midi keyboards

[6footbong]

Can someone please fill me in on midi keyboards? I am completely confused on what they are and what they do. I know that they look like a pianos keypad, but do they work like a piano?(synthesizer?) How do they help in recording? Thanks in advance for any responses. PEACE

 

[drstawl]

A MIDI keyboard will translate your physical motions interacting with the keyboard into MIDI commands that consist of the note/timing (what note/when you hit it), velocity (how hard you hit it)
and when you let go of the key (note length)
Some differences in keyboards to be aware of are the feel of the keyboard, the width of the keys, # of keys, other cool accessories like foot pedals and pitch wheels. Some have sequencers and/or synthesizers built in but these are completely unnecessary with a PC, a synth module and MIDI Software. Another cutesey add-on is the AD-LIB system.

 

[JohnA]

If you want it to sound like a piano, you should make sure the keyboard has touch sensitive keys. When I got mine, this wasn't standard, although it may be more so now. You would also want to get a foot pedal which would act like the pedal on a piano.