• Welcome to Learn To Play Saxophone with the help of computers. Please login or sign up.
 

Hello do you want a free Yamaha Midi Keyboard?

Started by sue, July 29, 2012, 12:19:55 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

sue

Hello do you want a free Yamaha Midi Keyboard?

Hi Tony
I have acquired two Yamaha PSR520 midi keyboards but no instruction books.
Can you make use of one?
I need some help I don?t know anything about midi or keyboards.

I only wished I had the opportunity to learn piano and music at an early age. Fortunately my two young children are learning at school and they can play a little keyboard.

My aims with the keyboard;

(a)   Make my computer play the keyboard as a backing for my Saxophone.
(b)   Just learn the piano to a very basic standard even a very slow tempo.
(c)   Many of my friends play piano persuade them to record into notation.
(d)   Compose music with the children?s Sibelius program using Yamaha PSR520 midi keyboard.
(e)   Put chords into a musical score with just a single finger on the keyboard.
(f)   Improve reading music. The keyboard seems ideal to help with the saxophone.
(g)   Integrate a very early version of Band in a Box (PG) with the midi keyboard.
(h)   Help my children play and have fun with piano/keyboard with visual displays and audio.
(i)   Use rhythms/styles from the computer and allow me to enter the songs from the keyboard. Create a musical score or even a full ensemble. Adding each instrument one by one to the score.
(j)   Try free midi/music notation software.

Can you help me get started with this project you are very welcome to keep one of these Yamaha midi keyboards if you have space and can spare the time.

Have fun with music
Sue




Tony Edge

July 30, 2012, 10:46:34 PM #1 Last Edit: July 31, 2012, 10:22:36 PM by Tony Edge
Hi Sue

Many thanks for the offer of the Yamaha PSR-520 MIDI Keyboard.
I would be very interested with your project.  I'm sure I can help with most of these topics
These keyboards were well respected a number of years ago.
They would make a superb addition to Saxophone just what I need a resident pianist and real drums.
Band in a Box realtracks convert MIDI to real sound played by expert musicians.
Realtracks in Band in a Box 2012 pro sound incredible with a good sound card and HFI.
And at the same time using the midi keyboard as a sequencer.

On average the keyboards sell for about ?50 on the second hand market.
I can't accept the keyboard for free. But would like to buy your spare midi kyb
and we could exchange ideas for the project.
Looking forward to hearing from you.

Bye the way can you tell me the sound card in your computer and operating system?

Tony



sue

July 30, 2012, 10:50:14 PM #2 Last Edit: July 31, 2012, 10:49:50 PM by sue
Hi Tony

The Midi keyboard is yours
I will drop if off tomorrow at your house.

With reference to my computer my desktop uses Windows Xp Pro. And has a Soundblaster SB0730 sound card
XFI xtreme gamer. The mother board has an Amd dual core cpu 4gb ram.
Laptop Vista home basic.   My Netbook uses windows 7.

Regards
Sue



Tony Edge

August 01, 2012, 11:56:12 PM #3 Last Edit: August 25, 2012, 10:36:22 PM by Tony Edge
Hi Sue

I'm delighted with the keyboard it works well.
Slight changes will be needed with the setup due the many different sound cards
used in computers.
I have attached two help files  "Basic setup Midi Keyboard and Band in a Box"
The first in offiice 2003 Word format.     mid-key1.doc
http://learnsax.co.uk/docs/midi-key1.doc


And the second as a:    PDF mid-key1.pdf
http://learnsax.co.uk/docs/midi-key1.pdf


Basic setup Midi Keyboard and Band in a Box

You will need a USB to Midi Interface. These can be bought on EBay for under ?5
I bought ours from gk-traders ?3.95 plus postage.


   USB TO MIDI CABLE Lead ADAPTOR KEYBOARD

ITEM DESCRIPTION / FEATURES / OVERVIEW

The MIDI interface cable is self-powered and connects to your computer's USB port.

Features:
Easy to install with built-in driver; USB powered, no AC adapter needed1 in + 1 out MIDI interface; 16 MIDI input channels & 16 MIDI output channels LED power indicator; MIDI in & out signal indicator; Supports: Windows and MacTurn
Compliant for true plug &play. Just plug it to any USB port on pc & it'll install itself1-in/1-out MIDI interface. 16 MIDI input channels/16 MIDI output channels Supports Windows 7/ 98SE/ME/2000/XP Mac OS 9x and Vista.

Instructions for use :
MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT ?in?to the MIDI ?OUT?socket of a MIDI keyboard Connect the cable marked ?OUT?to the MIDI ?IN?socket of a MIDI keyboard.

