Keith McMillen K-Board controller

bleak · 07-21-2018, 08:11 PM

I can't get Reaper 5.93 to work with it since I upgraded Reaper last month. It worked before.

Reaper sees it in the MIDI prefs input device. I was able to record some notes somehow but there was no monitoring. It plays back the notes. However... no sound when I push any keys. No sound from the soft synth keyboard VST plugin (M-Tron Pro). No sound with Virtual MIDI Keyboard either.

I occasionally get the message: "The following MIDI inputs could not be opened: K-Board" but not consistantly.

The K-Board works with the stand-alone M-Tron Pro as well as Ableton Live so it is definitely something in Reaper. Either my ineptitude or a bug. All my devices in Device Manager (Windows 7 Pro) are OK.

Just at a loss of how to proceed. I'd like to buy it but not until I get this working.

JamesPeters · 07-21-2018, 08:23 PM

I have a QuNexus (basically the same thing) and it still works (Win 7 x64, Reaper x64).

It seems the lowest note it will send by default (without using its own software, which I don't bother with) is note 24 (with the Oct shifted down 2x) so to trigger lower notes than that I have to use a MIDI plugin as an input effect (MIDI Tool II works nicely for this). Other than that it works as anyone might expect, including realtime playback of VSTi and recording MIDI.

This could be a hardware issue, including the USB cable. Try another USB cable first and go from there.

bleak · 07-21-2018, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesPeters

I have a QuNexus (basically the same thing) and it still works (Win 7 x64, Reaper x64).

It seems the lowest note it will send by default (without using its own software, which I don't bother with) is note 24 (with the Oct shifted down 2x) so to trigger lower notes than that I have to use a MIDI plugin as an input effect (MIDI Tool II works nicely for this). Other than that it works as anyone might expect, including realtime playback of VSTi and recording MIDI.

This could be a hardware issue, including the USB cable. Try another USB cable first and go from there.

Thanks for reply. Here is the results of what you suggest...

Change cable (one I use frequently): Negative.
All octave shifts: Negative.

I tried the built-in ReaSynth and it doestn't work either with K-Board or Virtual keyboard.
Also tried plugging in directly to PC USB (ie not powered hub).

Like I said, the K-Board works with Ableton and the stand-alone M-Tron Pro; just not in Reaper so maybe a configuration problem?

JamesPeters · 07-21-2018, 10:17 PM

Those are the same settings as mine (although mine has extra MIDI ins/outs because it's the QuNexus, although I don't use those).

Right-click on the Kboard listing in the MIDI inputs box, and check if the configuration has been switched from default settings. (Mine is at default.)

As for the Kboard working in Ableton, do you mean on the same PC? If not, that might explain things more (possibly a USB port that doesn't like the Kboard for some reason).

Or perhaps the CPU is powering down the USB port ("selective suspend") when using Reaper but not when using Ableton. Reaper is pretty light on CPU useage, so Windows might not get to its higher "CPU usage trigger level" so as to not shut down the USB ports "due to inactivity of the CPU", whereas Ableton might use more CPU by default and stop that USB port "sleep" from happening. Check your power settings. It should be set to "high performance" or at least your profile should manually be set item by item to whatever makes sense (don't let USB "sleep", make sure CPU doesn't throttle down, etc.) Control panel -> power options.

bleak · 07-21-2018, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesPeters

Those are the same settings as mine (although mine has extra MIDI ins/outs because it's the QuNexus, although I don't use those).

Right-click on the Kboard listing in the MIDI inputs box, and check if the configuration has been switched from default settings. (Mine is at default.)

This is default, yes?

JamesPeters · 07-21-2018, 10:24 PM

Yes. Anyway I added more to my post, so check that stuff out too.

bleak · 07-21-2018, 10:32 PM

It is the same PC. I'll check power settings...

bleak · 07-21-2018, 10:37 PM

You must mean Device Manager.

I'm going to shutdown and unplug everything USB except K-Board but not tonight. Will report. Thanks.

JamesPeters · 07-21-2018, 10:59 PM

No, I mean what I said.

Here's more info:

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/window...des-explained/

"High Performance" profile is best unless you want to dig around and be really selective of what you consider acceptable to "slow down" or "sleep" while you're potentially working in a DAW (not a good thing, if you don't want your audio/MIDI devices glitching).

mschnell · 07-21-2018, 11:56 PM

Did you switch on live monitoring (the small loudspeaker symbol) in the track header ?

-Michael

bleak · 07-22-2018, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesPeters

No, I mean what I said.

