Trying to record audio from Roland RD-2000 keyboard

Audacity Help Forum macOS
1

Hi
Using Audacity 2.4.2
Mac Big Sur 11.2.1
I am trying to record Audio from my Roland RD-2000 stage piano into Audacity, however it is not picking up any input despite setting the audio inputs to the RD-2000. I tried Garage Band which recognises the input but only allows the prerecorded sounds which makes me suspect that the program is only picking up a MIDI rather than an Audio input.
Can anyone help?
Thanks :slight_smile:

2

Onboard 24-bit/192kHz USB audio/MIDI Interface

That’s from the instructions. How do you switch back and forth between MIDI and audio data stream? Or are they both there at once…? I switch my keyboard between the MIDI USB connection for production and the Headphone connection for actual sound recording.

Koz

3

only picking up a MIDI rather than an Audio input.

You know MIDI isn’t sound, right? MIDI is a series of instructions. MIDI has to play something and then you record the something.

In the case of the computer, you get the MIDI to play the operating system’s built-in instruments and then tell Audacity to record Sound Playing On The Computer.

I’d want to find where your odd recordings are coming from. That might tell you a lot about what’s happening.

This is billed as a performance keyboard. How do you connect it on stage? The audience can’t hear MIDI instructions and there is no computer.

Koz

4

OK, I looked up this issue in the RD-2000 manual and I believe I have a clear answer for you. The USB issue is a little confusing, so bear with me.

There are three (3) USB ports on the RD-2000: One USB port is used for updates. There is a USB cap over this port to prevent its accidental use. A second USB port is used for recording to a USB flash drive. You could record your performance to the flash drive, then read it back into your computer, for example. The third USB port is used for both MIDI and audio.

From the Roland manual page 18:

USB driver settings
Here’s how to specify the USB driver that’s used when connecting the
RD-2000 to your computer via the USB COMPUTER port.

  1. In the MENU screen, select “SYSTEM” and press the [ENTER] button.
  2. Set the “USB Driver” parameter to:
    VENDER - Choose this if you want to use a USB driver
    downloaded from the Roland website.
    GENERIC -Choose this if you want to use the standard USB
    driver that was included with your computer - *Only MIDI is available.
  3. Save the setting. => “Saving the system settings” (p. 26)
  4. Turn the power of the RD-2000 off, then on again.

My take on the asterisk is that the keyboard is not shipped with USB-audio support, and that you must download a “VENDOR” USB driver for real-time USB-audio.

On the Roland site, there are drivers for Windows and for MacOS 10.13/14/15 and 11. The installation instructions for these drivers specify ‘To use this driver, you must set the USB Driver of the RD-2000 to “VENDER.”’ So I am thinking that they will, indeed, give you the real-time USB audio you are looking for.

I hope this helps. :smiley: Let us know how it goes - others want to know. :smiley: