Korg Forums

[EvilDragon]

Plug and play pretty much works over here for those same 10 years. I never need to study manuals or go to YT for help in getting something to work.

[GregC]

[aron]

>thats because you are unusually talented Wink

Yes, incredibly smart. Windows knows that for sure. It can sense and act upon weakness.
_________________
Korg Kronos, RD-88, Yamaha VL1, Deep Mind 6, Korg Kross, author of unrealBook for iPad.

[GregC]

[cemego]

I have the following:

1. Focusrite 18i20
2. novation launchpad pro
3. korg microkey 37

All plugged into a Windows 10 system.

IMPORTANT: Over the many years, the Microkey37 was plugged into an XP system for a while, then a vista system, then a 7 system. With each O.S. there were driver compatibility issues and of course the stupid Korg instruction that says, "just click through the error message" installation of their stupid drivers. For years I've always had issues when upgrading or dealing with a Korg driver.

At this point with the 3 things above plugged into my Windows 10 system, for some reason the Microkey37 has stopped working (light between the transpose buttons wont come on... no formal recognition of the device on the system). I've swapped cords, I've unchecked/deleted the Microkey listings in the uninstall portion of the korg driver. Removed driver... rebooted... downloaded latest driver... still no recognition. No idea what is happening. This is the third day I have spent trouble shooting this. I'm fed up.

I got a posting about going into the registry to delete midi1..midi9 keys. interesting thing in my registry, there is only midi1..midi7 keys. The instructions for this were for Windows XP, I think 32bit, so I don't want to mess with that just yet. I'll take any advice I can on this as Korg is not forthcoming with any solutions. They need to get off their ass and make a proper certified compatible Windows 10 compliant driver and quit using all us consumers as beta testers for their crap (or stop advertising that they are Windows 10 ready).

For now, I have my beloved Microkey37 just sitting there collecting dust, and since I purchased the full license of Ableton about a month ago, I'd really like to continue using this device.

Unfortunately, I'm not getting any real help, just people making fun of Windows or Apple. Anyone have any info/help, please let me know. Until then, it is the day the music died here.

[SanderXpander]

It's really hard to do this stuff over the Internet. But you said it "stopped working"? Does that mean that it worked before, on the same system with the same configuration? Did you do any Windows Updates after that? I think the Anniversary update messed with USB drivers for some people. If you didn't change anything about the system and it stopped working, perhaps it's broken, or this USB port doesn't give enough power (anymore)? Can you still try it on another system?

[cemego]

I am justified in my anger and frustration. I have now plugged the microkey 37 into 2 OTHER COMPUTERS.

One is a Windows XP sp3 machine. Used both USB cables (one that came with microkey37 and a similar one) to make sure it wasn't a cable issue.

No lights. No response. No recognition.

Other is a laptop running windows 10. Used both USB cables (one that came with microkey37 and a similar one) to make sure it wasn't a cable issue.

No lights. No response. No recognition.

Interesting. When you google Korg USB Midi driver, the first entry takes you to the Korg support web page distributing a driver for windows 7/8.1 but no 10 driver.

This supports my theory that Korg makes crappy USB drivers for Windows. It is so telling that they dont make their Windows 10 driver prominent. This is probably because they have no faith in the functionality of it. (We should all be PAID KORG DRIVER BETA TESTERS).

CONCLUSION: After trying to install my Korg Microkey 37 into 3 different computers, the windows 10 driver (which korg has buried on their site) has destroyed my Korg Microkey37 (1st issue/mark I/whatever).

So this is how Korg celebrates "anniversaries". By destroying all previous issues of their equipment with malicious drivers.

I have always been a Korg fan for years and have many products:
Kaossilator (small yellow one), Mini KP3 (small red one), Kaossilator pro, MicroKorg, Volcas Bass, beats, and keys, Monotron, an Electribe Sampler, and now a non functional Microkey37 (thanks to installing a korg windows 10 driver).

Needless to say, at this point and from this experience, I WILL NEVER INSTALL ANY KORG DEVICE INTO MY WINDOWS COMPUTER. The drivers have never been certified by windows and it seems they use this connectivity to destroy their initial equipment releases so you are forced to buy the new anniversary models.

Now I need a MIDI keyboard for my windows 10 system and my bloated $500 license for ableton live. Does anyone have any NON KORG suggestions for an affordable keyboard like the microkey that I can plug into my Windows 10 computer that wont be running on a corrupt destructive Windows 10 driver?

[jazlover]

Your keyboard is a Microkey air 37....right? The page enclosed seems to imply this driver works for windows 10. Is this the driver you are using? Has your microkey ever worked for you?



http://www.korg.com/us/support/download/driver/0/151/1356/
_________________
“I’m into scales right now.”
John Coltrane

[cemego]

This is not a microkey air. Its a microkey37 mark ONE. Purchased in 2012 when the microkey first came out. It has worked before. It has worked on XP, Vista, 7 and 10. Recently I installed the new windows 10 driver. This is what broke it. I can be pretty sure about this. Because after the new windows 10 driver from Korg was installed, the red light between the octave buttons went out and never came on again.

