Disklavier

I'd like to connect my Mark III disklavier wirelessly to my desktop computer (they are located in different rooms).  My compuer is bluetooth-enabled.  Would it be possible to connect a MIDI-to-USB cable to the back of the Disklavier, attach a Bluetooth USB dongle to the cable, and achieve a wireless connection with my computer?

If so, I would use Van Basco to "stream" MIDI files to the Disklavier.

Does anyone know if this will work?  Does the MIDI connectors to the back of the Disklavier put out an electrical charge sufficient to power the Bluetooth dongle, or would I need a self-powere Bluetooth dongle?  Finally, I've read quite a bit about suceessfully attaching a Bluetooth dongle to a computer to connect to Bluetooth-enabled devices, but I haven't read of using a Bluetooth dongle to connect a non-Bluetooth device to a Bluetooth-enabled computer (such as connecting a printer).  

Does anyone know if this will work?

Thanks in advance!

I don't think one of those Bluetooth adapters will work.  All of the ones I can find are designed to enable a computer to hook up to a bluetooth-enabled device, not vice-versa (except for some printer adapters).  I think the bluetooth adapter would have to have some unique code that it transmitted to the computer in order for it to be paired up.

I was wondering if something like this might work instead:  http://www.midiman.net/products/en_us/MidAir.html

It looks like it is a 1-way device, designed to send Midi data from a keyboard to a computer.  I wonder if it could be hooked up the other way around, so that data could be sent from the computer to the disklavier....

Any ideas?


--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, Dokhanchi <dokhanchi@...> wrote:

>
> I don't think the midi connection has any power. The midi-to-usb cable I bought off of Ebay is powered by the USB port on the laptop. The cable has a little hardware attached to it (in the middle) that has 2 lights on it. The lights are lit when connected to the laptop but are off when only connected to the piano. I assume that means no power.
>  
> You may find a USB hub that can accomplish what you are trying to do but I'm not sure. To me getting a refurbished laptop that comes with a wireless card for $350 is the way to go. I have bought over 15 laptops for myself and my family from this guy on Ebay:
>  
> http://stores.shop.ebay.com/CSR-Technologies_Dell-Latitude-Laptops_W0QQ_fsubZ2QQ_sidZ76410873QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322
> 
> --- On Wed, 5/6/09, lowdebt4me <dopphome@...> wrote:
> 
>

Greetings lowdebt4me,

There is a device called WIDI that send midi two way between the pairs of units. You can connect with MIDI or USB. They also have a small USB dongle that will act as one of the pairs but you have to buy two units in a set and buy the USB dongle separately. I have used these and they are reliable. The only problem is that the documentation is not great and the configurator is a little confusing. I wrote my own to set up communication parameters and will share it with anyone who uses WIDI. My configurator is a simple command line program that you can run as a batch file also so you can set up your computer to establish the WIDI connection when it boots and or put an icon on your desktop that sets it up.

Personally, I use a WIFI network with Airport Express to receive audio encoded MIDI.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 9:08:31 AM, you wrote:

Thanks for the response, Spencer_Lists,

I saw one of those and I believe they are no longer being manufactured.  Plus, for the price, I think I might as well have a Cat 5 wire run through the walls between the computer and the piano, and connect-up using a Cat-5 to USB adapter/extender such as sold by TrippLite http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtSeriesID=140&EID=14872&txtModelID=3722, and then connect a MIDI-to-USB connector thingie to the USB adapter.



--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, Spencer_Lists <lists@...> wrote:

>
> Greetings lowdebt4me,
> 
> There is a device called WIDI that send midi two way between the pairs of units. You can connect with MIDI or USB. They also have a small USB dongle that will act as one of the pairs but you have to buy two units in a set and buy the USB dongle separately. I have used these and they are reliable. The only problem is that the documentation is not great and the configurator is a little confusing. I wrote my own to set up communication parameters and will share it with anyone who uses WIDI. My configurator is a simple command line program that you can run as a batch file also so you can set up your computer to establish the WIDI connection when it boots and or put an icon on your desktop that sets it up.
> 
> Personally, I use a WIFI network with Airport Express to receive audio encoded MIDI. 
> 
>

I have done this successfully for several years now using a pair of devices
by CME called the "WIDI-X8". I bought them online and found them using a
search engine.  As I remember, the price for the pair was in the $250 range,
and they're probably a bit cheaper by now.
 
Interfacing them is easy. You use the short MIDI cables to connect the one
to the piano, and a USB cable to connect the other end to the computer.  Any
MIDI software should work with them (I've used several over time with no
issues) as the device appears as a normal MIDI controller to the computer
(and software).
 
