take a look at this page: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/USB_Midi_Keyboards (even if you're not on arch, the Arch wiki is always a good resource)

Essentially, these are the things you can check:

1. Check whether the usb device is recognized with the command 'lsusb'
If not, then you have a problem with your usb ports or drivers.
If it is recognised, you will get something like this:
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0a4d:00a0 Evolution Electronics, Ltd
Although with some no-name usb-midi converters the actual device name might be blank. The two numbers xxxx:xxxx uniquely identify your usb device. If all else fails, try searching for them on google.

2. While the cable is plugged in, check whether the appropriate kernel modules are loaded (something like usb_midi or snd_usbmidi_lib or the like. you can check with 'lsmod|grep midi').
If not, try loading them with 'sudo modprobe module_name'

3. Take a look at the ALSA inputs and outputs and connect those where necessary by using 'aconnect -i' to list inputs, 'aconnect -o' to list outputs and 'aconnect in_port out_port' to connect inputs and outputs.
You can also verify that an input gives us the right MIDI messages using 'aseqdump -p in_port'

Hi Didymos,

I saw a picture of the Yamaha YPG-235 and it just seems to have an USB-output. It should be possible to connect it directly with an USB-Port of your PC. Sometimes it works better with an USB 3.0 Port, which has a higher current than 1.1/2.0. Wherefore did you use a "USB-to-Midi"-converter?

Have you any MIDI-devices listed in Pianoteq's Option-Menue, when you connect keyboard and PC? (first connect, than start Pianoteq).

tango studio, ubuntu studio, kx studio... are just distributions like your ubuntu. An environment around the Linux-kernel. They are just more specialized for audio-purposes an have more audio-relevant Packages preinstalled.

I for example use the debian linux distribution, which is one of the most universal and "unspecialized" distros, but I have best latencies and performance together with Pianoteq.

You can watch, what happens in the moment when you plugin the USB-cable. Open a terminal window before that, login as user 'root' or sudo to it. Then type 'tail -f /var/log/syslog' and watch for the new usb-devices appearing.

cheers

Thanks, groovy. I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes.

Hi Didymos,

I saw a picture of the Yamaha YPG-235 and it just seems to have an USB-output. It should be possible to connect it directly with an USB-Port of your PC. Sometimes it works better with an USB 3.0 Port, which has a higher current than 1.1/2.0. Wherefore did you use a "USB-to-Midi"-converter?

Have you any MIDI-devices listed in Pianoteq's Option-Menue, when you connect keyboard and PC? (first connect, than start Pianoteq).

tango studio, ubuntu studio, kx studio... are just distributions like your ubuntu. An environment around the Linux-kernel. They are just more specialized for audio-purposes an have more audio-relevant Packages preinstalled.

I for example use the debian linux distribution, which is one of the most universal and "unspecialized" distros, but I have best latencies and performance together with Pianoteq.

You can watch, what happens in the moment when you plugin the USB-cable. Open a terminal window before that, login as user 'root' or sudo to it. Then type 'tail -f /var/log/syslog' and watch for the new usb-devices appearing.

cheers

I saw a picture of the Yamaha YPG-235 and it just seems to have an USB-output. It should be possible to connect it directly with an USB-Port of your PC. Sometimes it works better with an USB 3.0 Port, which has a higher current than 1.1/2.0. Wherefore did you use a "USB-to-Midi"-converter?

Have you any MIDI-devices listed in Pianoteq's Option-Menue, when you connect keyboard and PC? (first connect, than start Pianoteq).

tango studio, ubuntu studio, kx studio... are just distributions like your ubuntu. An environment around the Linux-kernel. They are just more specialized for audio-purposes an have more audio-relevant Packages preinstalled.

I for example use the debian linux distribution, which is one of the most universal and "unspecialized" distros, but I have best latencies and performance together with Pianoteq.

You can watch, what happens in the moment when you plugin the USB-cable. Open a terminal window before that, login as user 'root' or sudo to it. Then type 'tail -f /var/log/syslog' and watch for the new usb-devices appearing.

cheers

It should be recognized without external intervention.
If you want to make music on linux I suggest you to install a music oriented distribution (tango studio, ubuntu studio, kx studio...)

Thanks.

Do you mean using one of those programs in place of PianoTeq?

I'm using a USB-to-Midi cable, as I did before on this machine when I was running Windows XP. The reason I assume I need a driver is that there is no audio or _visual_ response after I hook everything up and load PianoTeq -- by which I mean the graphic in the PianoTeq window that would show the keys on my YPG-235 are being depressed. In other words, it seems as if PianoTeq is not recognizing any connection to the keyboard.

Didymos wrote:

I'd like to use up my Yamaha YPG-235 running Linux (Ubuntu 12.X). Yamaha does not offer any Linux driver for the 235, though. Any way to work around this? Thanks.

Hi,
I don't  know, if I understand you correctly, but if you want to use the keyboard just as a MIDI-Controller, all drivers are already contained in your Linux distribution ("alsa-drivers"). No vendor specific drivers are needed. USB-to-MIDI is class compliant normally.

Some keyboards can directly be connected with an USB-cable to your PC for MIDI. Others need a small Konverter like Miditech MIDIFACE II just for example.

cheers

Hi, and thanks.

I'm using a USB-to-Midi cable, as I did before on this machine when I was running Windows XP. The reason I assume I need a driver is that there is no audio or _visual_ response after I hook everything up and load PianoTeq -- by which I mean the graphic in the PianoTeq window that would show the keys on my YPG-235 are being depressed. In other words, it seems as if PianoTeq is not recognizing any connection to the keyboard.

I'd like to use up my Yamaha YPG-235 running Linux (Ubuntu 12.X). Yamaha does not offer any Linux driver for the 235, though. Any way to work around this? Thanks.

Hi,
I don't  know, if I understand you correctly, but if you want to use the keyboard just as a MIDI-Controller, all drivers are already contained in your Linux distribution ("alsa-drivers"). No vendor specific drivers are needed. USB-to-MIDI is class compliant normally.

Some keyboards can directly be connected with an USB-cable to your PC for MIDI. Others need a small Konverter like Miditech MIDIFACE II just for example.

cheers