Your complete quick guide to connecting your keyboard to: PC or Mac; Laptop or Desktop; Tablet or Smartphone.
If you are just starting out with your home recording studio set-up, the first thing you may wish to do is find out how to connect a MIDI keyboard or digital piano up to your computer, tablet or phone. This will enable you to use any interactive MIDI software and apps: quickly record virtual instrument tracks; write your own songs and music; learn to play and more. The MIDI Keyboard or Digital Piano is often the heart of a small home recording studio, and the easiest and fastest way to enter bass lines, edit drum tracks, and of course record keyboard tracks. The other benefit of making a MIDI connection is if you want to learn to play keyboard or piano. Once you have a MIDI connection you can benefit from interactive piano lesson software and online piano courses. It is also a great way to benefit from interactive music theory software and apps.MIDI Connection – Step By Step
The MIDI Keyboard Pro is a live music instrument that can control the Microsoft MIDI Synthesizer as well as other internal and external synthesizer engines. You can modify the sounds and create your own new sounds with the buildin systesizers. It turns a touchscreen tablet into a music keyboard with a huge number of sounds. The microKEY Air supports Bluetooth Smart “Apple Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI”. You can easily connect wirelessly to iPad/iPhone music apps such as KORG Gadget, KORG Module, and GarageBand, as well as any MIDI-capable music production software on your Mac or Windows. Jul 25, 2019 Your complete quick guide to connecting your keyboard to: PC or Mac; Laptop or Desktop; Tablet or Smartphone. If you are just starting out with your home recording studio set-up, the first thing you may wish to do is find out how to connect a MIDI keyboard or digital piano up. Jun 15, 2017 We've reviewed the Top MIDI Keyboards to bring you the ultimate guide on the Best Midi Keyboard Controllers of the year. Our Review is comprised of the Top controllers on the market, from Budget to Premium items. The keyboard controllers are rated by our researchers and current customers. Updated: October 2019. Looking for MIDI Keyboards & Equipment? Amazon.com has a wide selection at great prices.
There are THREE main ways that you will be able to connect your digital piano or keyboard up. It will depend on your keyboard. You can connect your keyboard if it has any of: traditional
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Most traditional keyboards and Digital Pianos have MIDI in and out as standard. Look for ports like the one in the image below. It is possible your keyboard is only a controller, and may only have MIDI out. That’s OK. The principal of MIDI connection is still the same.
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Connect Keyboard/Piano with MIDI Ports to any Mac or PC – Option 1: USB-MIDI interface
So if you have a keyboard with MIDI ports, then the simplest and cheapest solution is a USB-MIDI interface. The following are all highly recommended USB-MIDI interfaces which will do the job easily and cost-effectively.
Roland UM-ONE MK2 USB MIDI Interface High-performance FPT processing, very compact, affordable, and easy to use. Compatible with PC, Mac and iPad.
iConnectivity mio 1-in 1-out USB to MIDI Interface Plug and play – no drivers or difficult installation needed, ultra low latency MIDI Input and Output
Creative EMU XMIDI 1X1 USB MIDI Interface Active-Sensing messages filtered, MME, DirectMusic and CoreMIDI supported
M-Audio USB Midisport Uno MIDI Interface Perfect for connecting a keyboard or controller to your computer with upward mobility – add as many USB Midisport interfaces to your computer as you have USB ports
We advise that you always stick with a well-known brand which is why we recommend any of the above. They all have good manufacturer support, up-to-date drivers and good guarantees in the event of any problems. If you want even more choice, then you can follow this link to find the current top 10 most popular MIDI interfaces.
