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Topic: very green with a big problem... (Read 3266 times) |
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b8
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very green with a big problem...
« on: Sep 19th, 2001, 12:20am » |
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Hi there. I've downloaded the software on a recommendation from one of the other sites i've visited. I've got a soundblaster live card, a keyboard, it's all plugged in right because the cheesy creative keyboard works (although only the piano sound).
Midiox appears to be a little over my head at this point, but it doesn't seem to register midi in. It says "1 output device" on the left and "no input device" on the right. I can select the "SB Live Midi in" in the midi options drop down, but it doesnt change when i close the window.
I've been trying Cubase and i get no midi in or out at all. If i draw in midi with the pencil in the midi editor i get midi out... but only when i select a vsti, the sb synth does not work. Also there seems to be only one option for sb synth when i'm positive there used to be an s/w, A and a B. MROS is still there but i've never know what that was... also The lights on the transport bar (in and out) do not light up at all when i hit a key.
I'm using winme. Some of my midi devices in control panel say "device installed but inactive due to unknown problem" I've been in touch with creative and i've installed and reinstalled (latest drivers and cubase) and i'm gonna sit down and cry because i either get no answer from these forums/usenet/whereever or one that doesn't help... not sure what else to add, but if anyone can help me i'll write another hit and give them the royalties!!  help? ok thanks very much for reading the ramble. maybe i should have done this in stages...
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Jamie OConnell
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Re: very green with a big problem...
« Reply #1 on: Sep 19th, 2001, 1:31am » |
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on Sep 19th, 2001, 12:20am, b8 wrote:
I've got a soundblaster live card, a keyboard, it's all plugged in right because the cheesy creative keyboard works (although only the piano sound).
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What leads you to believe the keyboard is working properly? Do you have some MIDI application that works properly with it? In other words, is the keyboard sending MIDI to some application on the computer and then making a sound? Or is it only making a sound inside the keyboard itself? Does it still make a sound when the keyboard is not plugged into the computer?
Quote:
It says "1 output device" on the left and "no input device" on the right. I can select the "SB Live Midi in" in the midi options drop down, but it doesnt change when i close the window.
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This does indeed, sound like a driver problem or conflict. Do any other MIDI devices appear in the MIDI-OX ports dialog input list? I mention conflict because it is possible that some other device is preventing the SB Live! drivers from working correctly.
For the SB Live! you should see the following outputs in MIDI-OX under Win 9x (Including ME):
1) Creative S/W Synth
2) A: SB Live! MIDI Synth
3) B: SB Live! MIDI Synth
4) SB Live! MIDI Out [1040]
The first 3 refer to internal Synthesizers inside the computer, and the 4th refers to the MIDI Output port from the computer which you attach to a keyboard MIDI In or another external MIDI Module MIDI Input. This is important, by the way: MIDI Out from the keyboard goes to MIDI In on the computer, and MIDI Out from the computer goes to MIDI In on the keyboard.
If the keyboard is just a controller (i.e. it doesn't contain sounds), and you don't have other external MIDI equipment, then you won't be using the MIDI Out from the computer, but only the other 3 synthesizers listed. You will still use the MIDI In port (SB Live! MIDI In [1040]) to connect your keyboard.
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I'm using winme. Some of my midi devices in control panel say "device installed but inactive due to unknown problem"
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That's not a good message to get.  See if any conflicts are reported in the driver details. Do you have both an SB Live! card and a sound card on the computer motherboard (this is common these days)? If so, make sure the on-board sound card is disabled in the BIOS. Also make sure your speakers are plugged into the SB Live card instead of the motherboard. Once you've resolved the driver problem, you should be able to select your drivers in MIDI-OX and witness the MIDI data being transferred.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 19th, 2001, 1:45am by Jamie OConnell » |
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--Jamie
Music is its own reward.
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b8
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Re: very green with a big problem...
« Reply #2 on: Sep 19th, 2001, 8:28am » |
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Thanks very much for the best reply i've gotten in almost 4 weeks of trying!! I think the keyboard is working properly because the creative software keyboard works with the controller. Although when i change the sounds on the software keyboard (to my favorite "dog" for example) the keyboard will still only trigger that terrible default piano sound. The mouse will make the dog bark, so to speak... (I didn't set that up intentionally, honest!) but for some reason the keyboard will not... I have local off on the keyboard itself, but it does seem to work properly when local is on...
