I just reformated my C-Drive and I am now reinstalling all the MOX related software and drivers back onto my laptop. I found 2 USB Driver versions from both Yamaha and Steinberg Websites and I don’t know which one to use or which one is better.

Website at http://download.yamaha.com/top/ recommends USB Driver 1.60

Website at http://www.yamahasynth.com/downloads/drivers_software/ recommends USB Driver 1.30

Just like every other computer software the latest version is always larger in filesize than the older version - in this case 1.60 is larger then 1.30.

http://www.yamahasynth.com/downloads/drivers_software/synthesizers/mox/all/

1.3 is the correct driver for windows.

Hmmm.... sound reasonable too, but do get this. I just installed ver. 1.60. I wanted to find out if it works as a good as 1.30. I have also downloaded 1.30 too but I chose to install the 1.60 because it looks like it is the latest and base on my common sense anything latest is usually better (not always but usually is better). Then again I may be wrong for this case.

So far there hasn’t really been any problem yet. In fact it seems like it is slightly more stable than 1.30. May be I have not populated my C-drive with other software yet. Anyway, the only drawback I find with 1.60 over 1.30 (which I originally installed before my C-drive was re-formated), is with the automatic synchronization. With 1.30 I didn’t need to press the “start” button to re-synchronize after switching between “Voice” and “Song” and “Pattern”. It just works automatically but switching between “Voice”, “Pattern” and “Song” with 1.30 sometimes gave me a lot of funny results like the voice on my first track is always the same across all three (Voice, Song, Pattern). With 1.60 it just picks up the right data from the MOX. Another good thing with 1.60 is it hasn’t hung on me yet. With 1.30, it sometimes froze my template on my laptop and force me kill the entire app and start again.

I am using Windows XP with the latest service pack.

The driver 1.60 is for this Steinberg product:
http://www.steinberg.net/en/newsandevents/news/newsdetail/article/ur824-interface-now-shipping-1745.html

Why do I know that?

Well, read the file installationguide_en.pdf with the driver 1.60 ;)

Regards

That’s weird. How come Yamaha USA recommends it for MOX too? If you go to http://download.yamaha.com/top/?site=usa.yamaha.com&language=en and select software download for MOX, the USB Driver 1.60 will immediately show, not 1.30.

Futhermore I’ve already installed 1.60 to my laptop and it seems to be more stable. I just hope I soon run into problem with it. Then I’ll know for sure it isn’t made for MOX. As far as this is concern both 1.60 and 1.30 carry the same filename. Weird huh?

:? I’m puzzled and waiting for an official explanation too.

Is it a new driver for Windows?

Yamaha makes many, many, many products that interface with computers - these run from very expensive digital mixing consoles to very expensive digital pianos instruments to inexpensive portable keyboards and desktop computer I/O’s - many of these devices use USB as a communication port. Some just do MIDI (and there is a driver for those), some just do audio (and they have their own driver) and then there are some that do both MIDI and audio simultaneously (and they have their driver, this one). But there are always multiple products that use a driver - it just makes sense when you have as many products as a company like Yamaha.

When you see a new version, it can be an improvement to operations but more times than not, it is the inclusion of some new piece of gear being added - that required some change or addition to the driver.

So if you have a MOX6/MOX8 you need to have the Yamaha Steinberg driver that is v1.3.0 or later because if you have one earlier than that version it may not include the additions that were made to include the MOX6/MOX8 as a product that can use the driver.

The “Yamaha Steinberg USB driver”, in particular, is one that is capable of audio and MIDI bi-directionally and simultaneously. Devices like the Steinberg UR28M and UR824 communicate bi-directionally with computers and use MIDI and audio. Since a brand new Yamaha digital mixing console was announced within the last two weeks, it stands to reason that a new version of the Yamaha Steinberg USB driver was announced, as well. I’m sure this new version includes this new mixing console. And of course, it includes all previous products that are using this driver as well, like the MOX6/MOX8. It really is simple because as version 1.6.0 it actually qualifies when the requirement says “1.3.0 or later"… 1.6.0 qualifies as “later” :-)

Eventually all sites will be updated, but as long as you have a MOX6/MOX8 and have driver version 1.3.0, or later, you’re fine. The v1.6.0 additions in this case do not concern the MOX, as far as I know, (but it certainly includes what the MOX needs and adds a device to the family of products that uses the “Yamaha Steinberg USB driver").

