Best Program to Record Mic + Piano?

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R3CON1FIGUR3D

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Just got my first ever mic. It's a Samson CO1U USB Condenser Mic.
Now I have Music Creator 5, it records fine however the volume is very low on it.

I also have a Casio PX-130 Piano that I tried recording through USB MIDI cable on ACID Pro 7 and Mixcraft 4 but when playing it back, it sounds very bad. It doesn't sound real.

So does anyone know the best program to record vocal through a Mic? It doesn't have to be a free program. I heard Adobe Audition is great.

And does anyone know how to record through MIDI on a piano so that it sounds more real?

Thanks Everyone!
 
There are just my views, but:

With respect to the mic, your issue has much less to do with software than with hardware. I don't think there's any software that can't perform the basic task of just recording digital audio.

How are you getting the mic signal into the computer? Depending on what you're using now, you might be better served by focusing your attention (and money) on upgrading that.

The piano issue is more of a software one. I'm assuming from your description that you're using the keyboard as a MIDI controller, and routing the MIDI signal into one or both of Acid Pro or Mixcraft (presumably not at the same time!), and the DAW software is producing audio with a soft synth (aka a "virtual instrument") of some sort.

What virtual instrument are you using? Did you try out the various options that came with your DAW software? Given that you - for some reason, mysterious to me - seem to have at least three commercial DAW programs running (and to be eager to get a fourth), there should be a number of choices.

If you want something better than what comes with the DAW, there are lots of choices. There are a number of free soundfonts out there (though the whole free-soundfont thing has kind of died out in the last few years), which you can play with a soft synth (like sfz) that was probably installed with at least one of your DAW programs.

If you don't mind plunking down money (and, in this case, actually getting something for it, at least to my ear) there are several independent piano-specific virtual instruments on the market. There's a recent thread here which, if I recall correctly, shouldn't be too far down in the forums in exactly the subject of picking the best of them. Though I can't claim any particularly personal expertise, based on hearing the results that people are getting with them, they're quite good indeed. Picking one is a matter of taste and what sound you're going for.
 
My mic is connected to my PC via USB. As it is a USB Condenser Mic.

My piano is connected to my computer via USB as well.
I don't know. Whenever I record my piano playing via a program, it comes out bad.
Sounds very un-natural.
 
As it is a USB Condenser Mic.
Ah, yes: as should've been kind of obvious from the letters "USB" right there in the description. When I saw the word "Samson," my eyes glazed over and I didn't even read the rest of the sentence, as no Samson model number would mean anything to me anyway. "USB," however, should have.

You have, of course, adjusted whatever little applet or control is included in the mic's driver, yes? I don't know the mic, but it must have some sort of level control built into the software interface. If you're still not getting appropriate levels, make sure you're not attenuating them with the DAW software or something. I you're not ... well, I don't know what to tell you. Others here may have a view on that mic, but I've never used it (or any USB mic, actually).

I'm going to assume, since you're connecting the keyboard to the computer with a USB cable, that you're sending MIDI, rather than digital audio.

The quaility (and naturalness) of the sound then depends entirely on the soft synth. Which one are you using?

If you want to upgrade your piano sound, you don't really need a different DAW, you need to shop around for a better plug-in (assuming that there's not something usable already on your comptuer that you haven't tried yet).
 
How do I record digital audio then? I have a program. And when I connect my piano.
My input is my piano and my output is my computer speakers. When I do that, the playback sounds like a robot playing the piano. However if I do the input and output as my piano, it record fine but I can't get that recording to playback on my speakers.

How do I record the digital audio so that it sounds good through my speakers?
 
I'm not sure I'm totally following the question. Maybe the notes below will help clarify it for me:

... when I connect my piano. My input is my piano and my output is my computer speakers.
I think you mean: you're connecting your keyboard to the computer with a USB cable, directly from the keyboard to the computer, right?

If so, that means you're just sending MIDI from the keyboard to the computer. The MIDI notes are then played by a soft synth / aka virtual instrument over the computer speakers. I'm not aware of a keyboard that sends anything (like digital audio) other than MIDI over a USB connection. In any event, I can say that your keyboard doesn't, since I just looked at its manual on the Casio website.

You should be able to make this sound better / less robotic by using a nicer virtual instrument. It's also possible that what's making it sound "robotic" to you is absence of any reverb. You should be able to apply reverb very easily with your DAW, or with the virtual instrument's own settings. Try that, at least (if you haven't already), and see what you think. Also try different virtual instruments.

if I do the input and output as my piano, it record fine but I can't get that recording to playback on my speakers.
When you say "input and output as my piano," do you mean you're playing your piano through its own built in speakers (or over headphones plugged into its headphone jack)?

If so, the synthesizer built into the piano is playing the MIDI notes, rather than the soft synth on your computer.

How do I record the digital audio so that it sounds good through my speakers?
Your keyboard doesn't have a digital audio output (most don't: those that do would typically do it via S/PDIF).

One thing you can do - with the right equipment - is record the analog audio output from your keyboard. To do that you'd need to connect the headphone output on the keyboard to something that will convert it into digital audio, and input that into the computer. If you have a good soundcard (either as originally built into the computer ... which is unlikely, especially if it's a laptop) with stereo inputs, hook it up and see how it works. There's a diagram at page E-5 of the manual that shows how to do it. You'll need a cable (or a cable plus appropriate adapters) with one 1/8" TRS plug at one end and whatever matches the jacks in your soundcard at the other (some possibilities: two RCA plugs, two 1/4" TS plugs, two 1/8" TS plugs, possibly an 1/8" TRS plug).

The standard soundcards that come built into the typical computer (especially laptops) are generally pretty low quality, so you may well wind up with a noisy, low-level or distorted signal.

Also, most have only a mono input. This means you'll lose the stereo effect of the reverb that's built into the keyboard (not necessarily a bad thing ... you actually probably want to turn off the reverb altogether and leave that for the DAW). A bigger problem arises if your keyboard pans the lower notes more to the left and the higher notes more to the right, which is common in similar instruments. If you only put one channel into the computer, it's going to get louder as you go either lower or higher in pitch (depending on whether you use the left or the right half of the stereo signal).

If you don't have a soundcard with an analog audio input - or the one you have sounds crappy - you'd need to get an upgraded soundcard or separate interface. There are bunches of options to choose from. The typical outboard interface you'd be looking at would connect via USB or Firewire. You can get one that only takes line-level inputs, or one with one or more built-in mic preamps. The latter would come in handy if you get a non-USB mic in the future (and don't want to get a separate mic preamp).
 
Additional, slightly more to the point addendum, after reading this the next day. My opinion:

- The preferred course is to find or buy a soft synth that sounds good. That should be (a) not that hard to do and (b) much more flexible.

- Using the headphone jack on the keyboard as a line out and recording its sounds with the DAW seems cludgy and limiting. On the other hand, if you start getting more interested in the broader spectrum of recording, you're eventually going to want a decent interface anyway. Might be better to wait, though.
 
If you can swing getting a copy of NI Alicia's Keys (piano Virtual Instrument) you should sound better. AK can run as a stand alone, just reduce the latency in the Kontakt Player (make sure to update this to 4.2.2).

Now if you can also swing an interface and a pair of monitors you'll even sound better.
 
If you can swing getting a copy of NI Alicia's Keys (piano Virtual Instrument) you should sound better. AK can run as a stand alone, just reduce the latency in the Kontakt Player (make sure to update this to 4.2.2).

Now if you can also swing an interface and a pair of monitors you'll even sound better.

If I do get this. How does it work?
 
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