Connect MIDI Keyboard or Controller to Garageband on a Mac

A quick 3 step process for connecting a USB midi keyboard to Garageband on a mac.
The cable I mentioned that you will need in most cases is: amzn.to/3sScEnr

[@BarryGrueter]

Very cool, thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. ✌️

[@mikeyofosho]

Thank you for doing this 🙏🏼

[@SuperFunReviews]

worked! thank you

[@user-gu4fp8ww5r]

So helpful! Thanks

[@joanvanliew3502]

Thanks! You are alot of help.

[@pooklaroux]

Lifesaver! Thank you!

[@Edwardondrums]

Can you use the knobs on your midi keyboard with GarageBand as well?? Thx

[@mrbarr63]

Great. Now, How do you manipulate the knobs etc of your MIDI controller.

[@coversongsonkeyboards]

Wow so much information! in just few minutes,thanks for share.

[@PetoRybin]

How to make/force (set-up) GarageBand midi to play sounds from my Yamaha PSR-sx600?

[@carlossoriano2844]

How do I connect a drum machine like the RT-223 to the Mac?

[@NatureDaGod]

How can I use an alesis v25 to make my drum beats with garage band

[@brookenoble3808]

Very helpful, thanks for the tutorial!

[@TunesAndToys]

my midi keyboard is showing up fine, but it's all being transposed into the wrong key while playing/recording. Even after I change the key to something else, it reverts back to a different key when time to record. Any ideas? thanks

[@alexgoriatchenkov]

Hello. And can you using drum buttons for make a drums bits or not ???

[@sgtgunslinger]

love to see you do that with an Roland Fantom x7 , i have been fghting it for weeks and even bought a Clarett+ 2Pre, no luck

[@runman4604]

Did you ever find a solution? Having the same issue with my Roland Fantom 08. Plugging in the usb but no connection whatsoever

[@callummcmillan4827]

Actually show the devices you are plugging things into, it would be so much more helpful

[@juliejue8149]

I am still having issues with connection a Roland Fantom 08 to Garageband.

[@bitkahuna]

i'm using a motu m4 which is connect to (and powered by!) a simple usb-c cable to the mac, and m4 has old school round midi jacks in/out so i can connect my ancient dx7 keyboard which works wonderfully as an input device. i'm still puzzled as to how to get midi OUT from garageband though

[@tomwinberry2674]

me too!

[@JoseMorales-pc5yk]

My Akai mpk88 controller plays distorted notes and also plays one whole note up. For example when I play the c chord on the piano, what I hear is a D chord. Any idea why this happens?

[@allanmacuser]

thanks for the video regards Allan in stoke on Trent

[@EddieLopez711]

Problems with Axion 25 used to show up and work but now after resetting in preferences it still wont sense in even uninstalled and reinstalled 😠. Any ideas? still ok on Windows not my M1 Mac 10.12.6

[@blackpillmachine212]

If you wanted to play and record the actual sounds that are coming from the keyboard, instead of using the GarageBand sounds, would you choose a mic track for the keyboard or midi? I'm looking to buy a Microfreak synthesizer and I want to be able to play and record the sounds from the Microfreak on Garageband.

[@sorinpirtea2306]

I think you have to choose to create an audio track instead of a MIDI one, that way you can record your audio from the synth into the GarageBand. But, in this case, you won’t be able to edit your performance note by note, because what you’ve been recorded is pure audio, not MIDI events. Notes played from the keyboard are MIDI events (Note On and Note Off), but, since you record audio, you will be able to edit your performance only as audio signal. That way, functions like Quantize, Transpose, Modify Velocity etc., as well as Automations, won’t be available for your performance. You can use external tone generators from virtual synths as AU plugins, but I don’t know if you can do this with hardware synths, too.

[@phildarb]

My Yamaha Clavinova doesn't have the square-plug MIDI output you show in your "how to connect video" only a row of three six pin MIDI "IN.OUT' and THROUGH" which I"m using with a USBC on the other end into my MacBook. I have downloaded the drivers recommended by Yamaha, but so far the keyboard isn't connecting to Garage Band. Any clues?

[@marcofsw]

Are there no option to get the Garageband to send midi to the keyboard so I don't have to listen to the crappy internal ones?

[@Miltonhn]

Was that a novation impulse 61?

[@Guidussify]

Very helpful. I would point out that the indication that the Mac/GarageBand sees the midi keyboard is that a few green bars appear (at 2:37).

[@brianawaters2852]

Does it have to be a Mac book pro or can it be any Mac product??

[@delphinetesla]

Thank you! I am trying to connect a Korg from 1992 because it's 88 keys and it's great for playing piano parts but I don't seem to be able to make it work. I have other newer keys I can try but they are 49 keys, I'd rather try my big Korg, try everything and if nothing, guess I will have to plug in my Ultra Nova. Thanks again for a very helpful video!

[@artbymalcolm42]

USB is not Fire wire.

[@sorinpirtea2306]

Yeah, this port is an USB B. But, I think he called this port a FireWire-LIKE port (that looks like a FireWire one).

[@user-xn3tw7bf3j]

Buen tutorial. Pero lo que necesito es usar en vivo dos o mas instrumentos. Ir cambiando de pianos a organos en la misma canción

[@wombatau]

USB standard B cable, not FireWire. It’s an old USB 1.0 standard.

[@aleks5821]

I got a new MacBook Pro and it doesn’t have usb, is there a midi to usb-c adapter?

