Has anyone had Success with Yamaha's Bluetooth MD-BT01 or UD-BT01?

[jblyth]

I recently bought a Microsoft Surface Book 2, which I am very pleased with, but I was planning on using for music it in it's screen removed tablet mode.

What I hadn't appreciated was that in Tablet mode the USB ports on the keyboard are not active, and there aren't any USB ports on the screen itself.

Therefore, the idea of a Bluetooth connection would be ideal, but I can't even confirm on the Yamaha site if they are both compatible with the Tyros 4/5. In particular, there is an indication on http://www.midisolutions.com/faqs.htm#List that the Tyros 5 is not compatible with the MD-BT01 (the device requires the midi port to supply power).

So I am hoping someone on this site has tried these devices and can advise on the outcome. I am particularly interested in using one of the devices with MobileSheets, both in the Android and Windows 10 versions.

Many thanks
John in Sunny Carnarvon -Western Australia

[frozzers]

I've got a Surface Pro (I assume the Book and the Pro work the same way) and have successfully run MobileSheets on Windows 10.

I've also got the MDBT01 Wireless Bluetooth MIDI Adapter plugged into my Tyros 5 and that works flawlessly with the Surface Pro. I don't know about the Tyros 4.

I wasn't aware that putting the Surface Pro into tablet mode disabled the USB port (there's only 1 on the Pro) but anyway, if you detach the keyboard, you can leave it in computer mode so you should still have access to any USB ports.

I'd highly recommend the MDBT01 adapter though - it's really easy to set up and has never let me down.

Chris

[jblyth]

Thank you Chris,

For my Surface Book 2, I should have said "when the screen is detached from the keyboard access to the USB ports is stopped as there is no wifi or bluetooth link between the detached screen and the keyboard/USB containing base. There are no USB ports on the screen itself - which I guess is sort of reasonable.....

A single USB port in the screen of the Surface Book 2 would have been very useful 

[frozzers]

Ah I see now that the Book and Pro are not the same as there is a USB port on the Pro's screen but not the Book's.

That said, I sometimes leave the keyboard attached to the Pro, turning it round so that it's completely flush with the screen. When I do that, I get the option to use it in computer mode or tablet mode. Either option still leaves the USB port available I think.

Looking at the Surface Book photos, I see you can turn the keyboard behind the screen with it still attached but it won't be quite flush. It might be OK to use it as a music reader as you could prop up one of the sides to bring it flush.

As a matter of interest, how were you proposing to use the USB port with MobileSheets and your Tyros?

Chris

[jblyth]

Hi Chris,

Sorry if this is a little long!

Firstly, I finally found a page on the Yamaha website that confirms that Tyros 2-5 keyboards are compatible with the MB-BT1 and the UD-BT01. See https://au.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/6/789396/UD-BT01_MD-BT01_Compatible_Apps_and_Products_List_161003.pdf

As a preamble, for some years I have been using an Excel Spreadsheet to open the required song's PDF file and to set my Tyros 4's registration to the correct one. (Each Registration is sequentially numbered in my case as in Bank Number, Registration Bank number. I use the Sendmidi.exe utility to actually change registrations from within my Excel macros).

I am now using MobileSheets to do much the same thing by using the Patch Change midi command.

I  intend to use my new UB-BT01 to send the same commands via Bluetooth from both my Nexus 9 tablet an Surface Book 2. Hopefully it will arrive from Perth tomorrow (1000km to the South) and I will then report the results to this thread.

As to the Surface Book 2, I can use it and the USB ports as you suggest with the screen reversed, but it feels a little heavy and bouncy on the Tyros' music stand. The screen alone rests nicely on the Tyro's display, and being closer, is perfect to read two side by side music pages in MobileSheets....

I also live in hope that MobileSheets Windows 10 might one day be able to play midi files directly on my keyboard, but I understand that there are some significant programming hurdles to overcome first.

Hopefully more to come tomorrow!

Cheers
John

[frozzers]

Hi John

To play more than one page of music, have you not thought about using a bluetooth foot pedal to turn the page(s) on the Surface Book?

I've got one of these which works really well.:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MUUDHFF/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm still not sure about your USB requirement for MobileSheets by the way.

Cheers

Chris

[jblyth]

HI Chris,

I do already use a Bluetooth Airturn dual peddle, but thanks for the thought.

My requirements for MobileSheets USB is to be able to send MIDI codes to my Tyros 4 to select the correct Registry Bank and Registry Memory for the particular song about to be played. It work wonderfully well - as long as I have a USB connection.

Now to my new Yamaha UD-BT01 Bluetooth midi device......

Sadly to date I haven't been able to get it to work with my Surface Book 2. It says connected, but no midi interfaces appear to be available.

I tried with my Nexus 9 Tablet, which appeared to connect "better", but doesn't work either as no midi device is detected with MIDI Scope.

I am now waiting for Yamaha to get back to me with some help.

Cheers
John

[jblyth]

Hi Chris,

Which MIDI ports (A or B) do you plug your MDBT01 into?

Have you been able to get MobileSheets to change registrations for you?

What do you use the MDBT01 for?

I have sort of got the UD-BT01, but only by using LoopMIDI and Midiberry, which isn't very convenient. It doesn't work with MobileSheets as yet....

Many thanks for your assistance,
John

[jblyth]

UPDATE!!!!!

Well, I have got the UD-BT01 to work with MobileSheets WITHOUT needing any additional apps running. This is because MobileSheets is smart enough to recognise that Bluetooth USB ports. Other programs such as Notation Composer don't seem to pick up the midi port though. A fix for that is the LoopMIDI and MIDIberry program/apps.

I am returning the UD-BT01 and replacing it with the direct plugin to the midi port on the keyboard one, the MD-BT01. This is because I found that the UD-BT01 only gives ONE midi port, and not the two, as the Tyros 4 has.

I will pug the MD-BT01 into midi B on the Tyros, and in that way everything will work nicely and I won't have to make unwanted changes to my Midi A settings.

And so we learn more.....