How to record from digital piano to field recorder?

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kiwiabuela

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Hi, I have a Yamaha P85 digital piano, and want to be able to record directly into a Zoom H4n field recorder. The Zoom has 2 XLR inputs. There are midi in and out terminals on the digital piano. I bought a midi to XLR adapter, thinking this would work, but maybe I need something else or don't have it hooked up correctly, as when I try recording I just get static noise. Do both midi in and out have to be connected to the Zoom? I just have one of them connected now (it is the "In").

Is it not possible to go from digital piano to Zoom? I'm not sure what to do; we had the piano connected to our computer for recording, before . . . but that was with a different computer. The one we have now is not as powerful, and so wanted to try using the Zoom for recording with it, instead.
 
The H4n's inputs are combo XLR-1/4" connectors. If the keyboard's only analog output is the headphone jack then use what's usually called an insert cable to connect to the recorder. If it has line outputs then use a pair of instrument cables.
 
Thank you, Boulder Soundguy--

Got it working using the headphone jack-- I just needed an adapter between the 1/4" cable and the XLR on the H4n. Wish I'd known earlier it would be that easy. So the Midi connections on the back of the machine are only for connecting to a computer-- right?
 
MIDI predates personal computers by about 20 years. MIDI is instruction data, not audio data.
 
The MIDI jacks are as Armistice said instruction data, or in other words, information about what notes to play, how long, how loud, etc.

You could use that output to control another keyboard, record midi into a computer, use a computer to play your keyboard or a myriad of other options.
 
Armistice said:
MIDI predates personal computers by about 20 years. MIDI is instruction data, not audio data.
Click to expand...
For the sake of accuracy, MIDI was proposed in 1981, announced in 1982 and demonstrated at NAMM in 1983 with the official spec released shortly thereafter. Personal computers have been around since the mid-70s. The original IBM PC was introduced in 1981, two years before MIDI was available to the public. The MPU-401, one of the earliest standardized computer MIDI interfaces, was released in 1984, about a year after the MIDI spec was released.
 
Thank you all for the clarifications-- good to know the history of MIDI, too.
 
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