Please help - no sound when connecting keyboard to computer!

I am an experienced piano/keyboard player but am new to connecting up my MIDI keyboard to my computer. Basically, I cannot seem to get my keyboard to sound through the speakers. I have connected the MIDI keyboard to the computer via the computer's USB port, using a Midisport Uno MIDI interface.

I have installed the driver software and am using the computer's in-built soundcard which is a Realtek ac-97 audio, and the software that came with my Roland Juno-d (Juno-D Editor). I have also tried the keyboard with Audacity but to no avail - I'm still not getting any sound through the speakers. I know it's not a problem with the speakers as they work with Media Player, etc. Please help - I know the answer may sound obvious to some of you, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

MIDI does not transmit sound. MIDI transmits notes. You can use those notes to tell something to make sound. Please read about MIDI.

B>

You're going to want to run your keyboard's audio into the computer if you want to hear it there. Midi is simply control information (which can be used by the your editor software for example). You could also use that same midi data to play a software synth within your computer, using the external keyboard as a controller. As packrat wisely said, read up on midi - I'm merely scratching the surface to get you pointed in the right direction.

Thanks Packrat and Allerion for your replies. I read up on MIDI before attempting to connect the keyboard but am still a little perplexed. When you say I should run the Keyboard's audio into the computer, does that mean I need to have the Keyboard amplifier connected to the keyboard whilst it is connected to the computer, and that it is not possible to get the keyboard to sound through the computer's speakers?

MIDI permits one device to say to another "Note C4 was pressed quite hard". There is no audio there.

If you want sound to come out of your computer speakers you are either going to have connect something which generates that sound (such as your keyboard, presumably) to an audio input, or have something on your computer generate sound in response to the above message. (A softsynth)

Presumably you have something like the following

1. you press key

2. keyboard notices which one

3. keyboard sound module generates tone to match

4. tone is amplified by keyboard amp so you can hear it.

MIDI output sits just after step 2, after step 3 you have line level audio suitable to wire into a mixer, amp, or sound card input (or headphones).

B>

http://tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

Sticky, please!