How to Record a MIDI Keyboard

The MIDI keyboard can be used for recording music into your computer.

The MIDI keyboard gives you the ability to input musical information into an external device, such as a computer or a sequencer. The virtual studio relies on the MIDI keyboard to record notes and chords into its sequenced arrangements. Recording your keyboard's performance is only a matter of understanding how to operate your digital audio workstation and knowing basic MIDI concepts.

Things You'll Need

• USB MIDI keyboard
• Digital audio workstation
• USB cable

Instructions

1. 

   Connect and power up your MIDI keyboard controller to your computer by plugging the cable into their USB ports. If your keyboard has a power button, turn it off before plugging it in.

2. Load a template into your DAW (digital audio workstation) application. This will give you a clean palette to work with, and remove any possibility of recording over something that you have stored.

3. Enable the keyboard controller in "Preferences" for MIDI transmission. The channels need to be identical, unless you have both the keyboard and DAW set to "Omni."

4. Arm the MIDI track to record by hitting the round red button on the toolbar. This will not start the recording process, but prepare it to begin upon pressing play.

5. Press "Play" to begin the recording of the keyboard's performance.

6. Press "Stop" when you are satisfied with what you have played. You can redo the recording by repeating Steps 4 and 5 until you are happy with the result.

Tips & Warnings

• Download the free "MIDI Throughput VST" so you can group your multiple MIDI tracks together. This makes playing layered sounds with only one keyboard possible simultaneously.

• If you turn the power off on your MIDI keyboard with the DAW still open, you will have to restart the program. The necessary drivers will have to be loaded again to give MIDI connectivity once it has been lost.

• Save your project frequently to keep from losing information from unexpected crashes and human error.

References

• Ableton Live Intro Reference Manual