With seemingly endless ways to mic a piano for recording, the project might seem overwhelming. For a more in-depth guide on how to choose the right audio interface, check out this guide. It is very likely that you’ll see labelling similar to your keyboard’s labelling, but instead of OUT you’ll see IN. The input sockets can be TRS, XLR, or Combo. However, if you wish to record a completed piece of music and be sure it always sounds exactly as you played or composed it, then you need an audio recording. Note: To connect stereo out to stereo in (usually 1/8″; 3.5 mm), you need a stereo (balanced) cable with stereo connectors (1 tip, 2 rings)! And remember the 3-to-1 rule to help deal with any possible phase issues. By processing and editing audio, you can change the final sound dramatically. Besides, some of the controllers and codes may be used differently by different instruments. There’s also another version of this cable with a 1/8″ stereo plug. It’s one of the main reasons why condenser microphones, both large-diaphragm and small-diaphragm, are much better suited to recording piano than dynamic models (ribbon mics will also sound nice). Play the online piano with a mouse, with your fingers if you have a touch screen, with your computer's keyboard, or even with a real piano (to learn the songs). I have a question regarding whether it is possible to record my digital piano (yamaha P-125) into midi and plug into my laptop, plus my voice (which is connected to audio interface – focusrite 2i2 gen 3) simultaneouly into the software? If you think that 2 channels are not enough for you, you can choose the more expensive 4 channel models, Tascam DR40-X or Zoom H4n. Then connect the interface to your laptop, computer, iPad, smartphone or iPhone. Once you have recorded a song, end the recording process by clicking on the stop button. I was looking at Audient id4 as love the transport control b7t now realise not enough inputs for stereo??. 1. These cables are pretty hard to find and they are not cheap. If i want to get the sound as good as my digital piano, how do u tht? It would be helpful to know exactly which model of the MacBook you own. Wow what an informative article very impressed..thanks… Hi Dave, did you try adjusting the volume on the keyboard? If for some reason you are going to output your headphone stereo out to mono in (e.g. As mentioned above, MIDI files don’t contain any information on sound themselves, but they contain instructions instead on how to generate sound with an electronic or virtual instrument (and sheet music is the same: a book of Bach’s WTC doesn’t contain the sound of Preludes and Fugues, but it gives you a way to play them). Then click on “New MIDI track” or “New Audio Track.” The recording will begin and will record the sound produced by your keyboard. Thx. Step 7: If your digital piano doesn’t support a multichannel MIDI format, assign the MIDI track’s OUT as noted in step 5 regarding your keyboard’s channel. Which DAW would you advise? Everything I have tried so far has failed. It is very suitable for those who are still in love with classical and jazz music and think that a digital piano must be able to sound like an acoustic grand. These are MIDI sequencers. The H1n is a very similar device in functions and price. I record with the piano setting and using the pedal. Active instruments should be plugged into a D.I. And if I record any midi files it speed up the tampo and some notes drops. On the interface, set the buttons to “Line” and play around with the gain as well. Click the “Record Piano” and the GarageBand will begin to record. Try what you already have before spending money on more expensive devices. I have a yamaha ypg 535 and I used to be able to just run a cord attaching the headphone jack in my keyboard to the one in my computer then I would go in audacity and select "microphone VIA high definition audio" as the mic and play the recording on my piano and audacity would record it. Been wrestling with this issue for years and finally just accepted that it cn’t be done. The piano sound you will most often hear in pop music and in jazz is the close-miked sound. The one that says ‘Input: Mono’ We need to change this to, ‘Input: MIDI’ When you hover your mouse over the ‘Input:MIDI’ option it will open up your devices that are available. So, how can you record your piano? This gives a bright sound, rich in harmonics and with a lot of hammer attack, excellent for rhythmic parts that need to cut through a busy arrangement. Recording piano in a small room can often result in a slightly unnatural sound. My experiences in recording piano live & in studio have been with 1st, electric grands by Yamaha & Kawai and Steinway Concert Grand acoustic in Capricorn Studio. The grand piano is the king of instruments and, to ensure the best quality audio it deserves, microphone selection is of utmost importance. But first, here are a few more general thoughts. Audio can also be captured with microphones, and in such case the room sound will also play a part. With the 4-channel option you’ll find that Zoom has a more durable body and a slightly higher price than the Tascam. You connect the line output signal from your keyboard or piano to a suitable audio interface. After having done this, you’ll proceed to recording MIDI in Studio One Start by setting up a new instrument track from the add new tracks dialog box. You could try that, but since the phone output on the P-45 is stereo, and the Mic In on your MacBook is mono, it’s desirable to get a stereo to mono summing cable with built-in resistors to avoid potential back-feeding problems. For now leave – ‘Record: Input (audio or MIDI)’ as it is. As a rule of thumb it’s best to avoid using dynamic mics, for example a Shure SM58 or SM57 . Unfortunately, the Presonus Audiobox 96 does not give you that option. http://www.audio-technica.comAs far as acoustic instruments go, the piano is perhaps the most mechanically and sonically complex of them all. First, you need to download the GarageBand app on your iOS device. There is nothing special about recording with the built-in input of your laptop. How to Record Audio on a Mobile Phone. It’s like putting