[@hooligans7618]

yes there is, i have an adapter that converts the two USB c ports into three USB a and one USB c

[@funmijatto8247]

I have a Casio tone s200 and GarageBand is not even registering that it’s plugged in. I already reset the drivers . The piano doesn’t use midi , it’s micro usb to usb cable .What should I do next?

[@jonattfield1]

Same here with a Casiotone s410. Did you ever get it working?

[@Xxxxxrrr6464]

Thanks

[@IzzyWasborn]

If I use an mpk 3 on an Mac air, will it lag whilst playing or recording without and audio interface?

[@InsightSchools]

I couldn't get my Juno DS to be detected. Help! :)

[@sanidujayasekara1377]

sometimes the simplicity of garage band as a daw scares me 🙂

[@kianjae5537]

I'm having issues getting my usb c hub to connect to my MacBook Pro 2019, anyone have a fix? my laptop doesn't seem to pick up any connections at all

[@fyloupourvous1204]

I was having issues too but finally realized there was a power switch on the controller.... DUH. lol

[@SoumenGhoshal]

I have a Yamaha E413 keyboard that I want to connect to Mac Pro M1. Installed the driver still doesn’t work. Kindly help.

[@metalbeethoven]

Same issue here bro. Dont know if ever i ll have to buy a newer keyboard

[@metalbeethoven]

Which driver you used tho?

[@SoumenGhoshal]

Josh …. Yamaha confirmed me over mail yesterday that they have released the MIDI drivers for the M1 chips. All working for me now. Go to Yamaha Music online > support > firmware section > search Yamaha MIDI drivers for Mac ….. and it must work…. Lee me know if need the direct link if u have difficulties in navigation ….. cheers 🥂

[@metalbeethoven]

@@SoumenGhoshal really? I just bought a novation keyboard yesterday lol But i will definitely try it out though! Thanks alot

[@metalbeethoven]

@@SoumenGhoshal hey can you send me the direct link pls? Im having some difficulty finding it

[@bydesign868]

I could really use a straightforward video on how to connect the two and record MIDI in Garage Band using a Roland FP30x to MacBook Air M1. I also would like it if you'd show just the basic recording of the keyboard into Garage Band. It's a bit overwhelming. I'm a left brained pianist, not a recording technician. LOL

[@willya6690]

Looks so easy. I’ve tried to make my piano sound in garage band , but doesn’t sound. Already tried everything. Any idea? Thanks. Have a Roland Juno and a MacBook

[@WilliMel]

Same

[@willya6690]

I fixed it!!! Bought a new piano.

[@WilliMel]

@@willya6690 yeah i just realized that my keyboard isn't even compatible for midi so i have to buy another one😂

[@NatureDaGod]

How to make drums on GarageBand with a midi keyboard

[@missGolightly420]

The mid to high keys on my midi won't play any sound. The odd thing is it'll work on my brother's computer without an issue. I use Garage band and he uses a different program not sure if that has anything to do with it, but once he connects it to his computer it'll work fine on mine for about a week until it stops working again. Not sure what to do.

[@missGolightly420]

tried resetting but no luck. Open to suggestions! ty

[@muchkneaded]

I am a TOTAL beginner with recording my music! ALL of the tutorial videos I've watched show how to connect the midi keyboard with a USB 2.0 type A male to type B male cable. EVERY connection on the back of my Yamaha S-80 keyboard is ROUND! It does not have ANY square or rectangular USB connections at all! There's two 1/4" headphone outputs for the stereo sound, and 3 MIDI connections. I've tried to connect the left/monaural 1/4" headphone output into the 1/4" instrument input in my Samson G Track Pro microphone, then the mic's USB type B male connector to my MacBook Air. The sound I hear playing through GarageBand sounds VERY "tinny", NOTHING at all like what comes through my stereo monitor speakers. I'd be embarrassed to share that sound with my friends! And, no, I've had this keyboard for so long that I'm unable to locate the cryptic manual that came with it. Any suggestions? Thank you, sir.

[@sorinpirtea2306]

Those MIDI ports (5-pin DIN type), are designed to connect other MIDI instruments - I mean, HARDWARE instruments. Macbook can’t use that ports, only if you can get a MIDI-to-USB interface, but I don’t know anything about something like this. With MIDI OUT you can connect and control other MIDI physical equipment (keyboard, synth, sequencer etc.) by sending MIDI events and with MIDI IN your instrument can receive MIDI signals from other MIDI-equipped gear. Macbooks can send/receive MIDI events only through USB-C port(s).

[@mattwaters6987]

I'll try this. Cross my fingers...

[@ganjagoddesss]

OK, so what do you do if it doesn’t turn on because that is why I’m here

[@lowreztv]

it's not firewire

[@markferdman2543]

I DONT HAVE A MIDI. I HAVE A F*CKING DIGITAL PIANO. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE VIDEO OF HOW TO CONNECT A DIGITAL PIANO USING BLUETOOTH. AAAAAAAAHHAAHAHAAHA

[@sorinpirtea2306]

The only way to connect your instrument is via audio and to sent audio signal to record in GarageBand in realtime on an audio track. Then you can edit your audio as you like, but functions like Quantize, Transpose etc. will be unavailable.

[@jsanders100]

Same here, I have the cable that uses 2 plugs into one, does not connect. If you resolve the problem please let me know

[@jonathan8460]

Using Bluetooth? I’m sure there are receivers you can buy but no one wants to deal with latency when playing music, so it is assumed you will connect directly.

[@Heybob8665]

your mac is plugged in at 100%