Midi keyboard question

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poopyjosh

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I have the kurzweil sp2x and this is a dumb question, but im using abbleton live to record midi, and i have all the extra downloadable soundpacks. I am just sick of the cheezy midi sounds on the program. I need a normal grand piano sound and it dosent have one. Is there any way I can get more midi sounds for my piano?
sorry im kind of new to this.
 
Are the sounds of the Kurzweil themselves okay?

If so, you can try this:

1 Play the Kurzweil and record the midi of this into Ableton via USB.

2 In Ableton, select the USB Device as the output, so that the newly recorded midi plays back on the Kurzweil itself (via USB again).

3 Record the audio output of the Kurzweil as its playing this midi.

Step 1a is usefully to edit the recorded midi file and fix things that didn't quite work the way you expected.
 
Im confused

1. thats what im doing, but you can only use the cheezy abbelton sounds.
2. I would do that, but my keyboard dosent have onboard speakers.
3. I dont see how i would do that? recording audio in to midi?
 
Im confused

1. thats what im doing, but you can only use the cheezy abbelton sounds.
2. I would do that, but my keyboard dosent have onboard speakers.
3. I dont see how i would do that? recording audio in to midi?

The Kurzweil has midi, USB and audio outputs. It is also a multi-timbral keyboard, and I expect its onboard sounds would be better than what you get via Ableton Live (which I suspect come from your on-board sound card).

It seems that you can get through the first steps ok, which is to play the Kurzweil and record its midi in Ableton.

At the moment you can only use the Ableton sounds, so you need to change this. I am not familiar with Ableton, but most music software allows you to choose where the midi output is to be sent. The default is usually the computer's on-board sounds. Somewhere within Ableton you should be able to select the Kurzeil as an output USB device for the midi that you've recorded.

When you figure out how to do this, the midi will be sent to the Kurzweil. However, as you note, it doesn't have its own speakers. That doesn't matter. If you plug in a set of headphones into the Kurzweil, you'll be able to hear it.

If you then want to record this, you need to connect the Kurzweil's audio line ouput (which is what you'd normally hook up an amp and speakers for stage performances) to the computer. I'm not sure what audio inputs your computer has. Do you have an interface or do you just have an on-board card with mike and line inputs? If the latter, then you need a lead to go from the Kurzweil to this line input.

You can, of course, skip all the midi stuff, and play the Kurzweil, recording it live dirrect into this input.
 
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