trying to record from keyboard

[jazz1984]

I am totally new to the audacity program and I am pretty lost in how to use it. I'm trying to record songs from my keyboard (a Yamaha YPG-625) to my computer. Is this even possible with Audacity? The keyboard has a USB port and is capable of midi in/out, I'm not sure if that means much. Any help would be appreciated!

[kozikowski]

I think you're making this way too complicated. The keyboard has a headphone jack, right? Both of mine do. Make sure your PC has a Line In connection. Please tell me it's not a laptop.

Connect the two together. Launch Audacity and record the computer Line-In. I did this exact exercise last week.

Let me know where you get stuck.

Koz

[jazz1984]

It is a laptop...

how much does that complicate things?

But yes, the keyboard does have a headphone jack (1/4")

[kozikowski]

<<<how much does that complicate things?>>>

It makes things pretty simple. I don't think you can do it. At all.

Macs and Deskside PCs have a Line-In connection. That connection is more or less directly compatible with the audio from the headphone jack on your keyboard. One trip to Radio Shack to get the right adapter cables--done. I record that way all the time and that's how I get the sound out to my large presentation sound system. Your laptop may have a Line-In, it's worth a trip to the instruction book.

PC Laptops usually only have Mic-In, a sound level mismatch of only about 1000 to one, plus, it's mono. PC laptops were designed to plug right into a Vonage Headset with boom microphone. Macs weren't and PC Desksides were designed to do everything.

A quick MIDI note. What's very probably going up and down that USB connection is MIDI commands and responses, not sound. "Press key number 40 (Middle C) of a Concert Grand Piano medium hard, hold it for five seconds, and let go." That was a [simplified] MIDI command. It's the electrical equivalent of sheet music.


To make this as complicated as possible, I bet you can connect the USB to your laptop and use the keyboard to send the MIDI commands to the MIDI interpreter inside the laptop and have the laptop play Middle C. The electronics inside the laptop become the Concert Grand Piano. You can probably record that OK. But trust me, the "instrument" inside your laptop will probably suck compared to the ones inside your keyboard. Most keyboard makers go to a lot of trouble to get good quality instruments for their synthesizer. Most sound cards use the same ratty piano synth they've been using for 25 years.

So that's your homework assignment. Find out if your laptop has Line-In. There's another possiblity, too. Many people use an analog to USB audio adapter.

http://www.zzounds.com/cat--2424

Of course, there's no shortage of people that have trouble with those, too. Search this forum for "USB." This would be so much easier if your computer had Line-In.

Koz

[paxsonkev]

Hi - I have a similar problem. But my M-Audio Keystation 49e doesn't have a headphone jack. So is my only option an analog to USB audio adapter?

[Locopomo]

Hi - I have a similar problem. But my M-Audio Keystation 49e doesn't have a headphone jack. So is my only option an analog to USB audio adapter?

Your M-Audio is a USB controller keyboard, which means it makes no sound of its own - hence no headphone socket. It sends out MIDI key information via USB (to control software VSTi or DXi instruments on you PC) or via MIDI (to control hardware sound modules). Audacity doesn't support VST instruments, so you won't be able to use it with this particular app.

[paxsonkev]

Alright - thanks for the quick response.

[steve]

Hi - I have a similar problem. But my M-Audio Keystation 49e doesn't have a headphone jack. So is my only option an analog to USB audio adapter?

To add to the reply from Locopomo;
Many soundcards are capable of playing midi as they often include a synthesizer chip. Also Windows includes a General Midi (GM) sound set. If you are able to make your computer play midi sounds that are triggered by your keyboard, it should be possible to record these sounds with Audacity. To do so you will need to use the Windows Mixer (or a mixer application for your sound card driver) to select the correct audio source. This is likely to be called "Synth" or "Midi", but depending on your set up you may need to record from "Stereo Mix", "Mix" or "What You Hear".

Sorry I can't be more specific but the exact settings are hardware dependant.

[Locopomo]

Steve,

Your additional advice is absolutely correct in principle, but I would suggest that it's not the best way to go for a couple of reasons. Recording the audio output of a soundcard playing General MIDI means you miss out on the possibility of recording, editing and rearranging the MIDI data in a sequencer. IMHO working this way kind of misses the point when armed with a controller keyboard and a PC. Also (and again, IMHO!) the General MIDI voice set is an old standard that sounds as dull as ditch water when compared to the superior sound palette offered by VSTiDXi instruments.

[steve]

Recording the audio output of a soundcard playing General MIDI means you miss out on the possibility of recording, editing and rearranging the MIDI data in a sequencer. IMHO working this way kind of misses the point when armed with a controller keyboard and a PC.

Very true, but it is a good (convenient and quick) way of getting a tune recorded for any keyboard players.

Also (and again, IMHO!) the General MIDI voice set is an old standard that sounds as dull as ditch water when compared to the superior sound palette offered by VSTiDXi instruments.

That depends a lot on the hardware - there are professional quality PCI synth boards that knock the spots off the majority of soft synths.

The old MIDI standard has been updated a few times since GM to give it more flexibility, for example "XG", but GM is still used quite widely, even with VSTi/DXi.

Also, the general approach that I outlined can still be used with VSTi/DXi provided you have a stand alone host.