Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Image
Anything to do with Audio recording, look in here.
Viewable by Members and non-Members.

Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Feb 2019 16:11

Roy (royofherts) has acquired a Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard (in addition to the Technics GA3 organ he has).

Roy has been using Audacity to record Beautiful Noise (a song by Neil Diamond) on his keyboard, and this has ended up as a Mono recording. Listening to a track in mono won't make any difference if you are listening through a single loudspeaker (like I have on my laptop!), but if listening through headphones it makes a world of difference. If your keyboard has any voices 'panned' to the left or to the right to get some 'music separation' then none of that would be heard in a mono recording. Strictly speaking, he has 'two track Mono' here ie. there is a left and a right channel, but they are the same.

If you listen to the below you can hear how this recording sounds. And underneath you can see the two waveforms, and the position of the green bars for the volumes of the left and right channels. When recording in Mono these green volume bars move across together.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
A DEMO of Roy playing Beautiful Noise on his PSR 970 keyboard (MP3)

Image

Roy replied as follows:
Hi Hugh I recorded it through a UCA222 straight to Audacity. Will have to listen to my others through headphones to see if they are the same .. do not know how to change to stereo anyway.
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Feb 2019 16:29

To answer Roy's question on how to do a recording in Stereo here is my Reply to Roy:

Roy,

To get your PSR970 (or any keyboard for that matter) to record in stereo, first you have to know that it does have a 'stereo' output. This can be in the form of a LINE OUT, or you can plug headphones into a stereo output jack socket. A 'stereo' jack plug (as on the end of your headphones) has three separate sections on the shaft. This is what I believe you have at one end of your lead, to plug into the headphone socket of your keyboard.

Image

The other end of your lead has RCA plugs (also called PHONO plugs) to plug into the INPUT of your UCA222 (the Audio Interface). The 'fixed' lead from that has a USB plug to plug into the USB port of your laptop. I have taken a picture of how I have mine connected (see below). Mine is the UCA202, which is silver. The UCA222 is red, but there is no difference in how they function.

Image

Once you have this set up (and not before) run AUDACITY. The essence of getting a STEREO recording is to have Audacity set to STEREO. I have taken a picture of what I see on the screen in Audacity. You have to make sure that you choose 2 (Stereo) and not 1 (Mono). It should also show that the Line In is the BEHRINGER.

Image

Press the letter 'R' when you want to start your recording; and the SPACEBAR when you want to stop it. You will see the WAVEFORM in the Audacity screen, and you can decide if you need to 'up' the recording afterwards by using the NORMALIZE function (under EFFECT).

Image

Hugh

Roy has repliedto this as follows:
Hi Hugh It is plugged in as you show and it definitely has stereo output, so will check Audacity thanks for your time .
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Feb 2019 16:39

I did say that Roy also has a Technics GA3 organ. Roy has uploaded a few tracks playing this, and below is a recording he did of As Long As He Needs Me. If you listen to the clip below (with headphones, or course! .. or through stereo speakers) you will hear that this recording is in Stereo, and this is confirmed by the waveforms underneath, and the two green bars which are not moving together.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
DEMO of Roy playing As Long As He Needs Me on his Technics GA3 (MP3)

Image
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Feb 2019 16:49

Back to the PSR 970.

I'm sure there is no need for Roy to use Audacity to make his MP3 recordings, as I reckon the PSR 970 would record Audio directly to a Memory Stick inserted into the USB port of the PSR 970. Can anybody who has a PSR 970 explain to us how to do this? I'm sure Roy would like to know, as his recordings would sound superb if they were in Stereo!

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 24 Feb 2019 22:16

Hi Hugh If you look at my copy of Audacity and yours you will see the layout is different. Have you got the latest version? I reloaded mine some months ago. mine says it is in stereo , I have just listened to both examples you posted through my new headphones and the sound is the same directly above my head.
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Feb 2019 23:25

Hi Roy,

The version I have of Audacity is Audacity 2.2.1 which was released on December 6th 2017. The latest version now is 2.3.0. To find which version of Audacity you have, click on Help (top right), and then on About Audacity... in the drop-down box.