To make it clear: Here is an example.
If you have Yamaha Steinberg USB driver v1.0.0 you probably will not be able to run the MOX, because it pre-dates the MOX being in the product line.

When the MOX6/MOX8 were announced, you can bet a new version of the Yamaha Steinberg USB driver was announced - it included information for the new product.

It makes sense if you think about the version numbers and the fact that the driver supports more than just one product - it may in fact be used in scores of products simultaneously (and as time goes on that number of products increases) And naturally the driver file size increases. Make sense?

The new mixing console is the Yamaha 01V96i - just FYI, And yes it does multiple channels of audio and bi-directional MIDI (the ultimate in motorized live, recording/mixing console/control surface console)!

Thanks bad_mister, that means I don’t have to downgrade my current USB driver to 1.30. So far my laptop and my MOX6 are both working fine. I reformated my HardDrive and my Windows OS also feels clean and light, and fast too.

Thank you BM for your long-crystal-clear explanation, as usual. Now I’m working with the new driver 1.6.0 ;)

has anyone noticed any improvements? or has a list of them?

Look the file releasenotes_en.pdf:

...
Main Revisions and Enhancements
V1.5.2 to V1.6.0
- Now supports Yamaha 01V96i.
- Solved the problem in which the audio input/output might stop when switching the sample rate in the Cubase project setup.
- Solved some other minor problems.

Legacy Updates
V1.5.1 to V1.5.2
- Solved some minor problems.

V1.5.0 to V1.5.1
- Now supports Steinberg UR824.
- Changed the default buffer size of the ASIO driver from 768 samples to 512 samples.
- Solved some minor problems.

NOTE
Yamaha Steinberg USB Driver V1.5.1 is the version which is included in the TOOLS for UR824 CD-ROM (labeled “YD307A0” or “YD307B0” ) in the Steinberg UR824 package.

V1.3.0 to V1.5.0
- Now supports Steinberg UR28M.
- Improved the user interface on the control panel of the driver. Tabs are displayed depending on the connected devices.
- Added selections of 64 samples and 96 samples to the buffer size setting of the ASIO driver.

NOTE
Yamaha Steinberg USB Driver V1.5.0 is the version which is included in the TOOLS for UR28M CD-ROM (labeled “YD304A0” or “YD304B0”) in the Steinberg UR28M package.

V1.1.2 to V1.3.0
- Now supports Yamaha MOX6/8.
...

I believe 1.30 works well if ONLY your MOX is connected to your computer.

1.60 will work BETTER than 1.30 if your computer is connected to your MOX and all other Yamaha musical products such as your mixers, audio interfaces, sound modules, another Yamaha keyboard, etc. I think.......

If you ONLY have your PC and MOX, then 1.30 is sufficient, but thats not to say you can’t use 1.60. I am using 1.60 now and I haven’t ran into any problems yet. No freezing, no hang, no sudden disconnection. It’s just smooth sailing all the way. Besides, there is nothing in the documentation for 1.60 that says it won’t work with MOX. Instead it actually says it works with MOX.

I believe 1.30 works well if ONLY your MOX is connected to your computer.

1.60 will work BETTER than 1.30 if your computer is connected to your MOX and all other Yamaha musical products such as your mixers, audio interfaces, sound modules, another Yamaha keyboard, etc. I think.......

Please… you are just making things up now… Don’t do that, please.

I am not making this up. I was merely making a serious guessing. That’s why I ended my assumption with “I think”. When I said “I think” it means I could be wrong and I really do not mind being wrong, really.