There are now so many options as a modern musician in how we can play, practice, perform, transcribe, and compose music.
At times, it seems overwhelming with the choices available. It might also be daunting to figure out which cables to use, and what connections you may need.
In this article, I will be covering how to connect your keyboard or digital piano to a computer or a smart device, and reasons why it opens many new exciting opportunities as a musician.
Digital pianos now include USB, MIDI, and Bluetooth options available to you.
That is where I’d like to come in and help you with what would make sense to you and your needs as a modern-day musician.
I ask you to make yourself comfy, with a beverage of your choice, and read on through to how you can start opening new ways of making music!
Getting The Right Equipment
Connecting your digital piano to an external device is a relatively simple and straightforward process once you have all the necessary equipment.
Firstly, you will need a cable that plugs directly into your keyboard.
Depending on the model of your keyboard, this is either a MIDI to USB cable converter or USB type A to B cable.
Both cables make it possible to connect your keyboard to a computer, Android, or Apple device in order to transfer MIDI data.
Most modern keyboards feature a USB Type B port, while some older keyboards and pro-grade instruments use a MIDI connection (dedicated MIDI In/Out ports).
You may notice a USB Type A port in your keyboard, but this cannot be used for transferring MIDI data, you can only insert a flash drive to save recordings onto using your keyboard’s internal sounds.
Take a look at the table below to understand what cables and adapters you’ll need to connect your digital piano to a smart device:
| Your Device Has ↓ | Your Keyboard Has USB Type B | Your Keyboard Has MIDI In/Out |
| USB type A (regular size USB port) | USB A to B cable | MIDI to USB Interface |
| USB Type C (Macbooks, Chromebooks, Android devices) | USB C to B cable OR USB A to B cable + USB A to C adapter | MIDI to USB Interface + USB A to C adapter |
| Lightning Port (iOS devices) | Lightning to USB B cable OR USB A to B cable + Lightning to USB Camera Adapter | MIDI to USB Interface + Lightning to USB Camera Adapter |
| MicroUSB (Android devices) | USB A to B cable + USB A to MicroUSB adapter | MIDI to USB Interface + USB A to MicroUSB adapter |
Connecting to a Computer
Connecting to a computer is very simple as you’ll only need one cable in this case.
1) If your keyboard has a USB type B port (aka USB to Host), you’ll need a USB A to B cable such as this one.
USB A-type to B-type Cable
Plug in the B-end into your keyboard, and the A-end into your computer’s USB port.
2) If your keyboard doesn’t have a USB Type B port, it will most probably use the traditional 5-pin MIDI In/Out ports.
All you’ll need in this case is a MIDI to USB interface. You can purchase one on Amazon or in your local electronics store for less than $50.
MIDI to USB Cable Converter
The iConnectivity mio has proven to be one of the most reliable MIDI to USB interfaces out there.
The USB A end will go to your computer’s USB port, while the MIDI In end of the cable will go to the MIDI Out port of your keyboard and MIDI Out end will go to the MIDI In port.
You might be wondering why we’re connecting an In end to the Out port and vice versa.
There are still many keyboards that only feature MIDI In/Out ports; typically with older models. A lot of modern ones will feature both MIDI and USB type B ports.
Connecting to an iOS or Android device
It becomes a little more complicated here, because mobile devices don’t have a full-size USB port, so you will need to purchase an extra adapter to be able to use USB A to B cable or MIDI to USB interface .
Alternatively, you can try to find a single cable that’s able to connect directly to your keyboard and into your mobile device, but this will not always be possible since some of these cables simply don’t exist (or very rare).
Feel free to comment below if you are not sure which cable to use for your device, and we can help you out!
To Connect to an iOS Device
The Lightning to USB Camera adapter is able to connect to your iOS device through a USB A to B cable (or MIDI to USB interface) in order to connect to your keyboard.
Connecting this way is a reliable solution, however a more bulky method as you need two cables.
Lightning to USB Camera Adapter
If you just need a Lightning connection, you may also use the Lightning to USB type B connector.
Lightning to USB type B cable
The pros of using this approach is you only need one cable, less bulk to deal with, and you are saving more money.
However, this method is not as reliable as using two cables, plus those single cable solutions can be quite hard to find and they tend to break easily.
To Connect to an Android Device
With android devices, connecting your digital piano will follow the same process as connecting your iOS device. However, the big difference is that you will require a different type of cable as the Lightning Adapter is not compatible with Android devices.
If you’re trying to connect your keyboard to an Android device, use either:
1) OTG (aka “On-The-Go”) USB type A to Micro USB adapter (if your Android device uses a microUSB port).
USB Type A (female) to MicroUSB (male)
OR
2) OTG USB type A to USB type C adapter (if your device features a USB type C port).
