16 Jun
2022
16 Jun
'22
1:53 a.m.
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and see that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the computer and convert that to USB?
Thanks!
--
**** Listen to my FREE CD at http://www.mellowood.ca/music/cedars ****
Bob van der Poel ** Wynndel, British Columbia, CANADA **
EMAIL: bob(a)mellowood.ca
WWW: http://www.mellowood.ca
16 Jun
16 Jun
2:01 a.m.
Hi Bob,
this is a general reply, but may be a good guidance.
Jun 15 2022, Bob van der Poel has written:
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and see
that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
Yes, without having read the manual.
Though these things are standardised.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
With USB MIDI not sure, I have 2 and 3 metre USB
cables and they work fine.
DIN MIDI goes up to 10 or 15, so I _SUPPOSE_(!) that will work for USB MIDI as
well. IIRC latency in that is basically a question of length and USB and
classic MIDI are both based on conducting current, opposed to light, so the
lengths should be in the same ball park. I may stand corrected.
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the computer and
convert that to USB?
I have never seen that direction. A to MIDI DIN yes, but B to
MIDI no. They
may exist yet.
Sorry to be vague, but I'd rather be cautious. I know what it is to sepnd "a
lot of money" and how sure you'd want to be.
Best wishes, HTH,
Jeanette
Thanks!
--
**** Listen to my FREE CD at http://www.mellowood.ca/music/cedars ****
Bob van der Poel ** Wynndel, British Columbia, CANADA **
EMAIL: bob(a)mellowood.ca
WWW: http://www.mellowood.ca
--
* Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound
* Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMS4rfGrTwz8W7jhC1Jnv7g
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I love the things you say
And I love the love your touch conveys <3
(Britney Spears)
2:04 a.m.
On June 15, 2022 11:52:17 AM HST, Bob van der Poel <bob(a)mellowood.ca> wrote:
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and see
that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
Yes.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
I don't know if there's a length limit. I think if the keyboard's in the same
room as the computer, I don't think cables will be long enough to matter.
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the computer and
convert that to USB?
If the keyboard doesn't *have* a MIDI port, why bother? My USB<>MIDI adaptor is
powered via USB, so I think it might have to be plugged into the computer's USB, not
the keyboard's USB.
---
David W. Jones
gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com
exploring the landscape of god
http://dancingtreefrog.com
Sent from my Android device with F/LOSS K-9 Mail.
2:22 a.m.
Thanks guys.
I see that Amazon has all kinds of lengths of cable. 10 ft. should be fine,
and for the same price I can get 16 which is even better. I have never
needed long cables in my studio so have no experience there.
Glad to hear that this should "just work". I was looking at the manual and
(unsurprisingly) they only mention connections to windows computers (as far
back as Vista). But, in the Amazon blurb they say that it'll work with
windows, mac and even android.
Thanks for dissuading me about connecting via old form MIDI. It was a
really dumb thought!
I'll be putting my WK-3000 in the closet for a well deserved rest. I fear
its days are numbered and don't want to be key-short when I'm doing a
project!
On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 3:04 PM David W. Jones <gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
On June 15, 2022 11:52:17 AM HST, Bob van der Poel <bob(a)mellowood.ca>
wrote:
--
**** Listen to my FREE CD at http://www.mellowood.ca/music/cedars ****
Bob van der Poel ** Wynndel, British Columbia, CANADA **
EMAIL: bob(a)mellowood.ca
WWW: http://www.mellowood.ca
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and
see that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
Yes.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
I don't know if there's a length limit. I think if the keyboard's in the
same room as the computer, I don't think cables will be long enough to
matter.
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the
computer and convert that to
USB?
If the keyboard doesn't *have* a MIDI port, why bother? My USB<>MIDI
adaptor is powered via USB, so I think it might have to be plugged into the
computer's USB, not the keyboard's USB.
---
David W. Jones
gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com
exploring the landscape of god
http://dancingtreefrog.com
Sent from my Android device with F/LOSS K-9 Mail.
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2:47 a.m.
Bob van der Poel <bob(a)mellowood.ca> writes:
Thanks guys.
I see that Amazon has all kinds of lengths of cable. 10 ft. should be fine,
and for the same price I can get 16 which is even better. I have never
needed long cables in my studio so have no experience there.
Glad to hear that this should "just work".
I may have expressed myself too subtle. The quote marks were to
indicate that this expectation is not always delivered in practice.
Granted, the potential for hub trouble with sound cards is definitely
higher than with MIDI connections.
