The A-49 can be connected to a computer so it can be integrated with music software applications. This will use a standard USB cable connected to the square "USB COMPUTER" port on the side of the A-49 and then to a standard USB port on your computer.
1. On the A-49, press FUNCTION so it is lit.
2. Press the key labelled "ADV."
3. Press the "+" button so it is lit.
4. Download and install the A-49 USB driver for your computer and connect the USB cable. You can download the latest drivers from our website here.
Make sure you download the driver that corresponds to the type of computer you have (Mac or Windows-based) and the version of operating system you are using. Once downloaded, you will need to run the setup application to install the driver into your system. This may include re-starting your computer.
5. Confirm that the USB driver is installed correctly and that the computer is communicating correctly with the A-49.
- On a Macintosh, look in the Audio MIDI Setup utility and confirm that the A-49 is listed in the MIDI Studio window.
- On a PC, open the Device Manager and confirm that the A-49 is listed under "Sound, video, and game controllers."
6. Activate or enable the A-49 in your music software. You will need to consult with the documentation for your specific application for this, but usually there is a preferences menu where you will need to enable the A-49 so it can be used by your software.
This will allow you to transfer MIDI between the A-49 and your computer.
Advanced USB Driver Setting
Normally you will install a Roland driver on your computer to use the A-49 keyboard, but if there is not a driver available, or if you are connecting to a device that does not allow drivers to be installed (such as an iOS device), you can change the USB Driver Setting to "Generic." This will allow the A-49 to use the built-in USB driver in the computer (such as Core MIDI) instead of requiring a Roland driver to be installed. This mode is also called "Class Compliant."
1. Press FUNCTION so it is lit.
2. Press the key with the label "ADV" above it.
3. Use the + / - buttons to make the setting:
- + (lit): Advanced Driver - this setting requires a Roland USB driver to be installed on the computer.
- - (lit): Generic Driver - this setting uses the driver in your computer's operating system.
4. Re-start the A-49 to finalize the setting.