Can I get Garageband sounds to come out of my piano speakers?

I think I know what's going wrong in this conversation

HangTime wrote:

even if GB did have MIDI-OUT, that would mean that GB could play your _keyboard's_ instruments...

I don't mean any offense but judging by what you have said here, I think you are getting MIDI-IN and MIDI-OUT mixed up (or something like that) and I think Bullets and Bones have it mixed up too because some of their answers don't match the questions. Have a look at the first link you gave me

http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#midiout

Q. "Can Garageband play my keyboard's sounds?"

A. "No Garageband does not offer MIDI-OUT"

There are a number of reasons why the Answer does not "match" the Question

1. The question does not mention "MIDI"

2. For Garageband to play a keyboard's sounds you need "IN" not "OUT"

3. Of course Garageband can play your keyboard's sounds, but not via MIDI

4. MIDI-OUT would enable Garageband sounds to come out of your keyboard's speakers

1. The question does not mention "MIDI"

I don't know how they applied that answer to that question, because it answered my question, which is the complete opposite to their question

Don't get me wrong I'm just exploring the reasons why we don't understand each other. And I'm catching-on to some of the things you've said. Let me clarify something - I don't want my keyboard to play Garageband sounds, I just want Garageband sounds to come out of my keyboard speakers

Another thing that I realised which is misleading. In Gargeband when you add another instrument you get the choice of "Software Instrument" "Real Instrument" and "Electric Guitar"

"Software Instrument" has a picture of a Grand Piano, which is a Real Instrument not a MIDI instrument. And 99% of people with a keyboard would chose that option, then wonder why they can't get their instrument's sound to record onto Garageband

Under "Software Instrument" is the description

"For Instrument sounds created by GarageBand and playable using a USB, MIDI, or onscreen keyboard" In other words, a USB keyboard, a MIDI keyboard or ONSCREEN keyboard - None of these are a Grand Piano!

I hope that makes sense and once again I'm not having a go at you

cheers,

Doug

This might be the problem

HangTime wrote:

there is no way to play your keyboards sounds from GB without MIDI

You can record your keyboard's sound in Garageband but not with MIDI, you need an Audio Interface. If you Google "Audio Interface" you will get dozens but here's just a few

http://www.harveynorman.com.au/presonus-firestudio-mobile-audio-interface.html?C AWELAID=720013240000036653&gclid=CIPNvLK9mboCFU1QpAodJn8ARw

http://www.keyboardcorner.com.au/steinberg-ur22/

http://www.rubbermonkey.com.au/Music-Audio/Computer-Audio/MIDI-Interfaces/Tascam -US-366-USB-2-0-Audio-Interface-with-DSP-Mixer?gclid=CNfun7S9mboCFcFipQodAD0AKw

I have an Apogee Duet 2 which can only be used with Apple Computers but I'm sure any of the others will work just fine. You just need to have the right settings

This is how to do it

When you open a New Project choose "Voice" and in Track Info choose "No Effect" then close to the bottom of Track Info change Monitor to "On" and you might want to change "Stereo" to "Mono"

NOTE: Some Garageband instruments do not have "No Effect" as a choice

If you are adding a new instrument to a Recent Project choose "Real Instrument" It will automatically open with "No Effects" You would probably want to turn Monitor "On" and adjust the Recording Level

Make sure the settings are correct in your Interface, the Apogee uses "Maestro 2" Make sure it is on "Instrument" not "Mic" You can also change the recording level there, but you can do that in Garageband anyway

Btw I am not using a Synth, I am using a Digital Piano. Yamaha P-105 I specifically chose this model because it has a proper 1/4 inch Line-out, not just a Headphone jack, and it also has USB MIDI

Also, if you don't have an Audio Interface you can use the microphone jack in the computer. This will enable you to try out what I have described but you won't get very good sound quality. A computer's built-in DAC's are not as good as the ones in an Audio Interface

Hope that helps to clear things up!

Once again it is 3 o'clock in the morning, I have to go

cheers

Doug

HangTime wrote:

even if GB did have MIDI-OUT, that would mean that GB could play your _keyboard's_ instruments, you still wouldn't hear GB's sounds unless you had the same sounds installed on your keyboard.

I was thinking about this all day and something clicked, I finally understand what you mean. MIDI does not carry the Software Sounds, its just MIDI. You're right, the Software voices would have to be installed on the keyboard

What made it click is that when you connect 2 keyboards, you don't want the second keyboard to sound the same as the source. The whole point of it is to get two different keyboard voices, and that's what MIDI was originally created for

I still don't get the Bullets and Bones Q & A though

doug3684 wrote:

MIDI does not carry the Software Sounds...

Just for the record let me re-word that and reconfirm;

I know Audio can't go through a MIDI connection. The mistake I made is to think it would carry the Software Code to reproduce the GarageBand Sound at my keyboard. Nevertheless it was still a dull-brain moment

With the Bullets and Bones Question:

"Can GarageBand play my keyboard's sounds?"

If you think about it, tha'ts a different question to

"Can GarageBand record my keyboard's sounds?"

The only way I make sense out of it is if a person wants to use GarageBand in a performance rather than a recording situation. Like in a two-keyboard setup where the computer is acting as the Primary Keyboard. It never occured to me, I don't know why anyone would want to do that, but if thats the case then the perhaps the Question should be "Can GarageBand control my keyboard?"

HangTime wrote:

...it would be silly to try to have every permutation of question available...

Thats a good point and its also impossible to percieve every possible way that people will want to use something. I have thought of using GarageBand in a performance to utilise its Software Sounds. You would have the Keyboard going to a Computer then to the amp, I'm sure anyone would think of that

Ah my brain is frying

Thanks for your help Hangtime and yes tackling something else is a good idea. Fyi my brain fries because I think too much, LOL and thats why I want to make this last comment

Keith Barkley wrote:

If your keyboard has an audio-in connection, you could run a cable form the Mac's headphone jack to the keyboard. Of course, there would have to be some way of turning down the internal sound while keeping the sound from the Mac playing.

That's a good idea of course but when I replied before I was thinking in the past when it was possible to do things you weren't supposed to do. These days a lot of products have built-in safety features. for example in a lot of cars you have to push the clutch in to start it. I'm sure if a keyboard had a Line-In it would have a switch connected so the speakers don't recieve a signal from two sources

Its good to hear people's comments, cheers