--
David Kastrup
3:24 a.m.
"just work" should be an advertising trademark :)
In the WK-6600 manual they say that the first time you connect the keyboard
to a windows computer the software drivers will "automatically load". They
didn't add "and just work" :)
But, really, these days a lot of this stuff is getting pretty easy to
connect/run. I can't say I'll miss my MIDI cable adventures ... esp. when I
plug input to output, etc and stand there like an idiot wondering why
things don't "just work"!
On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 3:47 PM David Kastrup <dak(a)gnu.org> wrote:
Bob van der Poel <bob(a)mellowood.ca> writes:
--
**** Listen to my FREE CD at http://www.mellowood.ca/music/cedars ****
Bob van der Poel ** Wynndel, British Columbia, CANADA **
EMAIL: bob(a)mellowood.ca
WWW: http://www.mellowood.ca
Thanks guys.
I see that Amazon has all kinds of lengths of cable. 10 ft. should be
fine,
and for the same price I can get 16 which is even
better. I have never
needed long cables in my studio so have no experience there.
Glad to hear that this should "just work".
I may have expressed myself too subtle. The quote marks were to
indicate that this expectation is not always delivered in practice.
Granted, the potential for hub trouble with sound cards is definitely
higher than with MIDI connections.
--
David Kastrup
10:53 p.m.
Your keyboard most probably uses midi over usb, which is an open standard afaik. Linux
supports it perfectly well. Any standards compliant usb cable should do, including usb
extenders if you need.
Best, ph
Philippe Bekaert
Op 16 jun. 2022 om 00:06 heeft David W. Jones
<gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com> het volgende geschreven:
On June 15, 2022 11:52:17 AM HST, Bob van der
Poel <bob(a)mellowood.ca> wrote:
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and see that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
Yes.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
I don't know if there's a length limit. I think if the keyboard's in the same
room as the computer, I don't think cables will be long enough to matter.
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the
computer and convert that to USB?
If the keyboard doesn't *have* a MIDI port, why bother? My USB<>MIDI adaptor is
powered via USB, so I think it might have to be plugged into the computer's USB, not
the keyboard's USB.
---
David W. Jones
gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com
exploring the landscape of god
http://dancingtreefrog.com
Sent from my Android device with F/LOSS K-9 Mail.
_______________________________________________
Linux-audio-user mailing list
Linux-audio-user(a)lists.linuxaudio.org
https://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
2:18 a.m.
Bob van der Poel <bob(a)mellowood.ca> writes:
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and see
that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
Sure.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
USB extension cables tend to come in lengths of about 10m and have what
amounts to a 1-port hub at one end. You get the usual hub caveats of
"it really should work without problems".
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the computer and
convert that to USB?
MIDI to USB-A requires a so-called MIDI host,
i.e. <https://www.thomann.de/intl/kenton_midi_usb_host.htm>. Expensive
and cumbersome. If you already have a computer, squeezing MIDI
communications through a 31250bps intermediary seems like a huge
nuisance.
The one thing a hardware MIDI connection has going for it is that it is
optically separated current loop that will not introduce ground loops of
any kind (assuming the endpoints have not bungled the implementation, a
surprisingly common occurence). Once you patch this up with USB
connections on each side, it sounds like a recipe for more rather than
less trouble.
--
David Kastrup
3:27 a.m.
On Wed, 15 Jun 2022, Bob van der Poel wrote:
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and see
that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
That is the intention. It should look like a midi port on your computer.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
Assuming you really mean USB cable and not MIDI cable, Yes. Maximum cable
length USB-IF Standard is 5m (16.4 feet) though there are some passive
cables made (Newnex for one) good for up to 10m. Beyond that you need an
active USB cable... depending on what they put in there, this will work
fine or it will give problems.
My personal thought would be to keep things as short as needed remembering
that you want real time, accurate (no dropouts) data transfer. A missed
note is annoying, a wrong note, or garbled cc/program change is more
annoying and a missed note off could be really annoying. I don't know if
flaky USB would show up that way or if the USB connection shows a broken
more easily.
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the computer and
convert that to USB?
First thought is "don't go there" The keyboard is a client not a host and
you would need a small computer to act as that host and use it's serial
i/o as MIDI. The MIDI data would have to be stored and resent, collecting
latency along the way.
--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net
3:49 a.m.
