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[Bay Toven]

I'm just your run of the mill ultra-noob. I basically use single fingers to play the simplest of things but I find it so much FUN!

Recently I started tinkering with chords. Anyways, today I finally bought my very first keyboard (used to just tinker with my family's piano whenever I would visit) and I thought I'd join a forum and see what the community is up to.

Probably going to need assistance with the MIDI part of my keyboard. I have no idea what I should do with, or CAN do.

I'll check the proper forum for that though.

In the meantime, I'm just a 30 something Canadian fellow who loves music and is really happy to start learning to play and play favorite songs!


My favorite song that got me interested in playing piano/keyboard is AUTOROCK by MOGWAI. The song that plays at the end of the 2006 Miami Vice movie.

If you haven't heard this song, I encourage you to check it out or search your own version of it.

=)

 

[happyrat1]

Hi Bay,

Welcome aboard.

What kind of keys did ya buy yerself if I'm not prying?

I'm also a Canuck, 50 something, living in Mississauga...

Gary

 

[Bay Toven]

I was looking at a Yamaha PSR-E423 Portable Keyboard. It was listed locally (London, Ontario) for $279. I don't have bags of cash to spend, especially being an entry-level player, so I thought this would be a decent start.

However, when I got to the shop today, I noticed another Yamaha for $160.
YPT320AD.

It was a floor model, so I talked the fellow down to $125 or so and picked up a stand to go with it.

It has velocity-sensitive keys or touch-sense, whatever it's called.
I thought that was decent to have.

Now, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the first one I was looking at has, but I don't need all of that fancy stuff. Would have been nice, but I'm happy with this. Plus I saved almost $200. I was expecting to pay about $320 for the other, once it was all said and done.

My equipment choices are laughable compared to some of the users here, I'm sure. I saw keyboards ranging for 5K and up!!

Still, I'm OK with this, for now. Buying anything better would be like a guy who can't drive stick buying a muscle car.

 

[happyrat1]

Hopefully you'll be happy with your choice. I usually recommend buying gear that you can grow into over the years. Then again I probably own more gear than talent already

Anyway, feel free to ask any MIDI or computer recording style questions. There are a few people on this board who are very much into Yamaha products and probably have all the answers you'll need.

Gary

 

[Bay Toven]

Well, I have no idea what to do with my MIDI IN/OUT. I already started Googling "MP3 to MIDI" in order to find a converter to take an MP3 and convert it to MIDI, then find a way to plug my keyboard to my computer and transfer the MIDI then do who knows what with it! lol

Maybe play along or something. Not even sure this does that. I suppose I'll check out the proper section for this question.

 

[happyrat1]

For openers, don't worry about the DIN plug MIDI connectors. Just use a USB AB style printer cable to hook up the keyboard to your computer and install the Yamaha drivers. The DIN connectors are really only necessary for advanced stuff like hooking up hardware modules and drum machines.

Then download yourself a bunch of free MIDI files off the web and install a MIDI player software and point the output at the Yamaha device and sit back and listen to some amazing tunes encoded as MIDI files by some of the pros out there.

Later on we'll get you started with some DAW/sequencer software and you can start recording your own MIDI files.

MP3 and MIDI aren't really compatible filetypes. MP3 is digitized audio waveforms and MIDI is digital data control signals. I know there are conversion programs out there, but for the life of me I can't imagine any of them doing a remotely good job of conversion.

Here's a couple of links to help you get started.

http://freemidi.org/

http://www.synthzone.com/midiseq.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MIDI_editors_and_sequencers

 

[DickR]

Converting MP3 to midi is not possible although some programs claim it is. It only works with a solo instrument like a piano or guitar or trumpet. Having more instruments playing (or singing) in the MP3 makes a total mess of the result.
Midi is NOT music but a stream of commands telling the keyboard what key, instrument, effect et cetera to play, how loud or soft and how long.
However midi to MP3 is possible with the correct software. But since you are a beginner why bother at the moment, discover what you can do (and not) with your keyboard first.

Welcome to the forum and have fun.

DickR
Bali

 

[DickR]

Hi Gary, we posted at the same time

 

[happyrat1]

That's OK Dick. I didn't urinate to mark my territory

Anyway, you explained MP3 to MIDI conversions better than I did...

The more the merrier

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

Bay >>> OK, forget what I said about hooking the 320 up to your computer by USB. I can't believe that in this day and age Yamaha still ships keyboards without a Class Compliant USB interface.

So you'll have to instead use a MIDI to USB adapter. You can pick one up for a couple of bucks from Amazon. It won't even need drivers. It's a class compliant USB to MIDI device.

Here's one for $5.00 with free shipping.

http://www.amazon.ca/Cable-Converte...6249594&sr=8-1&keywords=midi+to+usb+interface

Anyway, when you hook it up to the keyboard do so when everything is powered down and hook the plug marked IN to the socket marked OUT and vice versa.

Then you can use it with your computer to play MIDIs, sequence your own songs, or anything else MIDI related.

Gary

Refer to page 58 of your manual for info on how to hook it up.

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forums Bay Toven! Took me a minute to work out the topic title, brain is clearly on a go-slow today...

Looks like you are off to a good start, great to have you here!

 

[RonE]

Careful with those cheap MIDI/USB 'cable' adaptors. You would be much better off spending a little more for this one:

http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Midis...UTF8&qid=1366393369&sr=8-1&keywords=midisport

Then download the drivers from M-Audio' website. You'll be much happier with the result, and it'll be much easier to get things working.

Then get yourself a cable to connect the stereo audio output from your keyboard to the 'Line Input' on your computer and you'll be ready to go.

 

[happyrat1]

Ron. Read the reviews on the Amazon page you linked. Apparently that interface has issues with Yamaha keyboards.

Anyway, I own 2 of the cheapo $5 ones I linked and have no problems with them. Then again I run Linux so I can't speak for how well they run with Windows.

Still, for $5 CDN shipped and taxed it would be foolish to not at least try one out.

Also the link I posted was the Amazon.ca site. Amazon.com rapes Canadians on shipping and the OP is in Canada.