Congratulations on your new CP4 Stage and Welcome to Yamaha Synth!

Thanks for the question....

I've managed to find all the necessary msb/lsb bank data, and are able to change banks and programs via midi from my computer. But, nomatter what I have tried I only get sound from the cp4 on midi channel 1, 2 and 3.

Am I missing something, or is the cp4 limited to recieve on only these 3 midi channels?

If that is the case I'm a bit dissepointed in the capebilities of the cp4 as a tone generator/midi reciever. But then again, I guess you can record the sound simultaniously with midi, but this would be a pain when it comes to editing midi tracks etc.

Any help is most welcome

The CP4 Stage has three Parts: Main, Layer and Split. These are fixed to Receive Channels 1, 2, and 3 respectively. It only needs three channels. When transmitting to it via USB, by definition, it will have its own discreet PORT within your system, so there is no danger of its MIDI Channels 1, 2, and 3 becoming confused with any other device in your system.

The CP4 Stage can be set to transmit OUT via MIDI on any channel, if you use its Master Keyboard function, found in each PERFORMANCE program.
When you select a MIDI TRANSMIT CHANNEL, data is encoded with the Channel as you have it set when you record it. It is usually your DAW which "re-channelizes" the data when it transmits it back OUT.

There is no problem when it comes to editing MIDI data. You have the same control over it as you would normally. Midi data is Midi data.

Things you need to know:
_ The CP4 Stage is three Part multi-timbral, so it only needs to receive MIDI on three MIDI Channels.
_ When connected via USB, data is sent discreetly from the computer to your CP4 Stage.
_ When using the CP4 Stage as a keyboard Controller, you can opt to set LOCAL CONTROL* = OFF and use the "Master Keyboard" feature to work with your DAW. Now you can transmit on any of 16 channels and direct MIDI data with the currently "active" Track in your DAW. *LOCAL CONTROL disconnects the keyboard from the tone engine... Messages are still transmitted OUT via MIDI (USB to your computer).
_ Via USB, the CP4Stage has its own discreet PORT, and on that Port it uses CH1 for MAIN, CH2 for LAYER, and CH3 for SPLIT to receive MIDI data. There is never a reason, really, or a need to change these channel settings.
_ Data received on channels other than 1, 2, or 3 is not used. Data received on the CP4 Stage's PORT 2 is available at the 5-pin MIDI OUT jack on the CP4 Stage's back panel and works as a MIDI THRU. You can target another MIDI device with this data.

Hope that helps.

Ok, but just so I'm getting this right. You say the cp4 is three part multi-timbral, whitch means it only can play 3 sounds at once, no matter what? So, if I wanted to have one track with piano, one with bass, one with a lead and a drum kit this isn't possible via midi?

In my Mac the cp4 is recognized by the usb driver with 2 ports, when I send midi to the cp4 from Logic pro x I get sound from port 1 channel 1-3 but nothing if I try to send anything to port 2.

So if I want to record more than 3 tracks with the sounds from the cp4 I need to record the actual audio output?

Thank you for making this more clear since I've found it a bit difficult to understand this.

Ok, but just so I'm getting this right. You say the cp4 is three part multi-timbral, whitch means it only can play 3 sounds at once, no matter what? So, if I wanted to have one track with piano, one with bass, one with a lead and a drum kit this isn't possible via midi?

Your arithmetic is correct. 3 = one + one + one.
🙂
It can never generate a fourth MIDI Part (simultaneously). It is only three part multi-timbral - that is what this means.

In my Mac the cp4 is recognized by the usb driver with 2 ports, when I send midi to the cp4 from Logic pro x I get sound from port 1 channel 1-3 but nothing if I try to send anything to port 2.

Sound does not travel via MIDI... Well, we know what you mean - you get nothing to respond from data routed on PORT 2. This is because anything routed on the CP4 Stage's PORT 2 arrives at the 5-pin MIDI OUT jack on the back panel - available to trigger one external MIDI device from your DAW. It turns the CP4 into a MIDI interface via the 5-pin MIDI jack. Connect another tone generator to this port and route a signal on PORT 2 - it (MIDI data) will arrive at this device. No AUDIO can be returned via the USB-MIDI connection - it is just MIDI data.

Say you have a tone module you want to use. Connect its MIDI IN to the CP4 Stage's MIDI OUT... when you want to route a MIDI Track to this device set the MIDI OUT Port of your Track = "Yamaha CP4 Stage PORT 2" and the appropriate MIDI Channel on that device. The PORT 2 carries 16 MIDI channels to the the 5-pin MIDI OUT jack of your instrument. Make Sense?

So if I want to record more than 3 tracks with the sounds from the cp4 I need to record the actual audio output?

Yes. Audio requires that you connect the main LEFT/RIGHT audio outputs of the CP4 Stage to an appropriate Audio Interface device for use with your DAW (Logic Pro). MIDI PARTS do not generate audio themselves... they are used to trigger the tone engine to make the audio. The AUDIO travels through the main L/R outputs of your CP4 Stage and will need to be recorded via an AUDIO INTERFACE - do you have one?

No, I do not have an audio interface anymore, but then I have a good reason for getting one. 🙂

It's been about 15 years since I used audio and midi interfaces at home in a small home studio, but I thought i world be fun to make some music again. I bought the cp4 mainly for gigging, replacing a second generation Nord Stage, and so far I'm very pleased with the Yamaha for the intended use.

Thank you taking the time to explain this to me!

An alternate method to record audio - is to connect a USB stick to the CP Stage's "TO DEVICE" port. You can record audio directly to the USB stick as a 16-bit/44.1kHz Stereo .WAV file - that can imported to your computer DAW. It depends on what your goals are for using the AUDIO - but this is certainly another option.

Enjoy!

Hi,

My question is somewhere close to this topic...

I have a Yamaha CP4 which is controlling a computer(hosting Apple Mainstage) via a Focusrite AUDIO/MIDI Interface. That is working great 😉

I also have a Yamaha motif XS6 that is connect to the MIDI IN of my CP4. MOTIF MIDI OUT==> CP4 MIDI IN.

Is it possible to "echo" or "THRU" the MIDI of the Motif XS THRU the CP4 MIDI OUT so that, ultimately, my MOTIF can play some patches from the CP4 OR the computer?

Is there an issue of MIDI Receive Channel or OMNI mode that will help me because at this point no MIDI data is working between Motif and CP4...?

Thank you.

Phil Drolet.

You should be able to echo (thru) data from either of the keyboards when connected through a system using your computer. We can help you with the CP4 Stage and the Motif XS. In a system that includes a computer you can use the built-in USB-MIDI interface of the Motif XS to communicate both the CP4 Stage and the XS.

We are not sure what you require or are doing with Mainstage or the Focusrite or if you are running any other software capable of handling what you require. But rest assured MIDI data can be routed to your computer independently from either keyboard and you will be able to select which tone generator responds when you play. So you will be able to play the Motif XS keys and trigger either the XS or the CP, and vice versa you can play the CP4 keys and trigger either the the CP or the XS.

When you connect the XS to your computer via USB it uses the Yamaha USB-MIDI Driver Port 1 for the XS and Port 3 for the CP4 (connected via 5-pin MIDI cables).