Computer Expert wanted!!

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J.R.
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Re: Computer Expert wanted!!

Post by J.R. »

Not really my field, but this might help Alan, or at least point you in the right direction.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop ... ws_id/e/39
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Re: Computer Expert wanted!!

Post by MarkB »

Alan,
I'm certainly not an expert but I know a little about computers (I have some experience of this sort of thing) and will help if I can. If you say what make and model of keyboard you have, I'll see if I can make any useful suggestions.
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jhopgood
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Re: Computer Expert wanted!!

Post by jhopgood »

I am in no way an expert, but when you plug in the keyboard, I presume the computer recognizes it.
If so, can you "see" it on Windows Explorer and hence look at the files on the keyboard. I assume it must have a memory, so something must be in it.
If you can "see" the keyboard files, then maybe they can be copied to the computer by the copy function.
I have done the same with my PDA when it doesn't want to synchronize as I feel it should.
You can also do it with cameras.

Just a thought.
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michael scuffil
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Re: Computer Expert wanted!!

Post by michael scuffil »

I would be a little worried about attaching sound files to emails. How big are they? I fear you may clog up people's email servers. If you can't set up a server from which recipients can download (the best way), I think if I were a recipient I'd prefer a CD by snailmail.
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Re: Computer Expert wanted!!

Post by MarkB »

OK, I have got a copy of the manual and so we can talk the same language. :)

Firstly, although there appear to be various ways of sending files from the keyboard to the computer using the USB port I don't think that any of them will be of use for what you want to do. The reason for this is that the files will not be sound files in the sense that anybody will be able to listen to them. The music you create is stored in the modern equivalent of the old piano roll and anybody receiving one of those files would also need the 'piano' (i.e. your keyboard) in order to listen. The same is also true of the computer itself. Without having a software sequencer capable of interpreting the files you wouldn't be able to play the files on the computer either.

However, there is a simpler way which should work perfectly well providing you have the necessary equipment. The keyboard has a socket at the back for attaching headphones. With a suitable lead you can use that socket to connect to the 'Line In' socket of you computer's sound card at the back of the 'box'. (Usually there are three little sockets together, coloured lime green, light blue and pink. The light blue one is the Line In.) You would then set up your computer to record and set your keyboard to play your music in exactly the same way that you'd record to a tape recorder.

That brings us to Michael's extremely valid point about file sizes. A typical music file would be something like 10MB for a minute of music. Unless you are of the minimalist school of composing that is already unacceptably large to send by email, even for those with broadband. The alternative is to use a file format that produces smaller files - the well-known MP3 format - though this will still only reduce the size to about one tenth for good quality sound, so the moment you have more than a few minutes the file size starts getting too large again.

To record to your computer you would need special software installed (the basic Windows Sound Recorder is not adequate). There is a good free program called Audacity which will also convert to MP3.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you want to follow up with any of this.

Mark
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