Recording with the K2600XS

[Ael]

Okay, stupid question...someone told me I can't record with a lot of the sounds on the K2600 with MIDI, cause...they're not all just pure midi sounds...

I want to start recording songs, not on the K2600 cause I'd rather have a computer help me with editing since it's easier to use a mouse and keyboard rather than a number pad and arrow buttons.

Can someone tell me how I would hook my K2600XS to my Dell Laptop. I do not have any external sequencers or that fancy stuff, don't have enough money, nor the room for it in college. So can someone tell me what kind of cable I need to get from my keyboard to my laptop, where I can get it, and what programs are good for recording songs and consequently editing them?

Em

[ImaX]

If you can connect a joystick directly to your labtop (not USB) you can get a cable which goes from your joystick-port into midi-connectors.

Otherwise you have to get an interface, I'd guess it's a box with midi in/out which goes to the usb-port of your labtop. Just search for it in some online-stores and you'll sure find something.

[Ael]

I already have the MIDI interface, but Enigma told me if I wanted to record with the non-midi sounds on the Kurz, that it wouldn't work unless I had an audio cable hooked to my computer. That's the part I want to know more information about.

[ImaX]

Sorry - but like there are midi-interfaces there are also audio-interfaces which you can connect to usb. Some examples:

USB
------
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/artikel-155943.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/artikel-150721.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/artikel-154109.html

PCMCIA
----------
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/artikel-163783.html
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/artikel-163782.html

Other Toys
-------------
http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/artikel-149739.html

...and many more :wink:

[Ael]

And what cable would I use to hook this up? thanks for the help so far, btw.

[ImaX]

Depends on the connector of the interface or what ever you get. The interface should come with a cable to your PC (for example USB, PCMCIA shouldn't be a problem).

To connect the synth you might need two mono-jacks on the on side for the synth, and on the other side depending on the interface you use for example a stereo mini jack. But either this cable comes with the interface or you can get it very easily. If you found a nice interface just ask me :-)

[Rexx]

I use a software sequencer too because of the visual and speed with using the mouse.
I heard alot of guys go on & on about the K2xxx sequencer and ya know what? It's pretty heavy. It can do stuff no software sequencer can do.
You can record for example a 8 bar groove save it and assign it to be triggered by the keys. You can transpose on the fly while not transposing the drum track. 8) Wicked fun stuff!!

Also you can record several parts in a 8 bar groove and mute different parts within the arranger. ie, make a passage full then as you arrange you build up sounds by unmuting parts.

You can record audio via Ram Tracks.
These recorded audio tracks can be triggered by the keys.
{this is where I realised this is the bomb of sampler keyboard synths bar none}
Plus there's resampling that only uses 2 voices of polyphony per stereo bounce.

Recording a setup is a beotch with cubase. Just select multi on the k2xxx sequencer. Better still just record the setup direct to audio.

I use a Mac so I can't recommend stuff for pc users but I think beyond using a midi interface you'll need to connect your audio (main outs) to your soundcard inputs. Unfortunately this is where having a mixer with minimum 4 bus becomes manditory. because you want to monitor your midi K2xxx sounds while recording other stuff (vocals, bass, guitar, percussion...) or command when to bouce the midi sounds to audio. (becomes necessary when mixing down your song to cd.)
I prefer to use Fx sends (Pre slider) to the sampler inputs. This way I can remove the direct sound for things like "Livemode" :P :) :D :lol: :wink: :P

[John]

I've been working on some small combo stuff. This is the way I've been recording stuff from my K2500XS. I have a USB midi cable and also I have the left & right mix outs going to a 1/8 jack on the chessy sound card that came with my computer. I'm currently using a program called Power tracks (it's a program that allows you to record and/or play back, at the same time, digital audio and/or MIDI signals). Lets say I have a drum, bass, and piano MIDI track that I either created or download from the net. I let the computer (which is MIDIed to my Kurz) play the midi tracks one at a time and at the same time I record the line in on my sound card to get a ditial audio track. If I want I can do this with the bass & drum tracks and then add my own digital audio piano track later. This way I can tweek each track seperately because I have a seperate digital audio track for bass, drums, and piano. Later a friend of mine who plays trumpet is going to lay down some additional tracks. It's kind of fun playing with the MIDI tracks and working on the recordings.