USB Type A (female) to USB Type C (male)
In either case you will still need a USB A to B cable (or MIDI to USB interface in case your keyboard has MIDI In/Out ports), which you’ll plug into the keyboard. The other end (USB-A) will connect to one of the adapters above.
Alternatively, you may want to consider buying a USB type C to B cable, which will allow you to connect to your Android device (if it uses USB type C port) without needing a second cable (USB A to B).
I wasn’t able to find a single cable that would provide a direct connection between microUSB port and USB type B port (or MIDI In/Out).
Enabling Bluetooth MIDI Connectivity
If you want to connect your smart device wirelessly but your digital piano doesn’t have Bluetooth, there are tools out there that can help you do that.
For digital pianos that have dedicated MIDI In/Out ports you can use Yamaha’s solution, the wireless MD-BT01 adapter.
The MD-BT01 connects directly to your piano’s MIDI ports and enables Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can exchange MIDI data with your smart devices just as you would if your piano natively supported Bluetooth.
Need Something a Little More Advanced?
Alternatively, you may wish to use an audio interface (with MIDI ports) to connect to your computer or smart device. That way you can use one device for both MIDI and audio signal.
This is a more advanced approach that is more expensive, however, you will have access to extra connections for microphones and other instruments.
If you don’t any additional connections, you may simply want to use a more economical, portable MIDI interface like the IK Multimedia iRig MIDI 2.
IK Multimedia iRig MIDI 2
This gives you the option of using Lightning, or USB connections. This interface includes a package of free applications including iGrand Piano and iLectric Piano.
Do I Need to Install Any Drivers?
When connecting your digital piano to your PC, you may be required to install drivers in order for your device to work.
To quickly explain to you what a driver is, this is basically a software that allows for your digital piano to communicate with the computer’s operating system.
The driver allows for the computer to accurately send and receive data from the hardware device, which is the digital piano in this case.
Driver installation typically depends on the type of digital piano you are using, so please refer to your keyboard’s manual on any drivers you may need.
However, most digital pianos are plug and play meaning you need not worry about having to manually download and install these drivers.
When connecting to your iOS or Android device you will not have to worry about drivers as these typically do not require them.
You have now successfully connected your digital piano/keyboard to your computer/device! You have opened a world of possibilities on your journey to creating and performing music.
You will be able to use digital sheet music (no more heavy music books, or loose leaf pages!), notate your own scores, record compositions, edit ideas, record other instruments (guitar, drums, violin, etc) using your digital piano, and learn songs through Apple/Google apps!
Use Your Keyboard as a MIDI controller
Now that you have connected your keyboard to your desired setup, it’s time to learn a little about MIDI.
MIDI is the information read by your computer, translating notes and CC (Control Change) data into music.
For example, you may play a legato phrase on your piano, then repeat it the second time with staccato notes.
The computer recognizes the change, and represents the legato or staccato articulations as CC data. From your computer/device, you can adjust these expressions and articulations, and creatively change the way your phrase plays.
MIDI differs to audio, as we have control over the notes and CC data. If you accidentally record a MIDI phrase with incorrect notes, you can adjust these via a piano roll screen on your computer or device.
Audio is recorded information that has limited control over any adjustments you want to make.
You are able to cut, fade, raise/lower the volume, slow/speed tempo with recorded audio files, but with MIDI you have more control to change notes, the way they are expressed or articulated, dynamics, velocity, and modulation.
Both audio and MIDI files are very useful to a musician, and being able to work with MIDI will open up more possibilities with your music.
Now that you have the whole world of possibilities to make, learn and enjoy music, it’s time to talk about the apps and software that will allow you to do that.
You can use your digital piano as a MIDI controller to control various apps that we’ve split into 4 different categories below.
Before we go into any more details, take a look at the apps within each category that we recommend, and which, in our opinion provide, have the best quality and functionality.
Teaching Apps (Learn how to play):
- Flowkey: Learn Piano
- Skoove
- Playground Sessions
- Piano Marvel
- Piano Chords, Scales Companion
- Simply Piano by JoyTunes
- Piano Tutor for iPad
- iReal Pro
Digital Audio Workstations (make, mix, and record your own music):
- Logic Pro X
- Cubase 10
- FL Studio
- GarageBand
- Ableton Live
- Pro Tools 12
- Digital Performer 9 X
VST Plugin (Explore extensive high-quality libraries of virtual studio technology plugins):
- Pianoteq 6
- Addictive Keys
- Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2
- Keyscape
- Native Instruments Kontakt 6
- Synthogy Ivory II Grand Pianos
- EastWest Quantum Leap Pianos
Notation Apps and Interactive Sheet Music Apps:
- Finale 26
- Sibelius Ultimate
- Dorico
- MuseScore
- Sheet Music Direct PlayAlong
- PiaScore – Smart Music Score
Learn How to Play
Connecting to a DAW or piano app through your computer/device can greatly help you to learn music theory, chords, progressions, and learn your favorite songs.
