New MIDI Keyboard Controller worked, then didn't

[Garrick Peterson]

I just got an Alesis V49 keyboard MIDI controller. I followed all the instructions to set it up in Cakewalk. It worked. Now it doesn't. I tried using Cakewalk for Bandlab's MIDI devices option, and Controller surfaces option. I have the little colored indicator that it is affecting some tracks. No go. I read an older thread here where somebody said, "Delete or rename the TTSEQ file in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Cakewalk\Roaming\Cakewalk. No help. Nuttin.

Any suggestions?

Edited January 26, 2019 by Garrick Peterson

[msmcleod]

If you delete the controller surface from preferences, does it start working again?

[Garrick Peterson]

2 hours ago, msmcleod said:

If you delete the controller surface from preferences, does it start working again?

I spent an hour trying your suggestion and uninstalling and re-installing- 

Finally, what fixed it was, in the Console view, at the top of each track display are effects sends. I had always used the effects sends at the bottom, and had never looked at the ones on the top. Selecting them all for the Alesis V49 and the preset, it worked. Another thing that may have helped, was when I re-installed the driver, I found that the driver installation file does not install the driver on the Cakewalk/VST Plug-ins folder by default, I had to navigate to it. Whether that made any difference or not, I don't know, but the step that fixed it was the other set of effects sends I had not noticed before. Again, thank you for your suggestion, you put me on the track of installing the driver in the right folder.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Garrick Peterson

[msmcleod]

The location of the driver has no relation to VST plugins - they are completely different things.

You need to have the V49 MIDI input checked under Cakewalk's MIDI devices.

When you install a control surfaces it will 'steal' the MIDI device for the control surface, which means you can't use that device for anything else like playing notes. Which is why the V49 should appear as two separate MIDI devices: one for the keyboard, and one for the controller part.

Try checking both devices under MIDI devices but don't install a control surface.

Make sure your MIDI tracks / instrument tracks have their MIDI source set to Omni->All.

Your keyboard should now work.

Only then try to install the control surface. If they keyboard stops working, then it's likely you've picked the wrong MIDI device for the control surface - so switch it to the other one.

Edited January 27, 2019 by msmcleod

[Garrick Peterson]

This thing kills me! I had it working. Then I went back to the forum and finished editing my reply to you, and when I went back to my keyboard, it had stopped working. Then I came back and found your second reply about using it only as a MIDI device, and not as a control surface. I followed that advice,  and now it works again. 

Does the software have a idiosyncratic way of making a tentative connection to a VST, and then failing if the VST isn't set up right? That is the impression I get from this intermittent behavior.

Now, the Alesis 49 has four knobs, and four buttons, besides eight drum finger pads, which I'm told can be used in to control various parameters in Cakewalk and to actuate some MIDI instructions. I would like to know how to set those up, how to link those to parameters either in Cakewalk or in Serum, the plug-in synth I'm using.

Again, thanks for your advice!

[msmcleod]

Ok, this sounds like you're computer's power scheme is set to put USB devices to sleep after periods of inactivity.

Try turning off USB power suspending in your power options.

[msmcleod]

If you really want to control Cakewalk from the V49, you can use either the ACT MIDI Controller, or the Cakewalk Generic  Surface types.

There's not an Alesis V49 preset, so try the Alesis MPK49 and adjust the parameters as necessary.

AFAIK you won't be able to control Cakewalk and a plugin at the same time, so you may have to disable the control surface in Cakewalk (DONT uncheck the MIDI device - just uncheck the controller), for it to be usable with a plugin.

To be honest though, I can't see the V49 controls being much use for controlling Cakewalk itself. It has no transport controls or anything.

IMHO you'd be best not setting it up as a Cakewalk control surface, and just using the ACT Learn function to control what you need as and when you need it.

[bitman]

Alesis.

Thier usb ports aren't clamped against static. Just a series resistor.

The drum brains die the same way. ID'ed by windows but no data.

And they don't give a hoot. I ended up just dragging my DM5 with Din MIDI out of mothballs to use with my shiny new Alesis drum kit.

[Garrick Peterson]

Thank you for the advice. 

Here's another bottom line: I got up this morning to continue arranging piano, and my setup didn't work.

All I did was change the track settings for the V49 to something else and back again, and it worked.

Same thing often happens with the arm record button on a track. I have to turn it off and back on again. 

It's like women. You have to keep telling them that you love them, otherwise they forget.