Pro Tools is unable to communicate with Arturia Midi controller

[SeagullA]

Hi all,

I am unable to get Protools to communicate with my Arturia Keylab MKii 61.
I keep getting the error message “Protools unable to communicate with HUI”

I do actually get a signal in my instrument track when I touch the keys and I can make my Protools track start, stop, mute, solo etc. with the Arturia's PT commands.
It just won’t control/play any virtual instrument!
The virtual instruments work fine btw when I operate them with a mouse.

The Arturia does show up under Midi devices and I am able to set it up in Peripherals HUI.
It also works fine in stand alone mode and is recognized by my computer, just not in PT.

I am doing the testing with record enabled, have midi through checked off and have gone over the install directions a dozen times and watched a dozen youtube help videos to no avail.

My set up is:

Mac OS Big Sur
2020 27” Imac
Protools:
Midi Controller: Arturia Keylab MKii 61

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[briaboy]

Is the Arturia a USB MIDI keyboard? If so, it should be recognized in Peripherals (not as HUI though). Attached is my M-Audio MIDI keyboard set up in Peripherals.

Second, see 2nd pic from PT Preferences: "Default Thru Instrument" should be set to "first selected MIDI track".

Hope this helps!

[SeagullA]

Thanks for the reply briaboy.
I figured it out last night!
I just need to change the output on my instrument track from predefined "keyalb mkii" to the vst plug in I was using. Now I get sound and can record in midi after 4 days...

[briaboy]

Did you get this to work?

[albee1952]

Some things to remember:
1-HUI is not midi note info. HUI is control protocol for things like volume(via faders) and transport. Best to start by killing HUI function and work on getting midi to work on your INSTRUMENT tracks.
2-In PT, go to Setup>Midi>Midi Studio. Create a new "instrument", name it as you like. The settings for brand and model are optional(they don't matter). The setting that really DOES matter is the Input path. This is where you tell Pro Tools where to "look for" incoming midi data. Given the Arturia uses a USB connection, it would probably look something like "Arturia Keylab on USB[Emulated]".
3-you may need to put the INSTRUMENT track into Record-ready for it to actually trigger the sounds of the plugin you insert(for testing purposes, I like MiniGrand or DB-33(which loads faster).
4-Once you do have it working, if you decide to change the VI plugin, the assignment might not reset by itself. To reset manually(which you should learn how to do anyway), go to View>Mix Window and check the "Instruments" option. This will add a row of boxes across the top of your MIX window. On AUDIO and AUX tracks, this will not show anything, but on INSTRUMENT tracks, it will show where the midi info of that track should go(usually the VI plugin on that track)

[SeagullA]

Thanks Briaboy and Albee1952!
I did get the controller to work by assigning it to the VST i was using on the instrument track instead of what the directions from Arturia recommended.
Otherwise everything else is how Arturia recommended to set it up to work in PT.

[briaboy]

Good to hear!

[huzzam]

Just wanted to chime in here, years later, because I was just facing this myself and this thread helped, but wasn't the whole answer. Adding my solution for posterity.


I ended up having to set up the Keylab Essential MkII in Settings->Peripherals->MIDI Controllers as BOTH:

• HUI, with the DAW in/out ports, and
• M-Audio Keyboard, with the MIDI in/out ports

Additionally (as per Arturia's website) I set the Keylab to use HUI instead of Mackie protocol, in the 'MIDI Control Center' app.


Now I have full functionality for both DAW control (except for the 'metro' button, which does nothing) and playing VIs.