Disklavier

The combined HDMI and USB adapter was bought on ebay. It's not an Apple product but works fine. Here's the link for the one I bought but there were many other vendors:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260786802220&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:1123

The MIDI to USB cable was also another eBay purchase:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300565869933&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:1123

- class-compliant and the iPad seems to be able to provide the power required.

Both are on the UK eBay site but I'm certain that there will be equivalent (and likely cheaper) products in the US.

Thanks for the advice below and the responses on the MIDI port access. Now going to hunt around for a pair of right angle midi cables and couplers! Prefer this to the dismounting of the I/O center and has the added bonus of lengthening the overall cable.

(It might seem a bit tight to be scrimping on the above but to be honest if it does the same thing at a fraction of the cost, why not?)

Mark

On 6 July 2011 22:30, George Frederick Litterst <PianoBench@...> wrote:

Good afternoon, everyone.

Here are answer's to Mark's questions as well as comments and a question of my own for him:

(1) "I bought a generic USB and HDMI combined adapter"

Was this for the Disklavier or the iPad? I am not aware of such a device for either.

(2) "cheap MIDI to USB cables"

To be workable with the iPad, a USB MIDI interface or device must:

(a) be class-compliant (i.e. not require a driver on Mac or PC and therefore not on iPad) or be made by Yamaha (which, as of iOS 4.3 has driver support in the iOS)

(b) not require more power than the iPad can provide

The Yamaha UX16, for instance, works but the Yamaha UX96 does not, probably because it uses too much power.

(3) Access to the Mark IV MIDI ports

It is, indeed, strange that some models of Mark IV have an I/O Center for which it is impossible to access the ports in the normal fashion. I have run into this situation before.

Do an Internet search for "right angle midi cables" and you'll find cables that should work. If necessary, dismount the I/O Center, attached the cables, and then remount it.

You'll then need a "MIDI coupler" for each MIDI cable that you attach in this way in order to connect to a MIDI interface that has hardwired MIDI cables. These couplers have a female connection at each end.

If you use the iConnectMIDI interface (www.iconnectivity.com), you won't need the couplers because the other end of your right-angle MIDI cables will go directly into the interface.

(4) Home Concert Xtreme will recognize a MIDI interface or other USB MIDI device as soon as the operating system recognizes it. Press the Preference button in the upper right corner of HCX to see a listing of all recognized MIDI devices. If you connect a device while that drop-down menu is showing, dismiss the menu and call it up again to see the list refreshed. In normal situations, it should not be necessary to restart HCX or the iPad.

(5) Sending MIDI data to the piano

The typical MIDI file that you use with HCX has a left-hand piano track, a right-hand piano track, and accompaniment tracks. When you use the Play & Follow button, the program expects you to play the tracks that are displayed in notation (normally the piano tracks) and HCX will play all other tracks.

If you use the Play File button, the program will play all tracks.

Which tracks are actually played by your Disklavier and which tracks are played by the Disklavier's tone generator is an issue that you can control with the PRC. Check the MIDI In preference on the Mark IV. The Piano Receive channel determines which track(s) will be played by the Disklavier. Compare that to the channel assignments in the MIDI file (see the HCX Mixer). You were probably experiencing a channel mismatch.

In HCX, you can reassign the MIDI channels of all tracks. If you want to use the Play File feature and hear the piano tracks played by the piano, I suggest you assign the piano tracks to Channel 1 and reassign any other track that is currently on channel 1 to another channel. Then, set your Disklavier to receive on channel 1. HCX will remember this setting. For accurate playback, make sure that the Disklavier's 500 ms delay is set to On.

When you are doing Play & Follow, set the piano's Receive channel to ## (i.e. nothing) and make sure that the 500 ms delay is set to Off.

The Disklavier is a little complex in this regard: It is both a piano and a tone generator. In addition, the piano itself is a mechanical object which naturally has latency (which is handled by the 500 ms delay). During Play & Follow, you want immediate response from the tone generator, hence the suggestio to turn off the delay.

Regards,

PianoBench

www.georgelitterst.com

www.timewarptech.com

www.zenph.com