Cheap keyboard or Midi controller?

[coolsoundman]

I just came from the local music store and I was looking at the keyboards that they had. Some sounded great, but were expensive and there were those that weren't too bad for a small price. Then I saw the M-Audio Oxygen 8 midi controller keyboard. It was small and really not too expensive either, but was dumbfounded in what or how that would work. How does that midi controller differ from that of a keyboard? The store clerk said I could connect the controller into my computer and use the sounds off of my computer. How could adapt that with my Sonar recording software? Help me understand this stuff. thanks.

 

[altitude909]

Read this:

Midi basics

 

[treymonfauntre]

a controller doesn't have speakers or any built in sounds, it simply sends midi information to a brain. in sonar you would have to install some sort of vsti for it to make sound.

 

[HomeMadeHitShow]

Here's my useless 2 cents worth.

I am not a keyboard player but I like to dabble. I have a PSR home keyboard but wanted more sounds, using the PSR as a MIDI controller was not practical due to the PSR size and PC Location.

I bought an m-audio controller but in the end I returned it. I found that playing the keyboard at the PC was just not a way to be creative. Final recording is fine, but general playing no way.

I ended up buying a MicroKorg, cool synth sounds + nice small controller. I almost bought a Yamaha DGX305 keyboard because it has good piano sounds + it can translate locally recorded songs into MIDI and send them to a PC which would be very useful. However I went with the Korg - for now.

Tony