Midi Keyboard

[sinkoman]

I've figured out my way around Reason, and have decided to invest in a MIDI keyboard (because trying to play on a computer keyboard is hellish and flowless).

I'm looking for something fairly small (2-3 octave) that I will use primarily to play little ditties and loops on.

Price range is 100-150 USD. I'm not too critical on how many knobs it'll have. 1 or 2 is fine for my purposes.

Same for pitch wheel and mod wheel stuffs. 1 or none is fine for me.

The keyboard needs to have one of the standard DIN MIDI Out jacks, since i'll be using it with an MIDI to CV controller (for homemade analog synth projects). I'll probably be needing an MIDI to USB dongle too though

I'm also in the market for a MIDI to CV convertor in the range of 100 USD ish.

Recommendations (for either)?

 

[knut]

The keyboards I use in school for my Music Tech classes sound like what you are looking for. I'll look at them tomorrow for information.

 

[Vegeta897]

100 to 150? Great price range, you can easily get a sweet one with 49 keys. (4 octaves)

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOOXYGEN49

There's your best buy, 8 knobs, 9 sliders, transport controls, absolutely fantastic.

Believe me, having knobs and sliders in Reason is a huge plus.

If you want to go cheaper, with some reduced features:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--KORK49

Here's a nice list from lowest to highest priced. Zzounds is a fantastic site to buy from and browse:

http://www.zzounds.com/prodsearch?q=&cat2=&cat=2687&ob=p19&button=Filter+Results&form=search

Just be sure to read the reviews, post it here if you've selected one, and stay away from Behringer.

 

[sinkoman]

Vegeta, do the keyboards you posted have both USB and MIDI out?

I noticed that the Korg says, in the description, that it has MIDI outs, but I didn't see anything on the M-Audio one.

The keyboard I buy MUST have both USB and MIDI out (unless of course I can find a MIDI to USB converter).

BTW, why stay away from behringer?

What about EMU? They seem to have some nice keyboards.

 

[Geogaddi]

I'm just gonna buy a Midi to USB cable for my crap keyboard.

 

[Vegeta897]

Vegeta, do the keyboards you posted have both USB and MIDI out?

I noticed that the Korg says, in the description, that it has MIDI outs, but I didn't see anything on the M-Audio one.

The keyboard I buy MUST have both USB and MIDI out (unless of course I can find a MIDI to USB converter).

BTW, why stay away from behringer?

What about EMU? They seem to have some nice keyboards.

They both (and I think all) have midi outs.

Behringer generally makes unreliable hardware. They're the "budget" company of most things and you hear horror stories all the time about their products. There are plenty of nice midi keyboards that are not Behginer, it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm pretty sure EMU makes good stuff.

I'm just gonna buy a Midi to USB cable for my crap keyboard.

That's what I did with my old Yamaha.

 

[hungryduck]

I have an Maudio 49 key one that has USB and Midi out....works just fine.

 

[knut]

I'm sitting at an M-Audio (Keystation 49e) now. S'the one.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I've just bought a cheapy naff Casio with a midi port for a mate of mine, but it's QUALITY.

 

[sinkoman]

I've just bought a cheapy naff Casio with a midi port for a mate of mine, but it's QUALITY.

I don't believe I follow...

I think imma purchase the 49 key Oxygen. At current, it's looking like either that, or a 49 key EMU X-Board, and the EMU doesn't have any sliders, so it's not looking as tempting.

Anybody have any testimonials on the X-Board?

The sliders on the M-Audio Oxygen look a little cheap and flimsy (from the pics that is). Are they?

EDIT: http://www.zzounds.com/item--EDIPCRM50

That's also looking pretty nice right now (if I can stretch budget wise). Worth the extra? Just go for the M-Audio?

 

[Vegeta897]

Haha damn, you must really want quality.

Personally I dislike the combined pitch/mod wheel thing on that.

As long as you aren't rough with the sliders they should be OK, I wouldn't shell out 50 more dollars for the same keyboard with more durability. Does look nice though.

 

[CrazyHarij]

if you want quality get a decent midi keyboard with at least 5 octaves and proper knobs, it'll be your most used thing in your studio

i have a edirol pcr 80, kinda budget but its alright. very cheap for what you get

i have the combined pitch mod thing, you get used to it and after a while you realise how ****ing great it is compared to fiddling with two fingers on two separate wheels.

 

[sinkoman]

if you want quality get a decent midi keyboard with at least 5 octaves and proper knobs, it'll be your most used thing in your studio

i have a edirol pcr 80, kinda budget but its alright. very cheap for what you get

i have the combined pitch mod thing, you get used to it and after a while you realise how ****ing great it is compared to fiddling with two fingers on two separate wheels.

