Cheap MIDI?

[Editor]

Hi, me again ;-)

OK, so I've pretty much figured out that I can't plug my guitar into a Magic MIDI Converter Box.

Is there such a thing as a bare-bones, cheap MIDI keyboard that I could plunk around on? Say, from Radio Shack or Future Shop ... $100 or so? I'm guessing that the keys will be pretty small and it will come with Otto Drummer.

What are the basics I should I look for?

[future man]

M audio makes a midi keyboard called the oxygen 8. It runs at about $139... I hear its awesome, I was gonna get one myself someday, but if anyone knows of anything cheaper, let us know!

[SPINSTERWUN]

I was going to suggest the same thing as, future man........

http://www.midiman.net/products/midiman/oxygen8.php

That's your best bet, Editor.

spin

[tdukex]

Here's a 37 key Evolution USB keyboard controller for < $50. I have the Evolution MK149 (49 key) and it works well. I use it with a Soundblaster Live 5.1 ($35) and soundfonts.


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...base_id/110070

[Krakit]

If you want cheap, get an Evolution controller. All of my dedicated MIDI keyboards are Evolution. They are tanks!

The M-Audio stuff is way over priced.

If you want cheaper than cheap, get any old Casio keyboard with a MIDI out port on it.

You won't get either a pitch or mod wheel that way, but if you are just "plunking around" you might not miss them.

Carl

[christiaan]

I have one of these: http://www.midi-classics.com/h/h17048.htm
Paid just €69,- (new) for it, a couple of months ago.

[drstawl]

>OK, so I've pretty much figured out that I can't plug my guitar into a Magic MIDI Converter Box.

Not so fast! You CAN hook up a guitar to produce 6-channel MIDI output. You need a HEX pickup and a MIDI converter!

And you have to play squeaky clean for it to work.

But it works.

Look at the AXON Neural Net or the Roland GI-20. They both use the Roland GK-2A hex pickup or equivalent.

[Krakit]

Originally posted by drstawl
>OK, so I've pretty much figured out that I can't plug my guitar into a Magic MIDI Converter Box.

Not so fast! You CAN hook up a guitar to produce 6-channel MIDI output. You need a HEX pickup and a MIDI converter!

And you have to play squeaky clean for it to work.

But it works.

Look at the AXON Neural Net or the Roland GI-20. They both use the Roland GK-2A hex pickup or equivalent.

That's a pretty expensive prospect though.



Carl

[drstawl]

Originally posted by Krakit
That's a pretty expensive prospect though.

Carl

It's come down quite a bit. A friend found a Pawn Shop Roland-Ready strat for $250 (a little more than list on the pickup itself) and the GI-20 is about $400.

[Editor]

Originally posted by tdukex
Here's a 37 key Evolution USB keyboard controller for < $50. I have the Evolution MK149 (49 key) and it works well. I use it with a Soundblaster Live 5.1 ($35) and soundfonts.


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...base_id/110070

NOW we're talking my price range :-)

[Editor]

Originally posted by drstawl
It's come down quite a bit. A friend found a Pawn Shop Roland-Ready strat for $250 (a little more than list on the pickup itself) and the GI-20 is about $400.

Yeah, but you're in Californi - eh? ;-) Up here, old, beat-up Strats go for $1000--that's with normal pickups.

I'm using a Strat copy that I wired up. Don't want to tinker with it too much more. So far, I like the cheap keyboard suggestions :-)

[Editor]

Originally posted by christiaan
I have one of these: http://www.midi-classics.com/h/h17048.htm
Paid just €69,- (new) for it, a couple of months ago.

Hmmm, that looks interesting. It say it 'transmits on MIDI channel 1 only' ... is that a bad thing?

(I've never played with MIDI before ... NO! ... Yes, I know...hard to believe ;-) ... anyone wanna give me a crash course in it?

[trogdor]

I say go with the cheap evolution...they make good stuff. Plus, the Oxygen 8 will limit you with only two octaves of keys...and you aren't going to need the extra knobs for "plunkin' around"...

[christiaan]

Originally posted by Editor
Hmmm, that looks interesting. It say it 'transmits on MIDI channel 1 only' ... is that a bad thing?

Neh, not really. Maybe in a huge, complicated midi setup it is less than ideal but I've hooked it up to a sblive and to a Midiman Midisport 4x4 interface and in both cases it worked just fine.