If you want to record authentic piano tracks in a DAW, you need a good MIDI keyboard. Of course, you can also connect a digital piano or stage piano to your PC instead. Depending on the capabilities of the device, there are several ways to accomplish this.
To connect a stage piano to a PC, you can use the MIDI In/Out ports – this requires a music computer with a MIDI interface. Alternatively (if possible), you can connect the stage piano directly to your computer via USB. Bluetooth is also an option.
When used for recording, a stage piano could be described as a MIDI keyboard without sound generation. And yet it remains the more flexible solution. Of course, nothing is stopping you from using the built-in sounds of the stage piano when recording. Some of the instruments even come with a large number of sounds and a 16-fold multi-timbral structure. This allows you to play 16 different sounds (drums, percussion, bass, etc.) on 16 MIDI channels with a host or sequencer program (DAW).
In addition to a DAW program, you can also use VST host software such as Apple Mainstage, Gig Performer, or Camelot Pro – especially when playing live. Moreover, you can use a stage piano to replace a MIDI keyboard.
USB lets you connect even the cheapest modern stage pianos to a PC. While larger models have MIDI jacks, which also provide MIDI keyboard functions for live use, most more affordable stage pianos do not. In this case, the simplest method to connect to the PC would be using the USB to Host connection of the digital piano.
In some cases, it may be necessary to install a USB-MIDI driver on your computer to allow for communication between the instrument and the computer. However, with current stage pianos, this should work right away. Either way, once this requirement is met, you can integrate the stage piano into the software as a MIDI keyboard. You can find the necessary functions either in the controller settings or in the “Settings” tab of your software sequencer. You should only have to do this once as sequencer programs usually remember external controllers once connected.
For this tried-and-true method, your music computer needs an audio interface with MIDI ports. Some audio interfaces have MIDI inputs and outputs, while others do not. Alternatively, you can use a USB MIDI interface in parallel with your audio interface.
The traditional MIDI route is especially useful if you have an older stage piano. If you want a good keyboard at an affordable price, buying a used older instrument is a great option. The sounds may be a bit outdated, but these instruments work perfectly well as MIDI keyboards – even better than some MIDI master keyboards. In this case, you simply connect the MIDI Out jack of the stage piano to the MIDI In socket of the audio or MIDI interface connected to the music computer.
The stage piano is always connected using 2-way MIDI cabling: You connect MIDI In and Out to the MIDI interface of the computer with two MIDI cables.
Not every audio interface comes with a MIDI interface. Although connecting via USB-MIDI is much more convenient, in some cases it makes sense to purchase a MIDI interface – for example, if you want to control other MIDI-capable devices (such as effects, and sound modules) via the sequencer.
Want to control a tablet or audio computer via Bluetooth MIDI? Since most stage pianos are not Bluetooth-compatible, this can be quite difficult. However, it is not a problem if your stage piano has a full MIDI interface with MIDI In and Out to which you can connect a Bluetooth MIDI adapter such as the Quicco Sound mi.1 II.
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