Disklavier

I received a Disklavier Mark II Upright as a gift this year, and
recently bought a M-Audio 1x1 MIDI channel USB connector to use the
functionality of Cakewalk direct to my piano.  M-Audio had very little
to say about connecting to a midi device, either in print or on their
website, mostly about installing the drivers correctly on the PC.  I
consulted Yamaha's "Advanced Operation Manual" on the correct settings
for the MIDI in/out of the piano.  When I attempt to record to a track
on Cakewalk, I power on the piano, with no diskette in the drive,I
then select the correct input/output ports through the Options menu,
click on the record button and begin to play. The piano keys stick,
and when recording is stopped, no notes are shown to have been
recorded, at least not the ones I have played.  Playback works through
VanBasco's Karaoke player, but it isn't clean, i.e. if a song is
stopped midstream, and the pedal was in use the piano 'hangs' there
indefinitely. I read in the Yamaha book that the MIDI-thru option in
my software must be disabled to avoid garbled data and midi feedback,
but I don't know how that's done.  Please help! Note: I run Cakewalk
Pro Audio 9 on WinXP Home.

Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 will work very well for playing to and recording 
from your DKV.

In recording to Cakewalk, you must break the MIDI feedback loop.  At the 
moment, when you strike a piano key, MIDI data is sent from the DKV to 
Cakewalk; Cakewalk then sends the same data back to the DKV, playing 
that note again, which the DKV outputs yet again.

Here are two ways to break the loop:

1) In Cakewalk, turn MIDI Echo off. Open the menu: Options/Project. 
Click the MIDI Input tab.  Set Echo mode to "None".

or

2) Connect only one MIDI cable at a time between the DKV and computer 
MIDI interface.

The annoyance of the first solution is that each time you launch 
Cakewalk, you must go through this routine because it reverts to the 
default setting of "Auto."  The annoyance of the second solution is that 
during your recording sessions you must fuss with correctly plugging and 
unplugging cables.

My own solution was to build a simple switch box through which both (to 
and from) MIDI cables pass that allows me to direct traffic.

You have the right idea in consulting Yamaha's "Advanced Operation 
Manual".  Don't expect the MIDI interface documentation to address 
everyone's possible uses of the device.  Once it's installed and 
working, it's transparent.  For working with Cakewalk, you will find 
Scott Garrigus' book "Cakewalk Power!" most useful.

Frankly, I haven't found any advantage in recording to Cakewalk, over 
recording to DKV diskette.  In fact, there are reasons to believe that 
because of the serial nature of the MIDI stream, recording to Cakewalk 
could possibly be less accurate than recording to the DKV.  Of course, 
when recording to DKV diskettes, you may find yourself converting E-SEQ 
files to MIDI.  I seem to commit fewer "cockpit errors" using the DKV 
for doing recording.

nevermindvera wrote:
> I received a Disklavier Mark II Upright as a gift this year, and
> recently bought a M-Audio 1x1 MIDI channel USB connector to use the
> functionality of Cakewalk direct to my piano.  M-Audio had very little
> to say about connecting to a midi device, either in print or on their
> website, mostly about installing the drivers correctly on the PC.  I
> consulted Yamaha's "Advanced Operation Manual" on the correct settings
> for the MIDI in/out of the piano.  When I attempt to record to a track
> on Cakewalk, I power on the piano, with no diskette in the drive,I
> then select the correct input/output ports through the Options menu,
> click on the record button and begin to play. The piano keys stick,
> and when recording is stopped, no notes are shown to have been
> recorded, at least not the ones I have played.  Playback works through
> VanBasco's Karaoke player, but it isn't clean, i.e. if a song is
> stopped midstream, and the pedal was in use the piano 'hangs' there
> indefinitely. I read in the Yamaha book that the MIDI-thru option in
> my software must be disabled to avoid garbled data and midi feedback,
> but I don't know how that's done.  Please help! Note: I run Cakewalk
> Pro Audio 9 on WinXP Home.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@...
> 
> To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and moderator, send it to:
> disklavier-owner@...
> 
> To reach our group's web site go to:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
> 
> Todd's family web site was completely updated 012/22/03.  It contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among many other things, The url is:
> http://MuncyFamily.com 
> 
> THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option instead.  That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to the group.  If you insist on leaving us completely send a blank email to:
> disklavier-unsubscribe@... 
> 
> Know someone who wants to join?  Have them send a blank email to:
> disklavier-subscribe@... or give them this link:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join 
>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 


