Can’t send MIDI from Fantom G8 to laptop via USB connection

[JohnG]

I want to use my Fantom G8 as a midi controller with a DAW (Ableton) or VSTI player (Nanohost) on my Windows-based laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad).

I’ve connected the laptop to the Fantom with a USB cable and followed the instructions in this Roland Workshop document (published in 2010):

http://cms.rolandus.com/assets/media/pdf/FGWS15.pdf

But the Fantom doesn’t show up in the Input Device menu of any my DAWs or VSTI players.

I can get Fantom to send MIDI to my laptop through a MIDI cable but not through a USB cable.

Can someone tell me how to fix this? Thanks!

[Saxifraga]

If you use Windows beyond 7 and VISTA, this is not gonna work the old way. You need a patched USB driver. I remember that somebody patched a few bytes in the install definition file and then it worked. You have to search the Forum, because I don't remember the link. Must be here in this FG forum though.

On page 5 of the "fucking manual" ;)
"Installing the Fantom-G Software on Your Computer
The Fantom-G works with the following computer operating (OS) systems:
• Windows XPTM • Windows VistaTM (32- and 64-bit)
• Windows 7TM (32- and 64-bit) • Mac OS XTM (10.3.9 and higher)
In this booklet we’ll describe the Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X installation of the Fantom-G’s USB MIDI driver and Editor/Librarian software."

Roland let us hang out to dry. I guess that's the right saying in english?

[Saxifraga]

I found this: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=57242&p=318315&hil ... 10#p318315
Have not tested it myself.

[JohnG]

Thanks so much for your efforts to help me with this, Saxifraga. I truly appreciate it.

Unfortunately, the Vista driver solution you suggested didn’t work for me, as my Windows 10 laptop still doesn’t recognize the Fantom.

After I posted my question, I found this incredibly callous statement on an official Roland website:

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗨𝗦𝗕 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗺-𝗚 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 8/8.1 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗰 𝗢𝗦𝗫 10.10 (𝗬𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲). 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 (𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲).

It’s just astonishing that Roland refuses to provide the minimal support that its highest-paying customers need in order to use a basic function of its top-of-the-line keyboard!