Image

Whichever version you and I have, they should operate in much the same way .. and you say you do have yours on Stereo. Of course I do not know what you are hearing through your headphones .. nor you with mine. I am hoping another Member can comment on what they are hearing. Brian?

But another way to get an Audio Recording from your PSR 970 is to record the Audio to a Memory Stick in your keyboard (as Audio). In this YouTube video below the demonstrator shows you how to record to your Memory Stick. But ignore the first two minutes of the demonstration as all this is about recording as Midi Data, which is not what you want. Listen to the video from 2:0 minutes onwards. The YouTube Video below will start at the beginning, where it goes on about doing a 'Quick Recording'. Ignore all that!. You need to take note of what to do from 2.0 mins onwards.



The picture below shows the USB AUDIO PLAYER button you need to press to get an Audio Recording. You then have to press the RECORD button, followed by the PLAY button. And when you have finished your recording press the STOP button. These are the buttons under the screen corresponding to those words on the screen.

Image

The demonstrator says it is automatically recorded to the Memory Stick (so have one plugged in!). You then need to transfer the Memory Stick over to your computer and put the file on there. From what the demonstrator says (ie. a fie suitable for a CD) I think this file will be a WAV file? To turn it into an MP3 to upload to Box you will have to load the WAV file into Audacity and then Save it (ie. Export it) as an MP3 file to upload to Box.

If this last step is a step too far, let us hear the result of your WAV file by loading it directly to Box without converting it to MP3.

I shall be most interested to know if this Audio Recording sounds any different to the Audacity recording you have done. No need to play the tune right through. Just do a few bars so we have a sort of DEMO to listen to when you record this way.

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Brian007 » 25 Feb 2019 07:50

Hi Hugh,

A lot will depend if the voices used were sampled in stereo or are the just being replicated on two channels ? Manufactures do tend to be a bit vague about some aspects of the specs or even misleading at times, but at the end of the day unless there has been a conscious effort to create some sort of panning in the track listening through headphones you can't really tell if the recording is stereo or just two track mono, most keyboard manufactures are concerned more about the number of layers a voice has.


Brian007
Image .. Image ..
Challenge Winner
2018 September (Joint Winner); October (Joint Winner); November (Joint Winner)
2020 February (Joint Winner); April (Joint Winner); June; October (Joint Winner)
2021 February
User avatar
Brian007
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 6119
Joined: 18 Jan 2014 10:58
Location: chester-le-street. Co. Durham

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 25 Feb 2019 08:47

Hi Hugh I am running 2.3 Audacity thank you for all you time helping me with this problem
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Brian007 » 25 Feb 2019 12:06

Hi Roy,

Your recording is just fine and i would not spend too much time worry about the difference between Mono and Stereo as long as you can hear it and if you are wearing headphones and can hear it in both ears the recording its fine and to most listeners there will be no difference at all, Just enjoy your new Keyboard and create some more great music for us to listen too

All the best, Brian007
Image .. Image ..
Challenge Winner
2018 September (Joint Winner); October (Joint Winner); November (Joint Winner)
2020 February (Joint Winner); April (Joint Winner); June; October (Joint Winner)
2021 February
User avatar
Brian007
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 6119
Joined: 18 Jan 2014 10:58
Location: chester-le-street. Co. Durham

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 25 Feb 2019 14:59

Thank you Brian for your encouragement
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 26 Feb 2019 10:42

Roy,

I'm still trying to get to the bottom of all this, not just for you but for other Members who may wish to do recordings but haven't yet worked out how to do it!

Can you answer another question for me? When you listen through headphones whilst actually playing your keyboard do you hear sound through both sides, or only one? And if from both sides, does your keyboard have a 'full' sound, or does it come from 'over the top of your head' as you once described what you heard through your headphones.