Connect Keyboard/Piano with MIDI Ports to any Mac or PC – Option 2: Audio Interface + MIDI LeadsRather than just sticking with solving the MIDI connection, if you want to make high quality audio recordings too, then you could purchase an Audio Interface with MIDI i/o and a pair of MIDI leads. Here are two really reasonably priced, and high quality options:
The versatile Presonus iTwo Multi-Platform USB Interface with MIDI input and output
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Audio Interface with MIDI input and output
Standard MIDI leads to connect from keyboard to audio interface
Connect a Keyboard with traditional MIDI ports to an iPad: 4 OptionsUSB MIDI interface or Audio Interface + powered iPad adapter
If you want to connect your keyboard to your iPad, and it has the MIDI ports as shown above, then you have 4 different ways to do it. Options 1 and 2 are identical to the solution for PC and Mac. You buy either a USB-MIDI interface OR a USB Audio Interface with MIDI input and output (so any of the products shown above) and use a lightning to USB adapter (as shown to the left). It is very important you buy one that allows you to charge at the same time … or you will not have sufficient power!
USB MIDI interface or Audio Interface + powered iPad adapter and standard MIDI leadsOption 3: Audio Interface for iPad with MIDI
For example: the IK-Multimedia iRig Pro Duo audio interface for iPad with MIDI
Option 4: MIDI Interface for iPad
For example: the iConnect MIDI 1 Lightning Version USB-MIDI Interface
If you have digital piano or keyboard have a USB output? It is sometimes labelled USB-Host or similar. If so, then you should be able to connect very easily to your Mac or PC with a standard USB Printer cable. Simply refer to the manual for your particular keyboard to find out how to set it up. Easy.Got an iPad? Then you should be able to connect with a standard USB cable and a lightning to USB adapter (as mentioned above). OR, to connect to iPad you could buy the Voker Midi Cable to Lightning Connector. This is an interface especially designed to connect from the USB output of a digital piano to ipad, via lightning. Bluetooth MIDI | A Brilliant iPad Solution
Some manufacturers are now including Bluetooth audio/MIDI support for connecting your keyboard with your smartphone or tablet. For example, the Roland Go:Piano and Roland Go:Keys both have bluetooth – use them with any compatible apps on your iPad or smartphone.
No MIDI Keyboard Yet?Best Midi Keyboard For Mac GaragebandAlthough you can get other kinds of MIDI controller, the keyboard is the most popular, widely available, and reasonably priced. If you have not yet got any kind of keyboard, then look first at Getting started – choosing the right keyboard. It will help you decide the best MIDI keyboard for you. You will find almost all modern keyboards and pianos feature USB MIDI connections.If you not only want to use your keyboard or digital piano as a MIDI controller, but also want to record the sound of it, then do look read our post on how to record your keyboard. Or refer to our complete step-by-step guide on how to record audio and MIDI tracks simultaneously.
There are lots of recommendations in there for kit that will let you do BOTH. And put your keyboard right at the heart of your home recording studio. Or … see the Focusrite 2i4 and the Audiobox iTwo USB Audio/MIDI interfaces mentioned above.
FAQ
Why do MIDI IN jacks connect to MIDI OUT jacks? Surely it makes more sense to connect a MIDI IN jack to a MIDI IN jack. After all, they’re both labeled IN. Same goes for MIDI OUT to MIDI OUT”
The accepted way actually makes a lot of sense. Think about it. You want MIDI data to go out of your controller and in to your sound module. After all, you wouldn’t connect the audio out jack of your sound module to the outputs of your mixer, would you? No, you connect the audio output to an audio (mixer) input. And then you connect the mixer outputs to the inputs of your amplifier. And then you connect the amp’s speaker outputs to the speaker inputs. Same thing with MIDI. Think of MIDI data as “flowing” in the same way that audio signals “flow” through your audio system. This is just a quick guide if you simply want to hook up your keyboard to start using MIDI software. If you want a more in-depth set of tutorials, or you want to record the sound of your keyboard then you can either refer to our quick guide on how to record your piano, or see our full length free video course which explains the difference between MIDI and Audio in detail and shows you step-by-step exactly what you need to either record your keyboard or use it as a MIDI controller.
