Essential 49 not working as simple controller for hardware synths!

[DC_Cardwell]

I received my new Essential 49 a few days ago and have been happily using it with software synths on my PC.

However, today I tried hooking it up to my hardware synths using a simple MIDI cable. Nothing happened!

I used an external 9V power supply for the keyboard, and I checked that the MIDI cable was working. In each case I connected it directly without any other equipment connected.

I also tried it on four different hardware synths (Roland SE-02, microKORG XL, EMU Proteus 2000 and Casio Privia piano) and it didn't work with any of them.

It seems unlikely that there's anything wrong with a brand new Arturia, but before I contact the supplier I thought I'd better check - is there some simple (or complicated) setting I was forgetting about on the keyboard that's necessary for such a simple functionality?

Thanks - DC

[Matt Arturia]

Hi,

Is your Keylab Essential set on a specific midi channel ? If yes try to set it to MIDI CH 1. To do so press and hold the MIDI CH button and press the first key of the keyboard.

Regards,

Matthieu

[DC_Cardwell]

Thanks Matthieu - I already did that. I also reset the Arturia to its factory defaults.

Seems strange, this, doesn't it? I'm not a MIDI whizz by any means, but surely this should work out of the box!

- DC

[Matt Arturia]

Yep this seems strange...

Do you have an audio interface with MIDI Input ? If yes you can monitor MIDI messages using MIDI OX (PC) or MIDI Monitor (OS X) and see if the Keylab is corretly sending data.

Edit : Also can you confirm that you want to use the Keylab to control hardware synth without using a computer. Because if what you want to do is USB to MIDI DIN Out (basically send a sequence from the computer to an hardware synth using a midi controller) this is not possible with the Keylab Essential.

[DC_Cardwell]

Nice thought, but I'm afraid I don't have one of those - my audio interface doesn't have MIDI.

And yes, I want to connect  the Arturia directly to a synth using a MIDI cable, i.e. use it as a traditional MIDI controller keyboard. (Not using a USB cable.) I'm pretty sure I don't need to do anything on the Arturia (change any settings) to make that happen, am I right?

[DC_Cardwell]

PS: I've just returned it as I was tired struggling to get this to work. I guess I'll never know if it was faulty as I'm reluctant to order another one. The Analog Lab integration was fun but maybe not, er, essential. Thanks again for your help, Matthieu.