Bloke, you'll need a MIDI translator to get the signal to your computer. These are fairly inexpensive and the "USB Midi Translator" is the most popular now. Just google "MIDI translator" and you'll get a variety to select from.
Generally these are used to input music into Finale, Sibelius, or some other such program. Some performing keyboard players do use these as well, particularly in musical theater productions. Even then, though, you need some sort of MIDI controller to get to a speaker.
Sounds like you have something analogous to the old Roland PC-100.
midi keyboard
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Todd S. Malicoate
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termite
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Re: midi keyboard
Hi Bloke
If the keyboard has no audio outs, just MIDI ports then it is probably a MIDI controller. This means it doesn't make a sound - it just sends the players keystrokes to another keyboard, sound module or a computer.
The modern electronic keyboard with it's two hundred odd sampled sounds is two machines in one box - it has a keyboard controller and a sound generator connected internally via MIDI. When you play something the keyboard generates MIDI signals (simple computer commands) - when you hit a note it sends out a note on signal, a note number signal (which note you played) and a velocity signal (how hard you belted the thing). When you release the note it sends out a note off signal.
The keyboard section doesn't know or care where these signals go - whether they go to the keyboards own sound generator or to somewhere else via a MIDI cable.
When the sound generator section receives MIDI signals it plays - it doesn't know or care whether the signals came from it's own keyboard or from another keyboard or a computer via a MIDI cable.
If your keyboard is just a MIDI controller then it has no sound generator - you need to plug it into something which does have a sound generator via the five pin MIDI ports on the back. Some people would use a MIDI controller to play several sound modules (a sound module is a sound generator with no keyboard - the opposite of what you've got) however the main use for them is for recording MIDI signals on a computer when making MIDI files.
Those MIDI files embedded in webpages that sound really cheesy are not audio files - they are a recording of a keyboard players keystrokes. When you play one back they send MIDI commands (note on, note off etc.) to your computers sound card which has a sound generator similar to the one in most keyboards.
The MIDI file plays your sound card like a keyboard player playing a keyboard. If you edit the file with an appropriate program you can change the sound being used for play back and various other things.
Programs which supposedly "convert" MIDI files into MP3 or Wav - do no such thing, rather, they play the file using sounds from the synth section of your computer's sound card and record the sound produced, i.e.. it records it's own performance. Someone in another thread described this as "rendering" the MIDI file producing an audio file.
I hope this makes some sort of sense.
Regards
Gerard
If the keyboard has no audio outs, just MIDI ports then it is probably a MIDI controller. This means it doesn't make a sound - it just sends the players keystrokes to another keyboard, sound module or a computer.
The modern electronic keyboard with it's two hundred odd sampled sounds is two machines in one box - it has a keyboard controller and a sound generator connected internally via MIDI. When you play something the keyboard generates MIDI signals (simple computer commands) - when you hit a note it sends out a note on signal, a note number signal (which note you played) and a velocity signal (how hard you belted the thing). When you release the note it sends out a note off signal.
The keyboard section doesn't know or care where these signals go - whether they go to the keyboards own sound generator or to somewhere else via a MIDI cable.
When the sound generator section receives MIDI signals it plays - it doesn't know or care whether the signals came from it's own keyboard or from another keyboard or a computer via a MIDI cable.
If your keyboard is just a MIDI controller then it has no sound generator - you need to plug it into something which does have a sound generator via the five pin MIDI ports on the back. Some people would use a MIDI controller to play several sound modules (a sound module is a sound generator with no keyboard - the opposite of what you've got) however the main use for them is for recording MIDI signals on a computer when making MIDI files.
Those MIDI files embedded in webpages that sound really cheesy are not audio files - they are a recording of a keyboard players keystrokes. When you play one back they send MIDI commands (note on, note off etc.) to your computers sound card which has a sound generator similar to the one in most keyboards.
The MIDI file plays your sound card like a keyboard player playing a keyboard. If you edit the file with an appropriate program you can change the sound being used for play back and various other things.
Programs which supposedly "convert" MIDI files into MP3 or Wav - do no such thing, rather, they play the file using sounds from the synth section of your computer's sound card and record the sound produced, i.e.. it records it's own performance. Someone in another thread described this as "rendering" the MIDI file producing an audio file.
I hope this makes some sort of sense.
Regards
Gerard
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termite
- bugler
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Re: midi keyboard
I've just read the replies that came in while I was writing mine. It is a MIDI controller (has no sounds of it's own).
The thing to plug a MIDI cable into a computer is called a MIDI interface - modern ones work via USB.
MIDI controllers don't only come in keyboard form - you can buy guitar MIDI controllers. The guitar makes no sound - you plug it into a keyboard or sound module and you can make it play back with whatever sound you like - play brass parts on guitar!
There are also wind instrument MIDI controllers. Once again you play it like a wind instrument but it makes no sound - you plug it into the same keyboard or module. James Morrison sometimes played one of these.
The whole thing may not be of much interest to Bloke.
Regards
Gerard
The thing to plug a MIDI cable into a computer is called a MIDI interface - modern ones work via USB.
MIDI controllers don't only come in keyboard form - you can buy guitar MIDI controllers. The guitar makes no sound - you plug it into a keyboard or sound module and you can make it play back with whatever sound you like - play brass parts on guitar!
There are also wind instrument MIDI controllers. Once again you play it like a wind instrument but it makes no sound - you plug it into the same keyboard or module. James Morrison sometimes played one of these.
The whole thing may not be of much interest to Bloke.
Regards
Gerard