Due to wifes illness can’t get out much so have been recording backings on my keyboard…I then set the keyboard to play and play my whislte along with it…BUT…what I would like to do is to be able to record from my keyboard via the back connectors to , say, a CD recorder. I believe Phillips did, or do such a recorder. I don’t want to record the whistle just some backings that I am able to devise myself to play along with. Recorded to a separate media I could the take the CD player into my garage…my favourite haunt, and play my backing CD, playing my whistle along with it.Any complications…needs to bee effective but reasonably priced…needs to be simple to operate…Are there other options??? Thanks in anticipation. Les.
If you’ve recorded your backings on the computer, couldn’t you just burn them onto a CD.
If you have recording software and a CD burner on your computer, it’s easy. Here’s how:
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Record the backiing on your keyboard.
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Run an amplifier cord from the keyboard to the microphone jack of the computer. You will probably need an adapter for the microphone jack, available at any electronics store.
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Start your recording software.
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Play the keyboard recording. Adjust the mic input level on the computer and/or the volume control on the keyboard so that it is loud enough, but there is no clipping/distortion. It is best to start with both controls fairly close to the bottom, then increase the instrument volume, then, if it isn’t loud enough at full volume, increase the mic level.
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Record the keyboard with the computer.
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Apply F/X as desired.
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Burn the CD.
Hopefully this helps.
-Jim
Note that most computers come with some simple recording software which is good enough for this. For example, Windows comes with Sound Recorder, and your sound card probably came with something, too. Not many features here, but it will do what you need for this.
Also, your sound card may have a line input jack, which will work better than the mic jack if you have it.
If you don’t already have a sound card and a CD burner, note that the pair of them is much cheaper than a standalone audio CD recorder.
Come to think of it, you’re correct if the instrument has both a pre-amped output and volume control, which I suspect this keyboard does.
However, if you have no volume control (e.g. standard microphone) or no preamp (e.g. standard electric guitar or bass plugged directly into the computer), you will need the mic jack. Passive pickups usually don’t have enough power to drive the line input, even at top volume.
Guitar and bass pickups may not have enough power to drive a mic jack, and almost certainly won’t sound good even if you can get a signal. Generally I recommend micing an amplifier. But if, for some reason, you need to run these directly to a line input you need a direct box, preferably one with an amp simulator.