2008-02-15

Casio CTK-800 and MacBook

Yesterday I found the required USB cable to connect my MacBook to the keyboard we purchased for the “kids”. But nothing happened….

After a few minutes Googling I found that Casio only provide Windows drivers… But then I found a GoggleCode project to provide Mac OS X USB MIDI drivers for Casio keyboards. Oh happy times.

To make it work you should

Download the driver
unzip it
copy driver CasioUSBMIDIDriver.plugin to the root driver folder /Library/Audio/MIDI Drivers (so all users accounts can use the driver)

Install Location of driver
reboot.

Tada, the Audio Midi Setup (Applications/Utilities) could see the keyboard, and GarageBand could record the input.

Now I’m interested to see what the kids will create.

[Update July 2011]

For Snow Leopard there is an installer package now on the above linked driver, so use that for Snow Leopard installs.

To test it installed correctly, run ‘Audio MIDI Setup’, and click in the ‘Windows | Show MIDI Window’ top level menu

Then click the ‘Test Setup’ icon to make it blue (shown white here)

Then click on the down arrow at bottom of the Casio USB MIDI Interface. You keyboard should make lots of noise. Its working.

Now load GarageBand, and start the record mode and press some keys on the keyboard. All working…

[Update June 2021]
The archived files can be found at:
https://code.google.com/archive/p/casiousbmididriver/downloads

Comments:

Adam Chadwick 2008-03-16 11:39:28

Thanks so much! I’m troubleshooting a friend’s setup, and this just helped me out a bunch.

Alasdair 2008-11-05 16:20:16

Just what I needed

Thanks so much!

Carl 2008-10-31 09:23:09

Hi,
I’m having troubles with following youre description.
I have a Mac G5 not a MacBook..
I have downloaded youre file but it doesn’t work.
Could you please respond?

Cheers,
Carlos

Bala 2008-10-18 17:00:47

You made a big difference in my life. I started composing music!!! Please send me your e-mail ID for me to send my first song!!

Simeon Pilgrim 2008-10-19 13:32:13

Hi Bala, I’m really glad this helped.

As me and my children haven’t made any music, I’d be glad to listen to yours, you can contact me at simeon.pilgrim@gmail.com

Andrew 2008-07-11 02:40:29

Thank You! I was so confused and so was everyone on the forums. You just changed my life and got me one step closer to musical freedom. I thought I was dead in the water with that casio! Thank you!

Simeon Pilgrim 2008-07-11 09:20:49

Your welcome.

mark 2009-03-18 18:12:28

my casio has been sitting unused for years due to lack of driver! Thanks for linkkk

Sophie 2009-08-04 00:08:36

I just got a new Macbook. Im not very good with technology, but it appears that the download is not working. I dont know if I did something wrong with it.

Simeon 2009-08-04 09:56:18

So you have opened the zip file, copied CasioUSBMIDIDriver into ‘Library/Audio/MIDI Drivers’, then rebooted, and then when you run Audio Midi Setup (Applications/Utilities) with the keyboard plugged-in do you see nothing?

Sophie 2009-08-05 01:12:00

err… well… ummm… After I posted the comment. I got just a little impatient, because nothing was working and I didn’t know what I was doing ect. I started clicking random stuff. clicked open with and then System Profiler, because it looked somewhat important. Now I think, I have completely stuffed it. I looked for ‘Library/Audio/ MIDI Drivers’ but couldn’t find anything of the sort. I did run Audio Midi Setup (Applications/ utililties) before and after I stuffed it, with the keyboard plugged in and saw nothing. I think that it is quite clear that i’m an idiot and that I shouldn’t waste your time anymore. rofl. Thank you anyway. You have certainly made a lot of other people happy which I congratulate you for, well done. :)

Pauline 2009-08-07 00:13:28

Hi,
It didn’t work for me so far… unfortunately!
My library does contain an audio folder, but it has no folder named ‘midi’ or ‘midi devices’, to put the driver in and make it happen. What to do?

