Recording directly from keyboard via USB

Can this be done in Audacity? My keyboard definitely has the capability to plug directly into a computer. I believe I installed the drivers properly (though I could be wrong). If this can be done, what steps do I need to take after opening the program?

My keyboard definitely has the capability to plug directly into a computer.

Almost without question. Both of my keyboards, even the old one has the ability to plug into a computer. However, that’s not sound going down that connection. That’s MIDI. The computer tells the keyboard what key to press, how hard, and when. That’s it. Any sound the keyboard makes comes out of the Stereo Line-Out or the headphone socket. I’ve been known to record from both. That’s how I did this sound test.

Koz

Okay, so…what steps do I need to take to record music directly from my keyboard to my computer (if this can be done in Audacity)?

You probably have a Windows Laptop and so you would need a Behringer UCA-202 and an adapter cable plus maybe a “Y” cable.

It’s this…

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/UCA202.jpg

…with the keyboard in place of the cassette player. Almost all keyboards have headphone jacks, so you would get one of these adapter cables…

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/RCAMiniStereo.jpg

…plus the adapter from 1/8" to 1/4" if your keyboard has the larger headphone socket.

The “Y” cable…

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103870

Will let you plug your headphones or sound system into the keyboard and use the computer.

It’s remotely possible that your keyboard has digital audio out, some do. Tell us the model number of the keyboard – and everything else you have. We still don’t know what kind of computer you have.

Koz

My keyboard is a Yamaha PSR-E423

My laptop is a Samsung RC512