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 (nobody)...and 313 guests Last 5 registered Oplandisks nothingstar N_loop yipe foxtrotromeo Browse members... |
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Members 8025Messages 2614130 Today 2 Topics 127542 |
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im just about to buy one. lets say i have 1000eto spend on it. and i know nothing about them, basically, besides the names like korg/clavia/yamaha/etc. therefore im looking for advice, what should i get to easily put my ideas into my pc and have ability to play with it later in cubase or something like that. or maybe theres better combination which i havent heard about ? as for the start i dont need full spectrum of knobs/buttons/etc, i guess, so please, if you have any advices - share them in here :) |
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Is it mainly for studio, or live work? How good are you at playing the keyboard? What sort of sounds/artists do you like? Do you have a desktop PC or a laptop? |
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home purpose mainly. ive got few years of piano-playin experience. sounds rather experimental, autechre, richard devine, aswell as hafler trio and all sort of ambient stuff. and PC of course, sound blaster audigy 2 external. i was thinking about getting something just to record somenice melodies, backgrounds,and stuff like that to cubase, then editing it further and etc etc. is that the idea of external controller? |
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Personally, I'd just get a midi controller keyboard and have softsynths running on your PC to make the sound. I'm not sure what the latency is like on an Audigy 2, but someone should be along soon to comment on whether or not it'd be easily playable (or if the lag would be too off-putting). That way you could record the midi in and re-arrange, sequence, quantise, etc. the lines you play in. If you get an actual hardware synth and just record the sound into the PC (rather than the midi data) your options of editing it afterwards are more limited. You could of course play the midi data from a synth into cubase, record that, then play it back from the PC into the synth if you want the synth to make the sound. Generally though softsynths are good value for money and a lot of synths nowadays are only software in a box anyway, rather than like analogue synths of old. If you like ambience and melody, that sort of thing, I'd get something that can do nice pads. Absynth by Native Instruments would be a good choice software-wise. I'm sure a hardware buff will be along to recommend a good hardware synth that's nice for pads. |
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but basically whats the difference between MIDI controler and typical keyboard ? like korg ? or clavia ? if i will record the melody in cubase while playing live, then i will be able to edit it how i like,right ? so, besides nice software ( which i have already ) what do i need ? controller that allow me to play and record live ? and is it true that most of these hardware toys have multiple effects so that you can arrange the sound already at the moment of playing on them ? im new to that thing, i really need bacis explanations :) maybe some examples of some nice toys so i would look and see whats going on , or even links to sites where someone says what a basic amateur musician should do in his studio? |
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A midi controller has no sounds on it - it purely controlls other devices, like software or hardware synthesisers. Keyboards and synths actually produce the sound rather than control other devices. |
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ok, so, if i want to make sounds and record them into PC i should go for keyboards right ? and if i want to control some synths, i should go for MIDI...now- can i controlany software synth with a controller ?like FM7 or absynth ? and then, record it ic PC ?still have no clue:) |
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- im connecting that one into PC and then what ? launch absymth and play with sounds ? and then record it if i like the sound for further editing ? sorry for stupid questions :P |
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Most beginners don't bother with keyborads and hardware synths. Modern software synths are often as good. If you get a midi controller you can control the software synths thus making the controller just like a keyboard, but more versatile. Yes you will be able to control pretty much any software synth, such as FM7 and Absynth. I think its definitely better you persuing this route rather than getting some posh Korg workstation keyboard, and much cheaper too. That particular controller looks a bit too posh really, unless you want to do really flambouyant piano type stuff. You will need a sequencer on your PC to host the software synths - you record your keystrokes into the sequencer, which relays them into the synths, so you're not really recording actual sound if you get me, just your keystrokes. Its a bit hard to understand at first I know but if you experiment around you will see what I mean. In terms of a midi controller, I would recommend something a bit more like , which has a lot of knobs and sliders on which you will be thankful for later. What style of music do you want to make, maybe then I could reccommend a sequencer that might suit you, |
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yay. lets say im interested in going into more ambiental way, like scape label,or something really chilled out.no breakcores,sharp synths,and stuff - just a mood for evenings. i have colelctedvarioussoftwarethingies, and by saying i wil be able to record a sound in sequencer- you mean cubase for example ? are there betters ? |
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to be honest i was thinking about getting something with 88 keys, just for the sake of easily playable compositions without hassle of changing the octaves,if you know what i mean. |
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this list isniceas for the first look at 88-key ones : |
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Yes I mean stuff like Cubase. That might be the best one for you. There is an SL version which is cheaper - if you're planning on buying... I'd also look into Ableton Live, as you may find that suits your style better, its quite different. I would really see if you could get a controller with some knobs and sliders, they are absolutely vital to my setup. |
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Those first three all look quite good, I would be tempted to go for the first or second just for £££ sakes. Man you must have a lot of room! |
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m-audio..... hmmmmm. looks nice. so in shortcut - impluggin that bastard into PC. im launching any absynth-like software. im setting up all the options. im playing what i see on screen, various sounds blah blah. i can record it after a while in sequencer. im playing with the recorded sound. right ? |