-- 
Robert Welcyng
Anchorage, Alaska

I know this may be strange, but I find that the recordings I make 
with my version of Cakewalk (Sonar 3) seem to be MORE accurate than 
if I do them with the internal DKV drive on my DC3A (at least to 
floopies).  Also, the benefit of having the recording directly into 
Sonar seems to skip a lot of steps when editing, etc.  Have fun.  SJ



--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, Robert Welcyng <rwelcyng@a...> 
wrote:
> Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 will work very well for playing to and 
recording 
> from your DKV.
> 
> In recording to Cakewalk, you must break the MIDI feedback loop.  
At the 
> moment, when you strike a piano key, MIDI data is sent from the 
DKV to 
> Cakewalk; Cakewalk then sends the same data back to the DKV, 
playing 
> that note again, which the DKV outputs yet again.
> 
> Here are two ways to break the loop:
> 
> 1) In Cakewalk, turn MIDI Echo off. Open the menu: 
Options/Project. 
> Click the MIDI Input tab.  Set Echo mode to "None".
> 
> or
> 
> 2) Connect only one MIDI cable at a time between the DKV and 
computer 
> MIDI interface.
> 
> The annoyance of the first solution is that each time you launch 
> Cakewalk, you must go through this routine because it reverts to 
the 
> default setting of "Auto."  The annoyance of the second solution 
is that 
> during your recording sessions you must fuss with correctly 
plugging and 
> unplugging cables.
> 
> My own solution was to build a simple switch box through which 
both (to 
> and from) MIDI cables pass that allows me to direct traffic.
> 
> You have the right idea in consulting Yamaha's "Advanced Operation 
> Manual".  Don't expect the MIDI interface documentation to address 
> everyone's possible uses of the device.  Once it's installed and 
> working, it's transparent.  For working with Cakewalk, you will 
find 
> Scott Garrigus' book "Cakewalk Power!" most useful.
> 
> Frankly, I haven't found any advantage in recording to Cakewalk, 
over 
> recording to DKV diskette.  In fact, there are reasons to believe 
that 
> because of the serial nature of the MIDI stream, recording to 
Cakewalk 
> could possibly be less accurate than recording to the DKV.  Of 
course, 
> when recording to DKV diskettes, you may find yourself converting 
E-SEQ 
> files to MIDI.  I seem to commit fewer "cockpit errors" using the 
DKV 
> for doing recording.
> 
> nevermindvera wrote:
> > I received a Disklavier Mark II Upright as a gift this year, and
> > recently bought a M-Audio 1x1 MIDI channel USB connector to use 
the
> > functionality of Cakewalk direct to my piano.  M-Audio had very 
little
> > to say about connecting to a midi device, either in print or on 
their
> > website, mostly about installing the drivers correctly on the 
PC.  I
> > consulted Yamaha's "Advanced Operation Manual" on the correct 
settings
> > for the MIDI in/out of the piano.  When I attempt to record to a 
track
> > on Cakewalk, I power on the piano, with no diskette in the 
drive,I
> > then select the correct input/output ports through the Options 
menu,
> > click on the record button and begin to play. The piano keys 
stick,
> > and when recording is stopped, no notes are shown to have been
> > recorded, at least not the ones I have played.  Playback works 
through
> > VanBasco's Karaoke player, but it isn't clean, i.e. if a song is
> > stopped midstream, and the pedal was in use the piano 'hangs' 
there
> > indefinitely. I read in the Yamaha book that the MIDI-thru 
option in
> > my software must be disabled to avoid garbled data and midi 
feedback,
> > but I don't know how that's done.  Please help! Note: I run 
Cakewalk
> > Pro Audio 9 on WinXP Home.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@Y...
> > 
> > To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and 
moderator, send it to:
> > disklavier-owner@Y...
> > 
> > To reach our group's web site go to:
> > http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
> > 
> > Todd's family web site was completely updated 012/22/03.  It 
contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among 
many other things, The url is:
> > http://MuncyFamily.com 
> > 
> > THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> > If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too 
much mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option 
instead.  That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access 
to the group.  If you insist on leaving us completely send a blank 
email to:

> > disklavier-unsubscribe@y... 
> > 
> > Know someone who wants to join?  Have them send a blank email to:
> > disklavier-subscribe@e... or give them this link:
> > http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join 
> >  
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Robert Welcyng
> Anchorage, Alaska