Last modified: Sep 13, 2019 @ 2:37 pm
Update 13-Sept-2019: the information in this post (originally from Sept 2016) is still relevant for OSX 10.14. Reference to a new, easy-to-use software MIDI keyboard (MidiKeys) has been added.
Note: this page describes setup for OS X 10.11-10.14. Some older versions like 10.10 and 10.9 are essentially the same where MIDI is concerned, but your millage may vary if you have a vastly older OS versions (namely those older than 10.6).
Although a basic MIDI setup on Mac OS X is typically easier than on Windows (to go beyond the default Windows synth anyway), it still requires some work. Here I will try to give a comprehensive overview of what you need to work with MIDI on Mac, particularly for interactive MIDI applications. I am also focusing on free setup, so the instructions on this page do not involve spending money to get things working.
In brief, to work with MIDI you need two things at a minimum:
You may also want a way to get MIDI input without extra hardware. All of these topics are covered here.
First though, let’s talk about exactly what MIDI is. Some of this general information on MIDI is the same as on my Working with MIDI on Windows page. If you know about MIDI already, feel free to skip right to the section on Virtual MIDI ports.
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is a protocol for communicating information between various devices and it has been around for over 30 years. For various reasons, many people new to MIDI struggle with what exactly it is and, therefore, often misunderstand what it and programs using it can and cannot do. Here are some quick facts that are often stumbling points for people that are new to working with MIDI and audio, each of which will be addressed in more detail later:
Note that a “MIDI device” does not have to be a piece of hardware. There are plenty of software “MIDI devices” that can be called as such simply because they show up in device lists just like hardware devices.
1.1 MIDI Messages
MIDI information is broken into messages, which are sent over some communication medium. Messages can refer to “programs” or patches (think of it as an instrument name), channels, pitches, and so on. Channels can be thought of like staffs on a digital music score. Some examples of MIDI messages include:
Once again, these messages must be interpreted by a synthesizer in order to create sound. Sometimes MIDI messages are also called MIDI events.
MIDI-related programs that do not show up in the device manager when running are not MIDI
devices. 1.2 Controllers vs. Synthesizers
The difference between a MIDI controller and synthesizer is quite simple:
In a hardware-only setup, a MIDI controller (like a keyboard) would be physically connected to a MIDI synthesizer, to which speakers or headphones would then be connected. Perhaps some of the sound vs. MIDI confusion that the music community experiences is due to the fact that may keyboards actually include both of these elements: they are all-in-one MIDI controllers and synthesizers. However, any such device that features both “MIDI in” and “MIDI out” ports can usually be used as one or the other independently.
There is also a third category of devices that simply re-rout and/or re-interpret MIDI messages. As hardware, these devices are usually peripherals used to do specialized tasks like duplicating a stream of MIDI messages, merging MIDI message streams, or allowing a foot pedal to send messages down a regular MIDI cable (foot pedals meant for use with MIDI equipment typically have 1/4-inch TS or TRS plugs and send control voltage that has to be interpreted by something as a series of MIDI messages). Software also exists to re-rout, merge, and split MIDI messages.
Note: many common cases of using MIDI on Mac do NOT require setting up new virtual MIDI ports. Many devices (software and hardware) create their own ports. However, if you need to relay messages between two or more programs that do NOT create their own ports, you will need to follow the steps in this section.
Midi Keyboard Drivers For Mac
A virtual MIDI port is a piece of software that runs in the background to send/receive MIDI messages from other programs or hardware devices. Virtual MIDI ports allow communication between MIDI-related programs that are not perceived by the operating system as MIDI devices. In other words, these programs might be able to send and receive MIDI messages, but they can’t “see” each other directly—but they will both be able to see a virtual MIDI port and can, therefore, use it to communicate. Hardware ports can be used similarly, although it often requires using a MIDI cable to create an ungainly self-loop (connecting a device’s output to its own input).
