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Hi,

Here is what I get (I think)

Load software with piano samples into laptop computer.

Plug computer into piano.

Connect via midi settings somehow

That is all I get.

Is that all there is.

I start to play, and sound comes out of the speakers or only headphones ?

Do all software record also ?

Do I need to plug an intermediary like my presonus audio box I use the record my guitar ?

If all I need is the software, is there an easy to use good for piano software
that you would recommend where I don’t have to play with settings.

Would something like Ravenscroft 275 VI Labs Piano VST be any good

I think that's it.

Thanks

Ron

You may need multiple software :

- the USB MIDI driver if your DP is not seen automatically ;
- the virtual piano ;
- an ASIO driver which enable low latency acces to your audio interface (if none, perhaps the virtual piano support WaSAPI exclusive mode. If not, use ASIO4ALL);
- a DAW if you want to record yourself (Cubase, Reaper, Cakawalk by BandLab)

You may need to tweak a little : the buffer length is a compromise between low value (low latency, but higher risk of dropouts depending of your configuration) and higher values. Some virtual piano are not always seen by default by the DAW : you need to enter the path of the virtual piano.

But once all is setup, it is quite simple to use.

The sound get out from your audio interface. Headphones if they are connected or speakers : the actual behaviour depends of the sound card.

I haven't tried recording using my Macbook yet, but I'm going to try this setup:

1. Connect Clavinova to Macbook using 1 single USB-C cable.
2. Start Kontact & open Noire/Mercury, or start Pianoteq.
3. Ensure the Clavinova is selected as the MIDI input.
4. Adjust the Clavinova to use 100% 'song audio' / 0% piano audio (there is a slider in the settings... this feature was hard to find documented!)
5. Plug a USB drive into the USB port of the Clavinova.
6. Start recording on the Clavinova (the USB drive may require formatting first).

Steps 1-4 work 100% fine with no latency on my M1. I assume steps 5 & 6 will work fine.

This way I don't need to stuff around running Audacity or any recording software on the computer, so it will provide a cleaner finished product.

We don’t know which DP you have. Burkey’s proposition is adequate with recent Clavinova : CLP6xx with the right firmware, CLP7xx.

With such DP, you may need the Yamaha-Steinberg driver. Then the Yamaha is seen as a soundcard ; you may need to select the right soubdcard (the virtual piano can’t guess if you want to use the piano speakers or the PC speakers).

I Have KAWAI CA79

I don’t think you need a driver for the CA79.

I don’t think the CA79 can enable audio through USB, but you can link your soundcard to the CA79 (line in) and hear the virtual piano through the speakers. A « local control » parameter can disable the CA79 sound and avoid hearing 2 pianos at the same time.

Using both USB and analog audio link can create ground loop noise. A plain old MIDI connection could be the solution (with a USB-MIDI adapter).

I only have to read some of the stuff above and I'm knackered before I begin. Not pushing Pianoteq but it does record everything you play automatically. And it takes little setting up. Download free Audacity, Lead from DP to computer; mini usb from laptop h'phone out to audio in on Piano and you're there!

Yes, it is one advantage of Pianoteq : it records everytime, then if you had made a good take, just a export it in a MIDI or a WAV file, even if you have forgotten yo press the record button. With other virtual piano, you need a separate software, a DAW, to record yourself. The only DAW which has the retrospective record like Pianoteq is Cubase (unfortunately not my old version).

An other advantage of Pianoteq is the free downloadable demo. You can continue and buy a virtual piano if you see that all is working.

A third advantage which comes with the modelling is the fast startup time. A sampled virtual pianos should be installed in a SSD and takes a lot of place. But some people like me consider the sound of sampled pianos more natural. (But the v7 of Pianoteq start to be quite good).

It takes a little setup... yes but other virtual pianos do also. (Typically : audio, MIDI, licences) I won’t choose Pianoteq because it could take less setup than other.

