Hello All!

[Optic]

Hi Everyone,

I've been lurking and reading the forums for a week or two, trying to absorb as much information as possible to help me get started in the world of keyboards.

Anyway, after reading many helpful threads here about getting started, I chose to go the MIDI controller route rather than an arranger keyboard, mostly because of space requirements and because I didn't want to feel limited as I advance. I will be posting questions right away about this type of setup in the other forum sections here.

I'm pretty much a beginner with everything. I've learned a (very) little bit of acoustic guitar in the last couple of years, and had had a few piano lessons when I was a kid, a few decades ago . Now I'm getting started again with the keyboard learning process with the Piano For All (piano4all) course on Udemy. I know that the usual advice is to go with a teacher, but it's not a practical option for me at this time, at least for a little while.

Thanks for reading and see you folks around the site!

Optic

 

[happyrat1]

Hello and welcome to our little home away from home.

Sorry I won't be much help on your soft synth issues since I run Linux and hardware synths only.

One suggestion for your volume problem, however, is to perhaps try a different soundcard or a USB Sound interface and see if your levels improve.

A lot of on board soundcards in todays generic computers display a certain lack of consistency when it comes to output volumes and noise and hum artifacts.

Gary

 

[Optic]

Thanks Gary, I appreciate it!

I will definitely look at USB sound interfaces. I already started considering it once I realized that there's no simple way to use ASIO drivers and get normal system sounds at the same time through a single card. Now I just need to do some research to find a decent one that's reasonably priced.

Thanks!

 

[CowboyNQ]

Welcome!

 

[Rayblewit]

Hello Optic.
Welcome!
Am I allowed to ask?
Are you male or female?
"Optic" to me is non gender
specific.
Just curious ray

 

[CowboyNQ]

 

[happyrat1]

To be fair Ray, one really shouldn't ask that sort of question in a public forum. I've known a lot of women online over the years who specifically avoid posting any hint of their genders in order to avoid the sleazeballs out there who constantly hit on and harass them.

Optic, don't feel at all pressured to reveal your gender here.

It's nobody's business but your own.

Gary

 

[Optic]

No problem, the answer is male. I used this non-descript nickname because my real name is pretty unique and nowadays it seems wise to keep as low a profile online as possible. Thanks for the welcomes, everyone!

 

[Ian]

Hey Optic, welcome to the forums .

 

[Optic]

Thanks, Ian!

 

[Rayblewit]

I've known a lot of women online over the years who specifically avoid posting any hint of their genders in order to avoid the sleazeballs out there

We blokes tend to treat females differently than males in the way we respond and message them. It's just natural.
I'ts nice to know how to respond and communicate to a person naturally.

I am not a sleazeball and Optic would know that since he said he had been lurking and reading the forums for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for answering Optic.

Cheers ray

 

[happyrat1]

I understand that you aren't a sleazeball Ray. But what about the 3 or 4 hundred others who will anonymously read this thread over the weeks and months to come?

Like optic said, you have to be careful how much personal info you share on a public forum these days.

Gary

 

[Rayblewit]

Fair enough Gary. I take your point.
Let's move on. . .
ray

 

[Optic]

No problem, Ray. Thanks everyone.