Engineerer

Okay, an update, for anyone else who might be having similar problems . . .

Got online with an experienced user, via TeamViewer (free; so he could control my screen).

First correction-- I had connected my MIDI adapter to my keyboard, using the labeled "OUT" plug in the "Out" port, and "In" with "In". That turned out to be wrong; apparently, the cable was labeled from the viewpoint of the computer.

Then we had a bunch of crash problems. Finally gave up on trying to install and use Cakewalk on a super-fast machine with an M.2 (NVEM or whatever) chip/drive, with nothing but USB-3 ports. Took it to an older, simpler laptop instead.

Final lesson from him -- since I wanted to record from a MIDI keyboard, I could NOT call it a MIDI track, and instead, had to call it an "Instrument" track.

And, with that, I got it working.

Final Q - now that I've played a melody into it, how do I get to a LARGE piano-roll screen, to make it easier to edit the notes?

Good question. I'll probably try it with Garage Band, on a MiniMac, just to see what happens.

And, I've ordered a simple $19 in-line interface, from Amazon, which got mostly good reviews:

/Interface-OIBTECH-Upgrade-Professional-Converter/

In case THAT doesn't work, what would you (or anyone) recommend, as an

inexpensive MIDI-to-USB interface that you KNOW will work w/ Cakewalk?

Yep; checked, checked again, firm and snug at all ends.

I also downloaded the owner manual for the keyboard, and did the best I could to make sure MIDI is active. The manual is not good, at showing which particular buttons control which functions; but, default is "MIDI is on/active", so I unplugged everything and brought it up again from dead.

I also tried every possible combination of MBox front/rear switches, even tho the MBox manual says they should not make any difference re: MIDI signals (since the only MIDI ports are on the back).

Still not working . . .

I used to use Cakewalk, 20 years ago, and I'm trying to re-start, all over again. And, I need help, getting a MIDI keyboard to record in some way that I can see (and edit) the notes in a "piano roll" format.

I'm using a Windows 10 machine (64 bit), with a simple/basic Yamaha PSR-420 keyboard with MIDI ports in the back, and an Avid Mbox 3 interface  (no longer being made, so I've attached pics; MIDI ports in back, and it is indeed recognized by Cakewalk, in ASIO format).

But, I can't figure out what to do next, among the hundreds of options available. I've watched the tutorial found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZqXiL2L36g

but when HE clicks on his screen, he gets a different screen, than I get.

All I want -- for now -- is a single, simple track, which I can store as a midi file, and send to a keyboard professional, so he can build a song passage around that melody.