Ludwig van Beethoven,The German Mozart once said that music is like a dream that he couldn’t hear. Music is indeed the language of our soul. And Piano has always helped to interpret our language of the soul into music. With the invention of a digital piano, it has reached a new height. However, newbies and even the experienced ones often face difficulty to record digital pianos. So, today I am going to discuss how to record a digital piano for music and tunes.
In this article, I am going to discuss the recording of the digital piano from different views. It would cover recording to the computer, with USB port (MIDI record) and lastly, for your better understanding would provide an in-detail example on how to record a song on Yamaha Clavinova digital piano.
How to Record a Digital Piano - MIDI or Audio:
Before I start, one question for you, “How many ways you can record music on a digital piano?” Well, I wonder you are hovering around for the answer. Actually, you can record digital piano in two ways-
Audio recording which allows recording the original sound played in the keyboard. Normally, it takes the audio outputs to be connected with some sorts of audio interference.
MIDI recording which records the notes instead of the sound played in a digital format. You might play it on different devices but the sound would vary in such case.
How to record digital piano with USB:
Out of many ways to record your digital piano, USB host is one of the most popular ones. You might connect your digital piano in three ways-
- USB
- Traditional MIDI ports and
- Bluetooth Occasionally
You need to check if your digital piano has a traditional MIDI port or USB host. If you have a MIDI port, you need to connect it using a traditional MIDI supported interface to your computer. And if you have a standard USB host, your job will get a hundred times easier. Simply use USB printer cable to connect digital piano or keyboard with your PC or Mac. Nevertheless, connecting your keyboard with PC won’t get your job done. You need to install a music software or recording driver to be able to MIDI record of your digital piano. Additionally, if you want to record both audio and MIDI together, you should buy an audio interface to accomplish the job. However, one great setback of USB host is that your MIDI sound will vary from devices to devices; But if can use your MIDI as you intended, you will surely get wonderful results.
How to record digital piano to computer:
Ah! Now, it’s time to shed focus on how to record digital piano on the computer. So here we go-
Checking Manual:
At first check the instruction book or manual of your digital piano to identify the type of connection it has. You will find the information right in the Specs section. It is often labeled either as (MAIN) L/MONO, R: 1/4″ TRS Balanced or [L/L+R][R]. However, in case of inexpensive keyboards often the output is headphone output but it does the job well too.
Need to know about fixing a digital piano. We have a special guideline on it.
Selecting Audio Interface:
Then select the right audio interface suitable to record your desired music on the piano. I would strongly advise you to purchase a multi-tasking audio interface that works on different devices.
Proper Interface:
Ensure that your audio interface has a 2 x line level inputs. Unless you have this, you will be unable to perform your desired level of recording to your digital piano.
Choosing the Cable:
Now, you need to connect with the proper cables. Literally speaking, I get tons of question about which cable is perfect for connecting the digital piano. I swear upon Jesus Christ, it’s not a hard task. Just do a bit of homework to identify what types of Output and Input you have. Use 2 x 1/4″ mono TS cables for L and R 1/4″ outputs and L and R 1/4″ inputs, otherwise for BALANCED input and output use 2 x 1/4″ mono TRS cables.
Suitable Software:
After you have ensured a secured connection of your digital piano with your PC, choose a software suitable for you to record. There are numbers of free ones available online or you can choose the free one named Audacity.
Listening:
Finally, do hear your result to ensure that you have recorded to amaze people.
Example: Yamaha Clavinova Digital Piano How To Record A Song
Yamaha Clavinova series is a popular digital piano for music lovers. The following steps will help you learn the recording procedures–
Recoding single music:
For a quick single-pass recoding press Rec and Stop button simultaneously. Select the items to record. To play and stop your song press Rec and Stop button respectively. To playback press the Pause button.
Multitasking:
For multi-tasking start with pressing Rec and Stop button simultaneously. to set the time signature of the song press the METRONOME. Then to set the tempo, press the tempo button on the panel. After you have selected the voice to record, press the up and down arrows to select the part you want to record. Lastly, when count 1 occurs start playing.
Save & Exit:
To save your recording press the Song Select button. Use TAB to select the storage location and press down arrow below the word Save. Enter the tile of your song using buttons 1-7 and down arrows. After that, press 8 Down up button to save the song. Finally, press the Exit button to return to the main screen.
Final Word:
A digital piano is a key to a home music system. This in-detail step by step guide will surely come handy to record your desired music. I would eagerly wait to hear from you about the amazing results you got. And don’t forget to share your experiences with our team. Love music, live in music!
