“The ideal recording
companion”
03 Te s t t h e l eve l s
Before recording, the levels need to be tested. In the Meter toolbar click the
microphone icon to activate the input meter. Now play the connected piano to
view levels. Adjust the Input Volume Slider accordingly.
04 Record track
To start recording, simply hit the red Record button and start playing. When
finished, hit the Stop button. To play back the recording, hit the Play button.
Click on the track to start at a different point.Cables and jacks
As well as via USB and MIDI you
can record an electric piano by
plugging into the sound card. For
this, the right cable is needed.
There are two options here:
a single cable with a 1/4”
(6.3mm) plug at one end
(for the piano) and a 1/8” (3.5mm)
mini-jack at the other, for the
sound card (eg http://bit.ly/
LynKn1). The alternative is a
jack that converts a
standard audio lead into
a mini-jack.Preamp/USB audio interface
A preamp is not an essential piece of equipment, but it can add more
finesse and flexibility to a recording. Introducing a preamp/USB audio
interface to the process will allow the user to boost the piano signal
and produce a high output signal. Try M-Audio, Fast Trak or Avid for well-
priced options.To start recording piano, there are a few possible
hardware combinations to considerRecording hardware
Microphone
A microphone is the ideal recording
companion, especially for those using an
acoustic instrument. There are plenty of
options here, from budget to pro level. A basic
desktop microphone will do the job, but the
quality will not be as good. For better-quality
recordings, a more expensive microphone,
such as the Blue Snowball with Audio HD, can
be used.Sound card
A sound card is as essential as a piano
for the recording process. Thankfully, all
computers come with a sound card built
in. The quality of the card depends on the
quality of the computer, but all will allow
recording. A decent budget card – try
Creative, Asus or M-Audio – is a good
investment for better recordings.