To produce sound, I have the midi data going to my always on mac-mini via USB from my DP (MP11SE). I have one of the standalone VST players running on my mac-mini which generates the sound from the midi input. The output goes either to headphones or my speakers.

I record using the MP11 midi recording option. If I think my playing is ok enough I can replay the midi recording, I record the output of the standalone player using another application called Audio Hijack which captures the sound output from the standalone player before it is sent to the headphone port. I can listen in while the audio recording happens and I can choose to discard the recording at any time.

+1.

OP "I'd like to do this"

US "Here's everything that may or may not be relevant, including everything that might go wrong, or maybe not. Depends"

Coffee.

I have prefered to answer with the whole picture than to just answer « start the virtual piano »... and wait for an answer « this doesn’t work », or « there are too much latency ». Was it the wrong approach ?

To be fair to both sides:

There are a _lot_ of alternative possible setups. Each choice the OP makes, affects "what might go wrong".

The OP probably doesn't know enough about the alternatives, and the underlying technology, to figure out what will work together cleanly _as a system_, and what leads to incompatibility and frustration.

So we try to guide the OP through a maze of possibilities. That may not be the most direct way for him to learn, but it's better than having him make unguided mistakes.

I haven't seen a book titled:

. . . "Beyond the Slab: A Guide to Advanced Digital Piano Technology"

which is what he probably needs.

Being illiterate is a stumbling-block, but it can be removed It'll take a while.

Thanks,

Its pretty much what I thought then.

The only thing I forgot to ask about is processing power. Someone was talking about latency.

I have a nice small laptop, but it's kind of old. I have a USB to MIDI adapter.

My main computer is a bomb but nowhere near the piano.

Ron

Thanks again for all the replies

This almost answers the OP's question with one caveat: KAWAI CA79 records only in wav or mp3 on USB. It implies, that onboard recorder would can only record the internal sound of the KAWAI. Which raises the question, what are you trying to record? the KAWAI's internal sound? or the VST's sound? or you wanted it in midi format?

Looking at the OP's post here : Post #3116609

First it's not "Clavinova", that's more or less Yamaha's domain. The KAWAI CA79 is part of the Concert Artist series. Second, if you "don't need to stuff around running Audacity or any recording software on the computer", skip steps 1-4, jump straight to 5-6.

My laptop (Windows 10, Intel i5 @ 2.6 GHZ, 6 mBytes RAM) can handle Pianoteq without latency, if:

. . . I minimize the Pianoteq window, and
. . . disable the WiFi adapter, and
. . . use ASIO4ALL as my audio driver, for the built-in soundcard.

I don't think that laptop will run any of the sampled VST's well, but I haven't tried.

My next computer will need an Intel i7 or better.

I suggest (again) that you download the free Pianoteq demo. Some Ab and Bb notes are silent, but it's fully-functional (including recording MIDI and audio) except for that. You can learn a lot, playing around with it.

I have an 8th gen i3 laptop running around 2.6ghz with 4 gig Ram, it stutters a bit with Pianoteq but I have no issue whatsoever with Noire.

The main drawback of an old laptop is the 5400 rpm hard disk. Synthogy Ivory sampled virtual pianos advocate 7200 rpm mini or - better - a SSD. I suppose this advice applies to other sampled virtual pianos.

Pianoteq is not sampled then may be preferable with a laptop if the hard disk is slow.

Will start with pianotech before dishing out any real money and see how it goes.

There is a couple of IPad apps out there that seem interesting and pretty easy to install, but they seem to be missing some components from the pc or mac versions.

When I'm recording the midi data, that is saved to the internal memory of my MP11SE, I could choose to then save that to a USB memory stick as a midi file, and I would be very surprised if the CA79 did not have the same option. I however don't save it to a memory stick, instead I just hit the play button on the MP11SE and it replays the midi content and that once again goes to my mac-mini. In my setup all audio recording happens on the mac-mini.