Midi keyboard and mac

[Shoot]

My synth has a midi mode that lets it be used as a controller for audio applications like Reason or garageband etc via USB. Will I need some kind of external interface to avoid latency issues? I've only ever done audio stuff on my PC and that usually had a delay.
Any help is greatly appreciated 🙂

Shoot

 

[Jolly Jimmy]

You shouldn't experience any latency when using a USB midi device, the data transfered during a midi event is minuscule compared to audio data.

 

[dXTC]

What Jolly Jimmy said, and I can vouch for this from experience.

The MIDI drivers built into OS X are just as good or better than those in Windows/DirectX. I use GarageBand as an idea sketchpad, and switch to Windows via Bootcamp to polish those ideas in Cakewalk SONAR. My M-Audio MIDI controller gets good timing response in both.

Quite frankly, with today's computers MIDI latency itself is usually not the problem. Generating notes on a software synthesizer, like GarageBand's internal synth, is the main factor in latency.

 

[75LesPaul]

Yamaha Clavinova With Midi Question

Hi there,

I need some advice. I have an old Yamaha Clavinova keyboard with early MIDI capability. I want to use it to trigger a trumpet sound found in GarageBand. . as well as a few other brass instruments. What do I need to make the proper connection? Obviously running a guitar chord out of the side 1/4 inch jack will only allow me to get guitar sounds. Or running two RCA's out of the back of the Clavinova in stereo is limited in the same way. I guess I need to buy a MIDI interface to attach to the MIDI port in the back of the keyboard and then run it into the back of my iMac. . . what kind of conversion hardware is used to make the connection from the MIDI cable into the back of the iMac?

Thanks so much!

Kirk in the Sacramento area, California.

 

[dainja]

I agree with the others but I'd like to clarify something.

Latency isn't introduced at the MIDI input stage - that's relatively instant. However, without a proper audio interface, you likely won't have access to ASIO drivers. Without ASIO drivers, latency is generally pretty bad.

 

[Alaerian]

For some reason, I'm thinking I have seen MIDI to USB cables. I have no clue if they would work or provide the quality that you're looking for.

Am I completely off here? I could be completely wrong, and if I am, I apologize in advance!

 

[Flowbee]

What kind of conversion hardware is used to make the connection from the MIDI cable into the back of the iMac?

You'll want a USB midi interface. Here's a simple one on Amazon which seems to play well with Macs:

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-UX16-USB-MIDI-Interface/dp/B0002E2S1I

 

[curtwilliams]

Sound Plays Twice

I bought a cheap USB/MIDI cable and have a problem that Garage Band plays a sounds both when strike and release a key on the piano. It should only play the sound when I strike the key, not when I release. What would cause this?

 

[Mal]

I bought a cheap USB/MIDI cable and have a problem that Garage Band plays a sounds both when strike and release a key on the piano. It should only play the sound when I strike the key, not when I release. What would cause this?

I think you may have just answered your question. You can see if there's a driver to be installed from the company's website, but I doubt it. Most likely your best bet is to go get a better controller (your USB-MIDI cable has a controller in there just like in the bigger boxes, it's just small and integrated into the cable, but that also means it's not very good).

jW