Hi -
I have a basic question. I see that the new os will giev me wifi for the keyboard - the manual also elaborates how i can now connect to the ipad apps. My questions are the following:

1. If i have ethernet connection to my motif and the router - is wifi going to give me anything more?
2. Can i connect both ethernet and wifi at the same time? Not sure if it really matters though.
3. If i can use the ethernet and connect to the same wifi router that my ipad connects - then will i still be able to use the ipad apps? or it is required to have the wifi dongle in yamaha?
4. Finally - can i use the ethernet or wifi connection to actually transmit the midi data to my mac - meaning if i install the DAW - will it be able to pick the yamaha midi thru network connection itself or is it required to connect it thru the firewire or usb to actually transmit the midi to my mac?

Vimmy

Rather than answer those questions, we think we should just tell you what an Ethernet connection between to your XF gives you. You need to understand what type of information is transferrable via Ethernet (then we feel you can answer most of your own questions about what you can and cannot do at the same time).

The XF’s Ethernet connection allows you to create small local network with your home computer/router and any shared computers/drives on your network.

You can read and write data files via Ethernet.
In a working network, you can mount any computer connected to your home network (provided you have permission). You will see the “shared” folders in your XF screen when you go to [FILE]. So in addition to being able to retrieve (and write) XF compatible files from/to USB drives connected to the “TO DEVICE” port, you can mount and retrieve (and write) XF compatible files from/to any device on your network via the Ethernet port.

In a similar fashion to how you can write an audio FILE to a USB stick using the [FILE] > [F4] AUDIO function, you can now write an audio FILE direct to your computer or any computer shared on your network.
Press [FILE]
Press [F4] AUDIO
You will be able to MOUNT and direct the record to your network.

The potential here is of larger significance than almost anything about this. Sure you can write a stereo 16-bit, 44.1kHz .wav file directly to a USB stick connnected to the TO DEVICE port, and this is a quick and convenient way to mixdown products when you want to make a rough mix or a just don’t want to spend hours working with a DAW. Now you are also able to write directly to your computer or any computer on a network - this is some future shock! The significance of this may have greater impact in the future, as musicians can start to share music in new ways.

You can also communicate to your network wirelessly (but that requires you select “wireless” as how you are connecting to the network. You connect to your local network by “ethernet” cable or you connect via “wireless”. That is an either/or - you have understand that. There are only two ways onto your network: ethernet or wireless. Right?

Wifi with iPAD
When you want to setup so that you can control your XF with a device like an iPAD. You are going to establish communication between the XF and the iPAD for MIDI information. You can setup using either a “cable” connection (via a USB Camera Connection or to the MIDI ports via an interface like the Yamaha iMX-1) or you can setup using the XF’s ability to do ‘wireless’.

In order to setup wirelessly you will need a compatible USB Wifi stick (connected to the XF’s “TO DEVICE” USB port, I recommend a hub so that you can also connect multiple USB storage sticks). You will need to set the unit’s Network Interface to “wireless” (as opposed to Ethernet) and in this case you will be able to communicate with the iPAD when you set the XF’s MIDI IN/OUT = “network”. Doing so allows bi-directional MIDI communication between the XF and the iPAD application.

Okay that should help you understand what can and cannot be done with the Ethernet connection as it is implemented here on the XF. It is mainly for filing. Filing is an offline activity. It is not like FW or SPDIF, where there is real time audio (audio + MIDI in the case of FW). Don’t confuse the USB AUDIO RECORD/PLAYBACK feature with these…

The real time writing of the .wav is still an act of “filing”. The XF just lets you listen to playback while it renders the .wav file.

I’m not saying that some other applications of the Ethernet port are not possible - just these are the prinicipal use cases.

Hope it helps.

Thanks Bad_mister for detailed reply. It is clear now. I guess this is just the starting point and more ways of usage of ethernet or wifi is possible in future.

One question - when i connect the ethernet i see my computer and one of the NAS in the network - but i dont see another one which is also connected. Any reason for that?

Don’t mean to sound flip about this, but there is always a reason. But that reason can be found in any number of variables not mentioned in your post. Network communication, in particular wireless network communication is subject to all kinds of ‘reasons’. Even wired (Ethernet) can be tricky based on preferences in your system. Trying to troubleshoot people’s routers and networks is not going to be easily accomplished in any one set of instructions.

I find that sometimes all my computer devices are there, and some (particularly wireless items) pop up after some scanning. It is not always immediate - sometimes I have to have it scan the network again before communication is established. I once gave up - walked away. And I came back later and everything was reconnected - I’ve learned to be patient, and persistent.

Fortunately, once established it is consistent and reliable. At least that has been my experience.

Guess i have to wait then! My issue at present is with ethernet - i have not tried wifi yet. I finally figured out how to access the NAS that shows up in the list. But here is the issue i have - when mounting it asks for userid and password - i was hoping it will rememebr the userid and passowrd and whenever i mount it will automatically take the credentials - but it asks for userid and password everytime i switch off and switch on - is there anyway i can save this so it connects automatically?

vimmy

I believe there is. I will have to test this on the latest version. I’ll let you know.

vimmy - 19 November 2011 11:44 AM

Guess i have to wait then! My issue at present is with ethernet - i have not tried wifi yet. I finally figured out how to access the NAS that shows up in the list. But here is the issue i have - when mounting it asks for userid and password - i was hoping it will rememebr the userid and passowrd and whenever i mount it will automatically take the credentials - but it asks for userid and password everytime i switch off and switch on - is there anyway i can save this so it connects automatically?

vimmy

You can only store the USER NAME. There’s no way to store the password.