Any Midiots here? I need help trouble-shooting a new-fangled MIDI cable

[marcellis]

I purchased something that looks strangely like a MIDI interface.

Here it is. (http://www.z-tek.com.cn/en/prodshow.asp?ProdId=137)

It has MIDI I/O cables on one end. On the other is a USB plug. In the middle, is a plastic device with three lights 1 red, 1 green & 1 yellow. Only the red lights up on mine. The other two are out.

The device is supposed to hook up to a laptop via USB and to a synth via MIDI cables. But I'm suspecting it's only a MIDI/USB version of a Y cable.

But here is what baffles me. You hook the thing up to USB ports in desktops and it functions as a MIDI interface. Its selling point is a laptop connection for synths. But neither the sequencer software I'm using (Voyetra Record Producer & Cubase 5.0), recognize the thing as an interface. XP doesn't recognize it either.

Neither of my notebooks (both late models, a Compaq Presario M2010US & a DELL Inspiron 600M) recognize the thing as a new MIDI interface either.

It came with no drivers. There are no drivers for it on the product site. The writing on the package is mostly Chinese.

So I conclude it is not a MIDI interface. But why in the **ll does it act like one when you plug it into a desktop computer?

I feel a little like Oliver Wendell Douglas on Green Acres. Every Midiot in Saigon seems to be using this dongle with their computers. But I try and my two computers don't pick it up.

Any ideas?

Thanks for the time.

[Rimmer]

Originally posted by marcellis
I purchased something that looks strangely like a MIDI interface.

Here it is. (http://www.z-tek.com.cn/en/prodshow.asp?ProdId=137)

It has MIDI I/O cables on one end. On the other is a USB plug. In the middle, is a plastic device with three lights 1 red, 1 green & 1 yellow. Only the red lights up on mine. The other two are out.

The device is supposed to hook up to a laptop via USB and to a synth via MIDI cables. But I'm suspecting it's only a MIDI/USB version of a Y cable.

But here is what baffles me. You hook the thing up to USB ports in desktops and it functions as a MIDI interface. Its selling point is a laptop connection for synths. But neither the sequencer software I'm using (Voyetra Record Producer & Cubase 5.0), recognize the thing as an interface. XP doesn't recognize it either.

Neither of my notebooks (both late models, a Compaq Presario M2010US & a DELL Inspiron 600M) recognize the thing as a new MIDI interface either.

It came with no drivers. There are no drivers for it on the product site. The writing on the package is mostly Chinese.

So I conclude it is not a MIDI interface. But why in the **ll does it act like one when you plug it into a desktop computer?

I feel a little like Oliver Wendell Douglas on Green Acres. Every Midiot in Saigon seems to be using this dongle with their computers. But I try and my two computers don't pick it up.

Any ideas?

Thanks for the time.

Not everything needs a driver. I'm not too hot on Xp's situation but many Mac interfaces just work. They work at core level so once the OS recognises what the device is, it will work with any midi application. I am not under the impression that is the case with XP but I could be wrong.

There is a support page on their site so you can email them about the problem.

Other than that. Best of luck.. !

[marcellis]

Thanks. I have emailed them. I received a quick response that simply said,

" Dear ellis,
I'm sorry!The cable doesn't use on your laptop computer!This device is a midi interface not only a cable!"

BTW, I like your Napoleon quote. I just bought a hand-made copy of Ingres' painting of Napoleon as emperor. It's over my bed. (http://music.marcellis.net/napoleonovermybed.JPG)

[Rimmer]

Originally posted by marcellis
Thanks. I have emailed them. I received a quick response that simply said,

" Dear ellis,
I'm sorry!The cable doesn't use on your laptop computer!This device is a midi interface not only a cable!"

BTW, I like your Napoleon quote. I just bought a hand-made copy of Ingres' painting of Napoleon as emperor. It's over my bed. (http://music.marcellis.net/napoleonovermybed.JPG)

That reply was pretty amusing... :D

Nice picture. Not sure if I could wake up to it in the morning though.. :eek:

[sean23]

Just out of curiosity would the cable work taking a single midi output from a keyboard to a desktop pc? I mean, what's the purpose of having two midi ends? Is this a stupid question?

[sean23]

Oh, now after looking more closely I bet one is an in and the other is out. Whoops

[SYN]

Originally posted by sean23
Oh, now after looking more closely I bet one is an in and the other is out. Whoops

Yes. I've never wanted to drive my BEAUTIFUL Casio CT-700, but I sure have the possibility to.:idea: :mad:

[wetwareinterface]

try this generic usb to midi driver from yamaha it may solve your problem

http://www.yamahasynth.com/download/midi_driver.html

[eixb]

check out m-audio's uno, it looks very similar to what you have:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Uno-main.html

try m-audio's drivers for your device. typically, simple products like this are made by one generic manufacturer and resold to various other big name manufacturers for distribution. prolific's pl2303 usb-serial bridge is a great example of this...you'll find it in 99% of serial based devices by countless manufacturers that need their product converted for use with usb. even though all the products have different labels and names, they all share the same basic driver.

drivers for m-audio are available at:

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.drivers

worth a shot! good luck.

[nerol1st]

I have an uno, good little unit. But I don't use it at all much anymore.

Peace
Loren