How To Record Digital Piano/Keyboard in Audacity, Garageband or Reaper

[@MusicRepo]

My favourite recording gear is here! (Affiliate links) Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/musicrepo Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/deals As an Amazon and Sweetwater Affiliate I earn a commission for qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This helps support my channel. Thank you :)

[@abc456f]

Is it impossible to convert midi to audio that was created using my Korg M50 external keyboard? From what I understand, only vst instruments that create midi data can be converted to audio. I am able to record my Korg M50 as audio, connected directly into my Scarlett 4i4 interface. The only change I need to make is set the Korg's midi local control to "on" for recording audio and "off" for recording midi. But obviously if I want to publish my music or burn to a cd, any midi data needs to be converted to audio. So unless you know otherwise, I'm stuck plugging my Korg's output into my interface's input and record as audio. There is no way I know of to record midi from the Korg and bounce the track to audio. It doesn't work. (I'm using Cakwalk by Bandlab as my DAW.) Thank you for all your videos, they are extremely helpful.

[@ansar714]

My midi keyboard only has usb and sustain for pedal...No other outputs

[@Starw90]

Hi, can I record keyboard and vocals using mixer only? Thanks

[@s.o.s.pnaruto9523]

What if you only have the solo Scarlett, would the connections still work?

[@MusicRepo]

@@s.o.s.pnaruto9523 you only have 1 line input so you'd have to make a mono connection

[@lisanagel214]

This is absolutely the best tutorial out there for us that don't quite understand this process...thank you!! I appreciate the fact that you don't assume things in the set up and completely explain everything!!

[@musicdonna1320]

Jane, why can't all KZbin videos be as clear as this one?! Just brilliant! Thank you.

[@rh4usc]

This video was a miracle from God. We just happened to have focusrite laying around the house but didn't know what to use it for. My daughter had an assignment to record an original song on audacity from her keyboard and we didn't know how to connect it to the computer. Hallelujah

[@hamman_samuel]

This is the best video about recording the audio out of a keyboard. I went through lots, but this is the clearest one to follow along for beginners like me

[@larryFWD]

Some things are just hard to comprehend in life - one of them is how you only have 26k subscribers!! Your vids are so thorough, clear and as helpful as can be and I really think you should have a much bigger subscriber base. Well, Thank you!

[@MusicRepo]

Thanks! It is growing .... 😀

[@march.alexis6537]

I'll subscribe right now.

[@BryanMartinez751]

Now she has 37k

[@tlloyd2595]

@@MusicRepo I haven’t seen any recent videos , I’ve learned much from them

[@santhoshsubbiah1803]

been on this channel for about a month and I can guarantee this channel is so informative when it comes to music recording. Thank you so much for an absolutely detailed explanation

[@sledge1960]

I've been searching searching YT for days for an idiot proof tutorial on Home recording and eventually hit on this. Thank-you God,after all the crap I've been put through here's someone who does the business in a video even a moron could follow. Subscribed and Liked and Saved To Favourites.

[@Ronno4691]

I'm a moron and I fully approve of this message 😅

[@sledge1960]

@@Ronno4691 Not the greatest recommendation but I'll take it.

[@EvanTism]

You’re simply a legend. Thank you!!

[@MusicRepo]

Glad it helped!

[@igrieger]

I fully agree

[@MotifMusicStudios]

Truth! 😀

[@luisadolfocarballoroque1497]

Thank you, I wasn´t able to find anybody who explained it this way.

[@MusicRepo]

Thank you, glad it helped 👍

[@OmarNg7X]

You are my hero!! Thank you for explaining a complex subject so simply and thoroughly. Great for people like me who have no musical background.

[@MusicRepo]

You're very welcome! Look out for my new video going live later today ... how to record vocals and keyboard at the same time. Nice simple setup

[@daveallan4627]

Well done for a crystal clear video that makes it easy to understand for a newcomer to the home recording scene (albeit I've been a working musician for 35 years). Many thanks.

