Basic beginner setup not quite working...

[UncleSporky]

Hey, what's up! I haven't been here in freaking forever.

I finally got a cheap keyboard for myself for just playing around. I also had an older version of FruityLoops, and it was only natural to get a MIDI interface from there. I ordered the first thing off of Amazon that looked like it would serve my purpose (and was also inexpensive).

I probably should've checked here first, because I really have no clue what I'm doing.

I've got FruityLoops 3.4, the keyboard is a Yamaha PSR-275, and the MIDI interface is an E-MU Xmidi1x1 (USB). All I want to be able to do is play the keyboard and have the input mirrored in FruityLoops, and I assumed that would be no big deal, but it's not working.

The interface has lights for power, midi in, and midi out. The only light that ever turns on is the power. I've installed the drivers correctly and plugged everything into the right places and the midi in/out lights never turn on. In FL's MIDI settings, I set "remote control input" to the E-MU device. I try to do the same under "output port mapping" but when I try to set a port it tells me the device is in use and can't do that.

Please forgive my idiocy. I half expect that what I want is impossible with the equipment I have and that I bought the wrong thing altogether. Help?

[SnappleMan]

Try reversing the MIDI IN/OUT routing.

[OverCoat]

And upgrading to FL7. That has nothing to do with your MIDI really but it is so so so much better than 3.4 [hello 2002!]

Also hey Sporky welcome back ( ´∀｀)σ)∀`)!

Wasn't I working on a game with you? ┐('～`；)┌

[UncleSporky]

Try reversing the MIDI IN/OUT routing.

As in, instead of plugging the midi out into the keyboard's midi out, plug it into the midi in? Seems counterintuitive, but I'll try it.

So I did buy something that should work? I know the optimal solution is getting an actual PCI card with midi in/out, but this USB thing ought to work as well?

And hello, SOC! I guess you could say we were working on a game...turned out like every other internet project...heh. I'm only here now because you people are smart with the musics, I've made Penny Arcade my new haunt in past years mostly because the discussion moves a little faster. Who knows, maybe I'll be back again some day.

EDIT: Whoa, it works...sort of. I think I see why I should've avoided the cheap stuff. Sometimes notes get stuck on, or it plays notes from other parts of the keyboard, or even executes a random command in FL. And I still couldn't get the out from PC working.

[OverCoat]

I know the optimal solution is getting an actual PCI card with midi in/out, but this USB thing ought to work as well?

Even USB 1.1 is more than enough bandwidth and latency for a single MIDI device, but yeah, the PCI card is optimal because you'd also be getting [variably good] audio inputs. I think the Audiophile 2496 has midi ports on it, but I can't think of anything else under $100 that does. There are also super-fancy USB2/Firewire I/O boxes that have midi on them, like the RME Multiface II.

p.s. It is now a historically-based dating game. Sort of. You wouldn't know the two other people working on it with me (`･ω･´)