Newbie Keyboard Question

[justadrummer]

I want to add to my studio setup, some type of keyboard, synth, midi controller.
I run cubase essential and have halion.
My only "midi" devices now are an Alesis DM5 and a MidiVerb
The Dm5 is for my electronic drum kit for practice.

I'd like to be able to add strings, wind instruments to my songs.
And i'd like to be able to write rythem tracks from the dm5.

I use the Firepods as my interface so i have the Midi in/out

I don't want to spend a pile of money, Was looking at the new juno.

What do i need to look for, a keyboard, synth, or midi controller.

Very confused.

[gecko zzed]

Probably your easiest option is to get a keyboard with a range of onboard sounds and midi capability.

Via the midi connection you can use the keyboard to record midi (via Firepod*) in Cubase, then get Cubase, via midi and Firepod, to play your keyboard and its sounds. You can then record the audio from the keyboard via the Firepod.

* Firepod has its own midi in and out, but you can get a keyboard that connects directly via USB and sends and receives its midi that way.

[justadrummer]

would it be better to get a usb keyboard,
or stick with the firepods midi in/out

can i use the midi section of cubase to "control" the keyboard?

I have zero experience with midi

I don't want to limit myself by purchasing the wrong piece of gear
but don't want to spend a lot of money either.

any reccomendations on a decent unit to get me going?

[mikeh]

Like any electronic equipment - you must first determine what you need it to do....then you can research the gear that can do it.

You indicate you want to and wind instruments and strings. Almost any keyboard with on boards sounds can provide reasonably decent string sounds. Most keyboards can provide decent "brass" sounds and even some wind instruments such as flute and clarinet - however, most keyboards do very poorly with sax sounds.

Since you don't seem focused on piano, you likely don't care about killer piano, 88 keys or weighted action - which makes your choices a little easier.

If you want Cubase to control instruments via MIDI - you most first generate a MIDI performance. USB can send/receive MIDI data - depending on the equipment you may or may not need a USB/MIDI converter.

You play the notes (the performance) into Cubase and then Cubase sends that performance back to the keyboard to countrol the sounds (think of it much like an old time "player piano" which used scrolls to tell the piano what notes to "play".

I would think any 49 key or 61 key MIDI synth with on board sounds would be a good start - Roland, Korg, Yamaha, M-Audio and several other companies have reasonably low costs synths - in fact for what you indicate you need - you could even consider the consumer level sysths from Yamaha or Casio.