What to look for in a MIDI keyboard

Vuijkie

Vuijkie

New member
I want to buy a MIDI keyboard for a better workflow. I have read some articles about them but i can't really tell what i have to look for. I do know that i want one with 49 key's. (looking for one around 100 - 130 euros aprox. 110 - 140 dollars)

For the rest, i read that keys with some devices break off very easy? I'm also curious about wether to buy or not to buy one with faders and stuff. On one hand it looks quite usefull but on the otherhand i think i prefer to do that in my software instead of on the hardware, figuring i can be more accurate/specific about the mixing.

Sometimes keyboards with 25 buttons and no faders are more expensive then keyboards with 49 buttons including some faders, what is this difference based on then? The constancy of the device maybe?

what is your opinion and experience considering all this?
 
Broken keys is what you have warrenty for:) i would go for a keyboard with as many keys as possible, for the lowest price, also buttoms for "record" and "play" and stuff so you dont have to use the mouse everytime you wanna record in your DAW, make sure the
Keys are so called "pressure sensitive"
 
JAYBEATZOFFICIAL said:
Broken keys is what you have warrenty for:) i would go for a keyboard with as many keys as possible, for the lowest price, also buttoms for "record" and "play" and stuff so you dont have to use the mouse everytime you wanna record in your DAW, make sure the
Keys are so called "pressure sensitive"
Click to expand...

same opinion here...
 
A higher octave keyboard is preferable, but I've been getting away with an old 61 key synth from like 1991 (Peavey DPM4) as my controller. As long as you have a form of midi interface you can use any old synth you can get your hands on. Even if the synth is "broken" it can still be used as a controller in many cases. As far as usb type controllers there are so many. The MPK line from Akai is a nice choice as it features encoders as well as velocity pads for drums, which you can program all sorts of parameters. Or you could learn how to program the piano roll inside the DAW so you wouldn't even need a controller. even though a controller can be nice for doing fast riffs and maintaining a human feel, you still have to either edit or quantize to get that riff timed to the beat (unless your latency is THAT low.) You have a lot of options obviously, but I hope this helped. Good luck!
 
I've seen the Akai products but i wonder if i really use the drumpad a lot, besides that the only one that fits my price range (in the mkp series) is one with 25 keys and i prefer 49.

i have seen two that i like wich are the "Samson Carbon 49" wich is 99 euro's, and the "M-Audio Oxygen 49"
The Samson is a fairly simple MIDI device with no faders and buttons, i believe it does have a pitch and modulation wheel. And it comes with Native instruments Elements but i dont know if that's usefull software and i cant really find a lot of usefull info about it.

The one from M-adio however is 30 euro's more expensive and has a lot of fader en buttons wich i wonder if i would use a lot since i feel that mixing in my DAW can be more specific. But it also has a record button on it wich is nice, prevents me from having to bend over to my keyboard and press "r" (lazy bum that i am)

Are there people here that have experience with either one of these MIDI devices? or maybe some experts on the case in general.
 
I do actually have an MPD32 which is a mess of buttons and encoders. I programmed it to be a traktor dj controller, but I never use it in my daw. I find it easier to automate whatever parameters I want in the lanes.
The oxygen 49 is a good basic controller. I actually bought one then returned it when I figured out using my old synth as a controller. It gets the job done without extra bells and whistles. Alot of people use that one.
 
The MPD32 is a drumpad no? i am looking for a midi keyboard but maybe i wasn't clear. I'll visit my local music store tomorrow and see if they can tell me some more about the subject.
 
The mpd32 is a little more than a drumpad. It can be programmed in all sorts of configurations and can be used as a synth controller too. I bought it because I thought I needed encoders and sliders for my DAW, but I ended up just getting good at automation. I was just using it as an example to you that you really don't need pads, knobs or sliders thanks to automation.
 
Exactly! i prefer using automation in the daw too! that's why I'm thinking about a simple midi device like the Samson carbon instead of the M-audio oxygen
 
After touch, is an extra switch under the keys that can be used to trigger an additional event when you apply additional pressure to the key.

Expression pedal input, this allows you to connect more than just a simple foot switch and can be used to control any event that you can control with a knob or fader.

Knobs and/or faders, much better than using a mouse for editing and automation.
 
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