On the piano end, I attached the adapter under the controller box using
double sticky foam tape.  Power was the only issue on the piano end, as it
uses a small "brick" supply, and that required a bit of thought with an
extension cord and some more double sticky tape for the brick over near
where power enters the piano.  The end result has been great (i.e. just what
I'd hoped for.)
 
Now if Yamaha would only let us have an internet-to-MIDI version of Yamaha
Radio I'd be fully happy.  But I think their copy protection desires will
prevent that. 
 
In short, I've been very happy with the WIDI-X8 wireless interface, as it
allows my computer to live in my office while the MK III DC3 Piano is in the
living room and I have full control over playlists, etc. from the computer.
I can even use software like One Man Band and Band-in-a-Box as real-time
synth accompaniment for my playing if I switch off the 500ms delay on MIDI
in the piano.  And recording, etc. works fine as well.
 
I tried some other approaches first, and I suspect that you'll find the
WIDI-X8 will give you the best result given what you've said in your
message.

  _____  

From: disklavier@yahoogroups.com [mailto:disklavier@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of lowdebt4me
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 7:28 AM
To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [disklavier] Wireless Conneection. Mark III to desktop PC?





I'd like to connect my Mark III disklavier wirelessly to my desktop computer
(they are located in different rooms). My compuer is bluetooth-enabled.
Would it be possible to connect a MIDI-to-USB cable to the back of the
Disklavier, attach a Bluetooth USB dongle to the cable, and achieve a
wireless connection with my computer?

If so, I would use Van Basco to "stream" MIDI files to the Disklavier.

Does anyone know if this will work? Does the MIDI connectors to the back of
the Disklavier put out an electrical charge sufficient to power the
Bluetooth dongle, or would I need a self-powere Bluetooth dongle? Finally,
I've read quite a bit about suceessfully attaching a Bluetooth dongle to a
computer to connect to Bluetooth-enabled devices, but I haven't read of
using a Bluetooth dongle to connect a non-Bluetooth device to a
Bluetooth-enabled computer (such as connecting a printer). 

Does anyone know if this will work?

Thanks in advance!

Greetings lowdebt4me,

my high speed internet is down and will be for weeks so i can not check on the availability of WIDI bit it was there, the last time i looked.

you can run a long midi cable. probably a lot longer than the spec if it is of good quality and you do not have a very noisy (electrically) environment. i have run 150 feet of MIDI line with no problems.

if your DKV can take audio inputs from an external CD player, you can play it tirelessly with any wireless network speaker adapter such as the Airport Express. you have to play CDs or files ripped from them or made with Mid2PianoCD. I tunes works great for this. since i have a Live Performance LX, I can play MP3 files this way which allows me to add text tags that display in Itunes. if your DKV will play MP3 files (i have heard that some do and some don't) you can do this too.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 10:20:01 AM, you wrote:

--

Best regards,

Spencer_Lists Chase mailto:lists@...

67550 Bell Springs Rd.

Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.

Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.

Lists@spencerserolls(dot)com

http://www(dot)spencerserolls.com

replace (dot) with a .

(707) 984-8356

Thanks for the responses, Phil Becker and Spencer_Lists!

In looking around the web, I find that the WIDI device, although still available, is no longer being manufactured.  I may still pick one up, but I am concerned about what happens after a couple of years and the thing malfunctions.  Therefore, I am leaning toward running an in-wall cat5 wire and using a cat5 to USB adapter thingie (coupled to a MIDI to USB adapter thingie).

However, my wife will have the final say on this issue!

Myu DKV box does indeed have audio in/out ports and I have in-wall wiring to hook up the DKV to my stereo/computer system.  I have yet to do so, but I will sometime this year.



--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, Spencer_Lists <lists@...> wrote:

>
> Greetings lowdebt4me,
> 
> my high speed internet is down and will be for weeks so i can not check on the availability of WIDI bit it was there, the last time i looked.
> 
> you can run a long midi cable. probably a lot longer than the spec if it is of good quality and you do not have a very noisy (electrically) environment. i have run 150 feet of MIDI line with no problems.
> 
> if your DKV can take audio inputs from an external CD player, you can play it tirelessly with any wireless network speaker adapter such as the Airport Express. you have to play CDs or files ripped from them or made with Mid2PianoCD. I tunes works great for this. since i have a Live Performance LX, I can play MP3 files this way which allows me to add text tags that display in Itunes. if your DKV will play MP3 files (i have heard that some do and some don't) you can do this too.
> 
> Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 10:20:01 AM, you wrote:
> 
> -- 
> Best regards,
> Spencer_Lists Chase        mailto:lists@...
> 67550 Bell Springs Rd.
> Garberville,  CA 95542    Postal service only.
> Laytonville, CA 95454    UPS only.
> Lists@spencerserolls(dot)com
> http://www(dot)spencerserolls.com 
> replace (dot) with a .
> (707) 984-8356
>