Connecting a Digital Piano to a Computer, Tablet and Phone
Connecting a digital piano to a computer opens a whole world for your playing: a recording of every piece, notes written on the screen as you play, an online lesson and apps that accompany your practice. All it takes is the right port and the cable that fits it. In this guide we look at the types of connection, go through the way to connect the piano to a computer, tablet or phone, and see what the connection can do day to day.
What passes between the piano and the computer
Most connections carry MIDI, a digital language that instrument makers defined together and published in August 1983. MIDI carries information about the playing, not the sound itself: which key went down, how hard, and when it was released. It records the force of each press as a number between 0 and 127, so every shade of your touch is kept. Software on the computer can turn this information into notation, replay it with a different sound or edit it note by note. To record the sound as it comes out of the piano, you use the audio outputs: LINE OUT jacks suit this, and on a piano without them the headphone jack does the job too. We cover the differences between types of instrument in the digital piano guide.
Which port your piano has
On the back of the piano or under the keyboard there is usually one of two types of port. The most common on today's pianos is USB TO HOST, a square USB-B port meant for a computer, tablet or phone. On a piano that also has a USB TO DEVICE port, that port is for a flash drive, and the computer connects to the HOST port. A computer with a USB-A port takes an A-to-B cable, and a computer with USB-C takes a C-to-B cable, up to 3 metres long and of a type that carries data, not only charging. On pianos and keyboards with round MIDI IN and MIDI OUT sockets, the computer connects through an interface: a USB-MIDI cable suits a computer with a regular USB port, and the MIDI interface with a USB-C plug, 2 metres long with an indicator light, connects straight to a computer or tablet with USB-C.
The connection itself
The connection takes a minute. Switch the piano off, connect the cable between the piano and the computer, and switch it on. For MIDI, on most pianos the drivers already built into Windows and macOS are enough, and on the first connection the computer sets up the piano by itself. With the piano on, open the music software and choose the piano as the MIDI source in its settings. On an interface with two round plugs, the IN plug goes into the piano's OUT socket and the OUT plug into the IN socket, and if the software is still waiting for a signal, swap them. Once the connection has worked once, you can leave the cable in place and switch the piano on and off as usual.
Bluetooth and apps
On many pianos the connection to a tablet or phone also works without a cable, through Bluetooth MIDI. Piano makers develop their own apps for this, such as Yamaha's Smart Pianist, which shows the chord symbols of songs from your library, and Kawai's PianoRemote, which changes sounds from the screen. Learning apps recognise every key you play and respond to your playing in real time. In our store, the Alexian F5100 comes with Bluetooth and MIDI connections, and the Virtuoso 88x folding portable piano connects by Bluetooth to music apps.
Accessories by the piano
A few small accessories complete the connection. A folding laptop stand raises the screen to eye level for an online lesson or learning software, and the tablet holder attaches to the music stand and rotates to any angle, for phones and tablets up to 10 inches. If you read music from a tablet, you turn pages with your foot using a wireless page-turner pedal, and your hands stay on the keys. When you want the playing to fill the house, a 2RCA to 6.3 cable connects the piano to a sound system, and a phone-to-piano cable lets you play along with a song playing on your phone.
Zohar Pianos, Ben Atar 28
At the store and gallery at Ben Atar 28 you can play the Alexian digital pianos and see their ports up close. The cables and accessories can also be ordered on the site. Tell us which piano you have, and we will be happy to help you choose the cable that fits it. We are here for you.
Links: Digital piano · Silent piano · Piano metronome · Piano keys
FAQ
How do you connect a digital piano to a computer?
With a USB cable from the piano's USB TO HOST port to the computer, and on a piano with round MIDI sockets through a USB-MIDI cable. With the piano on, select it in the music software as the MIDI source.
Do I need to install a driver?
For MIDI, on most pianos the drivers already built into Windows and macOS are enough. For some models the maker offers a driver to download from its site, for example for audio on Windows.
Can a digital piano connect to a tablet or phone?
Yes. With a USB cable with the plug that fits the device, or without a cable through Bluetooth MIDI on models that support it. That is how you work with learning, notation and recording apps.
What is the difference between MIDI recording and audio recording?
MIDI recording saves the playing itself: which keys, how hard and for how long, and you can edit it and turn it into notation. Audio recording saves the sound as it comes out of the LINE OUT output or the headphone jack.