Midi-Keyboards, ???

[Gait_Keeper]

I've been thinking about getting a midi-keyboard

all I've seen are stand a lone, so when you plug it into your PC, what plays, the built in synth, or the Midi-keyboard itself?

do you need to do anything special besides plug it in??

my system says i have a roland-mpu401 synth and a ensoniq synth

how do I choose what to use??

[Rand Dusing]

I think you would need a proper Sound Card (like Audigy 2 Platinum) (is that what you meant?). Also, you probaly need software to use it. But the keyboard probaly would come with some cheap software.

[elmers]

Most midi keyboards are actually sinths with midi in/out. The cheapest keyboard you could get is just a midi trigger keyboard.

The sinths work when they arn't plugged in to the sound card. The trigger only works when plugged in. You can even get a program that emulates a midi keyboard on your computer keyboard.

The best IMO is to get one of the old Roland analog synths with midi in/out. That way you can use your keyboard to play the computer and the computer to play your sinth. I have a Juno and it works great (I think its older than me).

You also need a midi adapter for your game port (the port on your sound card) so you can plug the cable in.

You usualy get software to select the synth with either your sound card or the keyboard. If you plan on using the keyboard semiserious id recommend getting some software other than the stuff shipped with. Reason and Cubase are top of the line.

[dragonb]

I'd like to add to the question...

I play the piano, and would love to compose some things, but mostly just improvise and play away on the piano.
Is there a cheap midi keyboard that anyone knows of, or could recommend, and software, where I could play and it would "write" the music for? Also, would definitely want full size or normal piano size keys on the keyboard.
thanks, dragonb

p.s. edit...oh and money is an issue, cheap as possible to fit my requirements is best!

[Gait_Keeper]

Elmers basicly answered my question real well, thanx

heres one Keyboard I was looking at.


I would like to plug in the keyboard to my PC and have the option of using the roland synth or the ensoniq synth, to try different sounds, I kinda know I can't use them both at the same time.

[Bill in SD, CA]

My son uses a Casio keyboard with the computer. Although now that he has discovered amplifiers he isn't on the computer as much. It worked well though. Used Voyetra software - not that impressed with it though.

Bill

[elmers]

A quick search on ebay for "roland midi keyboards" gives a couple of nice choices like the

"Roland PC-200mkII 49 key MIDI Keyboard"

If your looking for a midi trigger and don't mind used stuff then I go for something like this. Rolands are built to last and have nice features that come in usefull when you want to get serious. Also its about $40.

dragonb: What your looking for is a sequencer. My first choice would be an old verson of cubase. If you know someone thats selling this pice of software buy it, and use it. It lets you control the software sinth on your computer and has lots and lots of features to make your music sound nicer

Ill look around for a free or shareware sequencer and get back to you guys.

[elmers]

I found a free sequencer at www.download.com. Its called

"Quartz AudioMaster Freeware 460E"

Its basicly a clone of cubase. Has all the features youll want like multiple midi (16 i think), multiple audio (if you have a analog instrument or if you want to add vocals or something) its got rudimentary aux sends and 4 effects: phaser, reverb, delay and chorus for the audio tracks(none for midi tho). It allows you to set different midi voices to different tracks so you can have different sounds playing back. You can record new midi and audio as it plays back the stuff you recorded earlier. It can show midi as 'score' (sheet music) or 'grid'. It can also be used for midi playback. Nice help too. Its 3 mb and its free. Oh, and its really nice

You might want to get "Hubbys loopback" somwhere for virtual midi patching if you use a software keyboard like "Sweet Little Piano".

Rand Dusing: Audio cards have come a long way since the days of sb16. I have a SBLive! and its great. It samples 48000khz at 16bits, has 1024 midi channels, decent playback, a hardware DSP, and some very nice midi samples. I recommend it to any one who wants to dabble in music. With programs that can 'render' audio at any sampling rate and resolution, software is becoming more important that hardware.

[Gait_Keeper]

anyoneone else???

[Gait_Keeper]

???anyone???