The apps available to you vary from beginner to advanced – you can even learn songs without knowing how to read sheet music!
Flowkey is an excellent app to learn songs on the piano in a short amount of time, suited to your skill level. Flowkey is available on the computer and any smart device, and can also brush you up on your music theory skills, as well as practical skills.
Once in the app, you can choose through a wide category of music to learn, including classical music, pop hits, and film/TV/game music.
The app lets you connect your piano keyboard and tracks your progress as you play. Lessons begin with the basics of piano playing including posture and hand position.
As you progress, Flowkey teaches you songs with four chord progressions, as well as major and minor chords.
You can use Flowkey as a free trial and decide for yourself whether or not you want to continue using it before you pay for a monthly or yearly subscription.
Skoove is a fun way to learn piano for beginners using popular soundtracks from movies such as Game of Thrones, Pirates Of The Caribbean, James Bond, Amelie, and hit songs from Adele, John Legend, The Beatles, Coldplay, and other popular artists.
The app is available on the computer and through the App Store. You can try it for free, or subscribe to one of their plans.
The lessons teach with the “Listen, Learn, Play” method, which is a great way to train your ear and your sight reading skills. Each lesson uses an excerpt from a well-known song to teach a musical concept.
Skoove interface
Available on computer, android and iOS devices, Piano Chords, Scales Companion is piano chords and scales dictionary.
This app focuses on identifying chords and scales, which is helpful for piano students, and a great resource for orchestrators and arrangers brushing up on harmony.
There is also a handy chord progression builder that allows for you to experiment with different progressions.
There are over 1500 chords and 500 different scales, so you have a lot to learn from.
The app is MIDI compatible and all you have to do is connect your digital piano to your device of choice and you are good to go.
If learning with a piano teacher, it is a great idea to let them know which apps you are using so you can make the most of it! Your teacher will be able to guide you and make achievable piano goals for your needs.
Make and Record Music
Now that you are getting familiar with software applications, and have connected your keyboard to your computer/device, you can now create your own little recording studio set-up in the comfort of your own home!
With a knowledge of MIDI usage, you are opening new, exciting ways to make music. You will be able to customize a set-up that makes the most sense to you.
You can keep a digital piano into a computer/device set-up, or eventually add MIDI controllers, synth pads, synthesizers, speakers… the possibilities are endless!
A great entry-level DAW to start working in is Garageband, which comes free with every Apple computer or device. The software allows you to create loops, and audio/MIDI recordings to edit, arrange, and mix your own song.
Garageband is great for producing compositions, tracks for a small ensemble, or generating ideas through the use of Apple loops. This is a good basis for learning to write and mix your own songs.
If you want to unlock some more advanced features using an Apple set-up, you can purchase Apple’s Logic Pro X.
Note this is only for Apple only, and not compatible for Windows desktops, and costs $199.99 on the App Store.
A DAW is a hefty upfront price, but usually a great investment if you plan on continuing to write and record your own music.
There is a great advantage in owning Logic Pro X, due to the fact that it is owned by Apple – if the OS upgrades, so does the DAW, making it compatible with Apple’s latest Operating Systems (currently on Mojave).
Logic Pro X’s Interface
Generally, in the DAW world of music, we should wait about 6 months before updating our computer’s operating system so that other DAW software can catch up with compatibility. With Logic Pro X, it updates together with Apple’s OS.
Another popular DAW is Cubase 10, compatible on both Mac OS and Windows.
This is another advanced DAW where you may want to invest in to have access to advanced features including detailed expression maps, macros, and logical editor presets.
Other popular DAW applications include FL Studio and Ableton Live. Both of these are great to develop your music production skills, and are popular with electronic music composers.
In the audio production world, Ableton Live is one of the most popular DAWs due to the attention to detail that it provides.
Apart from being able to record and mix audio tracks, you can also use Ableton Live for your on-stage performances. It’s actually quite popular amongst DJ’s as it can be used for matching tempos of dance songs and fixing timing problems.
One of the most popular and most widely used DAWs across the world is Fl Studio. Previously known as Fruity Loops, Fl Studio is a great audio workstation for creating beats and recording music.
Loaded with several powerful VST plugins, Fl Studio allows you to access different sounds from the built-in plugins ranging from synths, to keyboards and bass sounds.
You can also create and design your own specific sounds and tones, though you will no doubt need a bit of time and patience to achieve this.
As an Fl Studio user myself, I can attest to the simplicity of using my own MIDI controller with this DAW.