[@caseyneistat2.014]

how r u so helpful most people on youtube don’t do anything and just trick you to watch the video, thank you so much

[@tobyque9399]

I avoided this video because of the length, but it is the only one which answered my queries! Thank you

[@MusicRepo]

Glad it was helpful! 😀🙏

[@jazzmore4436]

Thanks for letting the viewers know that when you connect your keyboard to the computer via the USB jack, it is only MIDI........Thanks again...

[@MusicRepo]

Sidney Wilson Thanks for your comment! Yes, unless the keyboard specifically has a built in audio interface. The USB - MIDI causes endless confusion!

[@kayge3272]

ugh this is me. I've been stumped as to why the keyboard sounds terrible on the recording lol its midi not audio! thanks girl !

[@0biwan7]

@@MusicRepo thanks for clarifying this. this explains why my yamaha p 125 sounds great on audacity (the yamaha audio interface is sending audio to my computer when it runs audacity) but atrocious on garage band (the yamaha is sending midi to garage band which has a pretty poor piano library)

[@marcusburley7874]

I record digital audio via usb with my Roland FA-08 to my sound card and record the audio into Magix Sound Forge Pro perfectly. I do not use the analog outputs at all.

[@susieberthow4807]

Oh my god thank you so much. I was losing my mind with all the other convoluted guides online.

[@jean-christophelermusiaux3339]

I used to be quite a geek 30 years ago... and I had no clue how simple it had become to record oneself nowadays. What has become more complex, though, is the wide range of hardware and software available and ultimately: what it the best solution for one particular individual? Thanks to your videos, it was very easy to chose which hardware to purchase (I chose a Scarlett 4i4) in order to connect a Roland HPi piano and a Microphone to my MacBook. I guess that Garageband will do the job for a while, until I become more sophisticated... Thank you very much!

[@royalmason1539]

by the way... thank you for being so patient and working with us techno-klutzes.

[@pawneetales7037]

THANK YOU! You explained this better than any of the other bazillion videos I watched. You saved my sanity today. 🙂

[@rellify3]

Incredibly helpful, been struggling to know what I can do with my FP-30 that doesn't have a line-out

[@nunu-bo]

The video is very beautifully edited to make it easier to understand, thank you very much! I'm looking forward to seeing more videos!

[@MusicRepo]

Thank you 🙏

[@cathleenmargaret6622]

Wow! I was so confused about something I knew should be easy. You explained everything I needed to know. Thanks so much!

[@helisoma]

thanks to you after a long struggle i realized i was using guitar inputs instead of line inputs and finally have the ability to record my Juno-6 in Reaper 🙏🏻

[@andreyru9221]

Wow! That's the best tutorial I've ever seen on anything in my life!!! Like every word is straight to the point and answering immediately all possible additional questions popping out in my head as I was listening. Amazing! Thanks a lot!

[@ReginaStewart-j7n]

Ive spent a couple of hours trying to figure out how to record from my keyboard to my laptop. Thanks for this - so understandable!

[@brandoparedes4305]

This is amazing. All the time I was putting my USB into my Yamaha digital piano and then connecting the USB in my laptop, right after transfer the recorded .wav file to Adobe Premiere Pro. Once there I tried to make the piano music sound very professional using the pluggins of Premiere Pro like the compressors and mastering, adding gain but it didnt sound like a Pro so after seeing your video seems like I need to use an Audio Interface and record DIRECTLY to the PC or using a portable recorder as the Zoom to have a HIGHER quality. I will try that. Thank you so much! 😊

[@ravindarkambient7183]

Hello and many thanks to you for those clear and detailed video tips and hints! While I have been creating music for years, doing so entirely solo at home is a relatively new (and exciting) thing for me. I find myself at odds with my own gear and software quite often, and my struggles are usually rooted in the simplest things. Accidentally stumbling upon one of your tutorials was the best little thing that could happen to me, especially since you cover a lot of the software and hardware I happen to use as well. Anyhow, this chap wishes you a spiffingly good day :D

[@josier.w.417]

Thank. You. So very much! You explained everything beautifully, but you also saved me a ton of money. Now i can finally try my hand at recording music without spending a small fortune. You made my entire year!

