Hi.
I have a Yamaha Clavinova CLP-930. I have done everything that I think I should have done to connect it to my IBM PC but it didn't work. I used the guide located at: http://music.yamaha.com/product/cvp-204/manual/en_US/clavinovaConnectivity.pdf

- I bought a serial cable that connects the piano to my computer. This cable hooks into the D-Sub 9-Pin serial port on the back of the PC and into the "HOST" port on the piano. Everything fits. I bought the cable from a computer store. It's not a special midi cable, it just connects the two ports that have to be connected. Yamaha used to make a cable for this, but now it's discontinued. So maybe the first question is do I need a cable that does something special, or is it okay if it just fits in the TO HOST port on the piano and the serial port on the computer?

-I turned everything off, and switched the host select to "PC-2"

-Prior to doing this, I had installed a MIDI driver. The Yamaha CBX driver. I saved all the files in "My Documents" and I told it to use COM 1.

-I also installed "Yamaha Digital Music Notebook". And the software doesn't seem to recognize that I have a piano hooked up.

So, what do I do? Did I install the driver files in the right place? All I did was download them, unzip them and run them.

Thanks!

maybe you need a USB cable instead.

I connected my CLP 950 through the MIDI ports (in and out) at the CLP to an external MIDI-to-USB interface (they are not expensive - certainly less than regular sound cards). Works perfectly.

This is just for future reference:

If you bought the cable at a computer store, it is probably wired up differently than the one Yamaha made. I read that the pin-outs are different from a normal serial to 8-pin: "Yamaha chose to wire the "Host" output slightly differently on their keyboards. Specifically, the keyboard's 8-pin "Host" output requires a cable that has Pins 4 and 8 shorted in the 8-pin mini-DIN plug. Other manufacturers' keyboards (Alesis, Korg, Roland, etc.) do not require this jumper."

This is why your cable may not have worked. I use the cable for both my CLP_130 and my Disklavier Baby Grand. -Tony

From the CLP950 user manual:
Serial-to-MIDI Connection

Notice the unusual wiring, as Tony pointed out.


MIDI Connection

That big-box MIDI interface in the middle can be replace with a plain MIDI-to-USB cable.
That's a plain cable, with a big "wart" in the middle to do the conversion, available online.

Ignore the "to host" port on the piano. You will never get it to work on any modern computer.

Use the two round MIDI ports. Get a MIDI to USB cable for about $40. Or buy an audio interface that includes a MIDI port. You will most likely want the audio interface anyway.

"Real MIDI" is a pair of round jacks. These are standardized. Anything else such as this serial "to host" port or even USB ports depend on drivers for the OS and Yamaha (and others) loose interest in keeping drivers up to date real fast after a piano is discontinued.

Excellent diagram!

ChrisA, I am almost forced to use the serial "host" cable. I have a Disklavier Mark III and the MIDI in/out is sadly occupied by the CD player that comes with the Mark III system.

We SHOULD be able to get them to work with a modern computer buy adding a serial-to-USB adapter to the end of the Host cable. I bought one and it didn't work. I then found (on another thread) that some adapters work and some do not. It sounds like a matter of getting the right one. I have been told that the IBM USB Serial/Parallel Adapter (IBM part number 22P9036) has worked. So I'm getting one and trying that.

I also called Disklavier tech support and "the expert" says he has never heard of adding a serial-to-USB adapter to the end of the Host cable. That's surprising since they have no available MIDI port on the MARK III systems (it's occupied by the CD player). I just figured they'd have a list of those adapters that worked. Am I the only one who ever called that wanted to hook up their MArk III to their computer?

-Tony

P.S. Here's a place that still sells the serial Host cable:
http://www.hollywooddj.com/9pinhostcable.html