What keyboard should I get?

[mcleetus]

Hey, I am into making hip hop and electronica beats and overall music production with reason and logic pro 8. I currently use a mac and I wanted to get a keyboard to use as a midi controller/synthesizer. Should I get a midi controller for controlling my DAW sounds and then get a synthesizer also? I like to play live so I want at least 61 keys. Most synthesizer's usually act as a midi controller also from what I hear, so should I just pay a little more and get a decent synthesizer that can do it all? I am looking to spend about $800.

 

[kanthos]

You'll have a lot more options working with software (need a new sound? get a new plugin), and, it seems, you already bring your Mac with you when you play live (so buying a keyboard to replace it won't be something you'll want anyway).

If I'm right and your laptop is already a central part to your live rig, I probably wouldn't bother with a synth. For $800, you couldn't get much in terms of a hardware synth, but you could get a great MIDI controller and probably have money left over for one or two software synths, which would give you a lot more options.

If you're looking to add other sounds (acoustic instruments, in particular), you can still probably do better with a good controller and a plugin like Kontakt than with a hardware keyboard.

 

[mcleetus]

Thanks

Thanks for the info. Now I am deciding whether to get an Akai MPK 49, or get a midi controller with 88 keys. The Akai sounds sweet but I don't want to have to switch octaves on the fly and also it comes with a drum pad. What should I go with, a simple 88 key midi controller without pads or the Akai?

 

[kanthos]

You might also want to check out the M-Audio Axiom series; the Axiom 61 might be better for your purposes than the Akai; they're essentially the same except for an extra octave on the Axiom 61.

Which to go for? That's entirely preference at this point. Ask yourself the following questions:

1) Do you want weighted keys or not?
2) Do you routinely use a range of more than 49 or keys for a single part, or do you routinely use a range of more than 2 octaves for each hand?
3) Do you care about triggering sounds with pads?
4) Do you tweak properties of individual sounds on the fly? Do you tweak volumes of parts on the fly? (You probably won't find an 88-key controller with sliders or knobs).