Simeon 2009-08-07 10:54:39

um, at a wild guess, try create the directory “MIDI Drivers”, the place the driver in there, reboot, and see if that works.

eLi 2009-08-18 10:08:36

Hi There! I too am trying to use my Casio CTk 800 with Garage Band or Logic to no avail.
I appreciate your driver link :0) BUT! I am gettting this message when I open it
Last login: Mon Aug 17 14:04:09 on ttys000
eli-parrs-macbook-pro:\~ eliparr$ /Users/eliparr/Downloads/CasioUSBMIDIDriver.plugin\ 2/Contents/MacOS/CasioUSBMIDIDriver ; exit;
-bash: /Users/eliparr/Downloads/CasioUSBMIDIDriver.plugin 2/Contents/MacOS/CasioUSBMIDIDriver: cannot execute binary file
logout

[Process completed]
It doesn’t seem to be able to install on my computer (new macbook pro)
any suggestions? I am not too technically proficient :)

Thanks!
e

Simeon 2009-08-18 10:31:00

It seems your trying to manually run the driver, after having unzipped it. All you need to-do is place (copy) the driver to the correct location, and then reboot you Mac.

eLi 2009-08-18 12:10:16

Eeek! LOL. What would be the correct location?
Thanks for your prompt comment! :)

Simeon 2009-08-18 12:18:19

I’ve updated the post to make thing more obvious. But ‘/Library/Audio/MIDI Drivers’ is where you want to put it, make sure you reboot.

Josh 2009-11-05 14:30:23

it wont download, safari says it can’t open the file.

Simeon 2009-11-05 15:02:42

Well I just downloaded the CasioUSBMIDIDriver.r9.plugin.zip(Pre-Snow Leopard) just now and saved correctly. So maybe you need to right click and do a save-as instead of just clicking on the file.

WILLIAM 2010-04-05 15:02:29

Hello !

Im from Peru, thank you very much for that file.. It works perfectly
nice man :D

David 2010-04-10 07:09:56

Hello !

A BIG Thank you !!!!!!! I can finally composing my music ! oh yeah !!! It’s gonna be a goooooood weekend !

Cheers from Switzerland ;-)

Paulo 2011-07-19 19:38:10

Hi Simeon,

So I’ve done all of this and for some reason, garageband is still not picking up my casio keyboard.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I really don’t want to feel as if I’ve just wasted a fair bit of money, on the purchase of my CTK-800.

Thanks :)

Simeon 2011-07-20 09:05:58

Hi Paulo,

I’ve not used this driver since updating to Snow Leopard, so I’ll check if my system still works night. Will let you know.

Simeon 2011-07-20 21:16:49

Well I installed the new 32/64 bit Snow Leopard package, and it seemed to install without a hitch, but unfortunately I don’t have the correct USB cable at home, so I’ll bring one home tomorrow and test with that.

bob 2011-07-27 16:58:37

Okay so First of all the Casio 800 does not have midi out only a usb out…..I am trying to connect the usb to my mac book pro…..using logic pro 9 I am not getting any new device reconized why i open up logic please help me.

Simeon 2011-07-27 18:53:09

Hi Paul, just letting you know that yes, it works just fine with the newer Installer package and Snow Leopard.

Simeon 2011-07-27 18:58:58

Hi Bob,

Your correct it’s not a normal MIDI port, but something better, a USB port which has all one needs to connect and control multiple devices on a bus.

Check that you can see your device in the “Audio MIDI Setup” utility. I did not see my device in the base screen, so reboot, and then didn’t see, so found the “Show MIDI Window” under “Windows” and my device was present there. I then clicked on the Test Setup button then pressed the down black arrow on the icon, and my keyboard made a huge noise. Thus first test your keyboard in present and working.

For me I then could use my keyboard in GarageBand, albeit it was quite.

Mohsin 2011-12-01 10:37:47

Thank you Simeon!! :D

Nathan 2012-03-22 21:03:22

Thank you SO MUCH FOR THIS!!! I really appreciate the time and effort you put in.

You ROCK~