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Kawai FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Kawai instruments, product features, and other topics.

FAQ

How do I connect my piano to a computer?

ConnectivityDigital PianosHybrid Pianos

A

There are several ways to do this, depending what you’re trying to achieve.

If you want to record audio from your piano into your computer (or other device), you’ll use the LINE OUT sockets or, if your piano doesn’t have line outputs, the headphone sockets will also work.

If you want to send your playing data – that is, information about which keys you pressed, when, how hard and for how long – you’ll be using MIDI data. Instruments equipped with a USB-to-host socket can be connected to a computer directly via a standard USB (type B) cable. You can also use dedicated MIDI sockets, but since most computers don’t include MIDI ports themselves, you will probably need to use an adapter or USB-MIDI cable.

Your computer should automatically recognise that there is a digital piano sending MIDI data through the connection that you’re using – but depending on the specifics of your configuration, it may not. If you’re having trouble, the first place to start is by installing the Kawai driver suitable for your computer’s operating system. You’ll find these drivers available for download here.

After that, you’ll just need to make sure that the software you’re using to record the data on the computer is configured to receive data from the appropriate port and channel – check the owner’s manual for the software to learn how to do this.

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