How To Record From Keyboard to PC

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gravityprisoner

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Hi - I'm so new to this that I can't even get my keyboard-to-computer connection up and running. I have a SoundBlaster Extigy and a Radio Shack MD 1210 keyboard. Both are hooked up, but when I try and record something, there is nothing in playback. Please help. Thanks!
 
Describe how they are hooked up and maybe we can see what's wrong.

One thought, though...

If you are just playing the keyboard and are piping its audio output(s) to the soundcard -- it seemed to me that, when I installed my own SB Live, it had the Line In disabled for recording. To check this and correct it if that's the trouble, see this article at Cakewalk's website (doesn't matter if you're using Cakewalk or anything else to record):

http://www.cakewalk.com/support/lessons/windowsmixer.asp
 
Hi - thanks for the reply! I have my midi keyboard hooked into the in line of the sound card and the card hooked into the computer via usb. I don't know about enabling line inputs or anything (I couldn't find any info in my keyboard and card's manuals or online). I've tried turning local sound and gm mode on and off on my keyboard, but nothing changed. Thanks again and sorry for being so..."newbie" :)
 
Hi again - I looked at the article and the line input is enabled on my computer. Thanks!
 
click on the little speaker icon in the lower right corner. Open options, open properties, check recording, then make sure you have "line in" enabled, I`d disable "microphone". Close it up and then run your recording software program.
 
hi - thanks for all of the replies! the line in is enabled for recording. i know the card works because i can play mp3s and such. and i know the midi cable works because i tried another recording program (magix music generator 6) which showed that the card was receiving input. so.....i'm stumped.
 
What software program are you using to record your synth with?
 
I'm currently working with Creative recorder (software that came with my SoundBlaster Extigy sound card).
 
i know the card works because i can play mp3s and such.
Click to expand...
It could play anything and still have a broken input jack. Can you hear the keyboard through the soundcard as you play it?
Is the slider up on the input for the Line In? Is there something in the Creative recorder app that you're missing, like choosing the input, or arming the track to record?


and i know the midi cable works because i tried another recording program (magix music generator 6) which showed that the card was receiving input.
Click to expand...

Uh... now we're getting some further clues here. You didn't mention anything about a MIDI cable before.

If you have hooked up the MIDI cable you can record MIDI data, which is not audio. I hope I'm not offending you, but it's a very common mistake. People see the word "Musical Instrument" in the term MIDI and think that there's some audio going through the cable. There isn't, it's only data that tells a MIDI-compatible device what notes are supposed to be played, when, for how long, and so forth. You have to have the audio signal from the keyboard patched into the Line In on the card to record the audio that the keyboard emits either in response to your playing of it in real time or in response to MIDI messages from the computer.
 
Very good deduction Alchuck. Most likely a right-on diagnosis.
 
If you receive input in magix why don't you record in that? Is that like a regular Magix studio?
 
If you have extigy you probably have the free software "creative wave studio" that comes with it. You can try that to record and edit your audio instead of creative recorder.
 
Ok, so how do I input audio data into the program? Do I need a different cable?
 
i've tried recording both with the magix program and the exitgy wave studio but, again, got no sound...thanks again for all of the replies!
 
To record the sound off the keyboard, you need to have its Line Out wired to your soundcard's Line In. The MIDI cable will only transmit MIDI data. MIDI data can be recorded in a MIDI sequencer and can be sent back to the keyboard so that it will play back what was recorded, but it is not audio, and so cannot be recorded as audio in Magix or Extigy Studio or any other software.

If you are sending MIDI messages only there will be no audio to record, plain and simple.

Please take a moment and tell us how you have wired your keyboard and soundcard up.
 
Ok, I have a midi cable running from the keyboard's midi out to the sound card's midi in, and the sound card hooked via USB to the computer.

On my keyboard, there are 4 jacks: midi in/out, an assignable jack, and a phones/output jack.

So, from what you've all told me I need to hook my keyboard's output jack into my sound card's input line. Right? How is that done?
 
radio shack has a stereo 1/8" input jack, you`ll need get 2 cables with 1/8" jacks on one end and 1/4" on the other. Plug both the 1/4" into the outputs of your keyboard if it`s stereo out, if not just use one cable. Plug the 1/8" ends into the adapter that plugs into the sound card.

this is the route for the connection you need to make.

1. 1/4" outputs on synth
2. 1/4" cable from synth
3. 1/8" connector on end of cable
4. 1/8" stereo input adapter jack (it has 2 inputs on one side and one output on the other)
5. 1/8" stereo input on soundcard.
 
On my keyboard, there are 4 jacks: midi in/out, an assignable jack, and a phones/output jack.
Click to expand...

Uh, Toki987, sounds like he's got only a 1/8" out on the keyboard, so your instructions won't help him much :)

gravityprisoner, sounds to me that what you need is a single cable with 1/8" stereo miniplugs on each end.

But while we're at it here, why not just use the Extigy's sounds if all you have is a RadioShaq keyboard? With a good set of Sound Fonts it's bound to sound much better. Then all you need is the MIDI cable, and you can just use the keyboard as a MIDI input device.
 
I believe the radio shack keyboards are Casios under the hood when you peel off the name Radio Shack.

The link below is the online maual for your keyboard. It looks as if you`ll need a 1/4" stereo plug which will be plugged into the headphone-out plug on your keyboard. Then you`ll have to have a 1/8" stereo connector on the other end to get it into your soundcard.

http://www.radioshack.com/ProdSuppo...tDetailIndex.asp?P=support_games&D=2848&T=htm
 
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