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Hi there,

Just got my new CA99.

Having issues connecting to Playground sessions.

I have connected to Kawai Piano remote app. Works perfectly.

I am using the USB to HOST socket and into lightening adapter, and this is what I was doing with another piano. Works perfectly.

But not with PGS???

Any help would be cool...

PS Where are the drum rhythms ??

Steve

I have some but only a little hands-on using ipads with a USB connection to DPs.


- “ I have connected to Kawai Piano remote app. Works perfectly.”

Just to clarify, Kawai PR app running on ipad is remotely controlling the CA99 via wired USB from ipad to DP, right?

- “ Having issues connecting to Playground sessions.”

A second app, running on same ipad, connected over same USB wire to same DP, but having issues, right?

If the latter answer is “yes”, i wonder if/how the ipad manages the use of 2 apps simultaneously manipulating one DP over the same wired USB connection.

If your computer was Windows OS based, i would expect there to be conflicts - USB / drivers / etc - to work out before getting both apps working.

When you fire up PGS, even though its having problems, does it provide any indication it senses a DP available via a USB interface?

My $0.02 about using PGS with an iPad...

Be sure to use a quality USB-to-Lightning adapter. Just because that adapter worked on your old piano, don't assume it will function with your new one.
Double check that your DP's input volume is up. Sometimes the piano's default input volume is to have it either turned off, or too low.
Also check the volumes in PGS. You may also need to check that your piano is chosen in the Settings. (Sometimes there are two listed; one of which is the piano specific (choose that one).
The one, seemingly small, thing that caused my issue was that I had the iPad in silent mode. In the previous version of PGS this made no difference, but the new version (introduced at the end of 2021) would not work if my iPad was in silent mode.
My Roland FP-30X works flawlessly with my 3rd generation iPad Pro. It did take some time adjusting the volume level of PGS as well as the input level of the FP-30X.

Hope any of the above helps.

Just to clarify, Kawai PR app running on ipad is remotely controlling the CA99 via wired USB from ipad to DP, right?

- “ Having issues connecting to Playground sessions.”

A second app, running on same ipad, connected over same USB wire to same DP, but having issues, right?

Yes that's correct. Just trying everything again. Kawai PR app works perfectly. My other DP was a brand new CLP 775. That also worked with YAMAHA SMART Pianist app and PGS (even running simultaneously).
I have a years subscription with PGS, of which I have used about 5 weeks !!!

Thanks for your message....

Everything checked. Using same set up as last week when I had a YAMAHA CLP 775 (brand new).

Everything working fine as far as the Kawai DP is concerned. Its just PGS that isn't working.

Seriously annoyed about this.

PGS are not helping with their stock replies to my messages I have sent them......

Arhhhh

Just a suggestion: do a cold reboot - the iPad & DP - and also disconnect USB before powering up, then power up, then plug in USB between ipad & DP, then try PGS by itself - without Kawai PR running - to see if this makes any difference.

If you were able to get PGS running satisfactorily - to include coexisting with PR - while also successfully using it with a Yami DP, this indicates the DP is / was a variable, somehow 🤷

Thanks for your message.
Nothing seems to work.

I am happy that the DP is fine. Its all working properly, including with Kawai PR app.

This includes using USB/apple adapter AND using bluetooth on its own. All works perfectly. The PR app functions 100% using these two different ways.

I have tried everything.....

Steve

Steve, what happens when you try to use the app?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this app. Does it rely on MiDI to function? If so, the Bluetooth MIDI or USB MIDI cable should work fine, especially if you have already verified that both work correctly using the PianoRemote app.

Kind regards,
James
x

Hi James,

There are two ways of using the app...

1. Bluetooth MIDI
2. USB MIDI

PGS do not recommend using Bluetooth MIDI. So when I had the CLP 775 I didn't. I used USB 'B' to USB 'A' into lightening adapter. Worked perfectly.

But not working with CA99

Compatibility with the cable or adapter is key. Simply having the physical connection is not enough and each device could respond differently. My daughter has a 2020 model iiPad and a Casio DP-S100. We wanted to connect her keyboard to the iPad so she could record and use the instruments on Garage Band. Our first attempt was to get a simple USB B Male to Lightning Female adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092C5DNSF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It did not work. The iPad could not see the Casio.

I was then wondering if I needed the official Lightning USB / HDMI breakout that Apple sells to correctly extract the signaling correctly and not confuse the keyboard / iPad.

I did not end up testing the Apple adapter because I found this USB B male to lightning male cable that worked perfectly at 1/4 the cost.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZMQDZN1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Noted, thanks.

Basically the sound from the app comes out of the iPad and it should come out of the CA99 speakers also (like it did last week with the CLP 775).

I have also tried an iPhone to see if that works. It doesn't.

But my cables are fine and work correctly. I can use Kawai Piano Remote app with my cable set up as it is. I can even use the Kawai app using Bluetooth. All works fine.

So it must be the PGS app??????

Steve

In my case the lightning connection is only functioning as a serial midi connection. For audio I need to use an additional 3.5mm cable and connect the headphone jack of the iPad to the line input on the Casio. To pass audio and midi over the lightning connection you might need the Apple lightning to HDMI / USB connector.

I was going to add - my impression is that usb on this piano is midi only. That would be adequate for the Kawai app, but any sound that PGS makes would need to go over an analog audio cable to the piano’s input.

Your impression is correct. Kawai USB does not support audio, Yamaha does.

My initial impression from the OP ( now confirmed mistaken) is that the MacM1, not CA99, would be sounding the audio generated by PGS.

Thank you....

So to carry on using PGS with audio coming out of the DP, would I need an actual MIDI cable (not USB) from DP into iPad?

Steve

No, midi never carries audio. It only carries midi data (which is not an audio signal you can listen to).

If I understand you correctly, this is what happened: On the Yamaha, it worked like this: the piano sent midi data via usb to PGS. PGS used this data to generate the sound. This sound was output by the iPad speakers but also was sent as an *audio* Signal (not midi!) in the other direction over the same usb cable back to the piano which output the audio signal over its own speakers. Essentially, the usb cable was used for two different signals: midi from piano to iPad and audio back to the piano.

And it is this latter part that the CA99 does not support. It does not accept an audio signal via usb. It only accepts audio via „normal“ audio cable (line in) or via Bluetooth (but the latter probably has lag so I would use a cable).

So what you need is not a midi cable but an audio cable to connect your iPad audio out to the piano‘s line in. Not sure if you use the iPad‘s headphones socket for that or if there is some sort of lightning-to-audio adapter that you can use (the adapter would then also need to have usb in, for the midi signal).

At the end, you then have two cables: usb cable for midi from piano to iPad, audio cable for audio back from the iPad to the piano.

That's exactly how I connect my iPad to my CA99. The USB cable goes into the iPad's Lightning jack to run the app. Then I use an audio cable from the iPad's headphone jack to the Input jack under the keyboard of the CA99. Then I can plug my headphones into the CA99 and that's the only place I hear audio so I don't bother anybody else in the room.

This actually is where the full back board on the CA99 is a disadvantage. I cannot run the two cables over the top, down the back, and then underneath for neatness. The cables are draped across the front and run through one side. Be certain to get color-coordinated cables.

Ray

Thank you

Thank you. I guess a standard audio cable?

Yes, just a cheap one.