Logic 8: MIDI-Keyboard seems inactive

[blue monk]

Hi,

Here`s my problem:
I got my USB keyboard connected and Audio-Midi-Setup recognized it.
In Logic 8 however I can`t play any (software-)instrument. I loaded up a standard project at startup.

In the manual I found something that didn`t help me. The author just wrote something like when an instrument is selected for external midi-input it shows up in the library.
I don`t know what that means.

Where can I assign my external USB Midi-Keyboard permanently to play any instrument that is selected in Logic?
Do I still (in Logic 8) have to use the environment for that?
I would like to set it up once and not again for each new project. In case any environment fiddling is required that would probably mean I need to save a template project for this purpose, right?

The last 30 minutes I have searched the forum but no luck.

[dougb415]

By any chance does it need a driver? That's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head. What MIDI channel is it sending?

[blue monk]

OK. It works.
It turned out that the Midi keyboard was displayed in Audio-Midi-Setup but it was inactive.
I disconnected and reconnected it and now it works.
Funny though because I had already disconnected and reconnected the device before without any effect.

[Jazzooo]

The fact that it didn't work and it now works aside, I think the way Logic deals with this stuff is brilliant. You didn't need to select it at all--just plug it in and it controls your internal midi sounds, right?

[rcb4t2]

+1 for that last post - you didn't need to do anything, I don't think. W/ my usb midi devices I plug them in once, install no drivers, and they instantly work... ppl overthink this a lot. And who could blame them, right?

[chrisrnps]

Originally Posted by blue monk

OK. It works.
It turned out that the Midi keyboard was displayed in Audio-Midi-Setup but it was inactive.
I disconnected and reconnected it and now it works.
Funny though because I had already disconnected and reconnected the device before without any effect.

It was probably an Audio MIDI Setup thing and not a Logic thing.

Occasionally when I have gear that's sometimes turned on / hooked up, and sometimes not (as in, "I unhooked or turned off my control surface or keyboard and didn't use it for a few days, but I was using the computer for other stuff in the meantime"), Audio MIDI setup switches the "missing" device(s) to 'inactive' (icon for it in the MIDI side of Audio MIDI setup looks 'faded' or 'greyed out') when it doesn't 'see' the piece.

It seems like it 'should' set it back to active when you turn the piece back on or plug it back in, but it doesn't always (and the 'inactive' copy of the same unit seems to 'block' Audio MIDI Setup from 'seeing' it when it's reconnected).

Deleting the 'inactive' USB/MIDI device and reconnecting/power cycling it causes a 'new' instance of it to appear when this happens, in my experience.