a list of sheet music on a puppeteer in front of a piano player. What do you need to do this? So my goal is always to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to recording a piano… MJor head ache, and takes up so much technical time. Do you have line outputs, digital out, or only built-in speakers and headphone out? So you can consider a MIDI file as a kind of music score that is written for a conductor and an orchestra. As we mentioned above, MIDI tracks are easy to edit, including after your performance. MIDI ports? Should we just try to get one with it all included? Typically they are 1/4” TRS (jack) sockets. Note: Please read your device manual carefully. Computer keyboard piano layout. Hurray! I am just so lost in whats good whats not and I don’t want to spend a fortune for something that doesn’t fit her needs ?. I think I have the same problem. your audio interface has only one input, so a Y-splitter is not an option), you’ll need a dedicated adapter that utilizes resistors to prevent back-feeding outputs to each other. (If the objective is to add them to a website or submit them for digital distribution). We will explain the difference between audio and MIDI formats, discussing the benefits and limitations of each one. What do you mean by a “sparking” sound? However, with an external sequencer, you enjoy much more power in editing, recording, and, as we mentioned above, notating your music. At the same time, you can record more than 16 tracks and send (output) some of them to the same channel. However, if MIDI is such an advanced and convenient format for musicians, then what are its limits? The answer is simple: it doesn’t have sound. 6) WAV (which is what most digital pianos save audio recordings in) will contain uncompressed audio (standard CD-quality recording, stereo, 44.1kHz/16bit). Lastly, one more feature of these devices is that dedicated digital recorders have a built-in microphone(s), which can be handy in some situations, especially if you’re not only a keyboardist but also a singer. However, while recording, the sound from the piano is quieter than it should be. One of the great things about digital audio is its ability to replicate things that were traditionally done with tons of outboard analog gear. It is impossible to outline a step-by-step instruction on digital recording here because this process can vary greatly from device to device and software to software. Pete///. So, you want to record MIDI of your P-125 via the USB cable going directly to the laptop, and your voice using the audio interface? Step 8: If you are using a VST plugin’s sound program, you need to follow your sequencer and VSTi manuals. Lol, Just to be clear, are you looking to buy a keyboard, an audio interface, a mic, a DAW or something else? Sometimes, though, a right output can be designed for this (R/MONO OUT). But don’t put the mics too close together either – you’ll start to lose the stereo picture, which is the whole point of using two mics. Will i be able to record it simultaneouly into my laptop ? It helps you understand concepts of stereo instrument micing and phase relationships, and provides a good example of instruments that span the audible frequency range. Finally listen to the results … using headphones or studio … In the Yamaha PSR-EW400's manual it states Connecting the [USB TO HOST] terminal of this instrument and the computer via a USB cable allows you to transmit/receive MIDI and Audio Data to/from the computer Recording in mono is definitely the easiest choice, but the sound can be narrow and a bit flat – it won’t reflect the real way that we hear the instrument (in stereo), with the lower frequencies panned to one side and the higher frequencies panned to the other side. An old-timey tack piano sound can be achieved by cutting the low- and high-end, boosting the percussive midrange, and recording to tape or tape-emulating plugins. If you are a musician and are going to make recordings, a good starting point is to understand the difference between audio and MIDI formats. Try to avoid playing up against walls or in corners – it can easily affect the balance of frequencies picked up by the mics. 2. You can record, playback and edit MIDI or audio; you can produce multitrack recordings and render audio. This quality may be enough for you if you want to share your music with your friends or show it to potential producers and investors. I recorded my P-125 using my garage band before but it turned out the sound is from the virtual software instrument from the garageband and not from my digital piano. Can i connect it with a 3.5mm TRS (classic aux cable) with the help of 6.5mm jack as output from P45 and input the microphone in the adapter with 3.5mm TRS. that they won’t have a 64bit driver for the RD700NX. For an audio recording, you don’t need those. It’s all about catching the right balance – putting the mics at a distance of 1-3 feet away from the piano usually does the trick, but you may need to experiment a bit. For example, you can download Audacity – it’s a free software. Did I mention it was free? The instrument, in its concert form, is a formidable 7ft long and sometimes as much as 9ft, with a wider range than any other instrument in the orchestra, spanning from A0 with an earth shaking frequency of 27.5Hz up to C8 with a fundamental frequency of 4186Hz. You could even use automation to have a slightly narrower piano during the verses and then a wider piano during the choruses – a little production tip that can help to give a chorus more impact. One more feature of the MIDI format is that you can use different channels for different instruments and for parts of your arrangement. So my goal is always to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to recording a piano. The cabling depends on what type of connection you’re looking for. You usually have a volume meter with your recording device, whether a software one (with audio interfaces) or an on-screen one (with digital recorders). Please refer to your device manual for more details. The grand piano is the king of instruments and, to ensure the best quality audio it deserves, microphone selection is of utmost importance.