Can someone help me on setting up a keyboard with the computer?

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Hey

I've been playing for around 2 years. I own a yamaha PSR e3o3. I'm thinking of plugging my keyboard to a computer and playing it through a software.I heard that you can do a lot of new things from a software. The problem is I really don't know where to start from. Can someone please explain how MIDI works? What gadgets, cables etc. do I need?? Also, please recommend a software that is easy to use. A software that will help me to start. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you !
 

happyrat1

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First of all what sorts of I/O ports does your Yamaha have? I can't recommend cables unless I know what sort of ports are available.

Specifically what sort of line out jacks does it have and what sort of MIDI or USB ports?

Gary
 
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SeaGtGruff

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The PSR-E303 has MIDI ports, so you'll need a MIDI-to-USB cable or adapter to connect to a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer to transmit MIDI data, and/or a 3.5-to-6.35mm audio cable or adapter to transmit audio. (MIDI doesn't let you capture the actual sounds coming from the keyboard, so if you want to record the keyboard's actual sounds then you'll need an audio cable.)

Yamaha's PSR-E keyboards don't have the ability to load new voices (i.e., new wave samples), but you can use them as MIDI keyboard controllers to play virtual instruments in DAWs or stand-alone VSTs. Also, the higher-end PSR-E keyboards (i.e., the PSR-E4x3 series) have functions and controls that let you modify some of the voice parameters-- in particular, the attack/release and cutoff/resonance settings-- so you can create "new" sounds from the existing voices. The other PSR-E keyboards don't have those functions and controls, but they do have the ability to respond to MIDI commands for those parameters-- so you can use MIDI commands embedded in a MIDI song file, or transmitted by a DAW, to play "new" sounds created from the keyboard's existing voices.

I've started working on a tutorial about using the PSR-E keyboards with Mixcraft, although the information can also be applied to other DAWs.
 
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The PSR-E303 has MIDI ports, so you'll need a MIDI-to-USB cable or adapter to connect to a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer to transmit MIDI data, and/or a 3.5-to-6.35mm audio cable or adapter to transmit audio. (MIDI doesn't let you capture the actual sounds coming from the keyboard, so if you want to record the keyboard's actual sounds then you'll need an audio cable.)

Yamaha's PSR-E keyboards don't have the ability to load new voices (i.e., new wave samples), but you can use them as MIDI keyboard controllers to play virtual instruments in DAWs or stand-alone VSTs. Also, the higher-end PSR-E keyboards (i.e., the PSR-E4x3 series) have functions and controls that let you modify some of the voice parameters-- in particular, the attack/release and cutoff/resonance settings-- so you can create "new" sounds from the existing voices. The other PSR-E keyboards don't have those functions and controls, but they do have the ability to respond to MIDI commands for those parameters-- so you can use MIDI commands embedded in a MIDI song file, or transmitted by a DAW, to play "new" sounds created from the keyboard's existing voices.

I've started working on a tutorial about using the PSR-E keyboards with Mixcraft, although the information can also be applied to other DAWs.


Thank you very much. Can you recommend some of the basic softwares for a beginner like me that are very easy to use?? Also, Can i get your youtube name so i can subscribe to you??
 

SeaGtGruff

I meant to play that note!
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I don't have a YouTube account; I'm doing my tutorial "the old-fashioned way"-- I'm writing it! :)

When you say "basic softwares," I take it you mean DAWs and recording software? Some of the programs I have (not all of which I actively use) are listed below:

Ableton Live Lite 8
Acoustica Mixcraft Pro Studio 6
AIR Ignite
Anvil Studio
Audacity
Cockos REAPER
Cool Edit Pro
Image-Line FL Studio 11
Linux MultiMedia Studio
NCH MixPad
PreSonus Studio One 2
Sony ACID Xpress 7.0
SynthFont
Zynewave Podium

Some of the above are free programs, or free non-trial versions of commercial programs, or trial versions that can be used for free for a limited time period (sometimes having certain crippling limitations imposed). I'm using Mixcraft in my tutorial-- it isn't free, but it's among the more affordable commercial DAWs. I'm not very familiar with several of the above, since they were free trial versions that I'd downloaded to see if I could answer someone's question but I never really put them to use.
 

happyrat1

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Just to add to the list Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Music Creator have been around forever and are considered music industry standards.