Here's more info:

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/window...des-explained/

"High Performance" profile is best unless you want to dig around and be really selective of what you consider acceptable to "slow down" or "sleep" while you're potentially working in a DAW (not a good thing, if you don't want your audio/MIDI devices glitching).

My bad. Found that, changed to high performance and disabled USB selective suspend. No change.

I also downloaded some free synths from pluginboutique.com. They don't work in Reaper either but they work in Ableton Live.

bleak · 07-22-2018, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mschnell

Did you switch on live monitoring (the small loudspeaker symbol) in the track header ?

-Michael

I think so. The little speaker is green. I tried all the choices for that. Thanks.

JamesPeters · 07-22-2018, 07:38 PM

I'm at a loss for any other pointers, at least for now. (Assuming your MIDI keyboard works properly for other DAWs but not Reaper, on the same system with the same USB port.)

One more thing I can think of: uninstall Reaper entirely, delete all preferences/settings (remove whatever folders Reaper leaves behind when it's uninstalled), reinstall "totally fresh". Before doing this you can try a "portable" install to see if it'll help (it runs from a specific directory, it's sort of "sandboxed" and isolated from other stuff on your system).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlsLEc5cvEM

If I can think of anything else that might be the case I'll post again but I doubt it'll happen.

bleak · 07-22-2018, 08:21 PM

That is good advise, James. I will try. I also have another PC to try it on but yours is a better idea. Will get back, thanks.

Dr Bob · 07-23-2018, 05:28 AM

If no synths make any sound - have you checked that your audio device is selected properly in the Preferences? Just a thought …

dB

bleak · 07-23-2018, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Bob

If no synths make any sound - have you checked that your audio device is selected properly in the Preferences? Just a thought …

dB

Thanks, yes it is selected. I tried both Direct Sound, Asio and WASAPI (whatever that is. Italian driver? Japanese spicy driver?) drivers. The ASIO settings show that my device is working.

I thought MIDI problem BUT I can record so the MIDI signal is coming in.

Confounded.

bleak · 07-23-2018, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesPeters

I'm at a loss for any other pointers, at least for now. (Assuming your MIDI keyboard works properly for other DAWs but not Reaper, on the same system with the same USB port.)

One more thing I can think of: uninstall Reaper entirely, delete all preferences/settings (remove whatever folders Reaper leaves behind when it's uninstalled), reinstall "totally fresh". Before doing this you can try a "portable" install to see if it'll help (it runs from a specific directory, it's sort of "sandboxed" and isolated from other stuff on your system).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlsLEc5cvEM

If I can think of anything else that might be the case I'll post again but I doubt it'll happen.

I did it. No change. Not the portable install though. I will try another PC next.

BTW, disabling the USB polling (or whatever that is) screwed up my sound from other apps. Volume fluctuation and glitches. No harm in trying though.

JamesPeters · 07-23-2018, 07:57 PM

I don't know where "USB polling" would be, either in Reaper or Windows settings. That's not something I have ever changed on a computer.

Making the USB "selective suspend setting" to "disabled" shouldn't mess up anything. It just means your computer is always feeding the USB ports power, not allowing it to save energy when the USB port(s) isn't/aren't in use. If that causes a problem, throw your computer in the garbage.

Wait a minute: you said you can record MIDI? Earlier you said you got "The following MIDI inputs could not be opened" error messages, which means you wouldn't get any functionality (and that makes sense, if it's not being recognized for some reason). But to say it records MIDI but...um...what's the problem otherwise?

If it records MIDI that means you should be able to monitor it. So is the device recognized in Reaper without giving you those earlier error messages? If it is, that's not your problem. The problem would then possibly be related to the MIDI channel your Kboard is on (if you only select "channel 1" as the MIDI to record as in your Reaper TCP screencap, but maybe the Kboard is sometimes resetting to another channel? I'm grasping at straws in the dark with that...)

Check the properties of the recorded notes in the piano roll to see what channel they were recorded on and if that matches what you expect for the Kboard's MIDI output and whatever you set your channel to record.

Also you can try setting your MIDI input to record on the channel in Reaper as "all channels" (specifically selecting the Kboard input, and "all channels"). Couldn't hurt, to see if it'll record and monitor at the same time at least. It's a reasonable step in troubleshooting anyway. If you hadn't specifically picked your MIDI controller from the MIDI input list, maybe that itself was an issue due to some conflict with another controller being active (if the virtual MIDI keyboard was open for instance?)

