What is a MIDI Controller?

[Riotblade]

I am really new to the different "addons" to keyboards and pianos and I was wondering what a MIDI Controller is.

 

[Skipp]

it's a keyboard you use to control another keyboard or a module or your PC.

You can use your keyboard as a controller (has sounds in it but when used as a controller it plays sounds from another keyboard/module/rack/PC), or buy a midi controller only (no on board sounds).

This is done via MIDI cables (IN/OUT) or via USB cable.

Hope i was a bit helpful. If you have any more questions feel free to ask

 

[Riotblade]

Oh I think i got it

thanks!

 

[Skipp]

Main thing you have to know...

If you don't have a keyboard you DON'T buy a controller
Cause it has no on-board sounds, and you have to plug it into somewhere.

Yes, you could use your PC and some VST plug-ins but that's just extra money
you have to spend, and all together you could've bought a plain keyboard.

MIDI Controllers are very often used in studios. You buy the keyboard controller
and fill the room with racks or sound modules (those are just sounds from a specific keyboard, nothing else) and just plug the controller into one of them and start recording.

For example

This master controller (M-audio Keystation pro88)

plus a rack of some sort... (Triton Rack)

would give you the same thing as this - Korg Triton proX

You have 88 weighted keys as your controller, and all the sounds and the effects of the Triton in that little box

 

[Riotblade]

so they mainly are bought to give your keyboard more effects or features in a sense?

 

[Sargas]

The modules are bought to give more sounds and effects to your keyboard, yes. The MIDI controllers are bought to tell the modules what notes to play, and how long, while the modules gives the notes a sound, like Piano or Strings.

As Sysryn mentioned, don't buy a MIDI controller if you haven't got anything to connect it to, like a module or a computer (though a computer might not be recommended for starters, as letancy will be a problem if you haven't adjusted your computer to act module/sequencer. And you probably don't want latency problems if the computer is the only thing you can connect your keyboard to)

 

[Skipp]

The modules are bought to give more sounds and effects to your keyboard, yes. The MIDI controllers are bought to tell the modules what notes to play, and how long, while the modules gives the notes a sound, like Piano or Strings.

As Sysryn mentioned, don't buy a MIDI controller if you haven't got anything to connect it to, like a module or a computer (though a computer might not be recommended for starters, as letancy will be a problem if you haven't adjusted your computer to act module/sequencer. And you probably don't want latency problems if the computer is the only thing you can connect your keyboard to)

Exactly... and you really don't want your PC to crash during your live performance hehe... that rarely happens but it is possible

 

[Sargas]

Exactly... and you really don't want your PC to crash during your live performance hehe... that rarely happens but it is possible

Indeed, that would probably ruin the entire show, depending on how much the computer was doing...


Hope we've answered your question clearly enough now, Riotblade

 

[Duckbill]

As Sysryn mentioned, don't buy a MIDI controller if you haven't got anything to connect it to, like a module or a computer (though a computer might not be recommended for starters, as letancy will be a problem if you haven't adjusted your computer to act module/sequencer. And you probably don't want latency problems if the computer is the only thing you can connect your keyboard to)

What would one do to adjust one's computer to act as a module/sequencer? Obviously having the right software is a key, but are there specific hardware setups that ensure against latency? Is this a processor deal, or memory or sound card?

 

[Sargas]

What would one do to adjust one's computer to act as a module/sequencer? Obviously having the right software is a key, but are there specific hardware setups that ensure against latency? Is this a processor deal, or memory or sound card?

I think it's mostly memory and sound card that matters, the processor speed might be important too, I don't really know. But remember: a chain is never stronger than the weakest link, if you got a really good sound card, and a lot of memory, but a crappy processor, things might get slow anyways.

I think it depends a bit on how many others things that's on your computer too, if you have a computer that is made only for acting module, with no other programs installed, obviously it would work better than a computer with games and other stuff installed.

As for the hardware setups, I don't know, so I can't answer that... Hope I've been helpfull anyway

 

[hdiddy]

Hi... related question from a n00b as well.

I have an old Yamaha P88 that I use for just plain piano playing. Sound quality isn't a real big issue, but I've been shopping for Korg Triton related keyboards as I want the big LCD user interface and sequencing/track looping capabilities. All I need to do is buy one of these M3 Modules and use the old P88 as a controller - correct?

http://www.music123.com/Korg-M3-M-Tabletop-Synthesizer-Sampler-Module-701818-i1175414.Music123

Just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing before I plunk down a big load of cash on this.
Thanks.
-H

 

[hdiddy]

Bah nvm. The Korg M50 is coming in November. I'll just replace the old P80 with it for almost the same price.

 

[JimRH8]

another begginner question from someone who's only keyboard is an 80's casio (which is amazing by the way!) :

can you set up a midi controller with a keyboard to give you two manuals, or maybe a different sound to each manual ?

 

[kanthos]

Depends.

Having a second keyboard control the sound on a first is easily doable as long as the first has MIDI IN and the second has MIDI OUT. It's just a matter of getting your MIDI channels set right so that the controller is sending on the/a channel that the first keyboard is listening to. MIDI IN and OUT is pretty standard; unless you have a really cheap keyboard or a controller that's intentionally USB-only, I'd expect the controller to have MIDI OUT and the keyboard to have both IN and OUT. (Of course, the controller could be a second keyboard, so it could make its own sounds in addition to making the first keyboard make sounds).

Getting two different sounds out of your master keyboard is dependent on how good it is. If it's not multi-timbral (multiple parts at once), then you'll only be able to have both keyboards produce the same sound. If it is multi-timbral, you should be able to split it somehow so the first keyboard plays one (or more) parts through its own keyboard on one (or more) MIDI channels, and plays one or more parts through the controller on possibly different MIDI channels (for example, sometimes you might want to have both keyboards play a string pad, but the top one would play some other synth sound along with strings and the bottom would play strings and piano or something).

In terms of doing a good organ setup, you're probably best if you have a keyboard that physically models the organ (Korg OASYS, Nord Stage or Electro, I'm sure there are others). You'd want this because there are subtle differences in a B3 between the swell and great manuals. My current setup is a Nord Stage on top with a M-Audio KeyStation 88es on the bottom, and it works perfectly for organ playing.