Solved Completely new to MIDI keyboards

[danny.guitar]

My birthday's coming up and I wanna get a MIDI controller, because I hate having to program all the MIDI stuff manually.

What's a good 88 key MIDI keyboard you would recommend?

The only thing I care about is velocity sensitive keys, I don't really need any extra features.

I was looking at the M-Audio 88es

Also, what's the difference between weighted/semi-weighted keys?

I tried a search on the forum but it didn't bring up anything.

Edit: I probably should say, that I'll be using it for piano tracks as well as other soft synths; like pads, etc.

 

[Cazzbar]

well, unweighted is the feel on the $10 keyboards you find at electrical shops... weighted tries to mimic a real piano, has a heavier feel, much more expensive and adds loads of weight for carrying around... and semi-weighted is in the middle!

if you only want the board to input notes, and you're not worried about how it plays, then i really would just get the cheapest

 

[danny.guitar]

well, unweighted is the feel on the $10 keyboards you find at electrical shops... weighted tries to mimic a real piano, has a heavier feel, much more expensive and adds loads of weight for carrying around... and semi-weighted is in the middle!

if you only want the board to input notes, and you're not worried about how it plays, then i really would just get the cheapest

I'm guessing semi-weighted would be good enough then.

I just want to be able to add some piano/pad parts to my songs without having to program them.

Also, what is the average playback latency when playing through a VSTi? Like, how long would it take between me pressing the key and hearing the sound through my speakers?

The piano VSTi would just be something simple like 4Front Piano, which is very small/light weight. My computer is a 1.2GHz AMD, 512MB RAM.

And finally, is one MIDI port enough to record/hear what you're recording? For example, the M-Audio 24/96?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Cazzbar]

My computer is slower than yours and I don't get any latency.

One Midi-out port is fine for a dumb (no sounds) controller, your notes trigger your soundcard or softsynth on your PC. You can record them, and again play them back through your computer

I bought this cheap(ish) controller recently:

http://www.studiologic.net/tmk-88.html

and although it has velocity sensitive keys, you have to hit them un-naturally hard to get the higher velocities, so it's not much use at playing a piano sweetly (you only get the quiet samples most of the time) but it's ok for organ and strings.

So be sure what you want a controller for: making a piano module sound sweet, or just inputting notes into a sequencer

But that M-audio controller might be fine, and mine a bit rubbish! Just I've lost faith in cheap controllers, but then again I'm keen on getting a very good piano sound

 

[travelin travis]

the amount of latency will depend on your sound card, it's settings, and the vsti that you're using. the 24/96 would be fine for a single midi keyboard. i don't think the latency is anything to worry about.

unweighted feels unnatural and cheap (as already mentioned) for piano stuff. if you play piano, you might not like an unweighted keyboard. play a few and find out.

i can't really recommend anything. the only two controllers i've owned have been unweighted cheapies. if you can afford not to, i would'nt go that route. playability can have a lot of effect on how your music turns out. if you get a cheapie, you could always go back and edit your parts though.

 

[danny.guitar]

I'm not much of a piano player, and the parts that I do add into my songs will be pretty simple. I won't be doing any solo piano or anything.

How do semi-weighted keys feel? Good enough? I'm pretty sure I could get used to them.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[ssscientist]

I recommend you at least play one of these before buying anything else.

.

 

[cortexx]

Oh no , it's the dreaded m-audio junk

Id rather drive a behringer car (if they made one)

 

[travelin travis]

Oh no , it's the dreaded m-audio junk

Id rather drive a behringer car (if they made one)

isn't it called a ford escort?

 

[danny.guitar]

I recommend you at least play one of these before buying anything else.

.

Ouch, $300. Looks like it's got a bunch of stuff that I wouldn't use. Looks really nice though.

I'm trying to keep the price down as much as possible because I'm also saving for a new guitar amp.

Damn it sucks being broke.

 

[travelin travis]

buy used or blowout. you can save alot of money and get good gear if you're careful.