[@nargakugo199]

Clear, simple, detailed...All what I was looking for, thanks !

[@hally0john]

You really are the best at this stuff....No fuss No faffing just clear and well explained info. Thanks from JH

[@synthman1218]

I think your channel offer the best explanations about recording. Very useful! Thank you.

[@markbates2147]

i've learned more from you than anyone else on youtube or facebook or anywhere!

[@justintaylor3805]

Thank you , I'm in audio production and thought that was a great step by step intro on setting up the hardware. I've played the piano for years and I'm just know starting to include it in my music. Have a great day ,and thank you .

[@Pianofurte]

Thank you for the most helpful information!!! I'm trying to do this very thing right now and found your video to be so concise and exactly what I needed!! 💟

[@MusicRepo]

You are so welcome!

[@matcauthon6697]

It's worth noting here that my digital piano didn't require a separate audio interface to record with Garageband. I have a Yamaha B3 Silent upright piano which has two usb ports, one for midi and one for connecting to a host (USB type-B). All I've had to do is plug a USB type-b frpm the host port of my piano directly into my Mac and select a new audio recording in Garageband instead of the midi one (which is what I was doing before hence why I was watching this video). Many thanks for the information, you've got a new subscriber :)

[@DangerBayLive]

thank you. you'd be surprised how long it took me to find an organized explanation! great resource, thank you. i find that others that have had to figure it out the hard way see it as a rite of passage, where at worst it could be considered gatekeeping. had a Mopho I didn't even use for over a year because i genuinely couldnt figure it out, posting diagrams asking for help on forums and stuff, people were acting like I was straight up stupid and said as much, however no one was able to simply tell me to USE AN XLR CABLE INSTEAD OF AN UNBALANCED 1/4" JACK. anyways thank you so much for facilitating the production of music around the world.

[@emichgarden]

Thanks! This is the best video I have seen on DAW and Zoom.

[@kirkctaylor]

You are an absolute treasure! Thank you for your all indispensable videos. We do appreciate you!! Lightbulbs are finally going off for me thanks to you! 💡

[@GeeDeeBird]

You are very, very good! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise with the rest of us.

[@martinaleopoldseder636]

Fabulous explanation!!!! I have been looking for helpful videos to connect my Korg pa 700 to my PC to record audio and yours is the only helpful and well understandible video! Thank you so much! You have made my day!

[@taylorrrjamesss]

RIGHT thank you so much this helped me understand the Focusrite company a lot more!!! it’s factual, easy to understand and you obviously know what you’re talking about. if only i had found you earlier on 👍👏👏

[@MusicRepo]

Glad it helped!

[@Haveagreatday915]

You are quite down to the point,and easily understood,I feel I have learned a little today,so,tyvm.

[@CherylCerri]

You are fabulous! You explain everything absolutely perfectly. Thank you for all of your videos, they are extremely helpful and so well done! :)

[@allcalmsoothing9443]

Hi Jane, thank you so much for this.

[@michaelandesthercollins8551]

Thank you so much for this video, it was an eye-opener to me. Keep up the good work of training people. I thank the Lord for you.

[@ronwhitehouse23]

You really are a lifesaver to any technophobe. I love you.😍

[@CDArnoldMusic]

Thanks so much! Just tried recording piano for the first time (guitarist trying to branch out) and I set it up as midi and couldn't figure out why the sound was so odd. Time to get it right !

[@Cleanyards]

Wonderful video for beginners in recording, thank you so much!

[@nestorivan112]

My goodness finally!! A video that actually helps me!!!! Thank you!!!!!

[@Ryunis_]

My piano has a 6.35mm audio out port. Also, I have a 3.5mm to 6.35mm converter pin. So if I use the converter with the cable, there won't be any issues right?

