If you are pursuing a career as a composer/musician, using the MIDI keyboard via your computer is probably not new to you. These days, in order to be competitive you just got to have the best equipment to showcase your craft. MIDI keyboards are often available in music stores, in online music shops, in advertisements or in concerts. But what exactly are they? For the benefit of those who are not too familiar with it yet, it's a piano-style keyboard device that is utilized for sending (MIDI) signals over a USB or MIDI cable to other units operating on the very same MIDI protocol interface - like your desktop pcfor example that works a digital audio workstation (DAW) software.
Not all MIDI keyboards have the piano-style user interface. There are several units with pads or buttons that sense the speed of your fingers to minimize or maximize play volume such as the Continuum Fingerboard, a fretless style. So let's first discuss the piano style keyboards. Budget and comfort are often the factors that a buyer considers when he or she is looking for a MIDI keyboard. But of course, for someone who has unlimited budget, the price tag may not really be an issue. For practical musicians with limited resources, there are more affordable MIDI keyboards but very good in terms of quality, too. For the rest of those who have decided on the size or the quantity of keys available. There are a number to choose from ranging - 88, 76, 61, 49, 37 or 25. Usually the one you get would be determined by another factor - space. An 88 may be good if you have ample space in your work room or studio.
When you have decided on the number of keys, the next thing you should look at is the key action - this means the manner the keys respond to your playing. There are 3 types - synth action, semi-weighted action and full weighted action. Synth action has light spring loaded keys that take little pressure to activate and have a tendency to go back to their positions rapidly. This is definitely suitable for people that play lots of fast pieces and those who aren't really pianists by nature.
Semi-weighted action MIDI keyboard has keys offering some amount of resistance and springs back less quickly when compared with the synth action ones. Finally there's the total weighted action keys which imitates the mechanical action of traditional pianos. It can take more pressure to play and they are usually made use of by people who play the piano and prefer the feel of "real" piano keys.
You can forget the knobs, buttons and sliders that help send out MIDI data and present the individual more hands-on control over everything linked to your controller like the DAW software. With this, you'll get real-time command in the sound making process which is unlikely to happen when you simply utilize your computer's mouse control. The number of knobs and buttons would depend on usage although thebasics will need to have the pitch and mod wheels and you can now get by with a small number of sliders. So long as you are capable of correctly allocate synth programming it's easy to maximize on usage of your MIDI keyboard.
Not all MIDI keyboards have the piano-style user interface. There are several units with pads or buttons that sense the speed of your fingers to minimize or maximize play volume such as the Continuum Fingerboard, a fretless style. So let's first discuss the piano style keyboards. Budget and comfort are often the factors that a buyer considers when he or she is looking for a MIDI keyboard. But of course, for someone who has unlimited budget, the price tag may not really be an issue. For practical musicians with limited resources, there are more affordable MIDI keyboards but very good in terms of quality, too. For the rest of those who have decided on the size or the quantity of keys available. There are a number to choose from ranging - 88, 76, 61, 49, 37 or 25. Usually the one you get would be determined by another factor - space. An 88 may be good if you have ample space in your work room or studio.
When you have decided on the number of keys, the next thing you should look at is the key action - this means the manner the keys respond to your playing. There are 3 types - synth action, semi-weighted action and full weighted action. Synth action has light spring loaded keys that take little pressure to activate and have a tendency to go back to their positions rapidly. This is definitely suitable for people that play lots of fast pieces and those who aren't really pianists by nature.
Semi-weighted action MIDI keyboard has keys offering some amount of resistance and springs back less quickly when compared with the synth action ones. Finally there's the total weighted action keys which imitates the mechanical action of traditional pianos. It can take more pressure to play and they are usually made use of by people who play the piano and prefer the feel of "real" piano keys.
You can forget the knobs, buttons and sliders that help send out MIDI data and present the individual more hands-on control over everything linked to your controller like the DAW software. With this, you'll get real-time command in the sound making process which is unlikely to happen when you simply utilize your computer's mouse control. The number of knobs and buttons would depend on usage although thebasics will need to have the pitch and mod wheels and you can now get by with a small number of sliders. So long as you are capable of correctly allocate synth programming it's easy to maximize on usage of your MIDI keyboard.
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