What can i do with a midi keyboard?

[kit beats]

I want to buy a midi keyboard, never used it, it's totally new for me.

My question is now, is it easy handling, what can you do with it, and is this the only thing i need, etc.

Something i saw is this : http://www.rjshop.nl/product/8159/

[kit beats]

Ok next..can i use it with my MP?

[LPChip]

That keyboard is really nice, but don't be mistaken by the fact that it offers alot more than just a simple midi keyboard.

If you only want to use it for modplug, this is way too much for what you want.

It has an audio unit in it which allows you to hook it up to a stereo and use its buildin sounds to make sound with it. Don't get me wrong, thats very cool, and if I had the money left, I would consider getting one too

But to make sure that you won't buy something you don't really need, the question would again be: will it solely be for modplug or other pc things, or will you also want it to use when you're not behind your pc?

If its just for the pc, then there are much cheaper ones that give you the same thing.

There's a product which would be probably one of the better choises if it would be used in conjunction with MPT. Take a look at this for example: http://www.prodikeys.com/

For a stand-alone kayboard, you could be looking at something like this: http://www.rolandce.com/productinfo/productinfodetail.asp?Welke=85 which would probably cost under 70 euro.


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Also... Even though MODPlug Tracker allows the usage of a midi keyboard, its not as fancy as it first seems. Yes, you can use it to play instruments directly from whitin mpt and so, but there's a small latency. So you'd be using it for entering notes, and even though thats nice, it will quickly become a problem if either the keyboard is too small to get you to the note you want, or if its too big so you have to move away from your computer for each note you want to insert.

MODPlug Tracker has good capabilities for that on the PC keyboard itself.

Also: if you want to use modplug to control external equipment, then do note that it doesn't work 100% and is product speciffic, as you'll need 3rd party software to begin with. I have a nice Yamaha keyboard with great XG sounds, but I cannot access those banks from MODPlug Tracker. In fact, I can only access the General MIDI bank.

To conclude:

Its a nice toy for sure, and maybe for you it works well, but I wouldn't spend too much money on it at first. Try something small first, or maybe even better, see if you can rent a keyboard so you can try how it works, and if its what you're after.

[Saga Musix]

with my new ultra-low latency soundcard, i don't have any problems anymore when i want to record something from my synth

if you just want to record notes, you could buy a much cheaper keyboard, as LPChip already suggested. But if you also want to record the sounds of your keyboard, you should consider buying something more expensive, like the one you posted.

I got a Yamaha CS1x synthsizer from my brother, and I don't use the MIDI feature very much, i rather use the cool sounds of this synth to use them in modplug...
so you have to decide: do you just want to record midi notes or do you also want to record sound?

[MisterX]

I have a keyboard similar to this one:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOOXYGEN61

It works great for both playing instruments through MPT as well as entering notes in MPT.  The control sliders and knobs are also great when using plugins that support them, or using a program like Reason that supports the input.  Although it doesn't have any sound banks of its own, I have plenty of samples, VSTIs, etc. to keep me happy without them.

The USB connection also allows me to hook the k/b up to a laptop, which allows for great portability as well.  

The 61-key board, while not compact, is not so huge that it doesn't fit on my desk and is big enough to allow a pretty good range without adjusting the octave settings in MPT and other programs.

[Matt Hartman]

A USB midi controller and a great collection of .it instruments and VSTi's is a far less expensive investment than that of purchasing an actual preloaded midi keyboard as well as a far more expansive option down the line.

The difference, which isn't very clear so far is that a midi controller is basically a device that will allow you to control external sound banks (via midi signal) and parameters such as pitch wheel and vibrato etc., as opposed to the internal factory sound banks of a full-fledged midi synth.

This is not to say that a synth is a bad option, because for all intensive purposes a synth can achieve the same thing as a midi controller. Obviously, if you have the $$ to invest in a synth, I'd say go for it! However, if you do not, a USB midi controller (preferably velocity sensitive keys) is a very inexpensive and viable option. Keeping in mind that the controller is not a stand alone sound device. Again, it controls external sources.

