Yamaha PSR-S975 - What am I doing wrong?

[outteh]

I don’t think you can get audio out of your keyboard through the midi connection or the usb connection. All you’ll get is midi. You have to come out of your line out 3.5 mm connection on your keyboard and plug into the mic/line combo inputs on the front. Like I had mentioned before you need to look through the user manual for the Focusrite and your manual on your keyboard to make sure you understand what your getting into. Here’s a link to the download page. Get both user guides, the mixer control and the audio interface.

https://customer.focusrite.com/support/downloads

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[jlouvar]

Jlouvar, please check your PMs - I just need clarification on the model that isn't really relevant in the main forum. Thanks: I'm looking at the 4i4 3rd generation, since it apparently has everything the 2nd gen does but offers Air for added acoustic depth...

Okay Chief, I answered your PM.

EDIT: Oh and I expressly like the Input/Output knob on the front of the 2i4... It's very helpful.

Joe

[The_Chief]

Awesome, will do! Thanks again

[outteh]

My bad on the cable. It looks like, from the user manual, that your line outs on your keyboard are actually 1/4 inch phone jacks. So you would need a cable with phone plugs on each end. Two of these cables.

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Which leads me to the question, are these the outputs you came out of on your keyboard?

[The_Chief]

The Line Out on the Yamaha is a 1/4" plug, so I got this adapter for the Focusrite 4i4:

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Wow, I think I did something right for once!

[jlouvar]

The Line Out on the Yamaha is a 1/4" plug, so I got this adapter for the Focusrite 4i4:

YamahaAdapter.jpg

Wow, I think I did something right for once!

If there is only one 1/4" audio output socket on your Yamaha (not two 1/4" audio outputs "left/right"), you got the correct cable (1TRS - 2TS 1/4" male jacks).

NOTE: TRS = Tip, Ring, Sleeve, (Stereo Jack). TS = Tip, Sleeve Jack (Mono Jack).

[jlouvar]

Hmm, I just looked at the Yamaha PSR-S975 and the specs say it has two 1/4" audio outputs (and one of them probably doubles as a mono output)… So you need two 1/4" to 1/4" male TS (mono) cables (See the second cable pic that Tom posted above).

[jlouvar]

My bad on the cable. It looks like, from the user manual, that your line outs on your keyboard are actually 1/4 inch phone jacks. So you would need a cable with phone plugs on each end. Two of these cables.

A694CADF-1E51-419C-A48C-2F2DCC61A77F.jpeg

Which leads me to the question, are these the outputs you came out of on your keyboard?

@Chief
This is a good question, and if not those outputs that could be why you're having problems.

[Mark Bliss]

Once again for clarity-
The Yamaha keyboard will NOT output audio via the USB/midi connection. Only data. You need an audio connection to output the on board keyboard sound banks.
Yes, the interface (which over rides or replaces the on board soundcard for this application) should likely work far better here.

I cannot accurately speak to the cable issue without seeing either the components or manuals.
I assume the keyboard is capable of stereo output, which means either two TS cables, or one TRS jack.
At the Focusrite end, you would be using two channels, so..... You may need a third for a mic. whole new issue here.

The third gen Focusrite marketing material indicates an advance in lower monitoring latency as probably its most important upgrade.
They mention improved pre-amps, but honestly, the difference between "good" and "better" in modern interfaces is often so minor as to be very difficult to discern, if at all possible IMO. Human hearing is non-linear. Speakers, microphones and listening environments are non-linear. Compared to these, modern pre-amps have a very linear response. Its one of those "of minimal concern" things.

One other thing that comes to mind- you mention using a mic, but previously mentioned a USB mic. Which as mentioned would be an input that doesnt go through the Focusrite soundcard/interface.
Just a heads up- while this may work, you may find i to be another headache.
USB mics are often best for podcasting and such and while it may work to some degree, often are found to be less than ideal for musical applications due to difficulty (or inability) to function at acceptable latency levels for recording in a multi-track situation.
You may find its far better, (or at least easier to configure) to use a conventional mic and input via the Focusrite interface.
If you have the spare channel.

Virtual instruments and such look pretty attractive right now.......

[The_Chief]

Yep: AGAIN, you guys are right. And AGAIN, I'm brain-dead. It's a good week for that!