Len Ovens <len(a)ovenwerks.net> writes:
On Wed, 15 Jun 2022, Bob van der Poel wrote:
There are USB-to-LAN-cable extenders that use a LAN cable for longer
stretches. Some of them are comparatively cheap, but the fine print
usually shows them up as "full speed", namely 12Mbps, making them
unsuitable for most soundcards but not for MIDI. But when hubs
(built-in?) come into play with other slow devices, the potential for
"hub problems" grows again by leaps and bounds.
--
David Kastrup
I'm looking at the Casio WK 6600 keyboard and
see that the old fashioned
MIDI connectors are replaced with a USB - B connector. Can anyone answer:
1. These connections are okay to connect my linux desktop computer to the
keyboard using a standard USB A-B cable?
That is the intention. It should look like a midi port on your computer.
2. How long can the MIDI cable be? I suppose if
it's too short I could
always insert an extension cable?
Assuming you really mean USB cable and not MIDI cable, Yes. Maximum
cable length USB-IF Standard is 5m (16.4 feet) though there are some
passive cables made (Newnex for one) good for up to 10m. Beyond that
you need an active USB cable... depending on what they put in there,
this will work fine or it will give problems. 
8:35 a.m.
On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 02:52:17PM -0700, Bob van der Poel wrote:
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the computer and
convert that to
USB?
Yes.
It's unnecessary in your case, since you're connecting to a PC that
already has a USB port.
But if you really wanted to (for example, if instead of a PC, you needed
to connect your controller instead to a sound module or hardware
sequencer with 5-pin MIDI in and no USB A port; or if you just really
like your PC's existing MIDI interface), then absolutely it is possible
to convert a controller's USB MIDI I/O to conventional 5-pin MIDI I/O.
There exist readymade converters for exactly this purpose:
https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/usb-b-to-midi.29711/
https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal/usb-midi-hosts
https://www.perfectcircuit.com/kenton-midi-usb-host-mkii.html
Sam
--
A: When it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
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() ASCII ribbon campaign. Please avoid HTML emails & proprietary
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8:41 a.m.
On Thu, Jun 16, 2022 at 05:35:41AM +0100, Sam Kuper wrote:
On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 02:52:17PM -0700, Bob van der
Poel wrote:
A few more links:
https://www.cme-pro.com/the-best-midi-usb-host-is-wireless/
https://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/usb-host-midi
https://www.thomannmusic.com/miditech_usb_midi_host.htm
https://www.amazon.com/CAMOLA-MIDI-Host-Interface-Converter/dp/B08MZY59B7
https://www.amazon.com/Kenton-Electronics-MIDI-Converter-Host/dp/B00PFEANIK
https://www.thomannmusic.com/kenton_midi_usb_host.htm
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the
computer and convert that
to USB?
Yes. [...]
There exist readymade converters for exactly this purpose:
https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/usb-b-to-midi.29711/
https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal/usb-midi-hosts
https://www.perfectcircuit.com/kenton-midi-usb-host-mkii.html
8:29 p.m.
Thanks for the links, Sam!
On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 9:36 PM Sam Kuper <sampablokuper(a)posteo.net> wrote:
On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 02:52:17PM -0700, Bob van der
Poel wrote:
--
**** Listen to my FREE CD at http://www.mellowood.ca/music/cedars ****
Bob van der Poel ** Wynndel, British Columbia, CANADA **
EMAIL: bob(a)mellowood.ca
WWW: http://www.mellowood.ca
3. Could I use a real MIDI cable from the
computer and convert that to
USB?
Yes.
It's unnecessary in your case, since you're connecting to a PC that
already has a USB port.
But if you really wanted to (for example, if instead of a PC, you needed
to connect your controller instead to a sound module or hardware
sequencer with 5-pin MIDI in and no USB A port; or if you just really
like your PC's existing MIDI interface), then absolutely it is possible
to convert a controller's USB MIDI I/O to conventional 5-pin MIDI I/O.
There exist readymade converters for exactly this purpose:
https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/usb-b-to-midi.29711/
https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal/usb-midi-hosts
https://www.perfectcircuit.com/kenton-midi-usb-host-mkii.html
Sam
--
A: When it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: When is top-posting a bad thing?
() ASCII ribbon campaign. Please avoid HTML emails & proprietary
/\ file formats. (Why? See e.g. https://v.gd/jrmGbS ). Thank you.
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12 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
-
Bob van der Poel -
David Kastrup -
David W. Jones -
Jeanette C. -
Len Ovens -
Philippe Bekaert -
Sam Kuper