Sibelius is a multi-tiered music notation program with an attractive, easy-to-use interface. You can input notes with a computer mouse, virtual piano or virtual guitar fretboard or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to the USB port on your computer. There is a free and a premium version, as well as Sibelius itself. A connector, typically used to connect a device to a USB hub. B connector, typically used to connect devices together, and also to connect a device to a computer. Note: USB audio interfaces should always be directly connected to your computer, not via a hub or to the computer’s display, keyboard, or another peripheral. A MIDI keyboard uses the Musical Instrument Digital Interface protocol to send signals to a synthesizer or other sound-generating device. Hook a MIDI keyboard up to your computer, then use it to control your digital audio workstation or any MIDI-capable virtual instrument.
Liam DuncanMusic Industry How To is supported by readers. When you buy via a link on our site, we’ll possibly earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.For many home studio owners, a MIDI keyboard is an integral part of the studio setup. MIDI keyboards are multi-faceted. They can be used for recording and live performance equally, and depending on the model, can be very good at creating and modelling sounds.
In the studio, the MIDI keyboard is principally used to quickly record virtual instruments. Nearly every piece of recording software comes with dozens of virtual sounds that you can trigger with your MIDI keyboard.
Veeam for mac. Everything from drums to synth to a regular piano sound can be triggered with a MIDI keyboard.
It’s also a great way to notate your music. MIDI signals can be easily turned into proper sheet music.
This is the beginner’s guide to setting up and using your MIDI keyboard.
ContentsWhat Is MIDI?
It’s worth taking a moment to understand what “MIDI” is. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It was developed in the 1980s to allow digital instruments to communicate.
MIDI does not produce sound on its own. Rather, it’s a series of electronic messages like, “note on, note off, pitch bend, modulation increase,” and so on. These messages are interpreted by a MIDI “instrument” to create sound.
When we talk about instruments, we’re not always talking about hardware. A MIDI keyboard is often a MIDI controller. This means it controls the MIDI instrument, which in this case is a piece of software. The software is housed in a program like GarageBand, Ableton, Xpand, etc.
MIDI id popular because it’s extremely malleable. You can change the sound of the instrument with ease. Editing is easy (you can literally drag notes around). The file size of a MIDI track is also much, much smaller than real audio files.
If you’re worried about hard drive space, that’s nice to know. Of course, if you’re planning to do a lot of recording from home, you should probably upgrade your hard drive and even have an external drive or two on hand.
Connecting Your Keyboard
To use the MIDI capabilities of your keyboard, you’ll need to connect it to a computer.
There are two ways a MIDI keyboard/controller can be connected to your computer. Most keyboards and digital pianos have a standard five-pin connection. While these are less common in home studios, they are common on keyboards. You may have a MIDI keyboard in your house and not even know it!
You can connect your MIDI keyboard with the five-pin MIDI outlets in a couple of ways. But even if you don’t have a MIDI out, some keyboards can be connected via USB. We’ll get to that in a moment.
MIDI To USB Interfaces
If your computer has an available USB port, you can use a MIDI to USB Interface. This is the simplest, fastest way to get your MIDI keyboard working for you, especially if you’re using a laptop.
Most USB interfaces are Plug & Play. This means you don’t have to download software to use it. That said, it’s worth going with a reputable name brand, as many of these name brands have drivers you can download on the internet.
Drivers are usually needed for advanced usage with certain DAWs. Pro Tools often requires drivers to work with MIDI.
MIDI To MIDI
Connect Music Keyboard To Ipad
Some interfaces (for example the Roland Studio Capture) take five-pin MIDI in. If this is the case, all you’ll need is a five-pin to five-pin MIDI cable. These are usually three meters long and can be found at any music store.
When you are connecting MIDI this way, note that MIDI IN connects to MIDI OUT. Initially, it would seem logical to connect the MIIDI IN to MIDI IN, because there is both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT on the keyboard and the interface.
