iPad app struggles to output notes to Yamaha P-45

Trouble with Synthesia, your keyboard, or adapter? Think you found a bug?
When describing problems, always mention your OS and game version (shown at the bottom of the title screen).

If your keyboard has USB or MIDI ports, there is a tremendously high chance (>99%) it will work with Synthesia. See what you'll need on the keyboards page.
Post Reply
rpendleton
Posts: 3

Post by rpendleton »

I have a Yamaha P-45 with a USB Type-B MIDI port and an iPad Pro with a USB-C port. After connecting my piano to my iPad using a Type-B to Type-A cable and a Type-A to Type-C adapter, most features in Synthesia work without any issue. I'm able to press keys on the piano and hear them using Synthesia's built-in synthesizer, and I can practice the rhythm of songs with both hands.

With that said, after trying to switch from Synthesia's synthesizer to my piano's, Synthesia is unable to consistently sound notes using my piano. For example, when Synthesia tries to play that short sequence of notes after you finish a song and your score goes up, I typically only hear one or two notes played on my piano (if I hear anything at all). Similarly, if I try to play an entire song in watch and listen mode, or if I try to practice a single hand of a song, only about 1 in 20 background notes are actually played. It seems like the notes that are played change each time.

When using the same cable and adapter with my laptop on macOS, Synthesia is able to use my piano as an output device without any issues. Is this a known issue with the iPad app or my model of piano? Is there anything I can do to fix this, or any way I can collect more data that could assist you in troubleshooting the issue further?

Yamaha P-45
iOS 13.1.3
Synthesia 10.6.1
Using Apple's official USB-A to USB-C adapter

Thanks!
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Hmm, this isn't a known issue (yet?)...

As far as I know, there haven't been any changes to the MIDI device connection side of things in the iPad app in quite a while. I'll get a couple test devices connected and double-check though.
User avatar
jimhenry
Posts: 1899

Post by jimhenry »

It might be worth trying a USB type B to type C cable to eliminate a variable or two:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=14852
Jim Henry
Author of the Miditzer, a free virtual theatre pipe organ
http://www.Miditzer.org/
rpendleton
Posts: 3

Post by rpendleton »

It looks like the issue was in-fact related to the adapter. I purchased a USB type-B to type-C cable, and using that with Synthesia on my iPad Pro results in midi output working as expected. It's interesting that Apple's official type-A to type-C adapter would have this issue, but that's fine with me since I was planning on buying a cable anyway.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Curiously this isn't the first time I think I've heard that particular from Apple has had trouble. You're right: usually their stuff is pretty spot-on and works basically flawlessly. But there must be something about that particular adapter. The last time I'd checked (admittedly a year or two ago), the reviews for it at their site were particularly bad, often citing these sorts of problems.

I'm happy to hear you've got things up and running now!
Post Reply