Recording from keyboard (E403) to a computer

[dgc]

Hi guys, I'm an absolute newbie to keyboards and this forum so please excuse my ignorance. I have a Yamaha E403 keyboard and I'm trying to download songs I have saved on that keyboard into the Kristal audio engine (freeware mixer) running on a laptop.

 

I have connected the keyboard and laptop using their USB ports and I'v also tried with jack plugs from the keyboard into the microphone socket on the laptop. If I play back a recorded song on the keyboard or even if I play 'live' I get nothing registered on the laptop. I can record through an external microphone but I'd ideally like to be able to record direct via the USB link.

 

The E403 seems to have a million options which are not explained sufficiently well (for a novice) so I think there must be an option I need to turn on/off to allow the keyboard to play user created songs back to a computer mixer/sequencer. I have tried numerous options without success and there is no real 'howto' in the user manual for this.

 

Is there anyone out there who could give me some guidance?

 

Thanks, Dave

[Sven Golly]

Just a guess, but more than likely no audio information is transmitted over the USB link (check your manual). It is for MIDI data, which is basically a digital data stream that identifies the performance by note number, how hard you struck each note, etc. (gross oversimplification here for the sake of brevity).

 

You need to acquire a USB audio interface (hundreds of options exist for this, i.e. the E-Mu 0202, which will take the analog audio outputs from your keyboard and pass that to your computer via the USB port, thereby allowing you to use Kristal to see the audio.

 

Your other option is to speak to the retailer where you purchased your E403 (not familiar with this unit, whether it's new or not, etc), and ask for some after-sales support.

 

 

[delirium]

get PreSonus Firebox.

 

[iLaw]

Dave,

 

I agree with Sven that it's unlikely you're going to get audio flowing in through the USB port without using a USB audio interface such as has already been suggested (E-Mu, PreSonus, etc.).

 

What I find curious about your question is that you say you can record using a microphone through the laptop's microphone input, but not a signal straight out of an audio output jack on the Yamaha (headphone if none other is available). With the appropriate adapter, and keeping an eye on the volume levels set at both the keyboard and the laptop, this setup should work. The audio quality won't win you any awards, but it should get listenable audio onto your hard drive.

 

Larry.

 

[Sven Golly]

get PreSonus Firebox.

 

Yet another high-quality post from delirium...

 

[Sven Golly]

What I find curious about your question is that you say you can record using a microphone through the laptop's microphone input, but not a signal straight out of an audio output jack on the Yamaha (headphone if none other is available).

 

My take on this was that he can record using the built-in microphone on the laptop (which routes via the "Mic" audio input on the Volume Control app), but not the line in (the "Line In" on the VC app).

 

Double-clicking on the speaker icon in the taskbar will open the VC app, and you can check whether the "Line In" channel is muted or turned down. If so, that might be a simple enough fix to get something into the laptop.