Hey, what would I need to buy in order to record some songs?

Special Interest Groups Recording Equipment
1

Hello everyone.

I was wondering what kind of mic equipment I would need in order to record some songs onto my Yamaha keyboard. It doesn’t have a mic in feature, only a headphone out (except that its not a modern headphone jack, one of those jacks for those huge stereo studio headphones).

Any idea on what I should do?

*I tried using my mic headset that I use for Counterstrike but yeah, the sound quality’s not bad, just I have to amp the sound alot which creates some annoying distortion in some cases.

Thanks for reading my post!

2

I record my Yamaha keyboard all the time. That’s how I did the Piano Trill sound clip…

http://www.kozco.com/tech/soundtests.html

Which computer do you have? If you have a newer Mac, this is a $6 trip to Radio Shack. If you have a PC–especially a laptop, it’s a lot harder.

Koz

3

I have a custom built desktop pc with Windows XP. I have a mic jack (pink color) for my headset for counterstrike but I don’t have a super sound card. Its just on board although its pretty good (Realtek HD Audio for Asus Motherboard).

I have a blue jack for stereo I think and the standard green headphone jack as well.

What should I get for Win XP?

4

<<>>

Oh. That should be a snap.

Radio Shack Part numbers:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062468&cp=&sr=1&origkw=1%2F4"+to+1%2F8+adapter&kw=1%2F4+to+1%2F8+adapter&parentPage=search

That should plug right into your Yamaha headphone socket and adapt it to…

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102949&cp=&sr=1&origkw=1%2F8+to+1%2F8+cable&kw=1%2F8+to+1%2F8+cable&parentPage=search

…which should plug right into the Line-In of your sound card. Blue, maybe?

Set to record from the Line-In in your Windows Sound Panels and go. Generally, a good volume for your headphones will give you reasonable level in Audacity. I think I exceeded my $6 budget…

Koz

5

Yeah, I have a Line In Jack and I believe its blue.

So if I get this converter, and the cable, all I have to do is plug in the converter to the keyboard, and put the cable between the jack on the converter and the Line In jack on my motherboard?

6

Now I’m going to really blow my budget. If you wire up the Yamaha like that, you won’t be able to hear while you’re playing. To use headphones and make the recording, you also need one of these. Plug the computer into one and the headphones into the other.

The Yamaha won’t care. It will only see the headphones.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103870&cp=&sr=1&origkw=1%2F8+y+audio+adapter&kw=1%2F8+y+audio+adapter&parentPage=search

Koz

7

So if I buy this cable along with the others you mentioned with the line in converter thing, should I be alright?

If you don’t mind, can you list everything I should buy lol?

I’m kinda confused on what to get.

8

If you use the built-in speakers on the keyboard, then plugging anything into the headset socket will kill the speakers. They’ll come back when you unplug.

So the little adapter is to get from the 1/4" stereo socket in the keyboard to a 1/8" stereo socket. The third item splits the 1/8" socket out to two, one for the headphones you’re going to need now, and the other to the computer by way of the 1/8" to 1/8" stereo cable.

They make 1/8" to 1/8" stereo cables in different lengths. With rampant globalization, you might see 1/8" stereo connections referred to as 3.5mm stereo connections. Same thing.

When you really get going with this, you’ll be back to ask about playing one track from the computer at the same time you’re recording a new track–sound on sound. I left you with the headphones plugged into the keyboard, not the computer.

Koz

9

I wrote a little thing about how audio travels down those cables. Your cables work like the top illustration.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audioconnectors/audioconnectors.html

All audio has to have at least two wires. These cables work by making the shield the second wire for both left and right.

The pink connection on your sound card is probably for a microphone. That’s the bottom illustration on that web page. The plugs look the same but you clearly can’t plug the wrong thing in and have it work. I made a fuss earlier in this thread about having a laptop PC. Many laptop PCs only have a pink microphone connection in their side, not the blue Line-In that you will be using.

Koz

10

Thanks man, whenever I get some extra money, I’ll buy these cables :smiley:. Thanks so much dude ;D.