Plug the USB cable into any free USB socket on your computer. the red LED will light to show it is recommended that always connected to the same USB as it was originally installed on to prevent multiple installations of the driver.



From Windows XP pro control panel
Setup the sound and audio devices
Playback your sound card ours is SB X-Fi Audio (E000)
The MIDI music playback USB Audio Device



Set the Audio level for Band in a Box


Run Band in a Box

Click on Preferences
Click on Midi Drivers

Run Band in a Box


Midi input driver select USB Audio Device

   
Get input driver info
In Midi Output Driver select USB Audio Device
Select Synthesizer/Sound Card for our keyboard select Yamaha PSR GenMIDI.
Untick Use VST/DXi Synth
Select No gm2 support 128 GM patches only
Run the Driver wizard

Select use external MIDI module or synth select USB audio device
Click the Piano Test
A musical scale should be heard on the Yamaha keyboard.
Click on audio settings EME and check the settings.
Or from Preferences window Audio.




Adjust Soft Synth Latency


Depending on the speed of the computer and the sound card A note from the keyboard should be synchronized with a note sounded from Band In a  Box  and should only be a few mili seconds latency. Adjust the settings if needed.


Open up a song in Band In a box.
The music should be played on the midi Keyboard.

Next select a suitable realtrack style sheet or real drums

Now play the music again. The realtracks will play on the computer speakers
Realtrack are the actual recordings from professional musicians.
The result sound very realistic real drums and other tracks.

Together with The Yamaha playing away on its own in stereo.
And drums playing at the other side of the room.
Produce the sound of a very realistic band.


sue

Hi Tony
The keyboard is working from my PC
I?m delighted.
The setup was quite different with my old version of BB.
And don?t have realtracks.
I?m so pleased with both Band in a Box and the midi keyboard.

I have decided to buy Band in a Box 2012 pro or 2011.5
My budget is ?100.

If you don?t mind me asking how much did you pay for Band in a Box Pro 2012?

Thanks again sue



Tony Edge

August 02, 2012, 04:50:19 PM #5 Last Edit: August 04, 2012, 12:43:02 AM by Tony Edge
Hi Sue

I bought my Band in a Box by (PG) ver 2012 pro about 4 months ago
I use the software everyday.
I paid under ?100 from a UK seller with a full genuine licence.

I?ve never paid so much for software but it?s worth every penny.

I?ve just checked online a firm in Nottingham are selling band in a Box
For 1 penny less than ?100 checkout http://www.musiconmypc.co.uk/software
The software is almost half this price in US $.

The User manual can be downloaded from Yamaha
http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/emi/english/port/PSR520E.pdf

The PSR-520 Function settings
      YAMAHA PSR-520 Function Tree with Sibelus/band in a Box   
   press the function down key. Until the pointer points to function   
   Move up and down with the cursor keys   
   Change the function option with the YES/NO (below the key pad)   
   If no batteries are fitted after removing the power plug will reset options

      Settings
   Kybd Vol Changing Keyboard volume   100
   Octave Changing Octave (VOICE function voice and dual voice)   0
   RevLevel Changing Reverb Send Level (VOICE function voice)    28
   ChoLevel Changing Chorus Send Level (VOICE function voice)   70
   DspLevel Changing DSP Send Level (VOICE function voice)   26
   Pan Stereo Panning (VOICE function voice)    0
   VoiceSet Turning Voice Set ON/OFF   ON
   FngrngMd Selecting Fingering mode (Fingered mode)   NOR
   AcompVol Setting Accompaniment Volume   100
   AccSpPnt Changing Accompaniment Split Point (Accomp mode)   54
   TouchSns Setting Touch Sensitivity    100
   MinusMod Selecting Minus One Mode   --r
   MinusChR Selecting Minus One Right-hand Channel   01
   MinusChL Selecting Minus One Left-hand Channel   02
   PBRange Setting Pitch Bend Range   02
   Metronom Metronome ON/OFF    OFF
   Tuning Fine Tuning    00
   RemoteCh Setting Remote Keyboard Channel   OFF
   KybdOut Transmitting Keyboard Data   ON
   SongOut Transmitting Song data (Melody track/s)    ON
   AcompOut Transmitting Auto-accompaniment data   ON
   Local Local Control ON/OFF   ON
   ExtClock External Clock ON/OFF   OFF
   InitSnd? Sending Initial Data   YES
   BulkSnd? Sending Bulk Data    YES

Regards Tony