"Do any other MIDI devices appear in the MIDI-OX ports dialog input list?" No.
Just for the heck of it i switched the cables and nothing happened so I switched them back and now midiox is recognizing the midi in device, but nothing else at all changed. I'm not sure why. Oh wait, I now get that excellent basic piano sound when midiox is open. All the triggers appear to be monitored properly in the window. AND when i open cubase the piano sound keeps working which seems to be gettting somewhere?? maybe? But then I close midiox and the sound stops again...
The only midi out that shows in cubase is this "soundblaster live midi out D000" and the ever present but never defined MROS; none of the others showup and i remember that they used to on my dad's older slower computer. Then I get the new fast one and... sigh... I can open a vsti (neon for example) instead of the creative synths that aren't showing up in cubase, but still nothing.
The other issue that might be part of it is there are 6 devices in the midi devices in sounds and multimedia in control panel:
MIDI for creative SB Live! MIDI synth***
+MIDI for creative SB Live! MIDI synth
A SB LIVE MIDI synth
B SB LIVE MIDI synth
MIDI for creative SB live! Midi UART***
+MIDI for creative SB live! Midi UART
SB Live! MIDI Out (D000)
MIDI for Creative Software Synth***
+MIDI for Creative Software Synth
Creative S?W Synth
The 3 with the *** seem redundant to me and are the ones that say "driver enabled, but inactive due to an unknown problem" I was told to try to disable the "ones i don't need" but i'm not sure which ones i don't need and it didn't seem to want to let me disable any of them. I've tried unchecking the "use midi with this device" in there but nothing changes. If this is all to long winded and too much hassle I will understand. thanks again very much. OK WAIT!! I'm getting midi in on the cubase transport bar now. oh that was short lived excitment. I was ready to cancel this whole thing, but nothing else has changed... but we're getting closer! (i owe you a few beers) (or pops) at this point i'm sure.
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b8
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Re: very green with a big problem...
« Reply #3 on: Sep 19th, 2001, 11:18am » |
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YAYAYAYAYAY!!! It works now. not sure why. I checked
the midi through box and now it works, but that had
been back and forth numerous times... Maybe it was the
cable? But it seemed to work before so i don't get it... anyway
thanks very much. and just in case you're curious about
previous efforts (pre midi of course) have a listen if you have
time www.mp3.com/undermars pretty straight pop/rock
thanks again...
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Jamie OConnell
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Re: very green with a big problem...
« Reply #4 on: Sep 19th, 2001, 1:43pm » |
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I'm glad to hear it's working.  It seems that you somehow got two installations of the SB drivers. You might consider Removal of the superfluous drivers that indicate they are not operating.
The reason the sound stopped when you closed MIDI-OX is because there is no thru connection without running some MIDI application.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 19th, 2001, 1:44pm by Jamie OConnell » |
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--Jamie
Music is its own reward.
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b8
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I love YaBB 1 Gold!
Posts: 4
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Re: very green with a big problem...
« Reply #5 on: Sep 19th, 2001, 2:15pm » |
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yeah, i've been back and forth with the creative people
for about 3 weeks now. I've uninstalled and reinstalled
everything and it keeps showing up the same way. It appears
to be functioning properly now with 3 of them disabled but still
installed... now about that latency... actually i'm at 190ms
right now. which is pretty terrible. i've lowered the buffer
to 1450 and 5 and short of changing to the aps drivers (which
just seems risky and i'm curious about these soundfont things) any good sites or midiox type ideas for getting that
number down? And what's this about asio not working with SB live cards? It says asio drivers are being used right there in the audio set up bit. Hmm, I've just changed from the mulitmedia driver to the Direct X full duplex and the latency lowered to a nearly ok 43ms... oh well at least i can start getting some songs on the hard drive which has been my goal all along. I've been eyeing my 4-track but i vowed to wait. Thanks again very much...
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