However, Rome wasn’t built in a day and it will no doubt take some practice in order for you to fully realize the potential of this amazing software.
Fl Studio is used by some of the most well-known producers around the world including CashMoneyAp, Martin Garrix, Boi-1da, TM88 etc. This should let you know of the potential you can unlock if you take the time to properly learn how to use this powerful DAW.
Connect to External Instrument Libraries (VSTs)
As mentioned above, you can change your acoustic piano sounds into other traditional or electronic instruments, and sound effects.
You can take advantage of countless great VST plugins that provide you with top notch quality sounds of upright pianos, grand pianos, vintage pianos, and actually any instruments (guitars, violins, drums, etc.) you can imagine, as well as synths sounds.
How does one do that?! With the use of VST (or Virtual Studio Technology) plugins!
VSTs, otherwise known as samples, or sample libraries, are pre-recorded notes, sounds and phrases that have been programmed into a plugin to be played by your keyboard.
You can create multiple instrument tracks, and compose a string ensemble, or perhaps an entire orchestra! You can also learn about different electronically produced sounds, including many different synthesizers and effects.
Let’s take a quick glimpse at some sample libraries that can be beneficial to your music-making.
Firstly, we’ll discuss Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, a powerful synthesizer which includes 14,000 sounds, a Sound Match feature that instantly locates related sounds, and an audio import option which allows you to import your own recorded snippets as a sound source – just to name a few!
Spectrasonics Keyscape Sample Library
This powerful plug-in is ideal for any modern musician wanting to explore music production, synth-based samples.
Although you can record your digital piano into a DAW as an audio file, when it comes to MIDI, you will still need a piano VST, as your digital piano acts more of a MIDI controller to send notes and CC data to your computer/device.
An excellent piano library is Pianoteq 6, a virtual copy of the Steinway & Sons D and B models.
This VST includes advanced tuning tools, the ability to save presets, and a playlist that stores your recorded MIDI files that you can use for playback (such as for generating ideas, etc).
Note that there are some sample libraries that cannot operate without the use of a sampler.
Native Instruments Kontakt 6 is a must-have sampler for a modern musician’s setup.
It is the industry-standard for hosting the biggest selection of sampled instruments that also comes with its own library of over 55GB in sampled sounds! Kontakt 6 can act as a basic sampler, or go as in-depth as creating your own sampled instrument.
Native Instruments Kontakt 6 Sampler
Once you purchase some sample libraries, (eg. Spitfire, 8Dio, or CineSamples), they can then be opened via the Kontakt window.
Simply create a new software instrument track and open Kontakt in the instrument input selection.
You will be able to choose from various options including Mono, Stereo, 5.1 Sound, etc, but generally you will want to open a Stereo track of Kontakt. These other options are there for specific soundscapes for your project.
Notation/Music Sheets
With all this technology arising and various ways to play and create music, there is no need to handwrite/read paper versions of sheet music (if you choose not to).
You can easily search and find the sheet music you want, edit it, play along with it, turn pages using your digital piano pedals, (be sure to check your digital piano’s manual that you can do this), and much more.
PiaScore – Smart Music Score is an app available for iOS which makes storing sheet music, and reading it accessible in one large portable library!
No need to carry heavy books and loose pages of sheet music around when you can have all this at your fingertips.
You can browse and edit sheet music digitally, and then erase practice markings on your score not applicable anymore.
Some of its features include vertical screen scrolling with an adjustable speed (no page turns!), smart browsing that makes it easy to tab to the first and last pages without flipping through each page, easy management of scores by tagging composers/artists in a category filing system, and even face gesture page turning with the new iPhone X and iPad Pro.
For the purpose of creating notated sheet music, Sibelius, Finale 26, and MuseScore are great applications.
You can try a free trial of Sibelius Ultimate before purchasing for the full price.
Sibelius First – Music Notation Software
Sibelius is the next upgrade from Sibelius First, which features scores up to 16 instruments and you will have access to sharing up to 20 scores online with Sibelius Cloud Sharing.
Sibelius Ultimate is the full version with unlimited instruments, custom parts and house styles (for how you want your scores to look like).
Finale 26 is the most recent version of Finale and starts at $99 for student educational discount, or $600 outright. Be wary, Finale is a little more complicated to use for a beginner learning notation on a computer set-up but presents a more slick design.
Don’t fret – if you have Sibelius but wish to cross grade to Finale (or vice versa), you may purchase your new notation software for a discounted price.
Another beginner-friendly app I recommend if you’re struggling with learning sheet music would be MusicScore. It’s free and excellent for beginners learning sheet music, and students.
