Recording Keyboard to PC

[Hovergroovie]

Ok, so I have my bran spanking new ''portable grand'' DGX-520 keyboard...beautiful sound and fantastic array of instruments, and I CANNOT wait to start composing, but I can't seem to understand how to go about it. What I want to do is play the piano, and have the sound of the keyboard to record on my pc. Is there any way to record the keyboard tracks themselves, rather than just using it as a midi keyboard in fruity loops or some dumb junk...This piano sounds WAY better than some crappy synthesizing program.

Thanks, and merry christmas!

[Hovergroovie]

Heeeey almost forgot, this connects to my computer via USB port. No midi chord into the soundcard.

[DavidOrr]

Well, you could record it into your sequencer, and then have your sequencer send the data back to your keyboard during playback. Then you'd have the midi data on the computer, but you'd have your keyboard playing it back.

The only other way I know of is recording the track separately, and then putting it into FL Studio as an audio file.

[Hovergroovie]

REALLY appreciate the reply...my problem is, I don't really know what you're talking about. I have yet to see a sequencer or anything like that....

Is there a way to have a program pick up everything my keyboard is doing and then record the sound, but not like using a microphone, that would be shitty quality...I'm talking direct feed from keyboard to harddrive?

One thing I've tried is my keyboard has this feature where you can record yourself playing on the keyboard, AND you can transport that recorded chunk onto the pc using some program that came with it, but it transfers a file with the extension .BUP. I have no idea what it is, but it cannot be used by ANY audio programs, nor can it be converted into something usable. :(

[BannedUser]

At 12/26/06 10:51 PM, Hovergroovie wrote:

....my problem is, I don't really know what you're talking about.

lol

[JonH2O]

I'm guessing the USB is USB MIDI or USB to External Device Storage , which is just to save you from having to buy more stuff for your computer.
USB MIDI is more latent, and sucks for sequencing. But you're trying to record what's comming out of the keyboard speakers directly into your computer.

Hmm, well I suppose you could purchase a double male 1/8" plug to insert into your keyboards headphone output and connect directly into your headphone mic input on your computer.

The problem with that is the signal comming from your keyboard is much louder than a shitty ass microphone (what it was intended for). So it will probably be clipping like a motherfucker, unless you do something like lower the signal on the keyboard. This will create shit too, as the volume of your sound will be competing with the noise from circuitry.

That's what these are for.

And as for,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BUP
I don't know about that either!

[Setu-Firestorm]

What he was talking about was the sequencer. Depending on the keyboard you just got, some of them (like I know Korg Tritons come with it) come with a built in sequencer where you can compose music in a MIDI-type setting within the keyboard itself. Before I got my VSTi host software, I used to use the Korg Triton I played at my old church to compose music, and boy am I glad to be rid of all of it.

I know you may not want to use your keyboard through FL Studio, but c'mon. There's probably some really good VSTi's out there that you're ignoring. You just haven't found the quality stuff yet.

[JonH2O]

MIDI Keyboards are "cheap".
You're right, there are some pretty cool VSTis out there that he could use. But for over $700 there must be some pretty cool sounds already on the thing that he'd like to record.

But yeah, if you get the right audio software, you could record the audio of your keyboard AND the notes that you played simultaneously. That would be helpful for something?

[Hovergroovie]

In fact, there are SEVERAL things in the keyboard I would love to record.....so that sound card you linked, would that do the trick? from the look of it, it has a USB port I could hook it into...I mean this keyboard is fantastic...I'd much rather use the sounds from the board, than use shitty ass VSTi's...Don't even get me started on those by the way, stupid things...

[Setu-Firestorm]

At 12/26/06 11:35 PM, JonH2O wrote: MIDI Keyboards are "cheap".
You're right, there are some pretty cool VSTis out there that he could use. But for over $700 there must be some pretty cool sounds already on the thing that he'd like to record.

But yeah, if you get the right audio software, you could record the audio of your keyboard AND the notes that you played simultaneously. That would be helpful for something?

Very true, but in all honesty, if you're wanting to produce professional sound, wouldn't it make sense for the VSTi's to be expensive? If you don't want to spend money, don't bother wanting to make professional sounding music. Plus, VSTi host softwares can be relatively cheap if you know where to look. ACID can be purchased for $79 as well as Cakewalk which can be purchased for $40.

[Hovergroovie]

Ok well, lets do this then. What's the best VSTi's out there. Plus, I'm also not happy to learn that as good as the keyboard sounds, it's useless if I can't record directly...

[tedJohnston]

At 12/26/06 08:34 PM, Hovergroovie wrote: Is there any way to record the keyboard tracks themselves, rather than just using it as a midi keyboard in fruity loops or some dumb junk...This piano sounds WAY better than some crappy synthesizing program.

That's quite humorous. You do realize that a software synthesizer does the exact same thing as your keyboard? There's a reason why they're both called "synthesizers" - they both do the exact same thing: synthesize waveforms. (Of course I oversimplified it. There is actually much sampling involved as well, but the bottom line is that they both use the exact same process to make sounds.)

In fact, a software synthesizer would sound BETTER because the waveforms are being produced directly within your computer instead of having to go through other pieces of hardware before being recorded. Here's a fitting analogy: A picture taken from a digital camera will have much better quality than a picture taken from a film camera which is then scanned into your computer.

Granted, if your keyboard was a super high-end piece of hardware like a KORG Triton or a Yamaha Motif, then it would sound better than the default patches that come with a software synthesizer. However, this is easily surmounted by buying better plug-ins, patches, sound banks, and/or refills which will come with sounds that equal the quality of any high-end piece of hardware, and usually, cost much less.

