Purchase advice for a noob

[Orkar Isber]

Hi everyone,

i recently found the program synthesia to play songs on my computer keyboard, however playing with the keyboard (pc) is kinda lame and only allows to play songs with a very narrow range of sounds. I figured i need at least 61 or even better 88 keys to play well and i now want to learn how to play a keyboard (instrument) by using synthesia.

Price is also a thing, i dont want crap that falls apart but i cant spend more than 200 Euros on it. All it really has to do is work with synthesia and have a minimum of 61 keys - i have absolutely no idea what is good or bad and i am kinda helpless, entering the world of music the second time in my life and last time was with flute 20 years ago so...help please^^

 

[Fred Coulter]

If I understand you correctly, you're NOT looking for a keyboard that makes sounds, just one that has a USB output so that you can control the sound making capability of synthesia on your computer. If that's correct, what you're looking for is a MIDI controller with a USB output.

I went to the Sweetwater site and sorted their MIDI controllers by price. Limiting myself to "real" keys and at least five octaves, I found the following that are probably in your price range. (Last I checked, the Euro is worth a little more than a Dollar, so being conservative I limited the price to $200 or less, which gives a bit of a cushion for differences in markets, etc. These keyboards should all be available in Europe. You may have additional options, too.)

Five Octave:

Nektar Impact GX61 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ImpactGX61

Samson Carbon 61 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Carbon61

M-Audio Keystation 61 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Keystation61

Alesis V61 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/V61

Behringer U-Control UMX610 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UMX610

Nektar Impact LX61+ Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ImpactLX61P​

88 Key

M-Audio Keystation 88 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Keystation88

Alesis Q88 Keyboard Controller - https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Q88​

I haven't worked with any of them, so I can't make any specific recommendations. If you are ever considering working with a stand alone keyboard as well as a computer, you may wish to choose a controller with both USB and MIDI connections. (You'll only need a MIDI Out.) Otherwise the USB should be fine.

Many of the keyboards come with free software. That may be of interest to you if you move beyond synthesia.

If you want to play "serious" piano music, you may want to limit your search to 88 key controllers. While most of the music through the late classical / early romantic period can be played on a five octave keyboard, you might as well get used to the extra keys and the weight of the keys. (But at this price, you'll probably want to upgrade the 88 note keyboard as your skills improve.)

Buttons and sliders may be useful with certain software, letting you tweak the sounds on the fly, or for triggering additional sounds / chords.

I'm not going to comment on the aesthetics of a red keyboard.

Hope this helps.

 

[Orkar Isber]

thank you =) that helps a lot

 

[Row111]

Hi - there are a couple decades of good Yamaha keyboards out there. Like the YPG 235. It may not be too hard to find one in for sale used by an individual or in a store selling used stuff. As someone has said, you need a keyboard that can connect to your computer. The keyboard then "controls" the Synthesia software - you press a key on the keyboard, and it gets noted in the computer, and the computer plays and, if you are in "record" mode, records that note, until you stop pressing the key. So, the keyboard "controls" the computer.

Most "controllers" do not make sound on their own. But you can get a Yamaha, or Casio, that has its own built-in speakers, and will play on its own, but also can work as a controller. You probably would want a keyboard that sends the midi information out through a USB cable into the computer. The older way that this would work would be to have a midi cable out of the controller, then into a midi interface unit, then into the computer. If you have nop place to buy a USB midi cable, you can order one by mail.

So, look for a Yamaha or Casio that has USB midi out. Here in the U.S., I could get a good used Yamaha YPG for $100 on Ebay almost any day.

A midi controller, on the other hand, would have a few advantages, such as: many have several buttons, knobs, or sliders, and you can "assign" effects to that knob on the keyboard. These "midi CC" functions include things such as portamento or reverb.

 

[Fred Coulter]

there are a couple decades of good Yamaha keyboards out there

There are a couple decades of good keyboards from a variety of manufacturers. There's no good reason to limit yourself to Yamaha. (As an owner of several Yamaha keyboards, I'm allowed to say this.)

There are two problems with older keyboards used as controllers for computer generated sounds. First, most of the older keyboards won't have a USB B plug, which is necessary to connect to a computer. Some will have the rectangular plug that lets you use memory sticks, but that won't connect to a computer. If it doesn't have a USB B plug, you will need another piece of equipment for your computer -- a MIDI interface. Since you're on a budget, double check that it has a USB B plug (more square shaped) and that the specs say USB MIDI. Second, it's older, which means that it may have "issues."

(Get a normal USB cable, not the one that connects to your cell phone. One side is the normal rectangular plug that we all know and love. It looks like the end of a memory stick. The other end is squarish. That's the one the keyboard needs if you want it to talk to a computer. You'll also see it on things like optical drives that you plug into a computer.)

As for the built in speakers on some keyboards, IF the keyboard also has an auxiliary input, you could connect the computer's audio output to the keyboard's auxiliary input, and get both the computer sounds and the keyboard sounds from one set of speakers. Admittedly they aren't the greatest speakers in the world, but it's a simple solution, letting you mix the computer and keyboard sounds without having to buy a mixer. You could also then use the keyboard's headphone plug and make your family and neighbors happy.

As for the YPG-235, it has the requisite USB port. But it doesn't have an auxiliary input. More importantly, if you buy it new it's way outside of your budget.

 

[happyrat1]

In your price range take a look at the Casio WK-6600 or WK-6200 or even a WK-3200.

76 keys, not weighted, decently priced and can be used not ONLY as a voiceless controller but also a very decent standalone synth.

Since you're just starting out with keyboards this is a very decent starter instrument that you can simply switch on and play without having to fire up the computer every time and twiddle with the stupid soft synth settings.

Gary