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Mehh... kinda. You can kind of do it several ways really but I suppose you could do that I think. |
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allright. thats one way. what are others,and what advantages / disadvantages MIDI contoller has ? |
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I cannot really see any drawbacks to having a midi controller for making music on your computer. As far as intuitiveness and keeping your workflow going, its the only option for making music. Although a poorly built controller can really cause problems. Also, if your soundcard isn't up to snuff, the latency can kill any benefits getting a controller could give you. You won't have that problem. The audigy 2 zs platinum cards will give you next to no latency (altho I have other issues with those fuckers at creative, but I won't get into that). I have heard really good things about the third one that you linked to. Aparently, they are extremely affordable, and solid in construction. The m-audio ones are good too, although they are plastic, and the cme keyboards are all solid metal. Hammer weighted keys would be the only way to go for your uses. Also, you should get the knobs. That adds another dimension to your composition (especially if you are working on ambient music, being able to control your delays and feedbacks and phasing with the knobs while you are playing will become extremely important). |
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allright - after a bit of research im interested in those three options now. i like m-audio the most. loads of knobs =sliders, hammer keys, looks minimalistic, weight = 20kg ( wow ) -makes it really really nice and proffesional- considering the fact that i wont buy next one in nearest future, so maybe thats the right choice. edirol - looks a bit plastic for me, but its pretty much similar - only the number of knobs is smaller. which makes difference if i consider long time of usage of this one. fatar - well, the last option,and i mean "the last". so i pressume i will go for the first /second one. additional q: i know edirol has some presets for software ( cubase, reason, fruity even ), thus im wondering if m-audio will have an option to work with one of these aswell. thats important since im using these soft's for now. it says in description that m-audio offers "tactile command over your favorite soft synths and digital audio sequencers like Reason and Live". so that means that i would be able to control those softwares, right ? if the answer is "yes' i will probably goform-audio. it is more xepensive, but that must mean something aswell. so, how about that ? |
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sorry. 3 choices ( comes in/out to my headpretty fast hehe ) edirol ( like above ) m-audio ( as above) thats the one made of steel.but again,less knobs and sliders than m-audio. so here i have : m-audio / edirol / cme uf8 how about that ?? |
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Honestly, I would put the m-audio in the third slot. Its construction, although light, is probly cheap plastic. As far as edirol is concerned, I have had a friend who had constant problems with some of the sliders on his controller, sent it in, and they sent it back, repaired, only two different sliders weren't working. He sent that one back, and they sent him a brand new one, that had a non-responisve knob and another slider that wasn't working. It also took them forever to return the controllers back to him. Altho he is the only person who has had problems like that, although I saw both the controllers when he had them, and the problems were as described. The cme uf8 sounds to be the sturdiest build out of the three that you have noted. There is also this one . I have it and I stand by it. Although I only have a 25 key one, but you can get up to 61 keys for this brand, and it also has a built in synthesizer. Its got 20 270 degree knobs, 4 endless 360 degree knobs, 9 sliders, a bunch of assignable buttons, a section to control the start stop and play section of your sequencer, and an assignable x/y pad. Plus its a breeze to program, and can be used as a midi router. |
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shit. i was temptedby the m-audio one. i wont take it to stage,plus its heavy as fuck, so thats not only the hammer-keys i guess. even if m-audio conctruction is some kind of plastic composite, only the EMC has steel elements - novation is plastic aswell. plus it has 61 instead of full range of 88 keys, and i have 5 years of piano behind my back - wouldnt i feel the difference ? the fact that it has synth which is built in doesnt make me horny- as i rather like to slowly record,master,edit and put together instead of roughly live-playing.unless the difference is reallyreallybig, although what i found are comparisons between x-station ( 25 keys) with other m-audiomodels ( ozonic ).so as standalone, still m-audio gets better reviews. cme is tempting aswell, but i wantedto stand by m-audio because of its number of knobs and sliders - or maybe you wont use 20 at one time anyway ? i wastoldto get 88 hammer full-weight keys.novation has only semi-weight, and not hammer ones. tough decision. i dunno. i would reallyneed moreopinions, suprisingly there are no more ppl at xlt digging hardware ? i doubt it. come on lads ! |
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To be honest I dont think your preference of having 88 hammer action keys is very common - I play the piano, but I really don't use my midi controller in the same way, I can't see how hammer action would be much of an advantage unless you actually want to play piano VSTs. I think the majority of synths suit a rather different style than pianos. Just my opinion though obviously. |
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novation x-station or remote series... my remote25 has made such a difference. i love it. |
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i was considering playing a piano sometimes just for myself, therefore that baby would be not only usable as for vst recordings, but aswell formy own pleasure - thats why i wante dto have 88 keys. full spectrum |
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guys, help me out plz:) |
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Yeah I love my midi controller... but Im also considering buying myself a piano in the next 5 years, a real one. Stand-up, some sort of old detuned piano that makes this awesome "Arcade Fire" piano sound. It'll be hard to move it out of my place ;) |
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Hey. Go with the CME. You won't be playing 20 knobs at once. That is what patch selectors are for. |
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