Neither is free but Music Creator 5 and Music Creator 6 are both available for a very reasonable cost.

Gary

PS. If you need an idea of how all these programs work just search youtube and you will find video tutorials for most if not all of them .

Also do a search on eliminating MIDI latency in a PC.
 
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I don't have a YouTube account; I'm doing my tutorial "the old-fashioned way"-- I'm writing it! :)

When you say "basic softwares," I take it you mean DAWs and recording software? Some of the programs I have (not all of which I actively use) are listed below:

Ableton Live Lite 8
Acoustica Mixcraft Pro Studio 6
AIR Ignite
Anvil Studio
Audacity
Cockos REAPER
Cool Edit Pro
Image-Line FL Studio 11
Linux MultiMedia Studio
NCH MixPad
PreSonus Studio One 2
Sony ACID Xpress 7.0
SynthFont
Zynewave Podium

Some of the above are free programs, or free non-trial versions of commercial programs, or trial versions that can be used for free for a limited time period (sometimes having certain crippling limitations imposed). I'm using Mixcraft in my tutorial-- it isn't free, but it's among the more affordable commercial DAWs. I'm not very familiar with several of the above, since they were free trial versions that I'd downloaded to see if I could answer someone's question but I never really put them to use.


Thank you sir. Good luck with your tutorial :)
 
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The PSR-E303 has MIDI ports, so you'll need a MIDI-to-USB cable or adapter to connect to a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer to transmit MIDI data, and/or a 3.5-to-6.35mm audio cable or adapter to transmit audio. (MIDI doesn't let you capture the actual sounds coming from the keyboard, so if you want to record the keyboard's actual sounds then you'll need an audio cable.)

Yamaha's PSR-E keyboards don't have the ability to load new voices (i.e., new wave samples), but you can use them as MIDI keyboard controllers to play virtual instruments in DAWs or stand-alone VSTs. Also, the higher-end PSR-E keyboards (i.e., the PSR-E4x3 series) have functions and controls that let you modify some of the voice parameters-- in particular, the attack/release and cutoff/resonance settings-- so you can create "new" sounds from the existing voices. The other PSR-E keyboards don't have those functions and controls, but they do have the ability to respond to MIDI commands for those parameters-- so you can use MIDI commands embedded in a MIDI song file, or transmitted by a DAW, to play "new" sounds created from the keyboard's existing voices.

I've started working on a tutorial about using the PSR-E keyboards with Mixcraft, although the information can also be applied to other DAWs.
Hi seagruff, sounds like you know seaboards connecting to your computer. Quick questions: can you connect a keyboard to your computer so
as to see the little screen on he Yamaha YPG 235 to a large computer screen. Thks, Vegas
 

SeaGtGruff

I meant to play that note!
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Short answer: No, but there may be other options.

The keyboard has no "video out" connection, and its USB connection doesn't transmit video data, so there is no way to connect the keyboard to a computer and use the computer's screen as an "extension" of the keyboard's screen.

However, you might be able to use a video camera to capture the display of the LCD screen and view it on a computer screen. I don't know how difficult that would be to set up-- I imagine the hardest part would be mounting the camera over the keyboard so it can film the LCD screen without being in your way. I don't know much about all the different types and brands of video cameras available, but it seems to me that the least expensive option might be to get a cheap webcam.
 
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Short answer: No, but there may be other options.

The keyboard has no "video out" connection, and its USB connection doesn't transmit video data, so there is no way to connect the keyboard to a computer and use the computer's screen as an "extension" of the keyboard's screen.

However, you might be able to use a video camera to capture the display of the LCD screen and view it on a computer screen. I don't know how difficult that would be to set up-- I imagine the hardest part would be mounting the camera over the keyboard so it can film the LCD screen without being in your way. I don't know much about all the different types and brands of video cameras available, but it seems to me that the least expensive option might be to get a cheap webcam.
Sea Gruff, I guess I picked the right guy for a tech question. Thank you and by the way I do have a video camera.
Thks Vegas
 

SeaGtGruff

I meant to play that note!
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Let me know how it goes with your camera. I just bought a $15 (regularly $40) webcam today and will try it tonight. My plan is to connect it to one of my tablets via USB cable, and prop up the tablet on the keyboard's music rest. :)
 

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