[@SegaDisneyUniverse]

Great video! I now know everything there is to know how to record my music in better quality instead of my video camera lol.

[@kaigainiki9156]

The Portable Digital Recorder sounded better than the Scarlett imo. Thanks for the help

[@yosh7129]

u r a genius to even think of helping ppl out with this video.. Thank you! been searching for this content for a long time to bypass getting a need to get a interface like focusrite, and yes, with a digital keyboard which has a usb B to usb A can be used in garage band and you can select audio track and start recording the actual sound of the keyboard ..!! I thought only audacity can do it and been using it instead .. so you actually dont need a middleman like soundcard such as focusrite/universal to record your keyboard unless you are looking for MIDI inputs to play with VST(sounds other than what your piano/keyboard can provide)

[@Seekthetruth3000]

So, using a headphone jack of a keyboard to record the sounds of that keyboard into a digital recorder is just fine. Thanks a lot.

[@TMD3453]

Thank you so much!! I saw your video just in time to buy a synthesizer on sale. Good to know about Audacity. It is compatible with my older Mac. All the best to you and music making!!

[@chasecoleman232]

Thank you! You explain everything very thoroughly, and clearly. I may now proceed with recording accompaniments for my school's online only (thanks covid :( ) choir.

[@dagi_melody4044]

Wow wow wow this is life changing. Now I can use all the sounds in my keyboard🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@maruf4149]

Everything else works completely fine but when I’m playing real-time I can’t hear the notes, can anyone offer advice? Edit: never mind, I got it to work, click on edit>preferences>recording>cancel overdub> apply software play through of input instead> click ok

[@dushventh]

Tq man now it worked but I hear the notes a bit late after pressing the keys

[@camilaledesma5083]

Thanks I’ve been searching for this info for 2 hours

[@vijaypatwardhan70]

Your video is very informative and easy to understand. Thank you ! loving it.

[@hoover2615]

So well explained. Thank you very very much for this excellent guide!

[@duftstabkerze4236]

30 years ago, as a 15 year old, it was so easy, it took me only 15 min to connect my Technics keyboard by MIDI to my Atari ST with Steinberg 12. There were just no possibilities to make something wrong. Now with Windows and MIDI over USB, although being a senior engineer meanwhile, I cannot get that bloody Yamaha E-Piano connected.

[@karlmatthewpepito4439]

Great video! Thanks for the guide. I have a question, about the audio interface, I only have an affordable $10-$20 audio interface and I really want my recording without whitenoise or any kind of background noise, is that enough or do I need to invest to a more expensive audio interface?

[@anands6842]

Hi Jane I am not sure whether this piece of info is relevant. To record from a keyboard onto laptop you do not really require any audio interface. Just 1. Connect headphone out of the keyboard to the AUX port of the laptop using a male-male AUX cable (3.5 mm, TRS) 2. On laptop select the AUX port as Line input. 3. On audacity boost the input signal appropriately 4. Select software playthru in audacity and select laptop speakers as output 5. Start recording! It works well without needing any audio interface or recording device. All that you need is a simple AUX cable I have tried it on YAMAHA keyboard and it works fine. It should work on any keyboard that has headphone out.

[@halzander8573]

You are very cool. Very well explained tutorial for even the most technophobic person in the world. Nicely presented. Just to point out that not all USB outputs send MIDI I have a dedicated USB MIDI output to PC on my digital piano and also a USB slot for both input and output that sends audio to PC as well. Congrats on a great tutorial

[@alexanderfeldman1230]

So helpful, and well explained too. Thanks so much!

[@salop.b5676]

You are my absolute hero! Amazing video, all the details I needed... Thank you so, so much. You deserve a lot of suscribers.

[@braydendudinyak5550]

Thank you so much! i have been trying to figure this out for weeks and came across your video, i appreciate you!

