How do you record from a keyboard to a computer

How do you record from a keyboard/synth to a computer? I have apsr-41 from the early 80's but it has a MIDI cable in case that helps I never recorded a song before so any info will help like software and how to convert files to mp3 if it doesn't record mp3! ^^

I don't know the apsr-41 (which brand is that?) but you have two options if there's a midi-out on your keyboard.
From your question I presume you never did a recording to your computer, so I'll start
with a summary what you need at the minimum:

audio line out keyboard -> audio line in soundcard in your computer.

A proper cable which can make the connection is basicly all you need.
(most likely 2 x jack -> 1 stereo minjack)

Connect the keyboard to your soundcard as written above.
Start the wave software of your soundcard
and enable the line in.

Hit record in your wave software and hit some keys on your keyboard, to get the proper settings in your wave software.

(Adjust record volume settings just below the red level of the meters to avoid clipping.)

Play a small piece

When finished, stop record in your wave software and probably you will be asked to name the file and where to store the file by your wave software.

You just created a stereo/mono *.wav file.

Just in case you don't have any software for recording, do a search on google with the keywords "wave software" there are ton's of freeware software for this.

Same counts for mp3. To convert a *.wav file to mp3 you can also use cd burnig software, as there's usually a tool to convert *.wav to mp3.

You can also use the windows media player, but then you will end up with a *.wma file.

Since it is your first time doing this I kept it very basic....

Once you figured out to do above, then maybe think about midi, as that is way more complicated.
if you never worked with midi before and I would need to know the keyboards capabilities..

Forget converting midi to mp3 by the way, as there no audio info in midi, just instructions for a midi sounddevice to play what.
There is software claiming this conversion which triggers mono sounds out of the midi instructions, but even the then created mono sounds suck big time.

Fred

Lol thanks for the reply ^^ The PSR 41 is by Yamaha and is a very old synth ^^ I just recently bought the MM6 (last week) ^^

Hello Mobius,

What keyboard do you have? If it's a Technics KN7000 it has a USB port at the back (to the right) and when I took delivery of my KN7 a 3mtr cable was supplied with it which I was told would enable me to connect the USB on the keyboard straight to the USB on the PC for recording purposes. However, I would think an audio card of some sort would be needed on the PC to do this. Maybe someone more computer literate than me, will explain this more fully. I hope so, as I've often thought it would be great to record direct. At the moment I am using a stand-alone Sony CD Player/Recorder connected to the In & Out Mains on the keyboard and the In & Out on an amplifier. It works quite well but is a bit time consuming.

I look forward to learning more on this subject.

Audrey

Lol this is an old subject lol. It was a PSR 41 by Yamaha. I don't use it anymore, I actually use the MM6 now

Irregardless of the keyboard the answer that freddy gave still applies. It just a matter of recording the audio output into the input on the computer soundcard. But Audrey's use of a standalone CD burner just eliminates the need for a computer to record before burning to a CD but is still basically the same procedure. I guess the main advantage of using a computer is that you can record a bunch of tracks individually and then decide later what you want to put on the CD you burn.

This questions has been resolved already. Its from november! Lol but thanks for your imputs everyone. I do like how you can record on track individually on the computer and then edit it as you wish.