How do I use this USB MIDI keyboard with MuseScore in Kubuntu 12.04?

[TheCaller]

I have an M-Audio Keystation Mini 32 USB MIDI keyboard. I want to use it with MuseScore in Kubuntu 12.04, but I can't figure out how to get the system to recognise the hardware.
I've looked at posts giving advice on such matters, but everyone always assumes that (relative) newbies will understand all the geekspeak.
Can anyone point me in the right direction for a non-techie plain English explanation of what JACK is supposed to do (and how), together with some help on this frustrating issue, please?
Thank you so much in advance.

[lcorken]

I occasionally use Rosegarden with jack but didn't try MuseScore untill now. So far I don't know how to get it to work with the jack server.

MuseScore seems to work just fine by it'self, with or without jack running. It found my Yamaha keyboard automatically. But, the keyboard needs to be connected and turned on before MuseScore is started.

http://musescore.org/ has some youtube tutorials on how to use MuseScore.

Ubuntuforums has an active subforum for Ubuntu Studio. http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335
There is usually an active thread running on how to get jack to work.

I find that the studio stuff works fine with Kubuntu.

It works even better if Pulseaudio is uninstalled. Pulseaudio seems to be very controversial with the Studio users.

Ken.

[TheCaller]

Thanks, Ken

Is your Yamaha keyboard connected directly via USB, or does it go through a USB-MIDI interface? The tiny keyboard I want to use goes directly into the USB socket. It doesn't look as if M-Audio supply a driver for Linux, which is a bit of a disappointment, to say the least. Of course, Windoze 7 recognises it straight away, but that's not perfect either. I was just trying to keep things small and self-contained, rather than having to get my Yammy PSR3000 out every time I want to enter some notation.

Thanks for your help, anyway. I might try Rosegarden again. Had no luck with it a couple of years ago, but you never know!

[lcorken]

My Yamaha YPT-400 is connected directly to USB. I don't know about M-Audio. You may want to ask the question at the Ubuntuforums. They are more likely to have someone using M-Audio keyboards. http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335.

I don't really understand how this stuff works. As far as hardware venders supplying drivers for Linux? That's rare.

Ubuntu Studio also has a users e-mail list and IRC listed at http://ubuntustudio.org/support.

Ken.