So to be clear: in the TCP, for the track, set your input to "input: MIDI" -> "Kboard" -> "all channels". Arm the track to record, hit the monitor button. Go from there. (I'd assumed you already did this, by the way.)

bleak · 09-17-2018, 01:20 PM

I upgraded my PC. It now has plenty of hardware power. AMD Athlon X4 Quad-core 845 (up from AMD A4-6300), 16 GB 1866 MHz DDR3 (up from 8 GB), NVidia/EVGA GT710 2GB (up from no graphics card). Yep, it was overdue.

Now, at least, I consistantly get the K-Board error message when I open Reaper.

The K-Board still works with stand-alone M-Tron Pro app and Ableton Live. The K-Board will not work with Reaper.

FWIW, I once recorded from the K-Board in Reaper WITHOUT SOUND. That means I didn't hear the notes I was playing as I recorded them. That is hardly what I would call a usable DAW. You can see the notes in the screen shot. I hope that is clear.

BrentP · 09-17-2018, 01:39 PM

WASAPI: Windows Audio Session Application Programming Interface.

JamesPeters · 09-17-2018, 03:10 PM

As for the error message, I have no idea why that's happening. Mine works fine, although it's not the K-Board exactly (it's the QuNexus). I can play it "live" any time I want. I just tried it again with the latest version of Reaper. Works like a charm.

Did you try what I recommended in my last post from 2 months ago? Specifically not only arming the track but also to hit the record monitor button. You can't monitor the MIDI notes through the VSTi on the track (assuming there's a VSTi on the track) if that monitor isn't enabled. (I can't see enough in your image, since it's been cropped. However if Reaper is recording MIDI, it should be able to monitor it. I have to assume you didn't enable record monitoring.)

Also if you specify a MIDI channel for the VSTi to use which differs from the MIDI channel you set to record (or play "live" with the keyboard), you won't hear the notes. I went over this in my previous post.

We can't move forward unless you try these things, and if you already have tried them you need to say these variables have been eliminated otherwise people won't know.

bleak · 09-17-2018, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesPeters

As for the error message, I have no idea why that's happening. Mine works fine, although it's not the K-Board exactly (it's the QuNexus). I can play it "live" any time I want. I just tried it again with the latest version of Reaper. Works like a charm.

Did you try what I recommended in my last post from 2 months ago? Specifically not only arming the track but also to hit the record monitor button. You can't monitor the MIDI notes through the VSTi on the track (assuming there's a VSTi on the track) if that monitor isn't enabled. (I can't see enough in your image, since it's been cropped. However if Reaper is recording MIDI, it should be able to monitor it. I have to assume you didn't enable record monitoring.)

Also if you specify a MIDI channel for the VSTi to use which differs from the MIDI channel you set to record (or play "live" with the keyboard), you won't hear the notes. I went over this in my previous post.

We can't move forward unless you try these things, and if you already have tried them you need to say these variables have been eliminated otherwise people won't know.

Yes, I tried all that; arm the track to record, enable monitoring etc. MIDI channels are set to ALL.

bleak · 09-17-2018, 06:20 PM

OK, I figured it out. During my search for asio2wasapi, I came across ReaRoute that is OPTIONAL in Reaper. Guess what, I didn't choose it during my last update months ago. I didn't know what it was and didn't know it was needed. So, hey, whatever it takes. I am happy to have Reaper back. Thanks to all for your help!

JamesPeters · 09-17-2018, 10:58 PM

Do you mean that Reaper was incapable of playing any sound at all, because you hadn't chosen the right audio driver?

bleak · 09-17-2018, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesPeters

Do you mean that Reaper was incapable of playing any sound at all, because you hadn't chosen the right audio driver?

No.

ReaRoute is an unchecked option when you install Reaper.

JamesPeters · 09-18-2018, 12:51 AM

Ok I looked up what ReaRoute is (I've never used it), and I don't see how that applies to your issue...unless you were using a standalone version of the synth and not a VSTi? I'd assumed that you were trying to run the VSTi version in Reaper based on what you said: "No sound from the soft synth keyboard VST plugin (M-Tron Pro)." When you mentioned the standalone version, you only mentioned trying that with the k-board, so I didn't think that meant you were trying to use the standalone version of that synth with Reaper.

Dr Bob · 09-18-2018, 06:20 AM

Just a point to note … setting Midi channels to ALL is not always respected by some synths, and you need/must be specific about the channels used to send and receive for things to work.

e.g. some synths will ONLY work with MIDI data sent on channel 1 - and will not work if it's sent on any other channel or even ALL.

Just so you are aware.

ReaRoute can't have anything to do with it IMO, a red herring. Perhaps just a re-install did it??

Glad you are sorted.

dB