MIDI works the same way as audio. The data flows in and out, and it must be connected in the proper manner to allow that flow to happen.
USB To USB
Most new digital pianos and MIDI controllers are USB MIDI controllers or at the very least have that option.
Connecting a keyboard with USB is the easiest way to get set up. All you need is a standard USB cable. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, check your printer. Often, they use the same cord.
You may still have to install a driver – that just depends on the keyboard. Sometimes though, you can just connect the keyboard and play away.
I would strongly recommend that you investigate this option first. It is easy, cheap and reliable.
On some keyboards with both USB and five-pin connections, you may have to switch the MIDI out settings depending on how you are recording it.
Recording With MIDI
There’s a reason why MIDI is so popular: it’s easy to use. Recording with MIDI is dead simple. Let me run you through the basics.
For the sake of this example, let’s say you’ve already hooked up your MIDI controller via USB to USB and are using GarageBand to lay down some demos.
What you need to do is create a Software Instrument track. That means you’ll be using your MIDI keyboard to trigger sounds on a virtual instrument housed in the GarageBand software.
You can choose from dozens if not hundreds of sounds. Then, click record and lay down the track. It’s that simple. You don’t need to adjust gain or place a microphone, just click and record.
Then, if you want to edit the track, double click it. You should now have a visual representation of all the notes. You can literally click and drag them to wherever you want them to go. You can also adjust the velocity (loudness) and even duration of the note.
If you’re recording with a five-pin connection, you can do the exact same thing. If you’re using a five-pin to USB connection, the process is just as simple.
Connect Music Keyboard To Mac
Finally, if you’re recording MIDI to MIDI, the process is the same, with the added benefit of being able to record from the audio outs on your keyboard at the same time. Studio engineers will often do this if they are recording the sounds from a keyboard and want to be able to edit them precisely.
Recording audio and MIDI at the same time from the proper keyboard (for example a Nord) will give you audio files that can be edited by manipulating the MIDI file. This makes audio editing much more precise and efficient.
P.S. Remember though, none of what you’ve learned will matter if you don’t know how to get your music out there and earn from it. Want to learn how to do that? Then get our free ‘5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career’ ebook emailed directly to you!
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Connecting a subwoofer to your digital piano or keyboard
Thank your for your recent order from Kraft Music. Connecting a subwoofer to your digital piano is a great way to enhance the sound of the instrument’s on-board speakers. Adding a sub will give you a richer, fuller tone and result in a more realistic playing experience. Let’s get started and connect your sub!
- Power off your digital piano and subwoofer.
- Locate the audio outputs on the rear or underside of your digital piano. These are often labeled “line out” or “output”. If the outputs are labeled “L/Mono + R Output” use “L/Mono” . Use the output labeled “Phones/Output” if no other outputs are available. You’ll see either a pair of connectors or a single connector. These will be either a ¼” jack (like a guitar cable), RCA jack (like a CD player), or 1/8” output (like your smartphone or MP3 player).
- Using the audio cable included in your Kraft Music bundle (not the stereo RCA cable included with in the subwoofer box), plug the RCA end into the Left subwoofer input (RCA) and the other end into the audio output of your digital piano.
- Power on both the digital piano and the subwoofer. Set the volume control on the subwoofer to about 50% or half (12 O’clock position on the Kinyo AW630).
- Slowly increase the volume of the digital piano while playing a low note. The subwoofer should begin producing low frequencies along with your playing. If only the subwoofer is making sound, the digital piano may have an internal on/off setting that can be adjusted. Please refer to your digital piano owner’s manual to set the internal speaker to “always on”.
- Adjust the volume and crossover (frequency) setting until you like the sound. We recommend setting the crossover between 100 and 150 Hz and the volume between ½ and 3/4. This will result in a full and focused bass sound. A good setting is achieved when the subwoofer is neither too loud nor too soft.
Enjoy your new subwoofer and digital piano. Please feel free to contact Kraft Music with any questions or concerns.
Thanks again for your business!