 

[danny.guitar]

Yea I may also check out eBay too. But the M-Audio seems to have everything I need, and it's price is within my budget. I'm sure I could get used to the semi-weighted keys.

 

[cortexx]

Yea I may also check out eBay too. But the M-Audio seems to have everything I need, and it's price is within my budget. I'm sure I could get used to the semi-weighted keys.

there's two words that dont belong in the same sentance

 

[danny.guitar]

there's two words that dont belong in the same sentance

What is it you have against M-Audio? :/

And are the semi-weighted keys terrible or something?

I'm going to try my best to try one out before buying, but I don't think any shops here carry this MIDI controller.

Also, my sister has an old Casio electric keyboard (not a MIDI controller). And I'm guessing the keys are semi-weighted? They're not terrible but they're not that great either, and kind of "sticky" when playing. Is this what semi-weighted feels like?

 

[Cazzbar]

think most people who buy cheap soon wish they spent a bit more and got the proper job... the fact that you want a full sized board kinda suggests you're semi serious about playing, so maybe you'll be one of those who wished they saved a little more, or maybe not

as i say, unweighted is just a piece of plastic on a spring... as soon as you let go, it will instantly pop back up. weighted is more a real piano action, resistant to play and slow to rise. semi-weighted is hard to explain, i guess 'rubbery' is the best word (i wouldn't say 'sticky' as that suggests a problem) not toy like as unweighted but certainly nowhere near as satisfying to a pianist as weighted. it's in the middle, somewhere

 

[ssscientist]

Oh no , it's the dreaded m-audio junk

What a pissy thing to post. If you want to shout 'I'm a condescending prick' from the rooftop that's the way to start.

There's nothing wrong with MAudio OR Behringer intrinsically. They make some good gear and they make some bad gear.

For you to hold yourself out to be an expert because you have worked yourself into a nice Canadian career that lets you afford a Virus or two doesn't mean everyone is in the same financial situation. As a matter of fact, the original poster said 'ouch. $300.' in response to my link.

Some people are not fixed for money as nicely as you are this season, Mr. cortexx. That includes most of us still struggling with the bad economy brought on by six years of our president's tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent and shitting on the middle class. I for one have seen the 401k money that I foolishly left in the fund too long evaporate under the corporate raiders that our brain dead idiot of a president actually encourages.

The moral of this sad and sorry tale: Don't condemn others who are less fortunate that you. It may come back to bite you.


.

 

[cortexx]

What a pissy thing to post. If you want to shout 'I'm a condescending prick' from the rooftop that's the way to start.

There's nothing wrong with MAudio OR Behringer intrinsically. They make some good gear and they make some bad gear.

For you to hold yourself out to be an expert because you have worked yourself into a nice Canadian career that lets you afford a Virus or two doesn't mean everyone is in the same financial situation. As a matter of fact, the original poster said 'ouch. $300.' in response to my link.

Some people are not fixed for money as nicely as you are this season, Mr. cortexx. That includes most of us still struggling with the bad economy brought on by six years of our president's tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent and shitting on the middle class. I for one have seen the 401k money that I foolishly left in the fund too long evaporate under the corporate raiders that our brain dead idiot of a president actually encourages.

The moral of this sad and sorry tale: Don't condemn others who are less fortunate that you. It may come back to bite you.


.

Wow i didnt mean to cause a knee jerk reaction from you. I just gave my opinion of the M-audio keyboards and it is my only opinion not the be all end all of opinions. I spent alot of time trying out different gear and came to this conclusion myself based on their crappy weighted keyboards. Its got nothing to do with what i can afford or what the guy can afford , it's to do with the fact that there is other gear on the market that is better constructed and better value for money.

I dont consider myself an expert , what the hell does what i have in my studio give you the right to judge that anyways ? sounds to me like you have a huge chip on your shoulder and are pretty dissapointed in yourself and like to blame it on your country.