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 26 Feb 2019 15:48

Hi Hugh I have just tried with the phones and it is all in the right ear, not the full sound as it should be, Now here's another one for you. I did as you suggested and recorded to USB, uploaded it to Box which only loaded the title not the Music, so I went to Audacity and transferd it on there when I tried to open it I got the message you can not open this file without an Administrator's or the file owner's permision. Even Audacity themselves seem puzzled as they keep coming back "we do not understand what you mean".
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 26 Feb 2019 22:46

Hi Roy,

We seem to have sorted why you only had a Mono recording. You are only getting half the output that your keyboard is capable of. The PSR 970 is an amazing keyboard when it is working as it should do. Where did you get it from? I am wondering here if maybe you didn't have the stereo headphone jack pushed in as far as it would go, or if you have a faulty headphone socket.

It's either that, or the keyboard is faulty. You said that you had recorded some Audio from your keyboard as an Audio file .. which you uploaded to Box. Can you go into your Box Account and get the SHARE LINK and send that to me in an email (hugh@ar-group.org). Or attach the file from your keyboard to the email, then I can take a look at it.

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 28 Feb 2019 08:44

Hi Roy,

Thanks for sending the SHARE LINK by email. And you are right in saying that Box loads the Title but not the music. Box says that the contents of that file is 0B (zero Bytes) .. so there is no music file to listen to. It must be very frustrating for you when everything you try to do never works out as expected!

Can you try one last thing for me? Make an Audio Recording on your PSR 970 (as described above) .. just a few bars will do .. and then play the recording back through your keyboard (through the speakers, not the headphones). This will confirm whether or not a recording has actually taken place.

Can any of you that has a PSR S-770 or PSR S-970 keyboard please let us know the procedure for making an Audio Recording, getting the WAV file and uploading it to Box? We must be doing something wrong!

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 28 Feb 2019 09:56

Yamaha PSR-S Series Keyboards

The below is from uk.yamaha.com:
The PSR-S970 is the flagship model of the S-series, and combines all the functionality of the other models in the range together with powerful performance features including versatile effects inherited from the legendary Tyros 5, external display capability and a programmable vocal harmony function.

To give you an idea of what the PSR Series of keyboards sound like, here is a recording done by Peter Walker (peterwalkerS770) on his S-770:



Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 28 Feb 2019 10:43

Hi Hugh Thank you for the link I hope to get to that standard one day, I am meeting up with a group of Yamaha keyboard Players at Skegness in May so will get lots of tips from them.
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 28 Feb 2019 14:12

Hi Roy,

Now that sounds like a lot of fun! I myself don't have a keyboard at the moment, just the Yamaha AR 80 organ .. which I do play (mostly) 'like a keyboard' in that I use the STYLES and automatic bass .. and often create a couple of my own 'PARTS' for a Style. I have been really taken with the PSR Series of keyboards and may very well get one of those. Being Yamaha I'm sure playing one will be a lot like my AR, particularly with regard to creating 'Style PARTS'. I know one can get loads of Styles 'off the shelf' and I could fit a melody to a Style. But I always have my own ideas as to what a Style backing should sound like for a particular song and I reckon I could do that with a PSR keyboard in much the same way as I do with my AR.

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 01 Mar 2019 00:58

I had also asked Eileen if she had a recording of her playing the PSR-S970. Her latest keyboard is a Genos, but she still has the S970 listed in her Signature as a keyboard she owns.

And she did have one, which she has kindly put up for us in the Instrumentals Board.
I am repeating her LINK here to give another example of how this great keyboard sounds:

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
https://app.box.com/s/fyj215frcu4vhwogu2axqoe6brlq9o0k

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Eileen » 01 Mar 2019 11:29

I don't have a problem recording Audio on my 970. I do however create registration banks where I pan some instruments before recording. Also some styles may play certain drum voices through right hand speakers. I do not use any thing other than the keyboard to record my performance to and usually keep the record volume to around 70.
Eileen

Genos2 SX900 and
Website: Yamaha Keyboard Players Forum
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2018 August (Joint Winner)
2022 April
Eileen
Super Poster
 