[@Karlagarciamusic]

Oh my god I was doing this wrong for so many years! Thanks so much for this tutorial you are amazing ❤

[@myfavs6355]

I am so glad that I found your video. I have learned so much.😊

[@kfrgnl]

So happy I found you!! 🥺❤️❤️

[@FuzzyWuzzyLuvsYa]

you explain everything so well thank you !!

[@josephposton3950]

Very descriptive and helpful, I am just giving this a try, thank you for your time.

[@MusicRepo]

Glad it was helpful!

[@numa_kai]

Thank very much! I too have a piano and went to youtube to see how to record on my computer. This was very helpful!

[@cmfrtblynmb02]

Your channel is a treasure!

[@darrenhirst9900]

You're appreciated more than you know. So thank you.

[@perallantones]

Thank you for this well done video! So well explaned!! All the best from Denmark, Per

[@andregalas]

Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial! It truly is amazing for people (like me) who get nervous and want to destroy everything when confronted with the decision 'which cable to buy'. I've been known for messing up the easiest of choices ahah I always made music, but never really got the urge to record it (until now). I'm trying to make due with what I already own, but I'm not getting any success. Would you mind helping me? I have a standard Yamaha Clavinova CVP-83S piano (midi in/out, headphones jack 6.3), Korg Triton Workstation (all connections possible) an old Digitech VX400 vocal effects processor and USB computer recording interface (L and R XLR outputs, USB connector, headphone monitor jack 3.5, MIC input for studio condenser microphones, stereo line inputs). At the moment I use a standard non-condenser mic connected to the VX400 and then output it to a rather inexpensive but OK guitar amplifier. How can I successfully record voice (and piano) to my computer through audacity? And can I somehow record voice using the effects on the processor and not the ones built-in on audacity? Super confused, would appreciate it immensely if you could give me any pointers!!!!

[@davidcorzo334]

This was an incredibly comprehensive video, thank you for this!

[@salinabowie5012]

This was extremely helpful! Thank you so much!

[@TigerCarpenter]

nice! I'm wondering if it is advisable to record as MIDI, and then Reaper or other software would render it with the actual piano sound pulled from the physical instrument. this way I could add more instruments on top of that MIDI file, AND have the exact sound of my piano as well

[@Carissa.I]

I was wondering the same!

[@TigerCarpenter]

@@Carissa.I yes it can be done in Reaper. I needed to define some inputs and outputs, then add another channel to which the MIDI is played, and recorded to as Wav rendering. And yes it is using my really good piano sampling from the actual instrument. The resulting quality is perfect, and I can make some adjustments in MIDI if needed. It works great for me

[@Carissa.I]

@@TigerCarpenter Awesome! Thanks for your response.

[@MannuDGr8]

Thank you so much for these insights. It helped me a lot. I wanted to ask if I can use a USB microphone to record my keyboard instead of an audio interface. What would be the difference in quality in doing so?

[@MusicRepo]

Yes, if your keyboard has a reasonable set of speakers there is no reason you can't set up a USB mic to record the output. The difference in quality will depend on the microphone, and the quality of sound coming from the speakers too.

[@MannuDGr8]

@@MusicRepo Thank you so much. You're videos have guided and motivated me to start recording for the first time. Hope I come out with flying colours. :)

[@RikyHermawan]

You are my hero... Thank you very much ..🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@germanyproductreviews4136]

Great work. Thanks alot for all the trouble you have taken. My yamaha keyboard has Audio Output L and L/R and also a headphone jack output. In this case which one should I use to connect to the audio interface?

[@rodwaainwright9363]

I can’t see what type of cable and connectors to use from the interface output to computer input. Can you please clarify this. Many thanks

[@clagadymuf]

interface output is normally straight to your speakers. the interface would be connected to your computer by either usb,firewire or thunderbolt depending on your interface/computer

[@darrenhirst9900]

Cable going into laptop from Focusrite 2i4 is usb connector. Connector from laptop going into Focusrite 2i4 is the standard square printer cable.

