Transferring MIDI files to a Yamaha EZ200 keyboard

[Tudor]

Hi everyone,

My old Yamaha NP-V80 keyboard had a USB connection and came with software that allowed file transfers between the computer and the keyboard. I am now trying to transfer a MIDI file to my new Yamaha EZ200, but given that the EZ200 was not made with such transfers in mind, I was wondering if getting a USB-to-MIDI cable for the EZ200 would at all allow file uploading.

Was anyone able to upload .mid (MIDI) files to the EZ200s internal memory using a USB-to-MIDI cable? If so, what software did you use?

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[The Y_man]

Looking at the manual, NO - I don't think you can....

The Y-man

 

[DickR]

As far as I know (not much) You can play midi's on a computer via a (standard USB-A to USB-B (printer)cable or a MIDI to USB-A-cable on a keyboard. Using the sounds of the keyboard but you can NOT transfer the file as such INTO the keyboards onboard memory.

 

[Tudor]

Indeed, the manual reads: "When the instrument is connected with a computer, it transmits/receives performance data". So it says nothing about they keyboard having any writable internal memory that you can upload MIDIs to.

Too bad, because it would have been great to be able to learn any MIDI song using the keyboard's Learning Mode...

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome to the forums, Tudor

Shame that you can't make the transfers, do you use the Learning Mode a lot then?

 

[Tudor]

Hello Becky

Yes I find it useful when trying to visually remember a piece (in conjunction with other more thorough methods). So I have a few MIDIs that are just waiting to be transferred to the keyboard and learnt, but it seems the EZ200 wasn't really intended for that - although it DOES appear in the list of models that Yamaha MusicSoft, the software which I use to transfer files to my NP-V80 keyboard, works with!

 

[Tudor]

So in the meantime I bought a USB-MIDI cable (this one), which links my computer to the 2 MIDI ports (in&out) of my Yamaha EZ-200 keyboard. The settings of Yamaha "MusicSoft Downloader" (the software used to copy files from a PC to a Yamaha keyboard) displays the connection as a "USB Audio Device", however I cannot browse the keyboard's internal memory in order to copy MIDI files over. This is without having installed any drivers yet, and without Windows prompting me to install anything upon connecting the keyboard to the PC.

I then downloaded and installed the Yamaha USB-MIDI driver (http://download.yamaha.com/usb_midi/index.html), however it says that no keyboard is connected. This driver is, however, meant to be used with a different cable than mine (this one), although it seems to be essentially the same type of cable (1 USB port to 2 MIDI ports). I am wondering whether buying this cable would enable me to access my keyboard's internal memory. I know the EZ200 *is* capable of having files copied to it, because it appears in MusicSoft Downloader's list of models!

Any help with this would be tremendously appreciated!

 

[goldi5210]

Hej Tudor,
eventually you didn't connect the midi cables right. This sort of cables should be connected as following:
cable midi-out goes to keyboard midi-in and
cable midi-in goes to keyboard midi-out.

 

[Tudor]

Hmmm, thanks for suggesting, I'll give this a try tonight, hopefully it works

 

[Tudor]

Unfortunately even after reversing the MIDI in/out cables, Yamaha "MusicSoft Downloader" still doesn;t recognise the connection, nor can I proceed with the installation of the Yamaha USB-MIDI drivers. The "MIDI" led on the cable is now also on though, while with the previous configuration (in-in, out-out) it was just the "USB" led that came on.

Any other ideas?....

 

[goldi5210]

Hej Tudor,
I'm sorry that you weren't successful. Can you take your EZ-200 and the usb-cable and go to a yamaha shop for testing or if not possible call the service center and ask for a solution.

 

[Tudor]

I'm not so sure there's something wrong with the keyboard/cable, but rather think that this keyboard is not really meant to have MIDI files copied over from a PC to its internal memory, like the newer keyboards can. I'll give it a few more days to find a solution before I sell it Thanks for your help anyway!

 

[DickR]

If I understand it well but I am not familiar with your keyboard.
You can NOT copy midi from PC into kboard memory using PC USB to MIDI In Out cable.
That's correct!
Musicsoft downloader program does not work that way and will not recognize the kboard.
You can PLAY midi's on the PC using the sound of the kboard trough this connection. You can NOT transfer.

Musicsoft downloader software will work if you have an USB connection on both PC AND Keyboard and the correct driver installed.
If the connection is correct you will see in Musicsoft Downloader the folders of your computer AND the keyboard. There you can upload your files into it's TEMP folder and from there transfer them into a Kboard.
Faster is putting the files on whatever media you kboard accepts (USB-stick, Floppy, memory-card) and load them from there.

 

[Tudor]

The problem is that the EZ-200 does not have any input for a USB stick, floppy disk or memory card. So I was hoping that the USB-to-MIDI cable would allow the transfer of MIDI files.

 

[DickR]

If it also does not have an USB B connector the only answer for what you want is to get a MIDI interface connected to your computer. Than you can transfer files forward and backwards depending on the free internal flash-memory of the kboard (if it has that at all). Yamaha traditionally does not put much flashmemory in ANY kboard btw. On the other hand midifiles are very small. But if you want to go trough that expense is of course up to you.
How do you load external files into the keyboard if it has no connection? Like different styles or voices? Is that possible at all? Can you record on the keyboard? If not I don't think there is flashmemory on board.

 

[Tudor]

You are right, the keyboard cannot record songs played on it, which is a good indication that it does not have an internal memory, and that therefore you cannot play MIDI files on it that have been transferred from a PC.

Case closed, I would say THanks for your help again

 

[DLindsey]

Hi Tudor and all,

I'm new to the forum and have enjoyed reading your discussion on how to get the EZ200 to store other MIDI songs. I'm equally frustrated by that impossibility. However, using a USB/MIDI adapter, I've figured out how to connect my computer and keyboard so that the keyboard will play MIDI files from the computer. I'm wondering is it possible to use the "Learning Mode" on the keyboard, but continue to draw songs from a bank of MIDI files on the computer (using the USB/MIDI adapter) rather than the internal keyboard memory? If so, how?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Welcome aboard, DLindsey!

I don't know if your keyboard's "Learning Mode" will work while playing MIDI files from a computer, but I do know of a free program you might want to try out-- Piano Booster.

http://pianobooster.sourceforge.net/

It lets you play a MIDI file on your computer, and lets you pick which track(s) you want to play yourself. You'll need to have your computer screen close to your keyboard (or vice versa), but Piano Booster's "music staff" display is larger than the one on your keyboard's LCD screen.

 

[DLindsey]

Welcome aboard, DLindsey!

I don't know if your keyboard's "Learning Mode" will work while playing MIDI files from a computer, but I do know of a free program you might want to try out-- Piano Booster.
It lets you play a MIDI file on your computer, and lets you pick which track(s) you want to play yourself. You'll need to have your computer screen close to your keyboard (or vice versa), but Piano Booster's "music staff" display is larger than the one on your keyboard's LCD screen.

Thank you, SeaGtGruff for the quick response and the suggestion! I'll check out the pianobooster program and see if that provides a solution. Having the computer screen close to the keyboard is not a problem. I already use it that way using Busker.