How to Play Vintage Synths & Modules With Modern USB Midi

How to Play Vintage Synths & Modules With Modern USB Midi

If you own a modern home keyboard chances are it will not have traditional 5 pin MIDI in-out and through connections.It will have USB MIDI.

Steps

1. Buy a standard 3 or 5 meter printer USB cable.

2. Purchase a USB MIDI lead. It will have a flat USB one end and two standard 5 pin MIDI in-out connectors.

3. Connect the tunnel end USB printer cable to you keyboard and switch it on.Then connect the flat end part to the USB input on the front of your PC. It will be recognised by Windows Plug n Play.

4. Connect the USB MIDI IN lead with 5 pins to the synth or module, e.g TG 500 or SY 85, etc. Connect the USB flat end to the other spare USB slot on the front of your PC. It will be recognised by Windows Plug n Play.

5. Launch your DAW software such as SONAR or CUBASIS. Select MIDI connections in the menus.

6. Select MIDI IN as Audio USB 1. Select MIDI OUT for USB audio 2.

7. Make sure USB 1 is the keyboard and USB 2 is the lead into the synth or module.

• Now when you play your modern keyboard into the DAW on the computer the vintage synth or sound module will play back the notes and sounds.

Tips

• If you don't want to hear the modern keyboard sounds either turn the volume on the keyboard down or choose LOCAL off in the MIDI settings for your keyboard, such as a Yamaha PSR or a CASIO CTK.

Warnings

• Always turn on your modern keyboard first. Always connect the MIDI lead to the vintage synth when the synth is turned off.