Recording audio via USB@Android with PSR-E453

[arvacon]

Hi.

I have a Lenovo Tab2 A10-70 (Android Marshmallow 6) tablet and I was searching for a free app that it can record audio via USB, but I couldn't find something to work. I envy the Ipad users, they have so many great apps to use and we android users have nothing from Yamaha..

But finally for good luck, before I give up about this idea, I tried to record via the default android recorder app and it seems that it can record directly from the keyboard via USB! The files that it creates are in 3gpp format, but with a simple audio converter app, you make them mp3 with one click. The audio quality of the 3gpp file seems to be 128kbps stereo, at 48kHz. Does anyone knows what is the raw quality of the USB audio?

I didn't notice any hiss noise at the recorded files, so I like this audio to USB function, it seems clear. I could use a DAW of course and connect the keyboard to pc, but there are moments that you just want share a song you played with a friend in a quick and easy way, as Ipad users do with the Yamaha recorder app.

I have also noticed that this is not possible with my Samsung phone (Galaxy Alpha, Lolipop 5 android with OTG support), probably because of the android version or maybe some devices doesn't support this usb audio function. You could have a test at your tablets or phones to see if they are working or not, so we could make a compatibility list about which devices are capable to record usb audio with the default app.


I have uploaded some 3gpp and mp3 samples for reference here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yp340vrmebh6n2o/AACkJp0zgS5MvuZFNB94yeOda?dl=0

[AnupamEnosh]

Hi arvacon,
As far as the official data is concerned, the USB TO HOST port sends an output of 44.1 kHz, 16 bit, stereo audio, well bitrate is not mentioned there.
One request, please install https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonymobile.androidapp.audiorecorder and then record the audio then let us know the results. As far as I know, this app records much superior audio than the manufacturer provided app, in .wav format.

[SeaGtGruff]

This is great to hear! I have an old Android tablet-- Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ with a memory card that lets me boot up with either the Nook OS or an older version of Android-- and I wasn't able to use my keybords with it. (I haven't tried again lately.) From what I've read online, the biggest hurdle is that many Android devices don't have USB host mode capability, or what I think they call USB On The Go (USB OTG). What version of Android does your phone have? Does it have USB OTG? If so, was it included with the OS or did you have to install it yourself? And what kind of connection (USB cable and/or adapter) are you using?

[AnupamEnosh]

Sir as far as my research is concerned, the USB audio support in Android was featured first in Android Lollipop 5.0, so technically it should work in all such devices running 5.0 and higher versions of Android.

[vbdx66]

Hi,

This is great, because then it makes it worth buying a cheap Android tablet for the sole purpose of recording the Audio USB output of the keyboard. Buy such a tablet (with Android 5.0 or better), a micro SD memory card, and you are set!

I suppose that now that latency issues were resolved and that Android tablets can handle Audio USB, we can hope to see more Android music/audio apps flourishing...

Come on Yamaha, are you listening...? 

Best Regards,

Vinciane.

[arvacon]

What version of Android does your phone have? Does it have USB OTG? If so, was it included with the OS or did you have to install it yourself? And what kind of connection (USB cable and/or adapter) are you using?

The cable I use is just an ordinary USB OTG cheap adapter.
My phone is this one https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_alpha-6573.php
It has USB OTG by default and android 5 lolipop, but it seems that it can only send sound to the keyboard and can't receive, as I tried the default recorder and the one that AnupamEnosh mentioned before and noone worked.

On the contrary, the tablet works great with both apps and it produce very clear quality sound, especially with the Anupam's app. My tablet is this one https://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_tab_2_a10_70-7089.php
It has android 6 marsmallow and USB OTG support by default.

From a quick search that I did, I found that my tablet has some extra settings at the developer options menu, so you can choose what the usb will do, but at my phone I don't have these, so maybe it is a benefit of android version 6 (see screenshots).

