What kind of outputs do you have on your midi keyboard Then we will figure out what kind of inputs are available on the audio interface or computer.Īnd then we’ll figure out the right solution for you. How to connect midi keyboard to audio interfaceįirst we are going to figure out what outputs we have on the midi keyboard. Let’s talk about how to physically attach a midi keyboard. So now you know the basics about MIDI is and what it does. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Then use what they have created via MIDI and break that out to different instruments. Well later you can transfer that midi to another instrument, like a string section.Ī lot of people will start composing songs on a piano. So let’s say you recorded all the midi information for a piano part. The beauty of midi, is that you can take all that stored information and give it to another instrument. This is usually in the form of the chords or notes that you are playing.Īnd parameters like how hard you are playing them, and when you change to the next note or chord.Īll of those commands are coming from the keyboard. So if you record a midi track, it is just a set of commands. You have a virtual instrument, that does the actual work (putting out the sound).īut the micromanager is telling it what to do in the background. Your midi keyboard is a like a micromanager in a corporation. Then you set up your keyboard so that it can give commands to the instrument you loaded in the DAW. You load this into your digital audio workstation. And in our case the midi keyboard is what is issuing the commands. The piece of software, the VST, is what is receiving the commands. Think of it like a drill instructor, who is calling out commands. Midi at its most basic level is like a small machine that is telling a software program what to do. And then we’ll dive into how to get it all connected. Well let’s step back and talk about midi for just a second. Or maybe it only has midi input and output. Maybe your midi keyboard only has a USB output.

It’s amazing how many kinds of instruments you can bring into your songs and projects.Īll those virtual instruments can all be controlled with this simple midi keyboard.īut you have to be able to connect the midi keyboard into your studio setup.Īnd this can seem like a daunting process when you first look at it. I fell in love with instrument libraries.Īll of sudden, I could now add in drums, strings, bass, keys, or a dang oboe!Īll without owning a single one of those instruments.

Connecting piano to computer