Help on connecting Casio LK-40 to PC

[NewToMusic]

Can anyone give some tips on how to connect Casio LK-40 to PC? Do I need to get a Midi to USB cable, and what else do I need? Do all computers come equipped with Soundcards, and if not, how do I check if there's a soundcard? All I want to do is to record what I play on my keyboard to the pc...

 

[soft]

hi NewToMusic

welcome to S.O.F.T.

i am trying to understand what you want to do. at first, i wanted to say, "ya, you can get a midi cable and....". Then, I realise that might not be what you want to do.

All I want to do is to record what I play on my keyboard to the pc...

If you are using the auto-accompaniment + drums then you can simply record the audio into the computer. Not the MIDI.

Look at the back of your computer, do you see some 'green', 'pink' and 'blue' holes? Those are Line-Out, Mic-In and Line-In respectively. You will need to get a cable to connect the Left-Right out from your keyboard to the Line-In of the soundcard.

Before I go on and go, let me know if I am going the right direction. Is this what you want to do?

Keyboard -> Computer -> Burn to Audio CD

 

[NewToMusic]

Exactly what I need! I want to be able to record what I play on the keyboard to my PC. Better still, if the PC can "decipher" the notes played. I've got absolutely no idea what to do....

Yes, my pc has the line-in, line-put etc. What baffles me is the soundcard as I don't even know how to establish if I've got one!

 

[soft]

there are actually 2 things that the computer can do.

1. record audio - just like a tape recorder.
2. record midi - this store which key you hit and for how long you help it.

Are you able to play the whole song at 1 go? Both left hand and right hand? If you can, then recording the audio way could be a better start.

Get a cable to connect the audio out from your keyboard to the input of your computer's soundcard. yes, you do already have a soundcard. :wink:

next, you need some sort of audio recording software. Someone got to help me out here. "Are there any Windows built-in recording software?"

If you can spend bit of money, check out software like Cakewalk. http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/HomeRecording.asp

With these software, you can record both MIDI and Audio.

 

[NewToMusic]

Hi Soft,

Thanks very much, that's exactly the info I need to know! I've been recording stuff using my mic and that uses the sound SoundMax Digital Audio which comes with the computer, but it can record only up to 60secs, plus I'm not sure if this will work for MIDI.

No unfortunately I can't play the keyboard with both hands yet. But would like to record each key I play. So I just need to have a cable to connect MIDI output (5-pin) to the coloured holes on my PC?

Will also check on the software you recommended.

Thanks again, will let you know progress (ie. when I eventually get down to it in a few weeks' time! :? )

 

[veganbleu]

Dude coloured holes on the soundcard are actually the audio inputs and outputs, and not for midi. There should be a port, looks something like a hexagonal shaped connector with lots of holes. This is actually the joyport ( heheheheh ), but it depends entirely on the soundcard you got. If you don't have that then you might want to get a usb-midi cable instead. Oh if you're using the onboard soundcard, i.e. it's built into the motherboard, then you might need to enable the serial port for midi in your bios.

Anyhow try out mackie's traktion instead of the cakewalk products first because that's free and does audio, midi and vsts.

 

[lowjk]

Anyhow try out mackie's traktion instead of the cakewalk products first because that's free and does audio, midi and vsts.

Sorry, the FREE offer for Tracktion is OVER.

 

[veganbleu]

Whoops.... must've been one of the lucky few. try out compter music magazine's free audio host as in free when you buy the magazine.