Good Midi Keyboard?

[jaxxster]

So i was hoping to pick up a decent midi keyboard for making some tunes via quebase for xmas. Anyone got any recomendations for me? Wass looking at somewhere near 300? Never really made music before but i was hoping to get into it. I can play guitar and kinda drums. Thanks

 

[Scorpei]

Dunno, I always use my Korg PA60. 300 pounds won't buy you one of those though. I''d like to know this myself though as I am quite interested in it (not living @ home now so I don't have my keyboard here).

 

[Lee79]

This one looks awesome http://www.chemical-records.co.uk/sc/servl...ck=MICROKONTROL

 

[jaxxster]

whered you recomend i start for learning how to make music? Is it that hard? It dont seem hard to me.

 

[silent sniper]

If you're gonna make music with a keyboard, get some piano lessons. Although it's actually very hard to learn an instrument even if you really want to and are really committed. I've been playing piano for 5 years and bass guitar for about 8 months. With piano, I have no commitment and don't want to play and rarely practice, I'm only a level 4. With bass, it's all I ever really do at home, I try to play it for as long as possible every day, I'm prob the piano equivalent to a level 5.

So yea, in conclusion: takes commitment, a lot.

 

[notnarb]

I managed to pick up a pretty good keyboard off craigslist for $50 (US) with a little patience. http://london.craigslist.co.uk/search/msg?...&maxAsk=max

I would definitely recommend looking up reviews for any keyboard you find, but pretty much any keyboard over 30 dollars is going to have MIDI

 

[RayorDragonFall]

Ive been playing piano for over 7 years, and I'm going to tell you something: If you want to be decent, think that your going to need years for that. But hey, you can learn a few chords in minutes, and you'll be able to input each voice at a time.
I reckon making something simple should be easy once you get around with using the program.

Thing about this is that these programs tend to "always have something more to know about". It's like photoshop, you could try to learn all about it, but I think the best way would be just mucking about, a few tutorials and you'll learn by simply using it. It depends on how much time you want to spend really.

And about making music, its the same with piano, it all depends on where you want to go.

Why don't you actually try to narrow your search down, apart from the money you want to spend:
What about the type of key or the ammount of keys you want?

 

[Scorpei]

Ive been playing piano for over 7 years, and I'm going to tell you something: If you want to be decent, think that your going to need years for that. But hey, you can learn a few chords in minutes, and you'll be able to input each voice at a time.
I reckon making something simple should be easy once you get around with using the program.

Thing about this is that these programs tend to "always have something more to know about". It's like photoshop, you could try to learn all about it, but I think the best way would be just mucking about, a few tutorials and you'll learn by simply using it. It depends on how much time you want to spend really.

And about making music, its the same with piano, it all depends on where you want to go.

Why don't you actually try to narrow your search down, apart from the money you want to spend:
What about the type of key or the ammount of keys you want?

Generally I suppose at LEAST he would want 61 keys, though 88 is preferable (though a little big, 61 should do fine anyway). As for my own preference I certainly want weighted keys, and if possible with aftertouch (though that might be a bit expensive). A little effects stick would be nice too naturally.

He wouldn't need all that though, just a simple keyboard (maybe weighted is still nice for him though) with 61 keys should be more then enough.

Btw, that Korg midi keyboard pointed out above seems pretty nice. Too expensive for my budget but it does seem very nice for general composing work (though I have to say I personally don't like the fact that it has only 3x7 (+black) keys.

 

[pandas0nic]

If you're planning on making music primarily with your computer, which it sounds like you are, you really dont need all those octaves on your keyboard, 2 or 3 will do, you dont particularly need any sound banks or fx on the keyboard aswell, i would advise just getting a Midi Controller Keyboard to start with and using that to play the sounds in wahtever audio app you're gonna use along with vsti's etc... You can then add external outboard midi sound modules to expand your setup as you so want, when u want.

If you're an aspiring pianist then sure get the full length keyboard, but really, all the musicians i know, and i know musicians in the games industry and recording industry, more than often just have a controller keyboard as their master, for live gigs aswell as recording at home.

What's good home gear equipment? well theres some good gear out there and over the years ive watched the prices drop for very proffesional audio equipment to now become highly affordable for the home musician... If you're doing this on your pc i would reccomend looking at M-Audio gear, try E-MU aswell, just have a look around

 

[Scorpei]

Ghe, one thing that is rather nice to mention though, make sure you have a game port available on your motherboard (just noticed / remembered and my laptop doesn't have one)

. Either that or buy yourself an USB-->midi device (or USB keyboard if those are around).

Btw, it's been a while since I used any midi things, or fruity loops / q-base / adobe for that matter, but what was the name of those drivers again that made your midi importing WAY faster then 'normal'? I'm using a sound blaster live which doesn't have those special low-level drivers but you can fake those with ....... which really does help. Can't remember the name though -.-.

 

[pandas0nic]

use ASiO drivers, something like Asio4All is free and pretty good, but for proper low latency recording get a decent soundcard with hardware asio and its own drivers, soundblaster is crap

 

[Scorpei]

Maybe the CME UF6 is something for you? Or (it's replacement?) the CME UF50? Looks like a fine product to me really. Second hand it goes for 100-200 euros.

A yes, the Asio drivers. Asio4all works pretty good though. Granted I just need a proper sound card (though my Sound Blaster live is quite a nice card) if I want to do some real stuff, soundcards with Asio drivers are damn expensive! Don't have the time right now though so no need to invest.

[EDIT] Just found this bit: http://www.synthforum.nl/forums/showthread.php?t=1848
Just up to XP apparently (not that I would use the lovely bloated OS vista for these things). Also those drivers are old as hell

. They do contain full Asio support though, wonder if it is faster then Asio4all. These are fairly new though (and support vista): http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/index.php?language=en

 

[RayorDragonFall]

I think 3 octaves would barely enough, well, it depends on if you'll be playing with both hands or just one.
Go for a controller, workstations (good ones) are WAAAY too expensive. Korg or Roland are good makes.

 

[Scorpei]

Just bought an CME UF5 myself (60 euros second hand). Pretty decent. Now off to learn how to fix this up with Sonar / etc (in Vista sadly).. One thing that is pretty sucky though is the delay it has right now. Only been playing around with it for about 20 minutes.

4 octaves is a minimum for 2 handed play for me. Granted though I'm used to my PA60.

 

[quim69]

If you're planning on making music primarily with your computer, which it sounds like you are, you really dont need all those octaves on your keyboard, 2 or 3 will do

Agree with this, and everything else pandasonic - a midi controller is all you need for PC use. For a first time user get a little 2octave m-audio/evolution. Perfect for gigs/portable (that and a laptop in a bag = sorted).