Need step-by-step instructions for recording midi keyboard

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gfswolf

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Hi. I just downloaded the ANVIL STUDIO program. I have a Yahama Piaggero keyboard. I have attached it to my HP desktop (windows 7) using a Hosa uno midi interface. I am ready to try to record my first keyboard song. What do I do next? I am a complete newbie. I don't know the first thing about using this program. Can someone help? Thanks.
 
Are you trying to simply record what you play, or are you trying to make and record a midi sequence from, and then into Anvil?
 
Flei,
thanks for the response. I guess what I want to do is record a midi sequence from my keyboard, then make a recording from that. All I know is, I want to make a recording of the song I'm playing on my keyboard so that it sounds just like it does when I play it. I say that because I've tried just making an audio track of the song, but the audio track sounds awful for some reason.
 
gfswolf said:
All I know is, I want to make a recording of the song I'm playing on my keyboard so that it sounds just like it does when I play it.
Click to expand...

If you want to record the sound that your keyboard makes, use a mic or line outputs.

If you want to record data (think sheet music) of what you play and use it to trigger another instrument, whether software or hardware, use midi.

From your description you want mics or line level outputs.
 
Thanks for the response Steenamaro. Actually, neither method is working. When I try to just record with a mike, the sound of the keyboard is wacky. The piano sounds tinny and the sustain doesn't sustain, even though I am sustaining it. When I sing into the mike or play my ukelele it sounds all right, but when I play my keyboard it's wacky. So then I tried plugging in my Hosa midi interface and switching to midi, following the directions in the help section of Anvil, but I get nothing. Like it's not recording.
 
Ok, I understand that you're getting less than satisfactory results, but I think you need to take on the difference between audio and midi.

You need to either use line outputs, or find out why micing up isn't working well. These are both methods of recording analog audio. Ie. The sound your keyboard makes.
Really, line outputs are the way forward. Micing a keyboard will work, technically, but I don't think many people do it.


For what you want, MIDI is not an option. It's digital information; Sheet music, more or less. It doesn't have a sound.
It will trigger sounds if you send it to a another instrument, but then that's not going to sound like your keyboard.

From your description, forget midi.
 
you can indeed record the keyboard either way, but using midi, especially for modern versions of music, that unless you have a super awesome keyboard, midi is defff the way to go, as through midi you can use the keyboard as a universal key controller for the endless amounts of synth software that far surpass basic keyboards. midi synth programs like massive come with a rediculously large library of preset sounds that can each be controlled by hundreds of variables in more ways that I could ever sit here and try to describe to you. Using midi programs will bypass the actual sound coming from the keyboard, and instead the sound can be controlled by the synth program which in my experience(mind you Ive never owned any keyboard more fancy than something you can get from radioshack) has higher quality sounds that as I previously mentioned can be controlled in any way you can think of. midi is universal, meaning any you can run ANY midi based program using the keyboard as a controller. to do that, plug in your keyboard to the computer, open your daw and go to the options(this explanation will be very general as it is with most programs and Im not familiar with anvil) and find the midi devices section and make sure the program is recognizing your keyboard. then open the synth program(might have to youtube this) in the daw as a plugin. Then some where in the synth program, or in your actual daw, there will be an option to use the keyboard to trigger the sounds. Again its generally the same for most daws. If you cant figure it out, youtube never fails. These synth programs can even be used with a regular computer keyboard in certain programs, like fruityloops.
 
usually the option to use the keys on the keyboard to trigger the synth program is just a little button that looks like keys or a keyboard or something.
 
If you want to record the sound that you hear when you play the keyboard, midi is not useful.
 
Steenamaroo said:
If you want to record the sound that you hear when you play the keyboard, midi is not useful.
Click to expand...

+1

MIDI is just data... zeros and ones. If your keyboard has MIDI IN then you could play/trigger your keyboard from your computer, but the MIDI OUT port on your keyboard will only allow you to play/trigger events/sounds on other devices.
 
as they said, if youre happy with the sounds off the keyboard itself, than midi is not what you want. if your interface has any 1/4 inch inputs you can go from the headphone jack on the keyboard o that. if it sounds a bit weird at all, as long as the original sound is intact, you can still do wonders with basic mixing.
 
Hi,
I am searching for an answer on similar question.

My Axiom 25 is connected to pc through USB cable and I'm using Reason SX3.
I wanted to record bass line using Subtractor.
But when I play it back it does not sound at all as I played when recording.

How do I capture and record the sound I'm actually playing??


I remember using the same set up on MAC and the sound being recorded as played.
 
Thanks guys. I am experimenting now to see if I can make the midi work. I have also order a new PCI Express sound card, just to make sure it isn't the sound card that's messing up. (The earphone slot in front of the computer no longer works.) I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again. I'd really like to record using midi, because I also want to write the music I'm doing and have the capacity to enhance the sound through midi.
 
John Folts,
Thanks for your general discussion of midi programs. That's what I'm trying to understand. Actually, a few years ago I successfully used another midi program, a Cakewalk program. But that is now outdated so I downloaded Anvil Studios. I also orderrd a new hosa midi interface. But I can't get the midi to work. I checked the interface to make sure the "in" was plugged into "in" and the "out" was plugged into "out". I followed the instructions in Anvil help but nothing happens. You know how the a graphic of the sound emerges as you play a song. No graphic emerges. Nothing happens.

Here is what I see when I open up the "Synthesizers MIDI - Audio Devices" window:
Audio In Port (HD Webcam mic)
Audio Out Port (Speakers HD)
(Digital Audio)
MIDI In Port (Speakers HD Audio Device)
MIDI Out Port (VST-Instrument)
MIDI Out Port (Microsoft GS wavetable Synth)
(USB2.0MIDI)
(MIDI Out 2 USB2.0MIDI)
I have the option of checking "MIDI Through Selected for MIDI Out Port" or "Eliminate Feeback from this MIDI Out Port".
2 Synthesizers are listed, Synthesizer General MIDI and Synthesizer General MIDI2
Then I have the option to check, "Slow Synthesizer's Patch Library" or "Load on Existing Patch Library".
Can you make sense of any of this, John?
Thanks for anything you can do to help.
 
Just to be clear, you want to record midi input from your keyboard? So the "midi out" on your keyboard is connected to the "midi in" on your usb adapter. Then in your program you chose the midi input channel of your usb device. The midi out on your interface isn't important, since you don't want to send midi to another device, you want to record it coming from a device.

In a few applications I've used, including Cakewalk, if you choose to use the General Midi devices, you'll also need to actually choose a patch too. The simplest thing if you're trying to troubleshoot may be to download a VST host program like VSThost and just see whether the keys on the screen keyboard move when you press the keys on your keyboard. That's sometimes helpful if I'm having issues like this. If they don't, you probably have a connection problem. If they do, it's probably something with your midi software not being set up.
 
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