There is no other way to put this but THE WINDOWS 10 KORG USB MIDI DRIVER FRIED MY MICROKEY 37 FROM 2012. This is how Korg gets you to buy their upgraded and anniversary models.

It is evil, nefarious, and I will not be buying anymore Korg products ... or at least I will never plug them into a windows computer.

[StephenKay]

[cemego]

I dont want a mac. I'm an IT professional. I dont use fruit. I use computers. I dont make money using or knowing a mac. And i'm not independently wealthy or a trust fund kid. Mac hardware is way out of my price range.

I know the driver broke it, because upon installing the driver, the red light went out. I've never seen that light off while the keyboard was plugged in.

Face it. Korg cannot make a windows compliant driver. I dont know why everyone has such a hard time believing this. How many times have you had to click through messages, when installing a korg windows driver, that said the driver was not compliant with windows? From my own experience with 4 windows operating systems, I can say EVERY FREAKIN TIME!

Therefore, I cannot in full faith plug a Korg product into my Windows PC. And for those of you who are running OK with a korg hardware device in your windows computer, watch the news and blogs about korg. When they put out a new edition of the hardware you are using, I would immediately unplug its' USB from your computer and NEVER PLUG IT BACK IN or they may just celebrate THEIR anniversary by rendering YOUR device unusable.

Planned obsolescence is one thing, but nefarious drivers blowing up hardware is just plain evil. I'm done with Korg on the computer. This is certain.

At least its pretty clear what has happened because I didn't rush out and replace the microkey 37 (version 1) with a microkey "air" or microkey "2". They nuked me. Thanks Korg. I'm done with you and your USB/windows driver. (<--- the smile is from knowledge gained from experience). I'm just glad I didn't put any pricey Korg things into my computer. My MicroKorg would die, I'd be losing my mind. HAHA

(of note: It is interesting how the microkey 37 no longer appears anywhere on the korg websites with out an "air" or a "2" in front of it. This once again proves that they disabled my device with this driver update. They dont want to support this product and they insist that I buy the new model... To that I say, NO WAY, MAN... NO FREAKIN WAY! HA HA HA. I will never allow any connectivity from a Korg device to my computer network again. EVER!)

[Bachus]

[Bachus]

[cemego]

oh yes.. .i know the vaunted Korg is blameless on this issue.

And yes I know MAC is more suitable for music. However it doesn't expand, it doesn't grow, and after 20 years you can have a collection of apple computers collecting dust in your basement. This argument is like telling someone at the side of the road with a broken down car that they should have bought a private jet. It gets us nowhere.

I am still running a PC on my netowork that I built in 2003. It is still running like a clock with 8 hard drives in it, serving FTP to the internet. I still have a computer that functions with Windows 2000 server on it. I do not use it anymore but it still functions and browses the internet and does completely marvelous stuff considering its' age. Let's see you do that with ANY Apple computer of that age for that long. (I know I know I should make the thing a linux box, but I'm concerned with other stuff). And before you freak out with suppositions, the computer where all this took place is 1 year old and does little else but handle my musical/midi needs so dont freak out over my old jalopy computers sitting on my home network. I know better than to do music production on a computer built in 2003. (duh)

I choose a windows environment for many reasons that I will not attempt to justify on this forum. Besides the apple vs windows argument is about as overdone as the democrat vs republican argument. It gets us nowhere.

I simply dont have the kind of money to invest in Apple products. PERIOD.

I've been trouble shooting windows PC's for almost a quarter of a century. If there was something on the Windows side that was causing this problem, I would have been able to resolve it. It is not. Three whole days troubleshooting this is (in the words of steve porcaro) "more than I can take."

I think the Microkey37 (I) is dead. Whatever happened when I installed that driver, it DE-POWERED the keyboard (the power light went off immediately upon installation) and it will not come back on. That's 5 years of very solid use. Considering it's cost and its' usefulness, I cant complain too much. But I think its crappy the way Korg handles windows implementation. I don't think they should claim full Windows compliance until their drivers meet windows certification standards. THIS MEANS, CLICKING THROUGH NON-COMPLIANCE ERROR MESSAGES IS INEXCUSABLE. This is no way for a driver to function on ANY version of windows, and it has been like this since XP.

KORG NEEDS TO MAKE A PROPER OFFICIAL WINDOWS DRIVER. Until then I will not be connecting any Korg product to ANY windows machine.

In conclusion, for me, I state this again, Korg is NOT TRULY WINDOWS COMPLIANT.

IMHO, for me, this topic is now closed. I'm off to buy a new MIDI controller keyboard that is NOT a Korg product.
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oh i forgot to brag about my hardware collection like everyone else (haha):
MicroKorg, Kaosillator Pro, Kaossilator (barely used), MiniKP3 (used a lot), Monotron (love my little squeaky buddy), Electribe Sampler, Volcas (beats, keys and bass), and running a focusrite 18i20 with a dusty old Fender Jazz Bass for good measure. 3 windows computers on a network. 2 XP's and one windows 10. the 2 xp's were built in 2003, the windows 10 was built in 2016. Also a laptop purchased in vista era and upgraded to windows 10 quite seamlessly.

There... now do i fit into the "all praise the Korg" club? HAHA!

[EvilDragon]