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Hi there. I've posted around a few forums about this but with no luck. Hopefully you guys can give me a point in the right direction.

I have just bought a midi cable to hook up my keyboard into FL8 so I can use it to compose instead of the mouse and computer keyboard.

The keyboard in question is over 10 years. It's a HOHNER PSK 45 if that means anything to anyone. I don't play keyboard but I am a Pianist (hence the very old keyboard).

Once it is connected to FL I can get it to play using the different voices. However, when I try to record problems occur:

1. The keyboard only records into the step sequencer and not piano roll where I want it (I know this can be done as I've seen a video of it).

2. Recording continues on until I press stop, however none of the sound is actually recorded after the first loop of the step sequencer.

3. I can't play chords. They all record as single notes. But hook the keyboard up to Notation Composer and it plays perfectly.

4. If I transfer the recordings into piano roll there are no rests in the recordings. If I play a very quick, staccato note and then have a 5 second pause before playing the next, the silence does not record. Instead it is as if I have just held the note down for 5 seconds followed by another etc. The notes all join onto one another continuously with no gaps.

5. Although there is no velocity control on the keyboard any recorded notes seem ALOT quieter than those I place down using the mouse and computer keyboard. Do I have to place the keyboard into a mixer channel and increase its master volume or something?

I know that my keyboard is old, but surely it should be able to do the things I require, such as playing chords into piano roll etc. As I've said, it works fine in notation composers. It can't do fancy things like modulation etc, but it should be able to do the basics.

Thanks for any help.

Well, my synthesizer/keyboard is probably a lot older (supposedly more expensive though, since it still features touch response, has a pitch and modulation wheel, etc). Anyway, as long as it has a midi output port (which yours obviously has), it will work.

Please note that I do not use FL Studio myself, so I'm not really familiar with its workings.

1) I have no idea about this unfortunately, however, the default way to compose using an external keyboard is note by note (step mode). Quite likely, you have a record button somewhere that you need to press to record any stream that you play (which will probably then end up in the piano staff, as you describe it).
I don't know about FL, but when using live recording in Sibelius, you pretty much have to edit some of the recording settings (quantization mostly), since its default resolution is so hilarioulsy high I doubt even an extremely skilled player could actually keep the tempo exactly enough to generate a clean sheet of notes. (I believe Sibelius resolution, at least, is staccato 512:th note triplets at the current tempo). So you might want to look up your recording settings dialog, if there is one. Also, if possible, you should lock the tempo for the track, otherwise it will guess at what tempo you are playing, which will of course fail unless you play straight mechanico.

2) You probably have to create new bars to record any longer.

3) Sorry, can't help you on that one. Check the recodring / midi in dialog, if there is one. Otherwise, it might be a limitation of the software.

4) Yes, that is step recording. You have to actually insert the rests as well.

5) If you have no velocity control, it will use a default value. Usually that is max, but I guess it could just as well be half of the maximum velocity or something. Drawing the notes by hand obviously has another default velocity. If you cannot edit the velocity of the notes themselves (this is one of the few major downsides to using Sibelius, by the way), then you should probably use a master channel yes, given that the velocity translates straightly to volume and nothing else. Otherwise I'm afraid you're in for some hard times.

But hey, composing something up on your keyboard (live) is only the first part; then in your mind translating it into specific notes is half of the fun (nah... probably just about 10 percent, tops), so you might just as well use the step sequencer. I agree that live playback of course would seem easier, but as said - without proper quantization, it might look (or even sound, should you apply inproper quantization) totally messed up. The only part where I tend to try to use it is in complicated sections, where certain notes are to be held down while others are not and the like.

Well, hope that helps at least some.
Otherwise, there's a fair number of FL users around here that might posess better knowledge on the matter.

Hi there. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try out these things later.

About recording chords and rests, it can be done as viewed in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PImC21_2HyU&feature=channel_page

At about 3:57 he records short chords and the rests are automatic.

I understand I need to quantize the recording and such as it will never be perfectly entered.

Hmmm... I don't use FL Studio either, I use Reaper and I love it

For the chord thing, chances are you have your note polyphony set to 1, thus you can only play a single note. Try finding where this is located and raise it (my note polyphony is usually set to 64).

Maybe just get a newer keyboard. I've got an Axiom 49 MIDI keyboard/controller and it works fantastically. Its got a hell of a lot of features too such as sliders, knobs, etc. After that maybe buy a USB MIDI interface because it makes life easier and you seem to be fairly new at this

Hope this helps, but chances are it didn't heh. Really wish I knew FL Studio so I could help you man.

Thanks alot! I will have a look for any polyphony options.

I would buy another keyboard, but I feel as if I'd be wasting my money a bit as I play piano and would only be using they keyboard to write stuff on the computer - something which is just a hobby at the moment.

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