New Pro Tools 2018 Setup with Yamaha Midi Grand

[danm190]

Hello All,

So I just bought Pro Tools 2018 with a Scarlett 6i6 Audio/midi Interface.

I also have a Yamaha Disklavier DC3 grand piano(Midi capable) and a Yamaha Tyros 2 keyboard. (Both have USB Midi and the older Midi DIN connections)

I can get everything to work, but then after one track recording, maybe two? I lose MIDI control information from my midi devices? The only fix is a restart of PC? Pro Tools will also not shutdown nicely? I have to kill the task.

I can load a template and play it back successfully, I can click record enable on a track and use any of my two midi devices to record a new track. It records some input. If I close the session and start a new session. Once I start the new session, I lose midi control again? My mixer shows no input?

Basically, things work super sporadic or pretty much not at all? The only thing that fixes the issue is a complete restart of my PC? I can see the Yamaha USB devices without a problem?

I'm using USB midi connections and not the older midi DIN connectors. I'm also using a Thinkpad X1 notebook, i7, SSD with Windows 10. I have Windows updates disabled and I run Pro Tools in Administrator mode. I have the latest Yamaha USB midi drivers installed.

I'm wondering if I should use the traditional midi connections and cables and connect up to the Scarlett midi ports? and not use the Yamaha devices directly via USB?

I use to use Sonar Cakewalk 8.5? (IRC) with my Yamaha DC3 and Tyros 2 and I never had basic problems of recording? Back then I was using the traditional Midi DIN connectors and not direct USB connections.

I've attached an image of what I think the midi connection should be? Can anyone confirm if my MIDI wiring diagram is correct? I was thinking I may need a midi thru box? Since my midi devices do not have any thru port connections.

I'd really like to have my midi grand be my main controller.

Thanks All for any help? I'm super excited to get my Pro Tools working.

[BScout]

make sure your USB ports are set to always on (no sleep or powerdown options) in Windows. A power scheme change can change these so make sure you aren't using Lenovo's power manager to auto switch schemes.

[The Weed]

This ^^^^ and that's just one of many optimizations recommended by Avid.

[Shan]

Originally Posted by danm190

Can anyone confirm if my MIDI wiring diagram is correct?

I you're using 5 pin DIN MIDI cables, you'll have to use MIDI Thru for the type of routing you want to achieve in your diagram.

Shane

[danm190]

Thanks Shane. that is what I thought. I am going to switch to using the old midi connectors and get a midi thru box so I can run everything through the Scarlett interface. Right now, I was only using USB cables direct to the PC.

Originally Posted by Shan

I you're using 5 pin DIN MIDI cables, you'll have to use MIDI Thru for the type of routing you want to achieve in your diagram.

Shane

[danm190]

Update! Last night I tried to hook up one Yamaha keyboard (Tyros 2) via midi cable to my Scarlett 6i6 Audio/midi interface. I had midi out to midi in and vice versa. The only USB connection was from my PC to the audio/midi interface.

I opened up pro tools 2018 and was able to play back a basic template, I was able to select record enable on one track and it recorded. I went to another track and tried to record enable and BAM! no more midi input? Nothing, nadda. Zilch!.

Rebooted PC, opened up protools, tried to create a new session with one midi track. Couldn't even record one midi track.

I never had any issues with CakeWalk Pro and a $49 cheesie midi interface. Now I have $800 dollars wrapped up in supposedly professional tools and can't even do basic stuff.

Also, if I had pro tools opened and I go to watch one youtube video, then close down youtube and go back to pro tools and play a simple template, the sound coming out the monitors becomes distorted. I could reproduce this everytime. I also experience, without failure, Pro Tools slowing down to a crawl. Playback slows down so much it doesn't even playback? Happens if I close down one session and go to open up a new one, almost like clock work, pro tools slows to a crawl.

I've reviewed all the Windows 10 optimization notes and frankly they look like a joke. Nothing should be stopping me from recording one simple midi track.

BTW, I tried hooking up both my Tyros 2 and my Midi Grand Disklavier and both would not record one simple midi track using Pro Tools 2018 w/ Scarlett 6i6.

[Shan]

Originally Posted by danm190

I opened up pro tools 2018 and was able to play back a basic template, I was able to select record enable on one track and it recorded.

The good news is you confirmed it working at that point.

Originally Posted by danm190

I went to another track and tried to record enable and BAM! no more midi input? Nothing, nadda. Zilch!.

Was this track an Instrument track, or MIDI track? Make sure the MIDI Input Selector is assigned to the same/proper MIDI Channel:



Another thing I would suggest is to make sure your using the most recent drivers for your Scarlett I/O.

Amazing Yamaha Disklavier you have by the way!

Shane

[danm190]

On the basic templates most of the tracks are instrument tracks and I show no midi inputs on them at all? I only see the audio inputs. I only see midi input devices when I create a midi track.

My keyboard will be seen initially, its set to transmit, I can see when there is midi activity on the channels themselves?

In reading some of the Avid recommendations, they say they don't support usb 3.0? How can that be? My Thinkpad X1 is four years old and it has usb 3.0? This is protools 2018?

I've uninstalled and reinstall the audio interface drivers and yes they are the latest.

I still need to figure out all the wiring? I've read that with some devices you need to run both usb and midi cables? I'm going to try a different USB hub. My USB drivers show an option to turn on/off midi thru, so I don't suppose I will need a physical midi thru box?

Maybe another step may be to uninstall Pro Tools and try again? I did install pro tools and then had to do a major windows update as well. update 1709.

I am also considering buying an all new computer?

Originally Posted by Shan

The good news is you confirmed it working at that point.

Was this track an Instrument track, or MIDI track? Make sure the MIDI Input Selector is assigned to the same/proper MIDI Channel:



Another thing I would suggest is to make sure your using the most recent drivers on your Scarlett I/O.

Amazing Yamaha Disklavier you have by the way!

Shane

[danm190]

My Yamaha DC3 has a one of a kind sound, so Amazing! I bought it 15 years ago. I go into the dealer now and play all of their pianos and still none of the similar pianos come close.

Maybe I should get some condenser mics and just record my piano using an audio track and forgot about midi... LOL!!

Originally Posted by Shan

The good news is you confirmed it working at that point.

Amazing Yamaha Disklavier you have by the way!

Shane