USB MIDI Question

[RoyB]

When you connect a Yamaha arranger (such as Tyros or Genos) to a PC via USB-MIDI, the keyboard shows up as 2 devices on the PC - something like Digital Workstaion 1 and Digital Workstation 2. The '1' and '2' correspond to the MIDI 'A' and 'B' ports on the keyboard. So, for  most PC apps, you usually need to pick Digital Workstation 1 as the MIDI In/Out device.

Given that these Yamaha arrangers do not transmit MIDI from MIDI B via USB-MIDI (they receive MIDI only via USB on MIDI B), can anyone give a practical example of when you need to select Digital Workstation 2 as the MIDI device in a PC app?

Thanks

Roy 

[MillKa]

Each MIDI port supports 16 channels.
You need one channel for each voice/instrument, e.g. Piano on MIDI channel 1, Strings on channel 2, ...

If you use a sequencer (e.g. Cubase) on the PC to record some real complex music piece that needs more than 16 different voices/instruments at the same time,
Port B gives you another group of 16 channels, so you can use 32 different voices/instruments at the same time.

When you play the keyboard, the channels are assigned like this:
1: Right 1
2: Left
3: Right 2
4: Right 3
5-8: Multi pad 1-4
9-16: 8 Style tracks

If you want to play along to some MIDI file sent from the PC (or the internal sequencer of the keyboard), that MIDI data should go to the other port to avoid conflicts.
On the keyboard, these 'other' 16 channels are named Song 1-16.

[overover]

When you connect a Yamaha arranger (such as Tyros or Genos) to a PC via USB-MIDI, the keyboard shows up as 2 devices on the PC - something like Digital Workstaion 1 and Digital Workstation 2. The '1' and '2' correspond to the MIDI 'A' and 'B' ports on the keyboard. So, for  most PC apps, you usually need to pick Digital Workstation 1 as the MIDI In/Out device.

Given that these Yamaha arrangers do not transmit MIDI from MIDI B via USB-MIDI (they receive MIDI only via USB on MIDI B), can anyone give a practical example of when you need to select Digital Workstation 2 as the MIDI device in a PC app?

Thanks

Roy

Hi Roy,

MIDI A corresponds to the internal MIDI Port 1 and MIDI B corresponds to the internal MIDI Port 2. Each Port has 16 Receice channels and 16 Transmit channels. USB-MIDI, as you correctly mentioned, can only transmit on Port 1 (but receive on 2 Ports).

The assignment of the Receive and Transmit channels to the internal MIDI parts is done via the MIDI Setting (also referred to as MIDI Setup).

If a standard MIDI tempate is selected ("All Parts" or "KBD & Style"), the internal SONG parts are controlled via Port 1 Receive (= MIDI A IN or Digital Workstation 1). This is the normal setting for playing MIDI tracks from a DAW or a MIDI player (e.g. vanBasco) on the computer.

The KEYBOARD and STYLE parts are DIRECTLY controlled (with the MIDI templates mentioned) via Port 2 Receive (= MIDI B IN or Digital Workstation 2). This is only desirable/useful in a few cases, e.g. to play/test voices in Registrations or OTS via note data from the DAW. It is important, however, that you only send pure note data, i.e. no BankSelect/ProgramChange commands and no Effect Controller/Sy*** data.


Hope this helps!

Best regards,
Chris

[RoyB]

Thank you Chris and Millka for explanations.

However, I understand all that. But I was trying to find an actual example of a PC application where you would need to select Digital Workstation 2 for the MIDI Out on the PC app setup. As you mentioned, Chris, with the standard MIDI templates on the arranger, it seems useful for only sending note data as things such as voice settings on the keyboard are not affected, so it seems to be of only very limited use.

Regards

Roy

[ckobu]

Hi RoyB
This is one example of why it is good that Yamaha has two MIDI ports. You can activate English subtitles.
https://youtu.be/vjqUzC4DqnI?si=xd5azJoEtOzkhCr7&t=72