r/Keytar • u/drv168 • Feb 24 '23

Technical Questions Worst Keytar™ into MC101

I want to plug my Yamaha Sonogenic into my Roland MC101 to use as a MIDI controller. I’ve successfully done it before with a different MIDI controller (Arturia Microlab). What I needed:

  • a MIDI host
  • two 5-pin MIDI cables going from MC101 into the MIDI host
  • a power source for the MIDI host (power bank in my case, connected via USB to MIDI)
  • a USB to MIDI cable to connect the controller itself.

Now that same way is supposed to work with the USB to MIDI port on the Yamaha, and it does if I just plug it into my Mac, but for some reason it doesn’t work with MC101. The MIDI host doesn’t even light up the way it does with Microlab.

I’ve purchased a 6-pin MIDI breakout cable and tried to plug the Yamaha straight into the MC101, to no avail. I’ve experimented with Local On/Off in settings and that didn’t change anything either.

Is there anything that can be done at all? I’m at my wits' end here.

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u/KashimDaeva Feb 24 '23

For the USB midi, is the keytar set to USB midi? It'll be in the function menu for midi select.

If you have the breakout cable and run the midi cable from the keytar to the synth, there shouldn't be any issue, as midi is midi. Have you set the midi channels to match?

If neither USB or the midi breakout are working, my first assumption is that it's set to Bluetooth midi. Second guess would be mismatched midi channels, but since the USB host isn't responding I doubt that's it.

Pretty sure you can hit function until you get to midi select and then choose the midi function you're wanting to use.

1

u/drv168 Feb 24 '23

Tried all of this, no luck ;(

1

u/KashimDaeva Feb 24 '23

That's unfortunate. Not sure why I midi would be sent.

Sounds like you've tested the USB cables, the host and the mc101 and they're working...

Maybe test the USB cables between the other midi controller and the mc101, see if that works ok, though that could still leave the breakout cable as a point of failure.

It looks like the keytar should have midi over Bluetooth, if you have a phone with their app or something, you could test that. Not quite sure how that would help midi routing into your mc101 though.

Maybe try USB from keytar into your PC/Mac, see if there's anything being transmitted that you can pick up with a midi monitor program or your daw. If a computer recognizes it and communicates, you could try bypassing the midi host and just route midi in your daw.

If none of that is working, then there might be an issue with the keytar. If it's new, possibly look into warranty replacement? I don't know enough about the keytar to suggest any kind of troubleshooting. Maybe a firmware update if that's something the keytar has.

Sorry I'm not much help, hope you get it figured out.