MuseScore has a supportive, active community who are willing to learn and teach beside you. It is simple to use and can export XML, MIDI and audio files into other programs such as Finale/Sibelius, or straight into your DAW (GarageBand, Logic Pro X, Cubase, etc).
Final Words
Not only did you buy a digital piano, but it seems like you have your own studio set up right at your fingertips!
Music technology shouldn’t be a daunting, scary thing, but something to look forward to learning about the possibilities that come with it.
I hope you’ve had as much fun as we’ve had teaching you about the exciting ways to create music once you connect your digital piano to a computer or smart device.
If you have any further questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you!
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Thanks for the great information, Lucas, but I am looking to buy a keyboard I can use to learn how to play (very minimal experience on piano). I want to be able to plug in headphones for privacy to play any hour of the day. I want to be able to connect to my laptop or computer, but only so I can play along with my favorite songs. I’d love to connect a mic at some point so I can hear myself better as I play along.
I have no interest in writing or creating or performing music for others. What in the world do I look for in a basic keyboard? Keyboard+device+headphones+mic
Help?
Hi Melissa,
There aren’t many digital pianos/keyboards that come with a MIC IN port, so you might have to buy an audio interface and connect your mic to a computer rather than a keyboard (obviously the sound will be coming out of your computer/speakers then unless you connect your audio interface to your keyboard’s aux in/audio in jack if it has one).
As for ‘playing along with your favorite songs’, again if you want to hear those via your keyboard’s onboard speakers/headphone output, you’ll need your keyboard to have either audio in (aux in) jack or Bluetooth Audio connectivity, which will allow you to stream your favorite songs to your keyboard wirelessly via Bluetooth.
USB type B (USB TO HOST) ports found on many keyboards allow you connect the instrument to various devices, including a computer, but in most cases they only allow you to exchange MIDI data and not audio.
Hi Lucas – brilliant website, very informative and incredibly helpful – thanks! I too have a question that I would be grateful if you could provide any assistance with.
I’ve recently bought a Gear4Music SDP-2 which has a USB-type B port. Using Apple’s Lightning to USB Camera Adaptor, I’ve successfully connected it to my iPad in order to run Simply Piano and benefit from more accurate note identification. Unfortunately, this is where I run into an issue that I hope can be resolved.
I’m finding that I have no independent volume control within the app and that the master volume controlled via the keyboard ties both the lesson background track AND the keyboard’s native voice. As a result the lesson sound dominates over the piano’s audio and can’t hear the notes I’m playing as clearly as I would like. I’ve tried adjusting the MIDI volume from within Simply Piano’s settings, but that has had no effect on reducing the app’s playback volume on my keyboard/headphones and only serves to “muddy” the notes played since they’re a combination of native piano voice and app-generated MIDI tones with a hint of delay. Also, with the piano connected it overrides the physical ability to adjust volume from within the iPad – most frustrating!
I reached out to Simply Piano and their response has been – “Simply Piano is designed to route the app sounds through your mobile device and the keyboard sounds through your keyboard when connected to MIDI. There are some keyboards that change this and reroute the app volume through the keyboard, which isn’t how Simply Piano is designed to work. Because of that, it becomes difficult to balance the volume. Since it appears that the sound is being rerouted through your keyboard, may we recommend that you check the keyboard user guide for audio routing options; to see if you can set those to be separate again. Then, you should be able to manage the volume of each appropriately.
I will pass this enquiry onto the manufacturer of my piano since the user guide does not specify how to do this, but I suspect that being a fairly budget digital piano, this functionality might not be possible. In the meantime if you had any similar experience of re-routing returned MIDI audio and how I might apply that to resolving my issue I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts.
With thanks,
Richard
Hi Richard,
So did I understand correctly that when you adjust the volume on your keyboard, it also adjusts the volume of the lesson playback on your device? Does it also work the other way around?
Are you using your keyboard’s internal speakers or headphones? For the app, is the sound coming from your device’s speakers as well?
Have you tried turning the Local Control off so that you only hear the app and not your keyboard’s internal engine? Or do you want to hear your native piano sound simultaneously with the app playback?
Hi Richard
I have the same keyboard and want to connect it to GarageBand on my iPhone XS Max. I bought a “USB type B to Lightning” cable but the lag is horrendous and the sound distorted. Is your “USB Camera to Lightning” ok? I’m loathe to shell out £35 on a cable to find there is no difference!
Thanks in advance and I hope you get your problem sorted!
All the best
Colin
Hi Lucas,
Thanks for the reply.
That’s the kicker – when my keyboard is connected to my iPad, I have NO volume control on the iPad whatsoever – the physical button (and slider in settings>sounds) doesn’t work and the level cannot be changed. The only means I have to reduce any volume of the lesson audio to a comfortable level is by turning the master volume on the keyboard way down. Unfortunately this also means the native piano sound is also reduced, often to a level barely audible under the lesson sound.