Please ... enough with the superiority complex. Almost all professionals use software synthesizers these days. Hardware is mostly only used on-stage now. In fact, less and less people are using hardware on the stage as well, with more people taking their laptops on-stage with them (myself included).

Now, to actually answer your question: You will need something called an "external audio interface." It is basically an external sound card geared specifically for recording. You will then output from the quarter-inch jacks from your keyboard and input directly into the interface. From there, you can record with any program you wish. Like I said, this is much like scanning a film picture into your computer because you are going through a "middle man" in order to record the sound, whereas with a soft synth, the sound is produced directly.

To be honest, unless you intend to play on-stage a lot, I would ditch the keyboard. Either return it or sell it and use the money to get a good software synthesizer with some good plug-ins/refills. It will be able to do much more (SEQUENCING, to say the least), have the same quality or better, and it will cost the same or less.

Of course, if you can afford it, you can also choose to have the best of both worlds: keep your keyboard, AND buy a soft synth. You can double your keyboard as a MIDI controller, and use it for live shows as well.

Please everyone, stop trying to debate over what's "better." In most cases, it only comes down to what better suits your situation (i.e. live or studio), and personal preference.

[Setu-Firestorm]

At 12/26/06 11:54 PM, Hovergroovie wrote: Ok well, lets do this then. What's the best VSTi's out there. Plus, I'm also not happy to learn that as good as the keyboard sounds, it's useless if I can't record directly...

You can get a good selection of VSTi instruments, host programs, and audio plugins at KVR Audio's website .

If you listen to my music, I use Edirol Orchestral for all my orchestral pieces, and all synths and heavy percussion I use FL Studio AS a VSTi in my host program.

[Hovergroovie]

Oh wow, I actually understand something for the first time ever!...THANK YOU tedJohnston
...So for using the keyboard as a synthesiser, is it any good? It's a fantastic keyboard, but can it be used well with the right softwares?

[dj-padman1]

At 12/27/06 12:56 AM, Hovergroovie wrote: Oh wow, I actually understand something for the first time ever!...THANK YOU tedJohnston
...So for using the keyboard as a synthesiser, is it any good? It's a fantastic keyboard, but can it be used well with the right softwares?

Is it any good? Well, you tell us, you're the one with the keyboard sitting on your desk.

As long as it has midi in/midi out and some audio outputs it can be used with any modern host music production software. You just need a midi interface so that you can record midi patterns into the software sequencer and trigger sounds within the host software (vsti's). And if you want to access the sounds inside your keyboard, then a midi out from the midi interface to the midi in of your keyboard will let you make midi patterns in the host software and then send that midi data to your keyboard to trigger all your amazing sounds inside.
Your initial posts gave the impression you just wanted to record audio straight from the keyboard to the pc, ie..your live playing...in which case you dont need a midi interface, but if you really want to get into producing electronic music, then its a necessity.

Have I made things more confusing?

[dj-padman1]

damn, it uses USB right?

Well, even easier..you dont need a midi interface. all you need is the host software and you'll be cooking.

[Hovergroovie]

Suprisingly enough, I understood that. I thumbed through the manual, and it went into detail on how you can master a track and then send it to the keyboard to play in sequence with instructions from said file. As for ''is it any good''...well I plugged it into fruity loops, and the latency is good enough to deal with, but I'm having some issue with velocity. Average pressure on a key is almost silent. I have to fucking HULK the keys to get a good ring out. I really really don't want to have to press as hard as that, but at the same time, I really want the pressure sensitivity. Maybe it's just fruity loops...

[dj-padman1]

At 12/27/06 01:14 AM, Hovergroovie wrote: Suprisingly enough, I understood that. I thumbed through the manual, and it went into detail on how you can master a track and then send it to the keyboard to play in sequence with instructions from said file. As for ''is it any good''...well I plugged it into fruity loops, and the latency is good enough to deal with, but I'm having some issue with velocity. Average pressure on a key is almost silent. I have to fucking HULK the keys to get a good ring out. I really really don't want to have to press as hard as that, but at the same time, I really want the pressure sensitivity. Maybe it's just fruity loops...

Hmm.thats a bit of a pain. Is there some menu in your keyboard that lets your change the degree of pressure sensitivity? Either that or the patch you're playing in Fruityloops has limited interpretation of velocity.

[Hovergroovie]

I'm pretty sure it's a fruity loops thing. I have NO idea where my plugin is, or what the christ it takes to tweak it....I don't really like fruity loops or plan to use it when I kick off my musical adventured. I'm looking into this cakewalk actually. It looks very extensive in terms of virtual instrumentation. It's crazy how much I've learned after making this thread too!

[speedmetalmessiah]

You could just do what I do. I hook up a cable that has a 1/4" plug on one side and an 1/8" plug on the other into my keyboard and then run it into the line in of my computer. The 1/4" plug goes into the headphone/output jack then the 1/8" goes into the line-in, works like a charm. I have a DGX-205 so I doubt they are that different.

[Hovergroovie]

How is the quality on that?

[speedmetalmessiah]

At 12/27/06 11:26 AM, Hovergroovie wrote: How is the quality on that?

Just fine, if you'd like you can pm me your email address, and I'll make a little sample for you.

[Hovergroovie]

Wicked, sounds good. Pm sent.

[speedmetalmessiah]

Ok I sent the e-mail.