Keyboard synthesiser or Midi controller?

[Toonook]

Hi guys, bit of a noob question here. Been messing around playing all kinds of different instruments for years but recently have decided to knuckle down and really get into writing and recording some music, a little bit of dance type stuff, but also a bit of piano driven dark nine inch nails type stuff. I've only ever really played an old casio keyboard I have and my very old upright piano (which sounds terrible by the way, not suitable for recording.)

So now I'm gradually buying a bunch of equipment and I'm not sure if it's better for me to buy a midi controller, like say the edirol pcr 800, or something like the Korg x50 synth. I doubt I'd be doing much live playing but it is a possibility, is there specific reasons why one would be better than the other for recording and any advice to good midrange costing brands would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance, and apologies if this is a pretty basic and annoying question, I just find that when you ask experienced people about things you tend to get answers to questions you didn't know you needed to ask!

 

[Sailjunkie]

I'm thinking

the only reason you would use a midi controller vs. a midi synthesizer is price. Typically, controllers are less expensive. Personally, I have several midi synthesizers that are controlling several rack/tabletop synths and it all works fine.

 

[fraserhutch]

I'm going to disagree with the previous poster. You'll want a midi controller if :

1) You just want to control soft synths in your DAW and you really don't want to buy a whole synth to do this
2) You just want to control your myriad

3) you want the controls on a specific controller.
4) You want the touch of a specific controller.

One and 2 of these could be done with any synthesizer, but controllers are usually better suited for the task. The latter two are specific to the controller in question.

All of these have been factors in my using controllers rather than synths, of which I have an abundance of both.

 

[Sailjunkie]

Yes, you're right...

I don't do computer DAW (I use a standalone DAW) and all of my keys are hardware (no software), but I thought you'd want to use a usb keyboard instead of a midi keyboard in those situations.

 

[KeysBear]

I prefer sound modules with keyboard midi controllers both for stage and studio. If you're going to break a key or have someone spill a beer on your rig would you rather send an expensive workstation to the shop or have all of your sounds safely in rack mount gear? Properly maintained rack gear will last for decades.