Hi Ken,
in many cases you don't need to install a Yamaha USB-MIDI Driver on a MAC. This is because all newer Yamaha arranger keyboard models are USB-MIDI "Class Compliant". The Mac should automatically recognize the SX900 as a USB-MIDI device. That is why there is no USB-MIDI driver for MAC listed on the SX900 download page:
>>>
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/arranger_workstations/psr-sx900/downloads.html#product-tabsIf you have problems with the USB-MIDI connection or the second MIDI Receive Port (USB2) of the SX900 is not available as MIDI Output device on the Mac, you can install the Yamaha USB-MIDI Driver. (Normally you
don't need MIDI Port
2 unless you want to control the
keyboard parts (Right / Left) or the
Style parts directly from the Mac. Most of the time you only need MIDI port 1 (as a MIDI input device or MIDI output device on the Mac). The SONG parts are controlled via port 1 on the SX900 (Receive) by default.)
There are 4 different Versions at the moment (for the different macOS versions):
>>>
USB-MIDI Driver V1.5.0 for Mac macOS 11 (Intel/Apple silicon with Rosetta 2)>>>
USB-MIDI Driver V1.3.2-2 for Mac macOS 10.15 - OS X 10.5>>>
USB-MIDI Driver V1.3.1 for Mac OS X 10.4.11>>>
USB-MIDI Driver V1.0.7 for Mac OS 8.6 - 9.2You can always find the latest USB-MIDI driver by searching for "usb-midi" in the "Keyboard Instruments" category on the Yamaha Support Site:
>>>
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/support/updates/index.html?c=keyboards&k=usb-midiIf you want to hear the sound generated on the Mac through the SX900 speakers, you have to connect the headphone output of the Mac to the AUX input of the SX900. On the Mac, you should turn up the volume relatively high in this case. The volume control for the AUX IN of the SX900 can be found in the Mixer display (Panel tab, page 2).
Note: If there is an audible
delay when using virtual synths as a sound generator on the Mac via the headphone output, this is probably due to a relatively high latency of the internal sound card. If this latency cannot be set shorter, you would have to use an additional, external USB audio interface as the audio output on the Mac.
On the SX900 use one of the MIDI templates "All Parts" or "KBD & Style". The differences are as follows:
- With "All Parts" the keyboard parts
Right 1 - 3 and
Left are transmitted on channels
1 - 3 and
4, but only
if the relevant parts are switched ON. - With "KBD & Style" the keyboard play in the
Right area is transmitted via the "UPPER" part (channel 1), and the
Left area is transmitted via the "LOWER" part (channel 2). In contrast to the "All Parts" template, when using "KBD & Style" the UPPER and LOWER parts are also transmitted even if all keyboard parts are switched OFF.
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Chris