I have tried turning local control OFF on the keyboard but all that does it mute the keyboard’s internal engine and leaves me with the MIDI audio generated by the app which is vastly inferior to the piano’s native voice. It also doesn’t affect the volume of the lesson track – that still dominates. So the worse of both worlds!
A satisfactory response from my keyboard manufacture is still pending as my initial reply from their customer support confirmed that the instruction manual doesn’t not go into too much MIDI setting detail, and as a consequence they have referred my query to their technical support team. In the interim, I’ve been looking at potentially purchasing an audio interface (such as Steinberg UR22 MKII) because I still want the MIDI source to be recognised by Simply Piano so I can benefit from the note identification and practice with headphones; but with the ability to independently adjust output and monitor levels. Seems overkill for something as simple as having independent volume control that you would think would be achieved via the software of the app or through changing the internal audio routing of the keyboard (if possible). I’d be interested to know if other keyboards have had similar problems with audio output from the app?
Ideally I would like to hear my piano’s native sound over the app’s playback but I can’t because the two are intrinsically tied, and until further guidance from my keyboard maker, it seems I have no means of splitting them without an additional piece of equipment. What’s the saying? Buy cheap and pay twice…
Yeah, that’s quite a puzzle indeed. To be honest, never heard of an issue like this before. I mean why would the manufacturer configured their keyboard that way without leaving you an option to switch back the standard ‘separated’ volume control.
Interesting to see what their technical team has to say about this and whether they will be able to help fix this. I’d definitely wait for their response before rushing to the store for an audio interface, as it may be an overkill for this type of situation for sure.
Hi Richard. – I have the same issue. With the same keyboard. If you do find an answer it would be great if you could post here. Many thanks. Chris,
Hi, I’m looking to connect my Yamaha Reface CP to a 61 key keyboard synth. Are there any budget synths that you could recommend that have a MIDI out? Thanks!
Hi Stuart,
Have you taken a look at the Yamaha MX61, Roland DS61, Korg Kross 2 61?
Hi Lucas,
Many thanks for the reply. I had a look at these and they look great! Maybe a little over my budget but I can always save! Thanks again
Awesome, happy to help!
Lucas, this is awesome! I just subscribed. Thank you for pulling all of this information together in one place! I just bought an iRig Keys 2 and am using your recommended method to connect it to an Android tablet using the USB-C adapter. All good. I’m using Caustic and I can see that it’s controlling the notes on the screen. So far so good. But I can’t get the sound to go through the Android tablet (Caustic). The only way I hear sound is if I plug my headphones into the jack on the iRig Keys 2. I’ve been looking around the Internet for hours and am stumped. Any words of wisdom? Thanks again Lucas!
Hi Sean,
I’m not very familiar with the iRig Keys 2. It looks like an interesting MIDI keyboard as they seem to have implemented MIDI in/out via TRS jacks, which is rather unusual. But you connected it to your tablet via the USB port instead, right?
What might be happening here is that the audio is transferred along with MIDI data via USB, which is why you hear the sound coming from the MIDI controller. Again, a headphone jack is not something you normally find on a MIDI controller (since they can’t generate sound on their own). But it looks like this particular controller does things slightly differently, so I’d look into the manual or contact the manufacturer for more information on how to fix this.
Also, you can try playing around with MIDI settings in the app, or maybe there’s a setting responsible for choosing an output audio device or something like that. Let me know if you find a solution, I’m curious myself 🙂
Indeed, I am connecting the iRig Keys 2 via USB to the Android device. I was connecting to a tablet. I also found a Galaxy Note 8 phone and tested with Caustic again with the phone, but with the same result. At this point, I’ve just ordered an AUX cable to be able to plug a bluetooth small speaker (that has an AUX plug) into the headphone jack. The unit came with a TRS to MIDI adapter, but I don’t have another power source for the controller, so that’s out too. I can’t think of anything else to try. Thank you for the kind response! All things considered, it seems easy enough to connect via AUX.
Hi Lucas, I hope you’re well. I’ve decided to learn to play the piano and have bought a Roland FP-30. I have also subscribed to Flowkey and was initially using it on my iPhone connecting via Bluetooth, which worked brilliantly but the screen is a little small, so I bought an Android tablet. Unfortunately, the Android Flowkey app doesn’t support Bluetooth and so I bought an adapter to connect my tablet to the piano via the USB to Computer port. The adapter, which is a USB 2.0 type A female to type B male, has arrived and I plugged the micro USB to male USB cable into it and then into to USB to computer port but unfortunately this still doesn’t appear to work with the Flowkey app. After reading your article I wondered if you could offer any assistance in trying to get Flowkey to work with my piano apart from using the microphone, as the app doesn’t work very well with this setting and I use headphones which obviously make this feature incompatible. Thanks in advance for your assistance!
