Keyboard problems.. And some other things..

[Sound]

Hi everyone,

I'm having some problems with my keyboard. It gives really a lot of noise & hiss,
but it's also a really old one: An EM-10 from Roland... Don't know if you'll find it
on the internet, because it really old and cheap.. Do I have to dump it and buy a new one, or is it possible to fix it? And if it's better to buy a new one, which one??

And every one says that it's better to buy a mixer with a build in preamp..
True or false? And if it's true, which one..
And is there an other way to connect a mixer with a computer? Is there something like usb-mixers?
And which mic should I buy for recording classic guitar and piano?

Anduhh, I'm only 15 years old, so I don't have a big budget (I have to do stupid jobs for it :s ). And it also have to be available in Europe/Belgium

 

[DonF]

The EM-10 only has headphone outputs, not line outputs. That would tend to make it unsuitable for serious recording use. If I absolutely had to connect one of these in the studio, I'd use a Y cable to split the headphone left/right outputs, going into two direct boxes, and then into two line inputs. A little experimentation would determine the optimal settings of the EM-10's volume control and the line input gain.

Whether to buy standalone preamps or a mixer with builtin preamps is simply a matter of preference. You'll generally (but not always) get better quality preamps with the standalone units.

To connect a mixer to the computer, you need an audio interface. There is probably one built into your computer, but its A/D converters (the things that take the audio signal and convert it to a form the computer can process) are probably not very good. The ones that are good aren't very cheap. But at some point you'll probably decide that upgrading is worth the price. There are audio interfaces with USB outputs. Here's one that's very inexpensive: http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--BEHUCA202. This is not a recommendation, just an example.

For recording classical guitar and piano, I'd suggest looking into a small-diaphragm condensor (SDC). I can't recommend a specific one for you.

Don

 

[Sound]

And what about the MIDI-output of the EM-10? Can I use that to record?
And if I can.. How?

And about the mixers/preamps: I read in some threads that preamps are expensive.. And I also need a mixer. I don't need expensive and complicated stuff.. Just a basic mixer with 4/5 inputs.. Do you know a good one?

And do you mean a soundcard with an audio interface?

And about the mic's: I'm still searching and learning about the sorts of mic's..
I really don't know what a SDC mic is

 

[DonF]

And what about the MIDI-output of the EM-10? Can I use that to record?
And if I can.. How?

Yes, if you have another sound generator with a MIDI input. (If you have a MIDI interface for your computer, you can use a softsynth.) For more information about using MIDI, look here: http://www.midi.org

And about the mixers/preamps: I read in some threads that preamps are expensive..

Good preamps are generally expensive. Generally, you get what you pay for. Almost any standalone preamp is likely to be better than the preamps in a cheap mixer.

And I also need a mixer. I don't need expensive and complicated stuff.. Just a basic mixer with 4/5 inputs.. Do you know a good one?

I'm partial to the Neve line, but they're probably out of your budget. They're certainly out of mine.

And do you mean a soundcard with an audio interface?

Most people use the words "soundcard" and "audio interface" interchangeably. I try not to. A sound card is an audio interface, but there are audio interfaces that aren't on an expansion card that plugs into your computer's mainboard. So "audio interface" is the more generic term, encompassing both PCI expansion cards and USB- or FireWire-connected devices. A mixer with USB or FireWire connectivity has an audio interface built into it.

And about the mic's: I'm still searching and learning about the sorts of mic's.. I really don't know what a SDC mic is

It's a condensor microphone with a small diaphragm. Look here for more information about microphones: http://www.hr-faq.org/.

Don

 

[Sound]

Yes, if you have another sound generator with a MIDI input. (If you have a MIDI interface for your computer, you can use a softsynth.) For more information about using MIDI, look here: http://www.midi.org

I've read this somewhere:

4. On SoundBlaster-type cards, the JOYSTICK port can be adapted to be a MIDI interface. In the case of the SoundBlaster, you need a cable that connects to it on one end and gives you 2 MIDI connectors on the other end, a MIDI IN and OUT. The Soundblaster Live is an example of a soundcard that has a joystick port.

I have a soundblaster-type card in my pc with a joystick-port..
Do I just have to plug the cable into the joystick-port and into
the midi in and output? Or do I also need some midi-recording software to make this work..?

 

[knightfly]

IF your soundcard is soundblaster compatible (has MIDI available at the joystic port) you'll need one of these

http://www.pccables.com/05010.htm

and to start, here's one possible choice of software that's free

http://www.freewarefiles.com/program_6_70_7660.html

The free version says it'll only let you record one minute of audio, but unlimited MIDI. Hey, it's free...

And yes, you'll need some sort of software - and the more you mess around with this stuff the sooner you'll want a better sound card, etc - but at least this'll get you started having fun... Steve