[@SoundsOfHerSoul]

This video is exactly what I needed! Thank you ❤

[@kencory2476]

Very good tutorial, Jane. It would complete the circle if you could say how to connect your interface to your computer. I know it's done via USB, but possibly other people may not.

[@barbrojavert]

Hallo Music Repo! Thank you so much for your good work!! I want to get a really GOOD SIGNAL from my Roland FP7. I use Logic X and I have Focusrite 6i6 2nd generation. I have understood (have looked around) that the inputs on the front of Focusrite are more prepared for mics and on the backside for instruments. I have used input 3-4 on the back side and I like the signal but it is very low. Have you also made this experience? What do you do to get the signal louder? It would be very interesting to hear your opinion and your experiences! Thanks a lot!

[@sgourdos]

...I have the same question but I still haven't found the answer :-(

[@mazin9193]

Your videos are some of the best out there but I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping someone can help me with. What happens if I: 1. Use a TRS to TRS unbalanced cable (stereo), connect one end into the keyboard headphone jack, and the other into the interface line input? 2. Do the same thing with a TRS to TRS balanced cable (mono)? I plan to get an Audient iD4 mk2 which only has one instrument input (TS), the other input being an XLR/line(TRS) combo jack.

[@AndreMartins2010]

Thank you so much! I was completely lost. Double like!

[@timbates799]

Thank you for this! Just picked up a Yamaha PSS 570 and already have a Scarlett 2i2 so I know what I need to do! Thanks!

[@steveapplegate322]

Thanks you do a good job explaining. What I need to know is can I use my piano, Yamaha, on a midi track in GarageBand? How do you hook it up? I have a 2i2 focusrite interface.

[@AndreasAntics]

You can record in MIDI by using a USB cable directly from the keyboard into the computer. You don’t need an interface for MIDI.

[@steveapplegate322]

Andi tried that garage band does not recognize that I'm plugged in that's what my problem is. Now what?

[@kieronshaw1]

I don't understand - how do I then connect the interface to the computer? Everything in your video is super clear, and you cover how to connect piano to interface, and all the different cable types for that. And then you mention that USB is not good for connecting to the computer ... but nothing on how I *should* connect to the computer instead, or what cable I need?

[@lyneicehaynes4922]

I really enjoyed playing Yamaha piano so that I can write the lyrics from my tablet.

[@seracoon297]

this is fantastic! thanks so much this is so easy to follow and easily explained. quick question, do you then need to plug your interface into your laptop and how would you do that?

[@pakapag]

Great video. Unfortunately you are not showing how to conect the PC in order to be able to record. Any chance you can explain?

[@MusicRepo]

I am recording through a USB audio interface, so it is just connected up to computer using a USB port

[@pakapag]

@@MusicRepo thx a lot. It seemed like the obvious thing to do, but wasn’t sure. It is hard for “beginners” to understand all of this.

[@hansdegebruiker1968]

Yes finally a answer I'm looking for. I got 2 output signals from my synthesizer. Mono L/R and need just buy a interface with input 1 and 2. I was wondering if I needed to get a cable from 2 jacks mono to one connecter on the other side, producing stereo. But now I see I can use input 1 and 2 and start recording me playing on my ct x 5000. I subscribed to your channel immediately.

[@elizabethrwmowat2918]

Fabulous...thank you for your excellent teachings! I have an audiogram3 & psrS900 keyboard. To connect to an ipad, can you recommend the most compact (not lots of leads) quality piece of equipment to connect from the audiogram to ipad?

[@carlosrodriguez3132]

Very well explained and clear! Thank you very much! Greetings

[@karl2198]

Thanks for the video! One question though. Why plug in left and right, and record it in stereo? If you have a jack cable it's possible to plug in that in just one of the contacts, and record in mono. Does that give the same quality, or are there any reasons why you shouldn't do it in that way? Best reguards

[@gbigbo_zjebeezjeboo]

I'm also interested in the anwser. Any idea ?

[@AndreasAntics]

When I’ve tried to do this, the inputs on the Focusrite are mono, so you need two to get stereo.