Recording on a keyboard straight to a usb drive

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WaxedKankles

New member
Setup: MacBook Pro with Pro tools 10, Komplete audio 6 interface, a Roland RD-700 NX Keyboard and KRK Rokit 5s.


So I’ve been writing and recording music for a while and for convenience I’ve been recording to a usb drive to work on ideas with my keyboard. I usually only record piano tracks or a piano track with a strings track, no full band stuff. The quality has been decent and I’ve tried just recording a whole song on the usb and then transferring it to a DAW to work on it there. Just wondering if that’s a bad way to do things. I usually record to usb with the keyboards compression setting so I’m also wondering if I should record it straight into the DAW without compression and then add compression and other effects in the DAW. I’m trying to improve the quality and overall mix. I realize this method is kind of lazy so I welcome any tips you guys have to improve my workflow. Thanks!
 
Don't know macs nor PT but I do have a KA6! Thus for the RD-700NX the best solution is a pair of XLR to TRS "balanced" cables feeding the 3/4 balanced inputs of the KA6 (Ah! The 700NX might have S/PDIF out, pics are dark. If so best way) There are jack unbalanced outs but bal, is better if provided.

While you's at it, get a pair of DIN MIDI cables as well.

Dave.
 
WaxedKankles said:
Just wondering if that’s a bad way to do things.
Click to expand...

No. It's not a bad way to do things. If you find that an effective way of doing what you want, then that'sa fine.


WaxedKankles said:
I’m also wondering if I should record it straight into the DAW without compression and then add compression and other effects in the DAW.
Click to expand...

This removes the step of transferring via USB drive. It has the advantage of allowing you to change your mind. If you use the keyboard's compression setting, you are stuck with it. Whereas recording direct into a DAW means you can apply compression afterwards and try a variety of settings.[/QUOTE]
 
For me, the question is always "where do the sounds come from". When I get visitors who bring in keyboards For me - the simplest and quickest end to end solution is to connect the keyboard's audio outs to the interfaces AND a MIDI in and out. Very rarely do we ever use exactly what they first played and spend ages repeating sections and tweaking. Often I don't mention that I'm actually using MIDI, but save it for when they want to repeat the verse again, or use just half the chorus and bolt the middle 8 section onto it - or as usual say "that was great, I just wish I'd not played that wrong note in the middle - lets do it again" - then I fix the note in 30 seconds and when we're done, play the MIDI and record the audio.

I realise this is perhaps too complicated for sketch booking ideas, but I don't actually think it is - and allows so much more flexibility. Even if they don't like playing to a click (to get bar lines right on screen), fixing mistakes is still so easy. I think you just need to find the workflow that suits you.
 
ecc83 said:
Don't know macs nor PT but I do have a KA6! Thus for the RD-700NX the best solution is a pair of XLR to TRS "balanced" cables feeding the 3/4 balanced inputs of the KA6 (Ah! The 700NX might have S/PDIF out, pics are dark. If so best way) There are jack unbalanced outs but bal, is better if provided.

While you's at it, get a pair of DIN MIDI cables as well.

Dave.
Click to expand...

Thanks I’ll try the Xlr to trs. I was using a couple of TRS cables but I’ll see how this works. Why DIN MIDI cables? I already have a 5 pin midi cable.
 
WaxedKankles said:
Thanks I’ll try the Xlr to trs. I was using a couple of TRS cables but I’ll see how this works. Why DIN MIDI cables? I already have a 5 pin midi cable.
Click to expand...

If TRS-TRS is giving you clean, humfree results there is little point in going to XLR.

Did not know you had A MIDI cable but get another one! I mentioned MIDI because so many recording folks these days seem to know little about it and the fewer AIs that come out without it, the less it will get used.

Dave.
 
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