I'd LOVE to get a 61 key keyboard (or anything bigger than a 49), but my space, mobility, and general weight requirements really don't allow that right now (and won't allow so in the near future).

Harij, from your experience with the PCR80, do you think the PCRM50 would be worth the 50 dollar price jump from the 49 key Oxygen?

 

[CrazyHarij]

well pcrm series look more badass with their sh101 style finish.

it's probably worth it. im not into oxygen and that shit. midiman or m audio do some good stuff but edirol is roland, heck it works. trust me USB midi factorers are usually really lazy and half arsed, release their shit way before it's compatible with most of what's out on the market, i first got a CME-UF but it didn't work and they weren't even bothering to work on a fix for something that bothered more than 50% of the buyers.

i have compared with other keyboards, piano etc, and i have to say i will probably not need to use more than 61 keys in the way i work atm, unless i'll have to join a band or something. my keyboard doesnt even have proper aftertouch and somewhat half assed velocity but i can still play it with proper expression, not much different from playing a real piano.

i definitely think a beginner could work with 4 octaves. definitely. dont go below that though. also, youre probably going to want to change up sometime in the future if you enjoy it and get reasonable at playing.. when you start out making music you do just as well drawing in the notes in the sequencer by hand. when you get good at playing the keys, it becomes extremely important to have a decent amount of octaves to express yourself on and be able to work in a pretty smooth manner. i just dont understand the lads doing shit on like a 2 octave keyboard. the microkorg has 3 octaves and its practically unplayable

anyway, if ceephax acid crew can learn to play bach on a ****ing 303 i think you'll be able to get by making music on a 4 octave keyboard.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I don't believe I follow...

Because sometimes lo-fi is awesome

 

[sinkoman]

well pcrm series look more badass with their sh101 style finish.

it's probably worth it. im not into oxygen and that shit. midiman or m audio do some good stuff but edirol is roland, heck it works. trust me USB midi factorers are usually really lazy and half arsed, release their shit way before it's compatible with most of what's out on the market, i first got a CME-UF but it didn't work and they weren't even bothering to work on a fix for something that bothered more than 50% of the buyers.

i have compared with other keyboards, piano etc, and i have to say i will probably not need to use more than 61 keys in the way i work atm, unless i'll have to join a band or something. my keyboard doesnt even have proper aftertouch and somewhat half assed velocity but i can still play it with proper expression, not much different from playing a real piano.

i definitely think a beginner could work with 4 octaves. definitely. dont go below that though. also, youre probably going to want to change up sometime in the future if you enjoy it and get reasonable at playing.. when you start out making music you do just as well drawing in the notes in the sequencer by hand. when you get good at playing the keys, it becomes extremely important to have a decent amount of octaves to express yourself on and be able to work in a pretty smooth manner. i just dont understand the lads doing shit on like a 2 octave keyboard. the microkorg has 3 octaves and its practically unplayable

anyway, if ceephax acid crew can learn to play bach on a ****ing 303 i think you'll be able to get by making music on a 4 octave keyboard.

I didn't realize that Edirol was a Roland brand. That's a MAJOR ++++++++++++ for me.

I'm curious, how exactly does the combined Pitch/Mod controller work? Does x controll pitch or mod? Does the controller recenter itself on both the X and Y axis', or does one of the axis' stick (like, I move it to a position, and it stays in that position).

Are x and y axis programmable to either Pitch or Mod, or are they Preset? Could I program them to other functions besides Pitch or Mod?

Last I want to know is, how does programming the MIDI controllers on the PCR80 work out? I was reading up on the processes for programming the MIDI controllers on a 49 key Oxygen, and it seems to take quite a bit of time to assign just 1 controller.

 

[CrazyHarij]

pointing it up controls mod. the mod gets back in the original position unlike classical separated mod wheels, where only pitch bend re-centers. pointing it left and right increases pitch bend in either direction.

it doesnt take any time, depending on what program you use. ableton and most VSTs for instance lets you assign any knob/slider/button to any parameter whenever you want

 

[Vegeta897]

the mod gets back in the original position unlike classical separated mod wheels,

THIS, is what I hate about them.

 

[sinkoman]

THIS, is what I hate about them.

Well, depending on the mechanism, it shouldn't be too hard to mod it so that it retains its position.

And if it's not possible to mod it, then I doubt it'll really be too much of an issue for me : /

Thanks for the help. I think i'll go for the Edirol

 

[CrazyHarij]

you just hold it in its position. its not like any tech geek music requires you to use more than two hands to play anyway.

 

[sinkoman]

you just hold it in its position. its not like any tech geek music requires you to use more than two hands to play anyway.

That piece of yours, "Abyss", seems like it'd be living HELL to play one handed D:

Beautiful song btw.