Posts: 625
Joined: 14 May 2012 22:25
Location: Essex

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 01 Mar 2019 19:55

Hi Hugh and Eileen, Thanks for your posts. Hugh you were quite correct when you said it was not recording in stereo. I have just discovered I am using MONO cables, have some stereo ones coming next week so should sound better then.
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Hugh-AR » 01 Mar 2019 21:53

Hi Roy,

I am so glad you have come up with that explanation. I was at my wits end trying to fathom out why you didn't have a stereo recording. I know Brian had said it's not important, just carry on as you are. But it was more than just having your recording coming out as 'two track mono'. The point was that your recording was missing all the signal from one channel, which isn't just a repeat of the left channel .. it has the sounds that are only (or predominantly) on that other channel. So the resulting overall sound was incomplete. And I did think that your keyboard must be faulty, as the S970 is a really good 'upmarket' keyboard which gives superb recordings. I was going to say to you that you need to get your keyboard looked at as you need to have a 100% functioning keyboard in order to get the best out of it! And what is the point in spending money on a keyboard if it isn't working as it should?

As an 'aside', the first organ I had was a Farfisa Balmoral. It had it's own 'internal' Leslie speaker, and when I tried it in the shop it had just the sound I wanted. So after much deliberation, I bought it (new) and had it delivered to my house, and they set it up for me. Obviously not the one I had been playing in the shop, but a 'new' one. After playing it for a bit I realised that something about the organ was not quite right, and it was to do with the Rhythm section. It sounded as if the drummer only had half a drum kit. So I went back down to the shop to listen to the organ they had in there again. Completely different! So they came back up to my house to check my organ .. and agreed it was faulty. And this was a new organ! Of course it was still under guarantee, so they replaced the whole organ for me, and apologised profusely. I was so glad I had persevered with it. I didn't use the drum section much in those days (I was an organ player) and could easily just not have bothered about it.

I know you have put up another recording (O Mein Papa) on both TDP and Eileen's site. I didn't want to make any comments on your post as I realised immediately that you had another recording in MONO. But would like to show you what your recording looks like by putting it in this Topic where we have been discussing all this. From the waveform below, once again the two green 'volume' bars run together, and if you look closely at the left and right channels you can see they are both exactly the same. Your keyboard will be giving out different waveforms for the left and right channels if it is functioning correctly. And by the way, I can see you have got Audacity set up correctly (ie. as Stereo and not Mono) is it says so on the left of the waveform.

Image

Fingers crossed with your new lead!

I have heard from Peter Walker who says he has sent you 'step by step instructions' on how to record Audio direct to a Memory Stick in your keyboard. This of course would cut out having to use any lead. Can you forward on to me the email he sent you (to hugh@ar-group.org)? Just want to make sure the instructions I put up for you are correct (although Pete may have explained it better than me!).

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2021 May (Joint Winner); July; September
2022 July; August
2023 April; June; September
User avatar
Hugh-AR
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 7336
Joined: 07 Feb 2015 14:34
Location: Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby Eileen » 02 Mar 2019 17:39

Hello Roy,
You don't have to have any cables attached when recording Audio files on your keyboard. You can record directly into the Audio recorder on your keyboard which most people do. The only thing you need is a fast writing USB stick. I find Verbatim very good for this. Unlike the Tyros or Genos the S970 records to a USB. You then take it from your keyboard to your computer and convert it to MP3 in what ever programme you use. If you prefer you can record your song into the Midi recorder and then record it into the Audio recorder as it plays back. No cables required at all. No need to make extra work for yourself.
Eileen

Genos2 SX900 and
Website: Yamaha Keyboard Players Forum
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2018 August (Joint Winner)
2022 April
Eileen
Super Poster
 
Posts: 625
Joined: 14 May 2012 22:25
Location: Essex

Re: Recording from the Yamaha PSR 970 keyboard

Postby royofherts » 03 Mar 2019 20:44

HI Hugh and Eileen thak you both for taking the trouble to help me,I am taking the 970 to Skegness at the instance of Bill, Not to play but so it can be explained to me how it should sound
Image
User avatar
royofherts
Super Poster
 
Posts: 473
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 11:15
Location: Peterborough


Return to Audio Recording

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest