Best DAW if you don't have midi? (Dorm Setup)

C

crimsonhawk47

New member
So I have a dorm, and I hardly have room for midi. I think It's mostly gonna be recording lo-fi ideas on a mic and putting down my music ideas, but I want to make it an easy transition to using just a comp keyboard.

So what is the best DAW if you don't have midi? I already have Pro Tools. I heard Fruity Loops lets you do chords on the keyboard, which I vaguely remember sucking. I don't know much about cubase, reaper, or studio one. It's also a windows desktop, so no logic.

Can anyone recommend anything?
 
Thing is with fl studio you use the whole qwerty keyboard and some of the numbers and a keyboard, good range of keys instead of 1 octave but you could get an lpk25 mini they are very small and are pretty good for the money and will be good for producing on any daw
 
Last edited:
I have FL studio, for me the workflow is great, but it did have a learning curve attached to it - But you can definitely use the computer keyboard in FL. The only issue for me using the computer keyboard, is the velocity, You can't really get good dynamics with it (I think you're gonna have that issue with any DAW though - unless you have a way nicer computer keyboard then I do).

Might be worth looking in to a small (25? key) keyboard if you can afford one.
 
Miniexme: I assume you mean FL? Idk what cm is.

Drive: it sounds like I would have that issue with any daw, and maybe forcing myself to adjust every velocity will be better in the end. I'm going to look up cubase features though, I heard something about a unique articulation there.
 
in ableton there is "quantization" it aligjs the notes to the nearest 16th or 1/8 or whatever. most daws im guessing have that.
 
I don't own a midi keyboard but I use MIDI for most of my music.
I do have some experience reading music though, which means that I don't have to think too hard about how to write the rhythm in my head on the piano roll.
 
crimsonhawk47 said:
So I have a dorm, and I hardly have room for midi. I think It's mostly gonna be recording lo-fi ideas on a mic and putting down my music ideas, but I want to make it an easy transition to using just a comp keyboard.

So what is the best DAW if you don't have midi? I already have Pro Tools. I heard Fruity Loops lets you do chords on the keyboard, which I vaguely remember sucking. I don't know much about cubase, reaper, or studio one. It's also a windows desktop, so no logic.

Can anyone recommend anything?
Click to expand...

I strongly recommend getting one of these:



They're not very expensive, click the pic to see how much they're going for right now.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
Last edited:
Cubase has a virtual computer keyboard, as more DAW's do but you can also use tab to change it to a virtual midi keyboard, too. Then you won't need a midi.

If you want a midi.....You can try the M-Audio Keystation Mini 32, it's the size of a computer keyboard and it's much better quality than the Akai. Plus, it has articulation...!

The Akai's keys are too close and doesn't feel natural but rather squashed and the quality's not there.......and they are known to lose their keys and knobs......
 
Do you know how long it is exacty?

The akai is 13.5 inches.

The articulation is kind of the seller here though...Do you hit either pitch/mod and then adjust the knob? Because the knob says volume.
 
keepinitreal said:
Cubase has a virtual computer keyboard, as more DAW's do but you can also use tab to change it to a virtual midi keyboard, too. Then you won't need a midi.

If you want a midi.....You can try the M-Audio Keystation Mini 32, it's the size of a computer keyboard and it's much better quality than the Akai. Plus, it has articulation...!

The Akai's keys are too close and doesn't feel natural but rather squashed and the quality's not there.......and they are known to lose their keys and knobs......
Click to expand...

By "one of these", I actually just mean a set of mini-keys in general.
I mentioned the LPK only because others seem to like it.

However...

My personal pick for mini keyboards is the KORG microKEY,
which is why I have the whole collection:



MicroKEY 25: Amazon.com, KORG MicroKEY 25 in MIDI Controllers

MicroKEY 37: Amazon.com, KORG MicroKEY 37 in MIDI Controllers

MicroKEY 61: Amazon.com, KORG MicroKEY 61 in MIDI Controllers

The 25-key and 37-key models even come with versions of some KORG software plugins.
The 61-key model comes with all of KORG's software, including the MonoPoly, M1, Wavestation, etc.

-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
 
crimsonhawk47 said:
When you use that 25 Korg do you draw in articulation to your DAW yourself or is that knob more complicated than it looks.
Click to expand...

It's just a pitchbend/mod knob by default,
with pitchbend on the horizontal axis
and modulation on the vertical axis.

IIRC, you can make it more complicated than that (with each direction controlling a MIDI CC that you specify).

I really like just keeping it as a pitchbend/mod control, though, because I have my big expensive SL MK2 if I want to REALLY do some live automation.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
crimsonhawk47 said:
That seems like the one then. Session Strings lets me do articulation with a mod wheel.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I really like it!
I love using it for synth basslines, simple leads, and arps.
I can hook up a long USB cable and play it on my lap, "freeform", like a guitarist would play his guitar.
The keys have a really responsive touch, so it's easy to play quick trills and other interesting ornaments.

-Ki
Salem Beats (+Reviews)
 
If you plan on playing any midi whatsoever, you should definitely get yourself a midi keyboard, even a small 25 key one like Salem Beats mentioned is 100,000 times better than trying to play on a computer keyboard or draw in to the piano roll with a mouse.

As far as the original question, I don't think any DAW is better than the other for basic recording and midi like you seem to be planning on doing. If you already have pro tools I'd say just stick with it and learn it inside and out so you know how to make it do whatever you want.
 
Guitar center didn't have a korg so I just got an arturia minilab. It was small, had great parameter control and came with sounds. If it's not ideal, I can return it or sell it. It is a dorm set up after all, so it can only get so good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top