Hello friends of the great Technics KN 7000!
I have recorded several songs that I saved from the keyboard to a floppy disk. Can any of you explain how, (if it is indeed possible), I would go about recording a vocal for each of those recordings? I assume it would be in a separate track with a microphone attached to the mic jack??? Or is it more complicated than that? Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your advice.

1. Attach mike to KN7000.
2. Attach KN7000 to computer/laptop mic input.
3. Open up suitable recording programme on your PC such as Polderbits.
4. Start your floppy disk rolling and sing your head off.
5. Save the outcome as an MP3 file
6. Play it on your PC or burn it to a blank CD

p.s. why is Ted still saving stuff to a floppy disk when he has a KN7000 with SD Card....*%$&** sacre bleu...

Seniors hate change
Bebop

Wow, Bill (BEBOP), you said it so right! And no one is more senior than I am, so change comes very slowly these days.

Ted

Thanks TED for asking a question that I too have been wondering about, although my question is a bit different.....

Is there some way that the 7K player can sing along with her/his playing into the sequencer and have both the music and the vocal record in the sequencer????

ROGER... Are you saying to connect the 7K to the computer via a cord with a USB connection at each end, the PC end going into a mic input? Next step is to open a recording program on the PC... While Polderbits is an unknown to me,I do have other programs into which I have downloaded recordings of several SZ players, that I could burn to CD... I will have to check to see which programs I have, and maybe even give it a try!

So far I have not been able to satisfy my own penchant for perfection in playing to the sequencer. I am thinking that if I could sing into the sequencer also, the playing error/s would not be so noticable )

------------------

You cannot directly record an audio track into the KN7000's sequencer - it is not designed to accept such an input. However, there is a simple way to make an MP3, WMA or WAV file which consists of KN7000 tracks and your voice.

Assuming the following :
1. You have recorded a sequence as backing for your vocal.

2. You have installed the USB Drivers and the Panasonic Audio Recorder on your PC. These items are included on the 'Applications and Drivers' CD which was included with your KN7000

3. You have connected a USB cable between your KN7000 and your PC and checked the validity of the connection - for example playing an MP3 or other audio file on your PC, through your KN7000 sound system.

4. You have a microphone connected to the MIC input of your KN7000 and checked that it is working by moving the MIC VOLUME slider upward, when you should be able to hear any Mic input through the KN7000 speakers.

It may be advisable to use headphones during the recording process, to avoid feedback from the KN7000 speakers to the Microphone input.

If all the above is true, then just Load the required sequence, Load the Panasonic Audio Recorder program and check the MIC Volume. Start the Audio Recorder and then start the sequencer playing - you should see the yellow bars on the Audio Recorder moving in sync with the Sequence. Add your vocal as required. When the song has finished, stop the Audio Recorder and audition your recording. If you consider the balance not quite right, then make the necessary adjustments and just repeat the recording process.

When you are happy with the result, then save the file as either an MP3, WMA or WAV file, depending on your requirements.
If you wish to burn a CD which will play on 'normal' Audio CD players, then you should choose the WAV option. MP3 and WMA files will play on a PC and most portable 'MP3' players.

One further point - you can add Reverb to your Mic Input should you wish to do so. Press and Hold the 'MIC' button in the GLOBAL EFFECT group, at the top right corner of the control panel, until the display screen changes. Then press 'DISPLAY HOLD', and adjust the REVERB parameters to your liking, while singing/speaking into the microphone. Alternate pushes of the MIC button will turn the Reverb on and off.

The Panasonic Audio Recorder offers no facility for post-recording editing, since it is just a basic digital recorder. Other Digital Audio Recorders such as Goldwave, Polderbits, Audacity etc. include many functions to allow 'tweaking' of your recording.

Instead of using one of your pre-recorded sequences, you could of course just play and sing 'Live', but it is probably easier to record the backing first, get it as near 'perfect' as you can, and then add the vocal.

[This message has been edited by Bill Norrie (edited 08-01-2010).]

Well done Bill.
One final final point. If you take your recorded MP3 product and load it into SD Jukebox software and from there to an SD Card you can then play the whole thing back through your KN7000.

BILL.....and ROGER.... It is wonderful that both of you are so willing to jump in when there is a question...
Your step by step instructional messages are priceless!

I must admit that I pretty much knew there was no way to sing-along to the sequencer...

Thank you both so much for being so very helpful....Happy playing!
Elizabeth


------------------

Hi Ted,
I have read through each post and felt a bit of confusion. Would you answer the questions below to give clarity?

1-Playing a sequence from a floppy – Microphone plugged into the keyboard and then recording and saving on to what?
2-Is your purpose to give a gift to someone?
3-If so do you want to give them a CD?
4-Are you trying to record the complete performance on to a SD card?

In all that I do I keep this little word in mind---

KISs K = Keep, I = It, S = Simple and the last “s”, is for me, “s” = Stupid

At one time I struggled to share my music (Sequences) in Technics format. I recorded the sequence and then shared it with other Technics users. Very limiting, my music could not be shared keyboard players who used other keyboards. I tried to convert them into GM sequences but I did not like the results.

My method – keeping KISS in mind.
My microphone into my keyboard and then play live or use a prerecorded sequence, normally mine, and then recorded to a Mini Disk stand alone recorder. I understand recording directly from the keyboard use the USB port is the best method but I was satisfied with the difference. I could have used a CD recorder that would have given the recording a better sound.

Moving on – With the coming of the MP3, and it’s ability to store far more than the Mimi Disk or the CD I changed over to the MP3. Again I lost some quality and was willing to accept the difference. (KISS) If I was recording to sell I would be using the method that Bill so clearly explained, but I wanted storage volume. Because I changed to recording in the MP3 format I was able to share with keyboard and non-keyboard players.

Look for my new post on the “Ipod”, those of you who have little or no knowledge may find it interesting.

John C.