Recording MIDI on Yamaha PSR E343 to Computer

[Tango]

Hi All,

I am trying to record a song on my new E343 PSR and transfer it to my computer. Piano has USB to HOST connection. using Musicsoft downloader i could send MIDI files to Piano. But the recordings i did using songs->user1 to 5 are not found on system memory or flash memory.
i could see the .BUP file (backup)

Any suggestion why is it not found?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Welcome, Tango!

When you record a User Song on the PSR-E343, the song is saved in the keyboard's Backup memory, but not as a complete SMF (standard MIDI file). I could give you a technical explanation, but I won't go into it unless asked, to avoid putting you to sleep or confusing you with unnecessary information.

Anyway, to save a User Song externally as a MIDI file, it must first be converted to the SMF format. Unfortunately, the PSR-E343 doesn't have a function for doing that.

Fortunately, there's a way for you to save your User Songs as MIDI files. You can connect your keyboard to your computer or tablet via USB, set up a DAW (digital audio workstation) or MIDI utility to receive the MIDI data coming from your PSR-E343, capture the MIDI data while playing back the User Song, and save the captured data as a MIDI file. One thing to be aware of is that some DAWs filter out SysEx (System Exclusive) messages, but you'll want to capture those messages, so you'll want a DAW that doesn't filter out SysEx messages.

 

[Tango]

Great! Thank you for your reply..

Googling daw I understood it's a software residing on computer..

Are there any free ones for beginners to capture just midi songs via usb from psr e343?

Could you suggest one for me?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Which computer operating system are you using-- Windows, Mac, or iOS?

Anvil Studio is a free DAW for Windows-- that is, the basic program (which includes the functionality you need) is free, but there are also a number of "premium" features which must be purchased as "accessories" if you want to use them. Anvil Studio doesn't filter out SysEx messages, so it would be a good choice as a first DAW.

GarageBand is a free DAW for Mac and iOS-- again, the basic program is free, but certain things must be purchased if you want to use them. You can record MIDI input, but I'm not certain whether you can save ("export") a project to a MIDI file, and I don't know whether GarageBand filters out SysEx messages.

Aria Maestosa is a free DAW/sequencer for Mac and Windows (and Linux/Unix-- but since Yamaha doesn't make a USB-MIDI driver for Linux/Unix, I won't cover it). I've only just downloaded and installed it, so I'm not familiar with it yet.

Cockos REAPER isn't free, but the trial version is free, it isn't crippled, and it continues to work after the trial period ends. It's available for both Mac and Windows. I'm not very familiar with it yet.

PreSonus Studio One has a free version that's available for Mac and Windows.

Zynewave Podium is another DAW that has a free version, which is available for Windows.

There are many other DAWs out there, and the "best" ones tend to be rather expensive, although there are also some great low-priced DAWs. For instance, I'm a big fan of Acoustica Mixcraft, which is a low-priced DAW for Windows-- although Mixcraft does filter out SysEx messages, which is unfortunate. Anyway, most of the commercial DAWs let you download free trials, which can help you decide which one you want to buy.

 

[Tango]

Which computer operating system are you using-- Windows, Mac, or iOS?

Anvil Studio is a free DAW for Windows-- that is, the basic program (which includes the functionality you need) is free, but there are also a number of "premium" features which must be purchased as "accessories" if you want to use them. Anvil Studio doesn't filter out SysEx messages, so it would be a good choice as a first DAW.

Hi SeaGtGruff,

Happy New Year.. After many tries i was able to install the driver and play song on PSR and able to record in on above mentioned software. But i found few problems.

1. I was playing Grand Piano, sound that was recorded does not even come remotely close to it on computer.
2. I had turned on sustain, that is not found on Software.

My objective is a record a video of me playing without loosing any audio quality.. i was thinking to capturing audio and then using a video editing software to add the audio recorded.. Let me know if this is possible.. lol

 

[Tango]

There is a port on my E343 PSR that says Phones/Output.
Is it possible i can connect Phones/Output ==> Computer Mic and record what i play in mp3 quality?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Hello, Tango!

When you record your song in MIDI and play it back in a DAW using virtual instruments or soundfonts, it won't sound the same as it did on your keyboard.

If you want to make a video of yourself playing, the simplest solution might be to simply record the sound coming from your keyboard's built-in speakers using a microphone-- or perhaps even two microphones, one for each speaker, for a stereo recording. But you'll get a better quality recording by connecting your keyboard's Phones/Output (audio out) jack to your computer's Microphone (audio in) jack. Or, for the best sound quality, you might want to buy an audio interface-- connect the keyboard to the audio interface, then connect the audio interface to the computer. The audio interface will probably connect to your computer via USB, but you'll need to connect your keyboard to the audio interface via an audio cable if you want to record in audio. It will be cheaper to connect your keyboard directly to your computer, so you can use that method until you're ready to buy an audio interface. And an added benefit of buying an audio interface is that they often come bundled with a lite DAW that would probably be better than Anvil Studio.

Two things to be aware of regarding audio cables are the sizes of the plugs and the types of plugs. Your keyboard requires an audio cable that has 1/4" TRS plugs. An audio interface should have a jack for a 1/4" TRS plug, but computers normally require 3.5 mm TRS plugs, so you'll need to get an adapter if you want to connect your keyboard to your computer via an audio cable. As for the type of plug, you may want to search for "TS TRS TRRS audio plug" to see the differences between a TRS plug and a TS or TRRS plug-- you can tell which is which by the number of painted circles that go around the plug (1=TS, 2=TRS, 3=TRRS). A TS plug is mono-only; a TRS plug is usually used for unbalanced stereo, but can also be used for balanced mono. A TRRS plug is commonly used for stereo plus microphone, such as for connecting a headset. You need to be sure to get TRS plugs, because neither TS nor TRRS will work with your keyboard.

 

[The Y_man]

There is a port on my E343 PSR that says Phones/Output.
Is it possible i can connect Phones/Output ==> Computer Mic and record what i play in mp3 quality?

@Tango

I use Behringer's UCA222

http://www.music-group.com/Categories/Behringer/Computer-Audio/Audio-Interfaces/UCA222/p/P0A31

It converts the audio output from the keyboard into USB

I run Audacity (free software) installed on my laptop to record, then convert to mp3

The Y-man

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I use Behringer's UCA222

Am I correct that you would need a 1/4" TRS to dual RCA cable, like the following?

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-TRS-202-...&qid=1452209438&sr=8-9&keywords=1/4+cable+rca

 

[The Y_man]

Am I correct that you would need a 1/4" TRS to dual RCA cable, like the following?

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-TRS-202-Meter-Insert-Cable/dp/B000068O1K/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1452209438&sr=8-9&keywords=1/4 cable rca

Yep.

The Y-man

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I just ordered a UCA222 and a TRS-to-RCA cable a little while ago. When I saw that Behringer was offering the full version of Tracktion upon registering the UCA222, I just couldn't pass it up. I already have Tracktion T4, but T6 (which I'm hoping is what Behringer meant) has some improvements that I'm looking forward to trying out.

EDIT: Well, it looks like Behringer was talking about T5. Fortunately, it also looks like T5 has the MIDI enhancement that I'm interested in (per-note automation).

 

[Tango]

Hello, Tango!
Or, for the best sound quality, you might want to buy an audio interface-- connect the keyboard to the audio interface, then connect the audio interface to the computer.

Thanks SeaGtGruff.. This was the easiest and best solution i could implement..