Hi Sally,
Have you tried connecting anything else to the microUSB to male USB cable you mentioned? Something like a keyboard, a mouse, a flash drive just to make sure it works with your tablet and it recognizes it.
Also, I’m not sure about the USB 2.0 type A female to type B male setup. I personally didn’t try this. I would normally use a USB type-A-male to USB type-B-male, connect the type-B-male end to the keyboard and the type-A-male end to the type-A-female of another cable (microUSB male to USB A female). But you have it the other way around. I’m not sure if it makes any difference but I thought I would point it out.
You might also want to try using a direct USB type B to microUSB cable, which is not as bulky as using two cables.
Hi Lucas, pretty late comment, but I hope you can help me. I have already connected my Yamaha P-515 to my Ipad and everything worked with GarageBand at least (thats what I tried). Now my idea was, to live stream my playing to friends. But I*m not sure what platform to use and what equipment I need. Did you ever try that and have some knowledge, you can share? Thank you so much!
Hi Jannick,
With the P-515 this can be done relatively easily since you don’t even need an audio interface in many cases. The P-515 can send its audio via the USB port. So all you need is a DAW, some streaming software, and a camera if you also want video.
These articles might be helpful:
https://www.beatsbypao.com/l/how-to-stream-your-daw-via-obs-studio-using-external-audio-interface/
https://www.aeseaes.com/stream-production/streaming-with-a-daw/
Hi there! My dad bought me a honey joy roll. Piano off Amazon and I like it bc I have very little space BUT I’m learning to play and need the app I’m learning on to recognize the cords correctly. The app recommends I connect my phone (android note 9 USB c) but since it’s a basic keyboard it doesn’t have a midi. It has an mp3, earphone speaker, mic, sus, micro usb and Bluetooth connectivity. I have no clue if it has a Midi Bluetooth but I can find out. Help! Oh I bought the USB to Mico adapter and connected it to my phone but the app didn’t show a connection. Thanks
Hello, i have a Kawai ES-110 which comes with Bluetooth Midi. Can i connect it to a laptop/PC that has a bluetooth adapter? In order to play on my digital piano while using MIDI software on my PC, like Synthesia.
Yeah, should be a non-issue. Latency may be a problem with Bluetooth MIDI, but that depends on what you’re using it for.
Hi Lucas,
I’m not sure if you can help me or not (partially because I don’t know if an app like this exists yet), but I’m looking for a mobile app that does the following thing:
1. When I play a note (or chord) on my digital piano, the note or chord that I am playing shows up on a grand staff within the application. So for example, if I play a middle C note on my piano, the middle C note shows up notated between the bass and treble clef. Same thing with chords. If I play a C major chord (CEG), the chord shows up in notated form on the staff.
Basically I want to be able to check if I’m playing the right notes/chords from my music handbook on the fly by comparing the notes against what is displayed on the application. Does that make sense? Thanks for your time.
Hi Les,
Yeah, that makes total sense. You might want to check out these apps: Symphony Pro 5, MIDI Sheet Music and also this thread. Hope you find what you’re looking for. Let me know if any of this helps or if you find a better solution.
Hi Lucas,
Thanks for the recommendations. Since I’m on Android, I can’t use Symphony Pro 5. I tried MIDI Sheet music, but that program only allows you to choose from a pre-selected pool of songs. I checked the thread you linked, but still couldn’t find anything that I was looking for.
I think the closest thing to what I’m looking for would be to buy an electric piano with an LCD display that has the grand staff on it, such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EJ0VYU6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_gZlYEbC1P5H33
I’m sure there’s other electric pianos out there that do this, but I just can’t seem to find them.
Yeah, some digital pianos (but mostly beginner keyboards such as Yamaha’s PSR series and Casio’s CTK/LK series) have that but it’s still not very convenient considering the size of the screen.
Musescore should be able to show you the notes you’re playing on a staff, though it’s a notation software, so it may have many features that you won’t use.
I’ll let you know if I find a simpler and more straightforward solution for this.
Thank you!
Hi Lucas,
I have a problem about my MIDI keyboard, Novation Launchkey 49 MK2. Why not connect to the ORG 2020 Android app?
My phone Samsung A7 2018 android version 10.
I have ORG 2020 VIP
Hi Azika,
Hard to say, what cables are you’re using?
