Korg Forums

[jasu]

Usually the solution to this type of problem is something really stupid and simple that after a couple of hours of setting up you just can't seem to comprehend. I've looked around the threads and tried a couple of solutions to similar problems but they're not helping.

I'm kind of a newbie with hardware software connections...

The micro X is connected via usb cable to my pc running Cubase SX on Windows Vista, with a couple of yamaha monitors hooked up directly to my pc also.
I can use the micro X as a midi controller to play other VST's, but when I create a midi track with the microx plug-in editor as the input and microX keyboard as the output I hear no sound from the keyboard.
It reads midi fine, changes I make in the plug-in I can see on the keyboard and it controls other vst's, but no audio directly from the micro X.

The keyboard is connected to the pc with the provided USB cable, if I connect it to the speakers directly it plays normally but with the speakers connected to the pc I don't hear sh--, even in standalone mode...

I have no clue what to do and would really appreciate it some help!!!

Hopefully I'll have this baby working in 2007...before next year!

[xmlguy]

Midi doesn't carry any audio signals or data. It only contains data with info to control what, when, and how the music is produced.

USB is a general interface that can carry digital audio data, however, it doesn't do so when it is used with a device that isn't designed to it, such as a USB-midi interface. The biggest benefit to USB-midi is that it can handle multiple midi channels, so that you only have one USB cable instead of two or more midi cables, at least between the keyboard and the computer.

So if you want to hear audio from your keyboard on your computer, then you need to hook the L+R audio outputs (usually mono 1/4" jacks) from the keyboard to the computer aux audio input (usually stereo 1/8" TRS jacks). The audio aux input on most computers isn't so great with the built-in cheap sound chip, so many of us instead buy a better sound card or an external USB/Firewire audio interface.

This will probably all change when the manufacturers figure out that USB2 has plenty of bandwidth to send audio data as well as midi data, and they start producing USB interfaces and drivers that handle both kinds of data.

[jasu]

Thanks a lot, I was thinking that might be the problem but I thought that with the micro X plug-in editor working as a VST and the keyboard connected with the USB to the PC it would be able to somehow turn the midi signal into audio.

So all I need is a cable to hook the outputs from the keyboard to the computer?

Any suggestions on good soundcards (I'm thinking external ones to hook the micro x and the monitor speakers and a microphone) for something around 150 - 200 euro or are they more expensive...I don't want to buy something crappy but a good soundcard so I won't have to get a new one in 6 months!!!

[xmlguy]

Yes, just cables and a plug adapter are all you need. If you get an external audio in/out box, you won't need the adapter if it has 1/4" inputs.

I'd recommend the M-Audio Fast Track Pro, which is in the price range you gave and has 4 ins and 4 outs with USB connection to the PC. There are other good ones too, so use this one as a basis for comparison and shop around for a good deal.

[jasu]

Cheers, I appreciate the help. Happy new year!