gibbler, post: 297432 wrote: I'd like to be able to record with MIDI from the keyboard instead………using the keyboard's actual voice, not a virtual instrument's. Can anybody tell me how to do this?I want to record vocals while I play and record the keyboard, but I can't use more than two inputs. Would using MIDI for the keyboard free up a channel for a mic?

Yes, as long as the two inputs are your vocals you can record MIDI and play it back in realtime, and hopefully this will be easy.

Be sure your midi cables are connected to your interface and your Yamaha properly.

Your going to need to run Audio Midi Setup from your applications folder first. In AMS you will be clicking on the midi tab and making a graphical layout of your midi setup and your cables in and out.

Once you've done that, test the setup with the test icon to verify your yamaha is receiving the MIDI properly. You must then turn LOCAL OFF in your midi system setup page/parameter of your Yamaha keyboard. The manual will certainly be of help if you are confused.

This will make your keyboard work one way into the computer and then the computer can send the MIDI notes.

Now you will need to create a new MIDI instrument track in Logic. Once you've done this you should be able to hit record and go.

NOTE:If LOCAL is set to ON, the keyboard will send midi notes before the computer notes reach the device. This creates a note that plays twice when the record ready is enabled for your Logic sequencer.

This should be it, best of luck!

The Jammster has covered the MIDI details well. However, if you want to end up with separate audio tracks for vocals and L + R keys, you will need an additional step. After recording the vocals and the MIDI tracks, you need to use Logic to replay the MIDI track into the keyboard while recording the L and R audio outputs from the keyboard into new tracks in the same song. You may have to nudge the time axis of the new tracks forward by some tens of milliseconds to get perfect alignment, as the normal latency compensation does not work for MIDI synthesis.

Thanks for the info! I will try this. The MIDI cable I use has USB on one end, and I plug that directly into the computer. I suppose I'll need to buy one that has MIDI on both ends...

No, you should be OK with the cable you have. It's a cable and a MIDI interface in one.

more issues.....

Okay I am trying these suggestions - I did the MIDI setup with the audio MIDI setup utility, and I switched the keyboard to local off. In Logic though, it says on the bottom "no in" and "no out." When I play keys on the keyboard, I just hear a "that's wrong" tone from the computer while it flashes OFF where it says "no in." There's probably something really simple I have set up wrong......help would be much appreciated!