Re: [Audacity-manual] FAQ - how to record an electronic piano

[Gale A. <ga...@au...>]

| From greg kozikowski <koz...@ya...> 
| Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:18:26 -0800 (PST)
| Subject: [Audacity-manual] FAQ - how to record an electronic piano
> Do I hear a reenactment of 'AUP isn't a sound file?'
> The USB connection is most likely MIDI[further information link] and MIDI isn't sound or music.

It's already been dealt with:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/FAQ:Recording_-_Troubleshooting#keyboards .



Gale 


> --- On Sun, 12/16/12, Steve the Fiddle <ste...@gm...> wrote:
> 
> > From: Steve the Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
> > Subject: Re: [Audacity-manual] FAQ - how to record an electronic piano
> > To: "Gale Andrews" <ga...@au...>, "For discussion of Audacity Manual" <aud...@li...>
> > Date: Sunday, December 16, 2012, 2:15 PM
> > On 16 December 2012 21:01, Gale
> > Andrews <ga...@au...>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Thanks, Steve.
> > >
> > > We do have:
> > > http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/FAQ:Opening_and_Saving_Files#midi
> > 
> > The main problem is that the question usually comes from
> > users that
> > have no concept of MIDI. They are under the misapprehension
> > that
> > connecting their keyboard with a USB cable is an audio
> > connection,
> > when for most keyboards it is MIDI only. They are unlikely
> > to look for
> > explanations about MIDI because they don't see that has
> > anything to do
> > with them until it is spelled out, so this FAQ needs to be
> > framed in
> > terms of "recording a keyboard".
> > 
> > >
> > > and
> > > http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tutorial_-_Connecting_an_Instrument
> > .
> > >
> > > We could link to those in the answer.
> > 
> > Linking to "Tutorial - Connecting an Instrument" would be
> > good.
> > 
> > 
> > >
> > > I added your text to the suggested FAQ's in the ednote
> > at the
> > > bottom.
> > 
> > Thanks.
> > 
> > >
> > > Do we want to mention MIDI control surfaces /
> > controllers
> > > as incompatible with Audacity?
> > 
> > Probably not necessary on the FAQ as it rarely comes up on
> > forum
> > (unless it  is common on "feedback@"). It may be worth
> > mentioning on
> > http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Midi
> > 
> > Steve
> > 
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Gale
> > >
> > >
> > > | From Steve the Fiddle <ste...@gm...>
> > > | Sun, 16 Dec 2012 18:42:22 +0000
> > > | Subject: [Audacity-manual] FAQ - how to record an
> > electronic piano
> > >> We frequently find people trying to record their
> > electronic piano via
> > >> a USB MIDI cable.
> > >>
> > >> I'm not able to log into the manual right now, but
> > an answer may be
> > >> something like:
> > >>
> > >> The USB connection on electronic pianos and
> > keyboards are often MIDI
> > >> connections. (See your keyboard manual to check)
> > >>
> > >> MIDI is not audio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
> > >> A MIDI connection can trigger sounds in suitable
> > MIDI software (such
> > >> as Finale, Sonar, Cubase...) but these sounds are
> > not the actual piano
> > >> sounds, they are sounds that are created in the
> > computer software.
> > >>
> > >> To record the audio (the real sound) from the piano
> > you need to either
> > >> use a good microphone and record with that, or make
> > an audio
> > >> connection from the keyboard to an audio input on
> > the computer.
> > >>
> > >> If the keyboard has "AUX" or "Line" outputs, you
> > should use those.
> > >> otherwise you may need to use the headphone socket.
> > Unfortunately,
> > >> plugging into the headphone socket will usually cut
> > out the piano
> > >> speakers, so a headphone splitter cable will be
> > required so that an
> > >> audio connection to the computer can be made as
> > well as plugging in
> > >> headphones (so that you can hear what you are
> > playing).
> > >>
> > >> A second problem is that many laptop PCs have only
> > a "microphone"
> > >> input which is not suitable for connecting a high
> > level stereo
> > >> headphone signal, which would mean that you may
> > need to use a "stereo,
> > >> line level USB audio device" (such as the Behringer
> > UCA 202).
> > >>
> > >> Steve