I came from england 9 years ago and had nothing when i got to canada , i built up my business here and now do ok , i did that by sometimes working 80 hours a week , do you work like that ? because if you havn't you dont deserve the payoff that i have.

just remember - where you get in life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it , judging by your reaction I would suggest your position in life is 100% justified !

The "oh no it's the dreaded m-audio junk" was said tounge in cheek , go get yourself a sense of humour, maybe watch some monty python and lighten up

For the guy that wants a cheap midi controller , check this out ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Studiologic-by-...3QQihZ014QQcategoryZ29552QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


or this

http://cgi.ebay.com/FATAR-STUDIOLOG...ryZ29552QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

 

[ssscientist]

(you) are pretty dissapointed in yourself and like to blame it on your country......judging by your reaction I would suggest your position in life is 100% justified !

Ha ha ha.

Just the ultra glib and superficial response I could've expected from a moneyed shitheel like you. It doesn't take long to separate the populists from the elitist assholes on a board like this.

And judging by your reaction I would guess that your 'don't know and don't want to know' attitude about all lower end gear is just plain ol' class warfare, plain and simple.

People here don't want to spend a lot on their gear if they can help it. Go to gearslutz if you want to be in the company of other rich fucks who throw money around like confetti.

I'm not 'blaming it on my country' --- I love my country. The way it USED to be. I'm blaming it on the Bush crime family. They have plundered the treasury, profited hugely from an illegal and immoral war, rebranded the estate tax (which only applies to estates over a million dollars) as 'the death tax', encouraged record profits for oil companies while turning a blind eye to the fact that they pay no taxes to speak of and have run up unimaginable deficits that my grandchildren will still be paying off. As well as tolerating the corporate raiders who took my 401k. That's money that I had put aside out of my paycheck that was supposed to be safe until I reach retirement age in 30 years. So fuck you when you say I'm 'blaming it on my country'.

.

 

[danny.guitar]

So, do you think I'll be disappointed with this controller for piano parts?

Are there any others you can recommend? I really want all 88 keys.

The main thing that turns me off is people have said the velocity-sensitivity isn't good and you have to really pound the keys to get the loud notes.

I could probably put up with that, but are there any other options in roughly the same price range?

I might be able to save an extra $100 or so, but $200 for a basic controller with no bells/whistles already seems like I should be able to find something worth buying. :/

 

[cortexx]

Ha ha ha.

Just the ultra glib and superficial response I could've expected from a moneyed shitheel like you. It doesn't take long to separate the populists from the elitist assholes on a board like this.

And judging by your reaction I would guess that your 'don't know and don't want to know' attitude about all lower end gear is just plain ol' class warfare, plain and simple.

People here don't want to spend a lot on their gear if they can help it. Go to gearslutz if you want to be in the company of other rich fucks who throw money around like confetti.

I'm not 'blaming it on my country' --- I love my country. The way it USED to be. I'm blaming it on the Bush crime family. They have plundered the treasury, profited hugely from an illegal and immoral war, rebranded the estate tax (which only applies to estates over a million dollars) as 'the death tax', encouraged record profits for oil companies while turning a blind eye to the fact that they pay no taxes to speak of and have run up unimaginable deficits that my grandchildren will still be paying off. As well as tolerating the corporate raiders who took my 401k. That's money that I had put aside out of my paycheck that was supposed to be safe until I reach retirement age in 30 years. So fuck you when you say I'm 'blaming it on my country'.

.

wow and you think i have an attitude problem

to be honest i dont think your political views have anything to do with the selection of a midi keyboard , and i don't really understand why you have to use so much profanity to get your point across , that's if you have one which from your post in the thread so far I can't quite make out what your point is?

I wonder if you would speak to me like that to my face , the internet makes people so brave .

prehaps you could also enlighten me at what price does my equipment value turn me into an "eliteist asshole" , and at what point I do not have a right to post on these boards ?

before you feel anymore sorry for yourself i suggest you travel around the world a bit to see how hard other people have it , you might just become a little more humble and a little less bitter when you see how good you really have it in north america!