Hi Lucas,
I am a songwriter with a Yamaha E253 Keyboard. I have been trying to connect my keyboard to Garageband with an Aux cord as my keyboard does not have a USB type B port or a MIDI In/Out port. My keyboard has a 12V followed by some symbols port which I’m assuming is only for power, a Sustain port, an Aux In port, and a Phones/Output port, which seems the most promising for this endeavor. I have plugged in my Aux cord to that Phones/Output port and then into the headphone jack of my computer. Is there a way that this can work to use MIDI signaling with Garageband? I hope you can respond quickly because I would LOVE to use MIDI signaling with Garageband because their software keyboards are quite difficult to use efficiently, as well as with future DAWS. Speaking of, would you recommend Logic Pro X as a worthwhile purchase? Do you have any experience with its features and if it lives up to the price?
Please let me know if I am being stupid and missing steps to connect my keyboard to my computer (which is very possible, as I know little to none about this technology), or if my keyboard is simply too old and there is no hope!!!!! 🙁
Hi Frances, the Yamaha E-253 doesn’t have a USB MIDI port, so I’m afraid it’s not possible to connect your keyboard to Garageband to exchange MIDI.
How can I apply shortcuts of FL studio in FL studio mobile when i use it with pc keyboard…all i need to know os how can i move between Octaves by keyboard
I’m looking for to make midi for fl studio mobile by mini keyboard and melodica 37 keys but how can i change the Octaves when I work in app…i want to have 37 keys but = 88 keys..i hope you got what I meant
Hi Jaguar, I’d contact FL Studio support to see if such option is available in the FL Studio mobile app.
keyboard is working with FL studio mobile Android…but shortcuts it doesn’t work…how can i apply it… helping me plz and tell my the solution of this problem…
At least i want to know how can i move between Octaves by pc keyboard when I working on fl studio mobile
Hi Lucas, thanks for this very insightful and comprehensive guide. It’s much appreciated. I’m having a Roland RP102 Digital Piano, and it’s working great for my purposes when composing with MIDI. However, when performing, it seems I’m missing something: I have my Windows 10-computer (with all my VST instruments through Kontakt 6 retail) connected to both my external speakers and my DP, but I can never get the sound of the loaded VST instrument to play through my DP-speakers. In fact, when I play the piano, I have to cancel the volume on it in order to hear the sound of the loaded VST instrument through my computer’s external speakers (and for that I have to turn up the volume on computer-side, which creates a huge problem when I get blasted with message notifications on my computer). Is there any way I can receive the loaded VST instrument to sound through my piano rather than the computer’s external speakers? Thanks a lot for any kind of help or suggestions.
Hi Anton, in order to route the sound back from your VST to the RP-102, your digital piano would need to have either an Audio In jack or support audio via USB. Since the RP-102 doesn’t have either (you can only transfer MIDI via its USB port), I’m afraid it’s not possible to route the sound from your VST to your digital piano.
You could try temporarily turning off all the notification on your computer while you’re playing. Also, you can connect a pair of headphones to your computer and use them instead of the external speakers.
I have a yamaha PSRE 463 and it doesnt show on my android version of synthesia ive done about everything Ive seen on youtube with no results..please help
Hi My piano has a port labelled USB Midi but it’s USB A not USB B (and it also has Aux in/out). Ive tried connecting a standard Apple USB to lightning cable but that doesn’t seem to work – it has a midi light/button on the front but not sure how to activate it?
Rishi, it would be helpful if you could provide the model of your instrument.
Here’s a concept I do not understand yet:
I want to connect a MIDI controller to either my iPhone 11 (Lightning) or to my iPad Pro (USB C). Getting the right cables is fine, but how can I listen to the audio signal since there is no audio out?
Thank you!
Hey Thomas,
MIDI controllers are just that – controllers. They don’t produce sound on their own. However, you can connect a MIDI keyboard to a computer or a smart device with a VST running on it, and in that case, your device will be the sound source.
Hi Lucas!
First of all, thank you so much for this thorough guide! You are helping sooo many people with it!
I have a Casio PX-150 and was wondering if you know how I could play the keyboard but have the audio route through to Zoom or some video conferencing app for rehearsals online. I currently have the USB type B to A cable and am able to connect the keyboard to my pc successfully as well as I have the Internet MIDI app which I can record notes and also see the keys being played, but I would like to direct the keyboard sound into my computer somehow so I can have my students hear it when I play- for example playing warmups for my choir students. The sound going through the computer would (I assume) be much better than playing the keyboard and having my microphone pick it up then transfer it to the students’ ears, right? Are there any apps you suggest that I could use to do this? Thanks again!
Hi Whitney,
Yes, recording a digital piano with a mic is less than ideal. To get the sound out of the PX-150, you’ll need to use one of its phone jacks (if I remember correctly it doesn’t have dedicated line outs). If your computer doesn’t have a line in, you’ll also need an audio interface or a digital audio recorder.
For more information, check out this article.