Midi or USB Keyboard?

  • Thread starter Thread starter frank_1
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frank_1

frank_1

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Midiman sells USB keyboards while other keyboard makers sell Midi keyboards. What's the difference?

I need a 49 or 61 keyboard for Cubase SX to use it's midi drums and it's synths.

So is USB better then taking the Midi route??? :confused:
 
USB controllers can be connected to a PC and nothing else. Controllers with MIDI ports can be connected to other synths/modules directly without the need to go through a PC.
 
The midiman keyboards are just as midi as those other brands. The only difference is that they offer a USB interface, aside of the midi.

So they have a midi out, just as those other boards, AND additionally, they have a USB-out. So you can directly connect them to your pc too, without the need of a midi interface...

So, brzilian is kinda wrong here.

But it might be a good idea to make sure that the device you're gonna buy doesn't just have a usb interface. The midiman keyboards have a midi out, I checked that.

When you're looking for a midi keyboard, what you gotta look for is: the number of keys you want, whether or not you need a midi-input on it (for daisychaining multiple keyboards, sequencers,...), the number of knobs you want on it, pitch wheel or stick, number of splits you can do, regions etc, the touch you want. That's about it I guess...
 
Yeah, I agree with Roel. USB is fine, but make sure it also has a midi port.

barefoot
 
I bought the Midiman Keystation 49 last week.
Nice unit.

As Roel mentioned, it is USB, but also has regular midi ports.

I've run it using the USB cable straight into my iBook and also on my Athlon PC without much fuss.
 
I have a Toshiba Laptop, PIII 933Mhz, 256MB RAm, but it has a shit sound card. I am contemplating buying a usb controller keyboard and a Motu 828. Does such a setup allow me to use the Motu as the soundcard attached to the controller thus reducing the 48ms latency that I have on cubase with the internal soundcard?
 
TrutH,

if there's a MOTU ASIO driver, you should get better latency numbers than that. I assume your Toshiba has a fiwi port for the 828?

Your best bet is to load up the driver into your laptop (should be available from the MOTU website) and haul the laptop down to your local Guitar Center - plug the sumbitch in and make sure it works. MOTU stuff is real slick for Macs, but there are ugly tales of woe from some PC users. Haven't heard that about the 828 yet, but it's better to be safe.

You should be able to check your latency that way, too - i.e., before you buy. Good luck.
 
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