Dear Anupam, thanks for this link, this app seems a gem! Now I don't need to convert to mp3 in order to send a song via social media. You just choose "High" setting at the "quality" menu and you have a nice MPEG-2 AAC file at 44Khz, 16bit, 256Kbps stereo, that doesn't take much space. If you need the best quality, you choose the "superior" setting and then it makes a .WAV file at 44Khz, 16bit, 1411Kbps stereo.

What it would be nice to do now, is to find a way to play a song from tablet, by sending this via audio output to keyboard's audio input and recording at the same time from USB, but it seems android doesn't leave me to do this for now.. I can connect of course my phone to play the song, but I would prefer to do it all from the tablet. 

Here I recorded some new samples of both formats:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i67w7e5jzmew5m3/AABz_rXEyR7VQSXVLw1BYf2la?dl=0

[attachment deleted by admin]

[AnupamEnosh]

Hello,
I set up my keyboard, connected my phone to USB type B mini jack and type A Cable on keyboard's end on HOST port. But the setup doesn't seem to work, and my phone does not recognize the device as a USB audio source, or even a USB source. And when I tried to record, it is still recording from phone's mic, and not directly through USB. My phone is based on Android 6, and also supports OTG (tested), but the recording is not working. Please guide if you find something wrong here.

[arvacon]

Some phones seems to not support usb audio, even if they have android 6. Although my phone that it has android 5, it finally worked with this program, so give it a try. If it doesn't work with this one, then your phone is not compatible.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.aemobiledemo

[AnupamEnosh]

Hmm you were right 
My phone Xiaomi Redmi 3S based on MIUI 8, is not compatible, and I was blaming it on the USB cables..

[SeaGtGruff]

I'm finding that my Nook HD+ doesn't have a way to record audio, other than the tiny built-in microphone. I tried to get Wi-Fi audio working on it, but it says it can't find the server that I had to install on my Windows PC. And even if I do get it working, I'm not sure whether it will work with other apps (such as a DAW) or whether the Wi-Fi audio app strictly plays the audio to the speakers.

[arvacon]

My Samsung Galaxy Alpha with android 5, could not record audio via usb, but it was finally because of the lack of the correct driver. The program I posted at the above post, did the trick, as it has build in a unique android usb audio driver, so I can record now at this phone (but not for too long, as it is trial version).
But your tablet seems too old for doing any kind of these tasks I think..

[AnupamEnosh]

My Samsung Galaxy Alpha with android 5, could not record audio via usb, but it was finally because of the lack of the correct driver. The program I posted at the above post, did the trick, as it has build in a unique android usb audio driver, so I can record now at this phone

But why didn't this work for me ? I have a much later version of android and have tested USB OTG capability on it.

[arvacon]

Because probably something else is missing from the kernel of your phone. OTG doesn't mean necessarily usb audio support..
At my phone I could send usb audio, but I couldn't record by default, but with the above program, because of the audio driver it has, it can finally record now.
My tablet on the other side, doesn't need any special program or driver to record or send audio, it does this by default.

[SeaGtGruff]

Yamaha has been criticized for not making Android versions of their apps, but I'm beginning to appreciate why that might be, since there can be so much variance between different devices that are running on Android, making it difficult for Yamaha to guarantee that a given app will work as advertised on a given device.

[AnupamEnosh]

since there can be so much variance between different devices that are running on Android, making it difficult for Yamaha to guarantee that a given app will work as advertised on a given device.

Yes Sir, you are right.
Now I am looking at this from a different perspective. The OP's tablet from Lenovo, which records USB Audio is based on stock android OS with negligible amount of tampering with the OS, while his Samsung phone got issues due to being based on a custom OS; the same reason why I couldn't record on my android device. Android is an open source platform, where manufacturers are free to customise it as per their choices. Now I am looking out for a stock android device that performs this task perfectly.

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, I'll probably look for another stock Android tablet to complement my Nook HD+, which I plan to keep as long as it works as is.

I might also eventually look for an inexpensive Windows tablet to complement my mostly-functional HP Omni 10, which works great except that the touch screen stopped responding sometime after I updated it from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 (and later to Windows 10), such that the only way I can use it is with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.