So you're saying that the inputs on the Focusrite are mono inputs. I had planned on connecting the L and R outputs from the Yamaha to one input on the Focusrite. However, what I'm understanding this morning is that I need to set up a return for the adapter I ordered and get TWO 1/4" mono cables... one for each channel and each input on the Focusrite's front panel. I have not had time to read the Focusrite manual; I had intended on making some time today for that.

BTW I have TWO mics: one is my everyday USB mic, and the other is a conventional condenser mic that I would use for my projects. So no need to be concerned about the quality of the USB mic in my music, as it will not be used that way.

[outteh]

You can compromise if necessary. One of your outputs on the keyboard is a L/R combination mono output. In other words it combines the left and right channels for you. You don’t get stereo this way but you get the full keyboard output as a mono channel. This way you only need one connection to the audio interface and can use the other for a microphone.

[The_Chief]

True that, Tom, but I have a lot of flexibility on that: since I can run the microphone through the keyboard (and use the many vocal enhancements it offers, I can run both channels into the Focusrite. Since I'll have both cables, I can try both and see which works best for my setup.

I'll let you know!



EDIT: it's Thursday and the 4i4 & related cables all arrived today. And now I get to leave town until Sunday! This really isn't fair: it's like giving a kid a Christmas gift but making him wait until New Years Day to open it... anyway, I haven't forgotten you guys...

EDIT 2: It's a lot to explain and has nothing to do with the subject, but I literally have not turned on the computer. I've been in a controlled panic for days! I swear, I'm doing this whole "retirement" thing wrong! But I HOPE to get to this stuff tomorrow. No promises, though!

EDIT 3: It's now Sunday, August 8 - and I finally have the 4i4 installed and connected. I have NOT yet tested out anything. It is high on my list of priorities - just not at the top. Rest assured, though, that I'm sitting here staring at it and I very much look forward to getting this thing working...

[jlouvar]

True that, Tom, but I have a lot of flexibility on that: since I can run the microphone through the keyboard (and use the many vocal enhancements it offers, I can run both channels into the Focusrite. Since I'll have both cables, I can try both and see which works best for my setup.

I'll let you know!



EDIT: it's Thursday and the 4i4 & related cables all arrived today. And now I get to leave town until Sunday! This really isn't fair: it's like giving a kid a Christmas gift but making him wait until New Years Day to open it... anyway, I haven't forgotten you guys...

EDIT 2: It's a lot to explain and has nothing to do with the subject, but I literally have not turned on the computer. I've been in a controlled panic for days! I swear, I'm doing this whole "retirement" thing wrong! But I HOPE to get to this stuff tomorrow. No promises, though!

EDIT 3: It's now Sunday, August 8 - and I finally have the 4i4 installed and connected. I have NOT yet tested out anything. It is high on my list of priorities - just not at the top. Rest assured, though, that I'm sitting here staring at it and I very much look forward to getting this thing working...

Start with plugging the audio output of the Yamaha keyboard workstation into the audio input on the front of the 4i4 and use ASIO in Mixcraft's Preferences. Also make sure you have the most current 4i4 drivers installed.

[The_Chief]

Thanks Joe - if I can get a chance to! Good grief what a month so far...

Support at Focusrite is hinting that only one input is selected and used at any time: how can that be useful in setting levels and adjusting them out? That can't be correct. My L/R from the Yamaha are separate mono lines, going into separate inputs on the 4i4. I have a combiner cable to take the L-R outputs and send them to the sound card Line In as a 3.5mm stereo input. But if the 4i4 only takes in one input at a time, it's going back...

[jlouvar]

The 4i4 has two audio inputs on the front... If you want to record in stereo make sure your using a stereo output patch on the Yamaha and have the "Stereo (1+2)" interface input selected in Mixcraft (click on the little downward arrow next to the arm button).

I have a combiner cable to take the L-R outputs and send them to the sound card Line In as a 3.5mm stereo input.

You should only use two 1/4 inch mono cables from the Yamaha 1/4 inch (L/R) audio outputs to the two 4i4 front audio inputs for stereo recording... And only one 1/4 inch mono cable is needed for mono recording, and you'll need to click on the downward arrow next to the arm button and select the mono input your plugged into instead of the "Stereo (1+2)" input. No combiner cable or 3.5mm stereo inputs to the sound card... connect your Yamaha to your computer only through the 4i4, not the sound card.

PS... Make sure you download and install the most current drivers for your 4i4 from:
https://customer.focusrite.com/support/downloads