how to connect digital piano to apple powerbook

[GTM]

Hi,
I have a Roland FP3 digital piano, and I want to connect it to my Apple Powerbook laptop so that I can burn recordings to a CD.  Is this possible, and if so, how?  Do I need special equipment or cables and software?  The computer already has Garage Band.
Thank you,'
GTM

[xvimbi]

Hi,
I have a Roland FP3 digital piano, and I want to connect it to my Apple Powerbook laptop so that I can burn recordings to a CD.  Is this possible, and if so, how?  Do I need special equipment or cables and software?  The computer already has Garage Band.
Thank you,'
GTM

I don't know the Roland, but the connecting mechanism is probably the same as for any other relatively modern digital piano. You have mainly two choices.

1. Get a MIDI->USB cable and connect MIDI Out on your digital to USB In on your Mac. This allows you to transfer MIDI information.
2. Get a microphone adapter for the Mac, such as the iMic and connect the AUX Out on your digital to the iMic, which goes into your USB port. This allows you to transfer actual sound.
(3). Recent digitals also have USB Out ports. You can use those too to transfer MIDI signals

Check out the Apple Store for some gadgets in this respect. Also, download a couple of free jiffies for detecting MIDI signals (if you go with MIDI), such as "MIDI Monitor" and "Dent du Midi". You can get them from www.macupdate.com or www.versiontracker.com

I occasionally use GarageBand myself and couldn't be happier with a product that powerful for that price.

[xenon]

Buy a PC.







Or buy the MIDI to USB converter.  Macs don't have a game port to plug conventional MIDI.  All the Macs at the School of Music here uses the MIDI to USB thingy.