Casio MT-260 vintage keyboard MIDI setup help

[authorofsomeMJsongs]

Hello, can You help me setup MIDI input to a computer?

I have:

-an old Casio MT260

-generic MIDI to usb cable costing around 9 Eur

-Windows 7 pc

 

So far i can play back midi files on a keyboard and change instruments, change instrument in FL studio midi template (16MIDI), but i cannot input midi notes to Piano roll

HELP!

[Chas]

I'm not familiar with FL, however, for most DAWs that I've used you need to arm a track for recording, and also tell it which MIDI channel to use before it will record MIDI data.

 

FWIW, if I use an older DIN socket MIDI keyboard I always connect it to my sound interface that has dedicated MIDI DIN sockets. If a keyboard uses USB MIDI I connect that to a USB port. I've never used a MIDI DIN to USB adapter as they have been known to cause all sorts of issues. 

[pianokeyjoe]

The MT260 is of the first generation all PCM tonebank Casio keyboards released in the Summer of 88 to 89 with a transition into the better series tonbank editable keyboards of the Summer of 90-92. The MT260 like all those Tonebank keyboards use 4 part(4 midi channels) multitimeral midi reception AND transmission. In order to play midi notes into the FL Studio, you need to set FL studio midi settings for midi OUT to global or all ports or all channels. I have not used FL with Win7 since 2017. But there IS a setting for you that you need to enable in the midi settings page midi OUT. For midi IN you need to set it to all channels or global as well. Enable midi ports:00 or what ever it is assigned to FL, and thus ANY track you choose with a VST, can then be played from the Casio keys, which in turn will allow piano roll note input as well. Now if the issue is you can not HEAR the MT260 play when you input notes in piano roll with your mouse, then be sure to set your track midi channel to 1 of the first 4 midi channels as the Casio only responds to the first 4 midi channels. This has been the standard for Casio midi starting with the CZ and HT line of synths and I think.. The CT6000/CT6500 keyboards. Basically you get Bass(channel 1),chord(channel 2),arpeggio or obligato(channel 3), and Melody(channel 4). On the Tonebank and HT keyboards one of those is swappable with DRUMS but you still only have 4 midi channels. ALSO, and this is very KEY! The Tonebank keyboards like yours only have a limited key range! The key range depends on the amount of keys on the keyboard itself and midi reception does not expand it(ie: 49 keys, only 49 notes range in midi too). So if you are trying to trigger notes outside the range of your Casio's physical keys octave range, you will not hear sound either.. I found that out in Church one day when plugging in my MT240 into a 88 note Roland digital piano and I only got 49 notes triggering from the Roland! So set your midi settings in FL to correspond with your Casio of only 4 midi channels.

[Riva Lima]

Simplesmente vergonhoso que a Casio tenha implementado um midi tão ruim no antigo MT/CT com apenas 4 canais midi! Entretanto, ao mesmo tempo, a Yamaha nadava com o seu PSS com midi, onde conseguiram ter os canais 1-16 com velocidade em midi também (o canal 16 era bateria, só depois de implementarem o canal 10 padrão para ritmos)... por isso a Yamaha se saiu muito melhor e foi muito mais aceita por quem gostava de produzir coisas com mais de 4 canais, ao contrário da Casio. O mais interessante é que mesmo naquela época a Roland, com seus módulos sintetizadores profissionais como U110, U220, D110, só tinha 8 canais para sequências midi, a Yamaha implementou 16 canais midi completos para seus portatones...

Edited April 5 by Riva Lima

[pianokeyjoe]

@Riva LimaAsi es! Yes sir! It is just like that! Funny, I do not speak Portuguese but I did understand since I speak Spanish lol! Yes My Yamaha PSS480 from 1987 is full midi with 16 channels and responds to velocity in tone module mode(mode 99)but Casio only 4 midi channels, no extended key range and no velocity response via midi.. But, I still love me Casio!!