AboutGabriel Expertise I answer a variety of MIDI & computer related questions. I have multiple music degrees and years of experience in the field.
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Question Hello,
My daughter would like to be able to send the music she is playing on the piano to the computer to generate a printable score so she has it on paper and not just in her head. We have a Kawai Digital Piano Model CN270, a USB MIDI cable and a Mac with OSX. What software would I get for this purpose and do I need any other hardware devices? We are new to this and really know nothing about it. Thank you!
Answer I am not very familiar with that particular model (CN270) Kawai keyboard though from a quick search for it online it appears to support MIDI. An alternative for connecting to the computer, other than MIDI, could be either USB or FireWire. Though the MIDI capability in that keyboard should do fine.
Your MIDI cable(s) will connect the keyboard to the computer. You will need a sound card on the computer that supports MIDI connections - some sound cards have breakout cables while others simply have MIDI I/Os (inputs/outputs) built-in.
Once connected, you may use software such as Finale to automatically notate the music that is played on the keyboard. Be sure to read all manuals that are available to reduce any complications or chances of confusion with properly connecting cables and/or setting up the software to properly transcribe the music from the keyboard to music notation on the computer. You can also print the sheet music directly from the Finale application or export the sheet music into a universal format (I believe PDF format).
Fortunately, Finale is not an overly complex piece of software that requires a degree or certificate to operate. However, you will greatly benefit from reading any manuals (digital or hard copy) that you receive with the software.
