controller trouble in "solo"

[jeff180]

i have solo installed in a dell inspiron B130 and i cannot get it to show any of my controllers at all. the laptop is running xp. am i missing something?

[TiUser]

...you mean in the Cantabile midi devices assignment? Do other applications show your midi devices as expected?

[jeff180]

no midi devices show in the lists at all; not in devices or assignments. the setup>devices only shows "any" , "none". and "on screen keyboard" nothing else, no matter what controller i connect to the laptop. the comp knows it's there. i even installed the driver for my m-audio controller and the comp took it just fine, but solo wont show anything

[TiUser]

You have to select the midi controllers in the "Setup" tab -> "Midi devices" first. When having checked the wanted midi in devices they will show up in the racks selection too.

Point here is that you can just select the devices you want for Cantabile and leave the others free for other applications - if needed...

[jeff180]

hi again, i'm sorry but i do know the setup>midi devices thing. the problem is no controllers show in "midi devices" none. the comp knows they're there, but solo doesn't for some reason.

[TiUser]

hi again, i'm sorry but i do know the setup>midi devices thing. the problem is no controllers show in "midi devices" none. the comp knows they're there, but solo doesn't for some reason.

Before you can use any midi controllers like keyboards and others you have to choose the ones you want to use in Cantabile... without this you can't select any as inputs in racks!

Click on setup on top above the ribbon in Cantabile in the bar you see "Home" - "Record" - "Setup". Then the setup ribbon appears.

See the pane "MIDI" and click on "Midi Devices". The "Options" dialog box with the "Midi Devices" page opens. Check the midi in devices you want to use in your racks here! I doubt this list will not show anything if windows recognizes your controllers.

Once selected the midi devices in the options dialog you should see and be able to select your devices in any rack's Midi in as well.

[jeff180]

yes, that is what's so puzzling; i click "setup>midi devices" and i get the "midi port" window, but the only thing that shows is "wavetable synth" - nothing else. i'm very confused

[lallis]

Jeff, is it absolutely certain and confirmed the various drivers are installed and recognized? Can you see them in other applications that do MIDI? I know you said your computer "knows about them". If it really does, this is very weird, as you say. Cantabile (I too use the Solo one) has always showed all the existing MIDI ports automatically.

How about the pulldown menus for the "Default devices at the bottom? Do any ports appear in those lists?

Have you ever seen any MIDI ports in Cantabile, or is this a new installation?

[TiUser]

...the devices need also to be connected and switched on before Cantabile is started. Once recognized by Cantabile even disconnected devices show up again with a hint that these are currently not connected...

Another possibility is that there is already another application running and blocking these ports while Cantabile is in that early virgin state...

[jeff180]

i also thought about the possibility that another application may be blocking the ports. i can connect other usb devices (external hard drive etc) and they work like a charm. i know this is a cantabile forum and not a microsoft forum, but would you know how i can check to see if there is another app blocking the ports in XP?

[TiUser]

...a HD, mouse, etc. may be usb devices but are NO midi device - so this doesn't mean anything! When I spoke of ports I meant "midi ports" not usb ports.

What is your usb midi device? A keyboard? Did you install the manufacturers drivers for it? If it's not a "plug and play" device the OS can not use it at all without these.

[jeff180]

i have a midiman 49 keystation and did install the manufacturer drivers. also have a couple of those cheap ebay interfaces that claim to be plug and play, but i still went and got the RoMIO software for these interfaces. i can check hardware in windows and it shows "usb composite device" i assume this is the ebay interface it also shows "m-audio 49 keystation". now, these items show in the Windows device manager, but not in cantabile.

[lallis]

...also have a couple of those cheap ebay interfaces that claim to be plug and play, but i still went and got the RoMIO software for these

The USB MIDI is "class compliant", and if you just let it install itself normally, Windows will make you a MIDI port. No further software is necessary or desirable. I don't even know what RoMIO is, but it won't help Windows find those ports, if that's what you're hoping from it.

Even the very cheapest USB MIDI-thingies work well now, so the chances are small that both of yours are dead. On the other hand they aren't carefully made, either, so maybe one of them is bad. Have you tried both? If it goes through a recognition process (New Device Found) things usually work after that. Just let it work itself entirely through, which can a full minute or even more.

[TiUser]

RoM I/O is a two in / out Midi <-> USB interface made by ESI.

Not all usb midi gear is class compliant. But even if it is dedicated drivers give it usually a better performance.

Maybe another idea is using midi ox and having a look if the midi ports are detected there...

[jeff180]

all the ebay interfaces work well on my dell with vista. i had to get the RoMIO drivers for vista. the interfaces are plug and play for xp only. they did go thru the "new device found" process and stated the drivers were installed and the item is ready to use. my m-audio downloaded correctly also, but nothing in solo is showing. i'm so lost on this. what is "midi ox"?

this is a new installation for the xp laptop. the devices do show in windows device manager. it shows the keystation and i believe it's calling the ebay interfaces "usb composite device(s)"