How to Connect a Yamaha Keyboard to a Computer

You're making beautiful music with your Yamaha keyboard -- but now it's time to record that music so you can share it with the world. One way to do that is to connect your keyboard to your computer, where you can use a range of audio recording software to record it. The process starts with using the right cables to connect the computer to the keyboard.

First, check the back of your keyboard to find out what type of output ports it has. Some Yamaha keyboards have an MIDI setup with two round ports; other keyboards will have a USB port or a To Host port, a round port with several smaller holes for pins. Yamaha makes cables that come in a variety of configurations, allowing you to connect the keyboard to your computer via USB. Older computers may also have a more rectangular serial port instead -- but both will be located on the side or back of your computer. Once you've determined what type of output port your keyboard has, as well as the type of input your computer supports, purchase the cable with those corresponding connectors. To get your computer and your keyboard to communicate, you may also need to download appropriate drivers that allow the components to "talk." Yamaha has downloadable drivers available on its website. (See link in Resources.)