Help choosing a Midi Keyboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter avivrez
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avivrez

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Hi all.

I'm 16 YO, a classical piano player, and recently I have been composing.
I'm trying to choose a midi keyboard that best suits me and my budget.

I want to compose orchestral pieces and/or make covers(arrangements) for existing classical music using VST's (or VSTI's I dont know what's the difference) and a host program (probably Cubase 5)

Due to my experience with the piano, I'd like an 88 key's device for full controll.
I'v been thinking about getting this one:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Keystation88es.html

It has both 88 key's, half hevy keys and It's reletivly very cheap for an 88 key's keyboard.

I'd be happy to hear you'r expert advice. :)
 
It would probably be fine.

I've used M-Audio keyboards for the last several years. M-Audio is a budget company something like Kia or Hyundai cars. Kurzweill keyboards would be more like a Mercedes - better made. One of my buddies loves his Roland 88-key keyboard. But does it really matter? All that matters is that you like it.

That one you're looking at doesn't have a bunch of controller knobs but you can always do that on the computer keyboard, with a mouse or a separate controller.

Most any keyboard like that one you're looking at will come with a Cubase-like program that could be fine to get going on.

You might want to look at Craigslist and see if there's something used. I usually buy used if I can.
 
Thanks!

Woul'd I be able to start right away with this keyboard and cubase?
Or would I have problems connecting and defining the device with the software
 
SMF's

Something I'm not sure if everybody understands is:

If you're recording "just MIDI", that is, no audio tracks, you can save a song as a Standard MIDI File, a SMF.

SMF's work in damn near anything... example:

I recorded some songs on an Atari computer in 1989. I saved them as SMF's. Those SMF's worked in a 1993 SoundCanvas/SoundBrush system I had which was IBM, not Apple based. Then I put those same SMF's in a Mac I got in 1999 on Cubase VST 24. This year I got Cubase SX3 and Cubase 4 and those files work in it too.

So if you save MIDI songs as SMF's they will work in most anything. I have never seen a DAW program, Windows, Mac, Cubase, ProTools etc that will not save songs as SMF's.

David Smith started this MIDI stuff in his garage and the MIDI spec version 1.0 was written I believe in 1983. It still works and we're still on it. What other version 1.0 "anything" written in 1983 still works in a Mac, Windows, Linux, Atari, Commodore 64 etc in 2010? Pretty incredible in the computer industry.
 
OK I see.

And for the last-
Woul'd I be able to use digital samples- VSTI's and get good realistic qualily? (For classical instruments)
 
avivrez said:
OK I see.

And for the last-
Woul'd I be able to use digital samples- VSTI's and get good realistic qualily? (For classical instruments)
Click to expand...

Absolutely, especially in this last few years they've got real good. Probably a keyboard will come with some, and those might be good enough, or might not. It could be that you might use them for awhile and eventually find better ones. Or you might not like them and feel the need to get better ones right off the bat.

A lot of it is personal preference.

And of course what speakers you play them back through will make a big difference too. If I was doing what you're talking about, I might look for some big home stereo speakers because when you're playing piano you want to hear big heavy wood vibrating, not some small plastic computer speakers. Speakers like that can be had for free or very near it because they're unpopular nowadays and take up space.

The sound has got to get you in the mood.
 
Speakers wont be a problem, I have a nice JBL set. the main speakers are pretty small- about the size of an orange sliced in half, and the Bass speaker is about the size of a watermellon sliced in half (:))

But the quality is verry good and deep.


So Thank you soo much for helping!
I'd probably go for the keyboard I showed you, and use it with Cubase and some VSTI samples.
 
If you like the way the piano feels and it matters to you, you won't like a semi-weighted action.

I have an older Kurzweil with a semi-action and it is not nearly the same. It's like a cross between a synth and a piano. The keys are much too springy to even come close to a piano.

Look for something with a graded hammer action.
 
Agreed

M1Fanatic said:
If you like the way the piano feels and it matters to you, you won't like a semi-weighted action.

I have an older Kurzweil with a semi-action and it is not nearly the same. It's like a cross between a synth and a piano. The keys are much too springy to even come close to a piano.

Look for something with a graded hammer action.
Click to expand...


I 2nd that.


As a classically trained pianist, you'll hate anything less that a full weighted controller. The best weighted contollers are made by FATAR and Kurzweil uses FATAR keyboards in their products, as do Nord, Novation, Fostex, etc. FATAR also makes their own controller called Studio Logic, distributed in America by AMS. Roland makes their own boards I believe, and I personally do not like them. Many share my opinion that Rolands are very heavy and stiff keyboards - make my arms want to fall off after a short amount of time playing, and my hands almost get cramps. Then again, some guys love that feel.


Really, I'd check out Studio Logic, as they probably have the best product. Check 'em out before settling on an M-Audio or some other controller company. http://www.americanmusicandsound.com/stl.html
 
if you are a piano player the best thing to do is to go to a local music store and try out some controllers and see what suits you best, this is a very subjective thing..
 
I always thought the Rolands were heavy feeling too. I've played a lot of the RD series and every one of them felt the same. I love their synths, but hate their piano actions.

Kurzweil and Yamaha seem to feel the best to me.
 
For sure if you can check it out in person that's the way to go because it's a very personal thing. My friend loves the Roland... I prefer the feel of the crap M-Audio keyboards and there's probably not many people that do. I don't play "piano", I play synth and for short clav stuff weighted keyboards are yucky to me - you can't play the notes short enough. The cheap M-Audio keyboards are ridiculously "fast" and you can play really, really short notes. So it's all personal preference.
 
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spam the classifieds not the ontopics :(



to the OP it might be worth checking out and older synth rather than just a midi controller if you want some quality...Ive used an AX-7 and a S-50 as midi controllers as well as synths and the feel much better than a lower range m-audio, for roughly the same price


these were not full 88s though
 
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