Is 61 keys enough for a beginner?

[ipodchicken]

I want to buy either a MPK61 or a MPK88 from Akai.

One issue regarding the MPK 88 is obviously the cost but I hear that the keys are much better then the MPK61's. Remember I've only been doing this for a week. Its become my after school hobby. I don't want to overdue it, although I do want to learn how to play the piano.

Should I wait until I can afford the mpk88 or opt for the smaller mpk61? Also, do the hammer action keys make that much of difference?

Thank you for your help.

 

[lovenara]

If you can play many classical pieces,then 88 keys are for you.But if you just wanna do electronic music then 61 is enough.
I have 88 which sometimes i regret buying it,becos there are many keys sitting unstruck for such long times.

 

[Forbidden_Silence]

If it's just a hobby and money is an issue then 61 keys is plenty enough to learn on. I don't know about your past musical experience, but if you've only been working with music for a week then it'll be a while before you outgrow a 61 key keyboard.

 

[Beats09]

Get the MPK61 the keys above and below the 61 aren't used that often and you can always hit the octave button to access them. I prefer the synth action keys over the hammer keys for making Beats.

 

[matbel8]

i believe so

 

[ipodchicken]

The thing is I want to eventually do both (play classical and electronic) I want to start learning classical and incorporate the theory in into RnB. So I'm very conflicted...

 

[Yayo_Beatz]

save your money bro if you dnt know how to play the keyboard i would recommend the 49 or even the 2. the amount of keys does not limit you or in any way join to make your beatz better its about practice

 

[Beats09]

^ I have a keyrig49 and it does the job but at 25......I would only get one for portable use but I aint knockin u brah

 

[ipodchicken]

Thanks everyone. I'm ready to buy the MPK61 as my first midi controller. I was going back and forth but right now being a college student I simply can't justify paying double the price for a few more octaves that I won't use for at least a year starting out as a beginner.

My question is has anyone upgraded the pads on their mpk61? If you have could you give me some instructions on how its done. There is a youtube video for the mpk49 but the mpk61 could have a different layout. Again thanks for your help and consideration.

 

[kodiacc]

Thanks everyone. I'm ready to buy the MPK61 as my first midi controller. I was going back and forth but right now being a college student I simply can't justify paying double the price for a few more octaves that I won't use for at least a year starting out as a beginner.

My question is has anyone upgraded the pads on their mpk61? If you have could you give me some instructions on how its done. There is a youtube video for the mpk49 but the mpk61 could have a different layout. Again thanks for your help and consideration.

i dont know if you have updated your pads, i just did it with the mpk49. im almost sure the pads are the same on the 61, just 4 more. its kind of a work, it took about 1hour for me because i had to unscrew / test it 3 times.. the thread is older so i guess you already did it.

 

[SwagProductionz]

I would get the m-audio key rig 49 it lets you go up keys by the press of a button... I was asking this same very question 2 years ago and now i'm making straight hits!

 

[Angrenost]

It really depends on how much you utilize live recording. As an EDM producer, I make use of a lot of classical techniques and sometimes rely on live MIDI recording, so it's good to have the accessibility of all octaves. When I'm creating a new house or trance melody or something, I want to be able to reach all of the bass register and all of the higher register, that way I'm not wasting time moving notes between octaves afterwards. However, if you're just using it for things like sampling and simplistic melodies, there isn't really a necessity for 61. It's always great to have the option of all keys, but price and size do come into play.

In short, if you're mostly working with hip hop, it'll probably pay off to just go with a 61 key. Hell, a lot of people get away with a small two-octave controller. If you're writing/recording complex compositions in real time, spanning between the first and seventh octave, go with an 88 key because it'll save you a lot of hassle.