OS X comes with the ability to set up new virtual MIDI ports. Typically there are none by default and you have to add them manually. Here’s how to get to the screen where you can configure your ports:
WARNING: you should never send to and receive from the same port within the same program. Doing so creates a feedback loop of never-ending messages. This is one of the reasons it’s good to have two different ports available when you are experimenting with hooking MIDI-based programs together. Some situations require even more ports to avoid feedback loops, but two is good enough for most cases.
As described above, a synthesizer is the thing that actually makes sound for you. Both hardware and software synthesizers exist. For Macs, typically the easiest solution is SimpleSynth. You can download and install this program and keep it running in the background at all times. This will give you a basic set of standard MIDI sounds. SimplySynth creates its own virtual MIDI port while it is running. If you have no other ports set up, it will be the default output device. You can also set SimpleSynth to take input from other ports or input devices.
If you want to use sound font (SF2) files, another great option is Sforzando. This program behaves much like SimpleSynth and is very easy to configure, but you need to already have some SF2 files to use with it. So, if you currently have some virtual instruments in SF2 format and want to use them, give Sforzando a try. Like SimpleSynth, Sforzando creates its own virtual MIDI port while it is running, but it can also take input from other ports/devices.
Piano Apps For Mac
IMPORTANT: Make sure you start SimpleSynth/Sforzando first, before opening any other MIDI software! If you already had other programs open, close them and re-open them after starting the synthesizer.
To turn MIDI messages into sound, you need to get them from the source producing them to the synthesizer that will interpret them. The producing program may be a MIDI file player, a physical MIDI controller, or a software MIDI controller.
SimpleSynth happens to come with its own virtual MIDI port functionality. You can change which port SimpleSynth listens to for MIDI messages. Regardless of which port you use, you want the following configuration overall:
Program making MIDI messages –> a particular port –> SimpleSynth
Your message-producing program should send to the same port that SimpleSynth is set to receive from. If you have multiple programs creating MIDI messages, you can set all of them to send to the same port that SimpleSynth is listening to.
If you have a situation where you are taking MIDI input from one device, processing it with some other program, and then outputing new messages to a synthesizer, you MUST have two different ports involved:
MIDI message generator –> Port1 –> SomeOtherProgram –> Port2 –> SimpleSynth
If you try to use just a single port, you’ll get a feedback loop.
Most USB hardware MIDI controllers make their own port show up on the system when plugged in. In these cases, you can have a somewhat simpler setup:
HardwareNamePort –> SomeOtherProgram –> SomeVirtualPort -> SimpleSynth
Sometimes it’s nice to be able to get MIDI input without having a physical MIDI controller to plug into your computer. For these situations, I recommend MidiKeys (simplest option) or Virtual Midi Piano Keyboard (VMPK). To send MIDI messages from these programs to others, you need a virtual MIDI port set up as described in previous sections.
Using MidiKeys
The nice thing about MidiKeys is that you just need to fire it up before the program that will be accepting MIDI messages from it. The downside is that you must do Ctrl+Click > Open the first time you run it (later versions of OS X aren’t friendly to 3rd party apps opening with double-click the first time) and the the keyboard mapping is a little funky. Still, it is by far the simplest solution for getting a keyboard-based MIDI controller on OS X. It can send to either its own port or any other port registered with the operating system at the time. Midi Piano Apps For Windows
Using VMPK
Make sure you have virtual MIDI ports set up as needed BEFORE starting up VMPK. VMPK also acts as its own synthesizer, so if you want it to act purely as a controller then you need to configure it as follows:
If you want to set VMPK to only play when clicking instead of making sound whenever the mouse passes over the keyboard, you can do the following:
I recommend two approaches for playing MIDI files if you don’t care where the MIDI messages are sent:
Midi Keyboard For Mac Garageband
If you want to play a MIDI file and customize the output device, most programs available on Mac seem to cost money. At present I don’t have a good alternative to recommend. When I find one, I will update this page accordingly.
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