instrument that comes with Reaper is the very basic ReaSynth, not much to listen to, but it will confirm that your signal chain is working. You'll have to turn on input monitoring on the track's channel and arm the channel for recording to hear the synth. At least on the track I'm working on, I just recorded the MIDI data, and it plays back from the VST synth even without the keyboard plugged in as long as the FX is active (green).

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Does this keyboard have ASIO driver for your Windows version? If not, did you try ASIO4All?

 

[themickster]

I recently purchased a Keystation 49es (mk 3) as it was deeply discounted and I wanted a keyboard to do simple notation and have a compact keyboard in my studio (rather than haul out my old Yamaha DX7 synth that I rarely used). I'm a terrible keyboardist anyway. But sometimes I just want to write some notation and using MuseScore off a QWERTY keyboard is cumbersome to the point I'd just print out some staff paper and write.

The purported software that supposedly came with M-Audio has been impossible to download and install, and apparently Pro Tools First Ed isn't available with the Keystation any longer. I can use MuseScore to hear notes through my computer, but the latency is 2 seconds and it only notates quarter notes.

If I wanted to record I have Reaper but can't seem to even play through it, let alone record anything even though everything I've read says that I can do it. I can't seem to get the preference right.

So far the best I can to do get any voices is through my iPad Mini6 and garageband. But I've never really used that either.

So in general, I have no idea what I'm going. The Keystation, unlike my DX7 with midi in/out ports only has a USB which has to provide power and export the midi signal. Can anyone help me get straightened out with something? I've spent way too much time with this for no results. TIA

Have you tried asking on a Keystation board?

 

[Wood and Wire]

I recently purchased a Keystation 49es (mk 3) as it was deeply discounted and I wanted a keyboard to do simple notation and have a compact keyboard in my studio (rather than haul out my old Yamaha DX7 synth that I rarely used). I'm a terrible keyboardist anyway. But sometimes I just want to write some notation and using MuseScore off a QWERTY keyboard is cumbersome to the point I'd just print out some staff paper and write.

The purported software that supposedly came with M-Audio has been impossible to download and install, and apparently Pro Tools First Ed isn't available with the Keystation any longer. I can use MuseScore to hear notes through my computer, but the latency is 2 seconds and it only notates quarter notes.

If I wanted to record I have Reaper but can't seem to even play through it, let alone record anything even though everything I've read says that I can do it. I can't seem to get the preference right.

So far the best I can to do get any voices is through my iPad Mini6 and garageband. But I've never really used that either.

So in general, I have no idea what I'm going. The Keystation, unlike my DX7 with midi in/out ports only has a USB which has to provide power and export the midi signal. Can anyone help me get straightened out with something? I've spent way too much time with this for no results. TIA

I think Pro Tools First Edition got discontinued last year, and has now been replaced with a totally free version of Pro Tools that is limited to 8 audio tracks (no idea how many MIDI, Aux, etc tracks you're limited to, or busses).


Pro Tools probably still includes the drivers for M-audio products, and there are preconfigured profiles for most of those products, as well as other brands, ready to go.

It's pretty much plug & play with MIDI over USB in Pro Tools - just select the device in the MIDI / Instrument track (if it isn't automatically selected).

 

[vindibona1]

latency probably means, you're not using the right audio interface or don't have it set up correctly. the average consumer or audiophile audio interface isn't capable of sub-10ms latencies. the latency you're hearing, is the audio out latency, not the midi latency. iPad was done with all this in mind, so it's much better on it.

if you want to use your PC, first, download and run latencymon. if you'll get bad results of running it for five minutes, it means, your computer won't be able to deal with real-time audio. sometimes you can improve things with software or hardware settings, sometimes not.

now, if your PC passes the latencymon test, you'll need an audio interface. a starter audio interface from Focusrite or PreSonus will give you like 5-7ms latency, but that's a huge improvement over your setup. use a proper ASIO driver in whatever you're using and set the buffer rate as low as possible that works stable for you. and that's it.

I will, when I get my other computer issues straightened out. I have a MOTU M4 interface. The issue is that they keyboard is USB out only. No dedicated Midi in/out ports. The M4 is great and I used it well with my DX7. I just wanted something small and easy for doing some notation or just playing around. The Keystation works ok with my iPad Mini 6 and garageband. Doesn't work at all with my older iPad.

Sorry to hear that. I suspect your laptop problem is in software, and the MIDI problem is just another symptom of the bigger issue.

If it was me facing this problem, and I had a backup of my user data, I would try to boot to the Windows installation media and re-install. I've had to do that so many times I can't remember them all.

I have no idea why I can't boot from safe mode or access bios. I will probably have to take this in. I have a 2 year service warranty with Micro Center.

The computer is an HP envy laptop. Specs below. Should be powerful enough to drive anything. It has no issues with Davinci Resolve Studio video, editing 4k 30fps video including sound. At least it didn't until now. But I generally use my desktop for video editing.