Best way of monitoring/hearing/amping a keyboard

[Chummy]

Hey, I've got a vr-09 which I will soon bring to my casual home studio. In the studio I currently have the Scarlett Focusrite 2i4.... connected to a WIN7 i7 PC.What's the best way to connect it to a computer/audio interface for both monitoring with headphones and when I buy an amp or something?

 

Should I connect the VR09 to one of the PL instrument jacks of the interface or should I connect it via USB-MIDI cable to the back of the interface? I want to hear everything in stereo and to record it.

 

Also one more question please, how to sync say a laptop webcam (I'm probably going to put an HD webcam on my comp because the default one is very pixelized), with a piano (vr) and vocal (my mic)? I wanna make a vid. Thing is I know it is possible to record the audio in sync... because both use the interface.... but how to sync the vid to the audio?

 

Thanks nice community I enjoy posting and mostly lurking.

[RockPianoman]

Buy a stereo unpowered mixer with a headphone jack and run the output of that into your computer.....if the headphone jack doesn't have it's own volume control, you can buy an inline headphone volume control at Radio Shack.

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...-compact-mixer

 

They have models with more channels if you need more......it connects with USB....on this one, the headphone jack does have it's own volume control.....I used to play concerts for pay online but my mixer didn't have USB but I ran the left & right together and into the computer....you can also run into the computer in stereo....the more channels you have, the better.....you may want to add more synths in the future....I used to run 14 synths and a digital piano in......layering with that many lets you do anything.....layering seems to be a much faster way to get cool sounds but is harder to re-create later unless you take notes on how everything is set and what sounds on what synths you used....

[JeffLearman]

A small mixer can be very handy, but if your only instrument is the VR09, and if VR09 supports USB audio, I'd use that: one fewer D-to-A-to-D cycles. If it doesn't have USB audio, I'd plug it (stereo) into line inputs on the Focusrite.

 

A mixer is great if you have multiple analog sound sources, and for controlling different speakers or headphones.

 

Start out just using audio. Once you have that in hand, then start using MIDI. Things get a lot more complicated (especially at first), but recording MIDI has the advantage that you can record a part as MIDI data, and then edit that part (fixing mistakes or adding stuff) in MIDI, and then play that MIDI back through your keyboard to convert it to audio for mixing. You can also use software instrument plugins, use the VR09's keyboard to play software instruments on your computer to get sounds that the VR09 doesn't have.

[WRGKMC]

Learjeff has it right. I'd also mention if you have studio monitors you can dump using the headphones. Headphones can be a pain in the ass. Your ears sweat and the stereo center is between your ears instead of in front of you. They're OK for short durations but your ear sensitivity begins to deteriorate after a half hour of use and your ears fatigue. When you use studio monitors you know exactly how it should sound in a mix.

 

If you use midi you'll need to make those connections of course. If you're just recording audio with the units built in sounds just use the Focusrite inputs. You may need a 1/4 stereo jack to two single 1/4 to adaptor get both sides if your keyboard has only one output. Some have separate outputs for left and right. Check your manual if you're not sure.

[RockPianoman]

If he plans to record his singing, the mic could pick up the monitors and cause problems......I was able to record myself with vocals while playing live with no problems with headphones....you can record vocals with monitors but it's easier to not have it picked up with your mic if you use headphones......I did have some problems from time to time of my mic recording my fingers thumping on my keys when I played on fully weighted keys but I tend to beat the crap out of my piano sometimes.....I can be very heavy handed.......be careful not to let the headphones be too loud.....it's easy to screw up your ears......some mics work better on not recording sound from other directions than others but many will pick up things you don't want them to.....

[Chummy]

thanks for all answers The truth is I'm currently using the Yamaha KX5 keytar as my MIDI cubase to control VSTs in Cubase 5. But since the VR-09 has built in sounds, I thought I could also like it has been said to plug it as a live cover sort of set up and make vids

 

while still use it as MIDI for my Cubase projects/songs.

 

Can you guys please post a pic of the cable so I'll be 100% sure what I'm after? (when you say inch I'm not so sure, because I come from a country that uses metric.... and I have zero knowledge in cables all I know is PL XLR and MIDI to USB)

[Chummy]

and as to what you said about the headphones..... You are right, but should I get studio monitors or mobile amp (like those Roland KCs)?

I mean sure stereo monitors are cool and everything but you can't take them out of the studio while amp is compact and I may need to transport my performance. Plus I live with roomies, so basically Buying just the immobile monitors may interrupt? I mean I can headphone them but that's kinda lame if you buy monitors just for the house and you can't put them on loud volume.