Forgive me for the possibly long post, but I've got a fairly specific question which will hopefully elicit specific answers from those nice enough to read and respond 
I'm a piano player but I'm also interested in writing/recording digital electronic music. So I need both a keyboard to practice classically with, and something to provide the most control for my digital audio workplace (which, by the way, consists only of my computer with some softsynthesizers). A few options I definitely require are:
I would like to have a number of knobs and faders so that I can control individual softsynth aspects via keyboard for a more seamless process. I find it rather tedious to do everything with the mouse, and an all in one setup would make writing and recording much more intuitive. To that end, I've found a few keyboards that fit my criteria: M-Audio Keystation Pro 88, Studiologic VMK-188+, and CME UF80. If you know of any others, do let me know. I'm leaning towards the Keystation Pro, but a few reviews have said the action is not so good, so I'm not sure.
The other option, and this one I know a bit less about, is to get a stage piano and then hook another controller up to that, for instance, just a box with a few knobs and sliders connected to a stage keyboard via MIDI or something. In that case, would the controller connect to the keyboard through MIDI-in, and then the keyboard to the computer via the keyboard's MIDI-out port? What non-keyboard controllers do you recommend? (Stage keyboards are a bit easier to come by and the selection is rather large, so I don't imagine having a hard time with that).
I would ultimately like something that would be expandable down the line, but that would also give me the ability to control my software now with the feel of a real piano.
Thanks for any help. I am entirely new to this, but I've been researching on my own and tried to be as clear and specific as possible, so hopefully my post wasn't too hard to navigate. But again, any guidance is greatly appreciated.
--Ben
I'm a piano player but I'm also interested in writing/recording digital electronic music. So I need both a keyboard to practice classically with, and something to provide the most control for my digital audio workplace (which, by the way, consists only of my computer with some softsynthesizers). A few options I definitely require are:
- 88 keys
- graded/fully weighted (potentially "hammer action" but I don't know exactly what that means -- anyway, closest as possible feel to a real piano both for feel and expressability)
- MIDI in/out
- preferably less than $700 but willing to go a bit higher if the perfect match is found
I would like to have a number of knobs and faders so that I can control individual softsynth aspects via keyboard for a more seamless process. I find it rather tedious to do everything with the mouse, and an all in one setup would make writing and recording much more intuitive. To that end, I've found a few keyboards that fit my criteria: M-Audio Keystation Pro 88, Studiologic VMK-188+, and CME UF80. If you know of any others, do let me know. I'm leaning towards the Keystation Pro, but a few reviews have said the action is not so good, so I'm not sure.
The other option, and this one I know a bit less about, is to get a stage piano and then hook another controller up to that, for instance, just a box with a few knobs and sliders connected to a stage keyboard via MIDI or something. In that case, would the controller connect to the keyboard through MIDI-in, and then the keyboard to the computer via the keyboard's MIDI-out port? What non-keyboard controllers do you recommend? (Stage keyboards are a bit easier to come by and the selection is rather large, so I don't imagine having a hard time with that).
I would ultimately like something that would be expandable down the line, but that would also give me the ability to control my software now with the feel of a real piano.
Thanks for any help. I am entirely new to this, but I've been researching on my own and tried to be as clear and specific as possible, so hopefully my post wasn't too hard to navigate. But again, any guidance is greatly appreciated.
--Ben