Why do I not hear audio from Audio 6 mk2 outputs with S88 mk2 connected

Michael Leary

I hear no audio when connecting the keyboard (MIDI) to the Audio 6 mk2.

I have tried front and rear jacks and headphone jacks as well and full volume

I have checked Komplete Kontrol app settings (ASIO)

USB to powered hub is fine

Why no audio?

Not trying to hear it in Windows 11 - just audio output from the Audio 6 device

I want to route audio to a mixer via 1/4" Left & Right cables to 2 input channels on the mixer.

Find more posts tagged with

Accepted answers

maniacintosh81

You'll need some sort of software synthesizer/instrument running on your computer to hear something. This is the part that creates the sounds from the MIDI signals your S88 sends. The MIDI connection between Audio 6 and S88 is useless. Audio 6 can only forward MIDI signals coming from the computer to other MIDI devices or MIDI signals coming from a MIDI device/controller to your computer. It cannot process these signals itself to create sounds of it. This must happen on the computer. Only other way would be the use of a hardware synthesizer/instrument with a MIDI input. This could be controlled via MIDI without needing a software on your computer.

Your S88 has no audio jacks as it cannot create sounds. It only creates control signals usually to control software instruments or a DAW on your computer.

All comments

maniacintosh81

Are both connected to your computer and is there any software running on it which makes sounds? (Kontakt, a DAW with loaded instrument, …)

The Audio 6 is an audio interface and MIDI interface. It always relies on software running on a computer to output sounds. It is not an MIDI instrument/synthesizer and therefore cannot make sounds from MIDI commands. It just forwards MIDI commands from/to your computer if MIDI devices are connected.

Michael Leary

Yes, both NI items are connected. USB/USB/MIDI in&out.

Not about Windows - I am trying to set up an audio path to a mixer outside of Windows. The S88 has no audio jacks. I am assuming the audio gets routed back to the Audio 6 and supplies it to 1-4 etc.

But yes. USB to a Windows computer. Not configuring any program there yet but drivers are installed.

Driver looks appropriate and shows 4 ch (+spdf). Set to ASIO in Komplete Kontrol.

maniacintosh81

Your S88 has no audio jacks as it cannot create sounds. It only creates control signals usually to control software instruments or a DAW on your computer.

Michael Leary

OK, thanks.

I'll ditch this device for now and move on to another interface.

There are too many possible interfaces here.

maniacintosh81

Another audio interface will not help if you are not running any software on your computer.

Michael Leary

Thanks for the input. I think I was not so clear but I had thought the Audio 6 routed sound back out to its outputs from the MIDI device that was connected (s88 mk2). I can still find a use for it - just not from the s88 mk2.

So I've since re-connected all PC MIDI devices that were DIN to various input devices like the Audio 6 as previoously stated. All of my MIDI devices are now USB connected and the one stray device that is not is hooked to DIN from my MOTU MIDI Express 128 (Also USB) is used for its THRU to extend one device beyond the 8 MOTU channels. The MOTU is not the issue. I am looking to get audio. Not recording yet. Sound. No DAW yet. My end game is to add MIDI Ethernet devices later into the studio to connect visiting user equipment beyond my own. Maybe a band or a MIDI drummer etc. in the big room.

Back to the S88 mk2. I removed the DIN MIDI cables to the Audio 6 mk2. While it has worked with the DAW previously I could not get its sound to the mixer- just the MIDI input to the DAW. I do want the s88 to PLAY from the DAW later.

All looks good in MIDI (Clockworks listing) for devices into Windows, each using the mfr. USB connection.

No PC errors sticking out of the PC's device management.

As hard as I have tried still no sound from the s88 mk2. I am trying to get the s88 mk2 to work with my PC setup for audio sound out, using a PreSonus StudioLive 16channel Mixer (ch15/16) as the audio device in Windows (also has MIDI USB). I can play anything sound wise (YouTube etc.), and get sound out to my speakers wired from the mixer stereo out.

I cannot get Komplete Kontrol by itself to get sound into the mixer on a channel (but it shows all USB devices in KK and all 16 mixer channels) using a realitone plug-in I've used before in a PreSonus DAW. Not opening up the DAW yet. I am pretending I am a performer here. If I can get sound I can play in real time before I move to the DAW. Maybe even set up my Maschine before the DAW too - but it does have audio out.

I found a Youtube post where a famous composer is setting up the same s88 mk2 and is used to having something live a Korg Kross that has its own sounds. He yanks his old keyboard out. He realizes after replacing it that his new S88 is not the same device. I purchased mine that way and also added my old keyboard back for performing. We both are looking at it the same now. How can I just replace the old keyboard with the new S88?

I run C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\Komplete Kontrol\Komplete Kontrol.exe (latest version of KK) as suggested (must be different than opening it in the DAW by opening the exe). I can add the Realitone instrument I've DAW recorded with and - even though it will show on the s88 keyboard LCD - nothing will route to any channel set up with the mixer inputs in KK. At first run KK had almost every channel already selected in its list. I removed all mixer channels and tried a few different available single channels (even a stereo one). No sound. If I again try to re-select a different channel or Ch. 13/14 (L+R) it locks up. There are Windows errors now.

Nothing. I am restarting next to clean up the error state - KK wont reload now. Still no device manager issues. The errors are boring so I am not going into that yet. It might not be applicable.

Again. Audio first (Live, like performing) - then selection of KK sounds - then I can move back to getting to the DAW.

Its not about MIDI - its about audio. The StudioLive mixer is just what I use as the Windows 11 audio output device. PreSonus UC works as well. I am not changing the default Windows Audio devices everytime I want an audio device mix.

Setting up the s88 mk2 for automation to change NA instruments will come much later in the DAW.🤔

Quick links

Unanswered questions