And if you cannot afford either option, the game is not over. MPT is totally controllable via the computer's keyboard and to be honest, at this point it is far more approachable than using external devices.  With external midi input, you will spend some time going back and cleaning up notes and parameters after you have recorded.

The only option that is not supported in MPT (which is extremely unfortunate in my opinion) is the use of multi-layered samples. Which basically means if you were to press a key on your midi controller or synth softly, the midi signal would map to a sample that is soft. If you were to press the same key again, but this time much harder, the midi signal would map to a sample that sounds louder, collectively producing a series of dynamics according to the velocity of how hard or soft the key is pressed per every note of the keyboard/scale. It's this most basic option that aids in keeping your sound/music sounding natural and complete.

Hint to programmers: I would much rather see this technology in later versions of OMPT, rather than the latest bells and whistles. This is where MPT is greatly behind the times, excluding 24/32 bit import.

There are of course workarounds, but they require far more technical involvement, somewhat distracting from the creative process.

The keyboard the Mister X suggested IS a very good option. I would seriously consider it.

[BooT-SectoR-ViruZ]

I have a keyboard similar to this one:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOOXYGEN61

It works great for both playing instruments through MPT as well as entering notes in MPT.  The control sliders and knobs are also great when using plugins that support them, or using a program like Reason that supports the input.  Although it doesn't have any sound banks of its own, I have plenty of samples, VSTIs, etc. to keep me happy without them.

i got this one (klick) and i would really like to do the same as you do... (i think the keyboards are almost alike)...
can you explain that to me? the manual only refers to cubase and concerning this kind of things i'm
1. f*cking stupid
2. damn lazy
3. short tempered

thx in advance

it came with proteus x vsti that i also don't get to work properly

[SoundCrafter]

Boot-sec, you're my hero again! (I've got the XBoard61)

What do you need explained? My XBoard needed a driver update from E-Mu's site before it worked right.

And also, ProteusX will glitch as a standalone (It won't save your latency settings. EVER) It will work in VST form, though.

[kit beats]

Nice explaining here thank you..

Im considdering a keyboard because a lot of times there are really nice samples but just not always the nice sound iff you know what i mean.
Right note, right wave..

And trying to make wahwahwah sound it not plays right over my beat.

[BooT-SectoR-ViruZ]

Boot-sec, you're my hero again! (I've got the XBoard61)

What do you need explained? My XBoard needed a driver update from E-Mu's site before it worked right.

And also, ProteusX will glitch as a standalone (It won't save your latency settings. EVER) It will work in VST form, though.

as vsti proteus uses almost all of my ram and cpu... (and i got plenty of those)... whatever...

please tell me right from the beginning how to assign the keyboard to an instrument/vsti, how to set the midi-preferences and what i need to do at the keyboard



P.S.: anyway someone could write a tutorial on stuff like that..

[BooT-SectoR-ViruZ]

@misterX & soundcrafter:

still waiting for your support  :cry:

[dBlues]

As you plug the midi cable to your computer, and select the midi input from control panel-> sound settings (or your VST-host), midi is set. Make sure you connect synth midi out-> computer midi in.

For debugging midi problems, I suggest you download a program called Midi-yoke. It will display incoming midi notes in text.

After you have set up the keyboard, just load a VSTi to the host and play away.

[BooT-SectoR-ViruZ]

i guess in ompt it's not so easy  

[LPChip]

In the setup of OpenMPT, go to the tab midi. Make sure the midi-in device is set to your midi port.

Then in the toolbar (near the play/pause/stop buttons) press the keyboard so its lit.

Now you can play any instrument in the instrument tab using your keyboard, given that your keyboard is properly setup.

Usually, you don't need to do anything special to make this work. Midi receiving on your keyboard usually is more tricky, which is not possible in OpenMPT anyway (unless you use a vsti plugin for that)

[BooT-SectoR-ViruZ]

Then in the toolbar (near the play/pause/stop buttons) press the keyboard so its lit.

if that's the reason why i couldn't get any external midi to the instruments i'll definitely kill somebody random and then myself  :lol:

testing begins after tonights bowling-session