Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards How do I record my piano in Audacity?

I have a yamaha ypg 535 and I used to be able to just run a cord attaching the headphone jack in my keyboard to the one in my computer then I would go in audacity and select "microphone VIA high definition audio" as the mic and play the recording on my piano and audacity would record it. Recently my main computer stopped working so until it gets fixed I am using my laptop but when I use my laptop and go to audacity there is not Microphone VIA and I can not record my piano. I have stereomix enabled if you guys think that might have something to do with it but thats all I got.

FWIW --

I don't know about this "VIA" option.

I just downloaded and installed a fresh version of Audacity (version 2.0.5), and tested.

Suggestion:

1. Start up Audacity.

2. To set up the "Record" input source, click on:

. . . Edit | Preferences | Devices

and select the "Recording" device from the pop-up list of available devices.

I don't know your operating-system or hardware details. That should get you working on most Windows systems.

. Charles

If you're using MS Windows 7 , you should also check that you have enabled a recording device (I would prefer line in, the blue one). This can be done by a right click on the volume icon (next to the clock) then selecting "recording device".

I tried that but my keyboard still will not show up as a recording device. This worked perfectly fine on my other computer but for some reason this computer seems to have problems whenever I try to record something.

What alternatives _do_ you see in Audacity, for the "recording" device?

Most laptops have a built-in microphone, and either:

. . . a "Mic In" or "Line In" jack (might be mono or stereo),
. . . with a separate "headphone" jack, or

. . . a single jack which handles _both_ "headphone out" _and_ "Mic In".

Which arrangement do you have?

. Charles

Ok so i got it to record but the sound quality is horrible. It sounds nothing like it did on my other computer. Is there some setting in audacity I should check that I dont know of?

The first thing to check is whether you're overloading the PC's audio input.

To do that:

. . . Turn the volume _way down_ (but not to zero) on the piano,
. . . and try another recording _using the same touch_.

Don't try to increase the volume by pounding the keys.

If that works better -- the recording is soft, but clear -- use Audacity's "Normalize" effect to bring up its level. It _should_ sound like your old recordings.

Next, you'll want to try raising the piano's output a bit, and adjusting the input gain on the PC.

. . . How you do that depends on your operating system and how the PC maker
. . . integrated the sound card into the O/S.

If it's Windows, try right-clicking on the "loudspeaker" icon in the Toolbar at the bottom of the screen. If you get a "Windows Mixer" option, or a "Recording" option, use those.

You should eventually get to a "volume" slider. Adjust it downward, and try another recording.

You should only have to do this once -- it's a bit of a pain to get the levels set right.


. charles

The volume is not the problem its the quality. On my main computer it sounds very clear and neat but hear it just sounds horrible like a toy keyboard. I have an external audio interface but I do not know how to use that and record from my keyboard at the same time. Is there a way i could set this up?

A question:

1. Is it possible that you're recording only the _right_ channel from the DP, not both channels? If the treble is OK, and the bass is weak, that might be the cause.

2. It would be helpful if you could post an example of this "toy piano" sound.

If you have an audio interface, _use it_. It should have two input channels (left and right, or '1' and '2'). Get a cable to connect it to the piano's output.

If the interface uses a USB link, it should be fine attached to a USB socket on the laptop. And if you install proper drivers (maybe ASIO4ALL, maybe from the manufacturer), Audacity should pick it up as a "Record" input source.

. Charles

PS -- some laptops have not-too-good audio chips. But they shouldn't be _really bad_, and that's what yyou're describing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5h3pXqTU3o&feature=youtu.be
Here is an example of the audio (you can look at my other videos to compare) and I tried using my external interface (usb) but when i set it as a recording device in audacity it does not record the piano so I just get silence.

The Audacity picture shows clipping, probably at the input ("line in" or "mic in") of the computer.

_Somewhere_ (it varies in different Windows versions, and soundcard drivers), there's a "gain control" for that input. You'll have to find it, and reduce it.

Sometimes a "right-click" on the loudspeaker icon will bring up the "record" devices. It is possible that you'll have to go into the "Device Manager" (inside "Control Panel") to find the proper slider.

If that's not enough to eliminate clipping, you'll have to reduce the signal from the piano:

. . . a 20-dB or 40-dB pad;
. . . turn down the piano volume;
. . . use a mixer between the piano and camcorder,
. . . . . and set its gain really low.

You'll know it's _not_ clipping when the Audacity display of the track stays _inside_ its top and bottom lines. That's when the sound will improve.

. Charles

PS -- edit -- I got two threads confused; I think I fixed this post. You're _not_ the "camcorder" person . . . .

PPS -- I just listened to one of your earlier videos. The sound is really nice. I see why you're tearing your hair out.<g>

I tried turning down the sound and everything but the problem is the audio quality. The sound i can handle but the quality is just horrible compared to when i record on my main computer or when I plug my headphones into my piano.

If the laptop's soundcard is really bad, you might have to use an alternative:

. . . spend some time making your external audio interface work on the laptop.

If Audacity can "see" the interface, as a recording device, and the piano is plugged into the interface "Input" jack(s), you should be able to record.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. I don't know your interface, or your piano.

. Charles

I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 usb for an interface and if I plug my piano into the input of the interface and play then nothing happens but if I plug my piano into the mic jack of my laptop and play it shows up in audacity as sound but when i play it back I hear nothing. It feels like im getting close but I am missing something.

Hi Mawliet,

I would definitely recommend to set up the Scarlett instead of fiddling around with the laptop input. Follow the instructions outlined in the Focusrite manual to install the driver: 2i2 downloads at Focusrite.

You should then be able to select "Focusrite USB 2.0" in audacity for playback and recording.

Thomas

tried that and no luck. but if it helps to know then I am not using a midi keyboard I am connecting it from headphone jack to headphone jack.

?????????

I think you've identified the problem.

Any jack marked "headphone" is an _audio output_ jack.

. . On the piano, you use that jack to listen to the piano;

. . . on the audio interface, you use that jack to _listen_
. . . to the _output_ of the audio interface,

. . . or to _listen_ to the input going into the audio interface.

You need to connect the "Headphone" jack on the signal source (your piano) to a "Line In" jack (or two "Line In" jacks -- left and right) on the audio interface.

Maybe that has been the problem, all along . . .

. charles

That should not be the problem because this is the exact same thing I do with me desktop and it works just fine. The quality only drops on my laptop.

Audacity (I'm running version 2.0.5) lets you specify _both_ the "recording source" (the microphone icon) and the "output destination" (the loudspeaker icon).

. . . What are you choosing, for those two settings,
. . . when you are recording through your FocusRite interface?

Thanks --

. Charles