Keyboard?

santucci218 · #1 03-12-2007, 08:56 PM

hey guys, i'm looking for a keyboard or synth or digital piano for around 200 dollars. Let me say i hate those keyboards with the 200 different instrument sounds and the built in speakers. I want something i can plug into my bass amp hopefully.

Can you guys recommends anything that i look for new or used?

thanks,

Paul S.

seamonkey · #2 03-12-2007, 10:20 PM

Do you have a decent PC?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Oxygen61/

AdlerAugen · #3 03-13-2007, 02:56 AM

pretty much anything that has a headphone jack can go into your amp. It's just if it has 1/4" to determine whether you need a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter or not. I've got my electronic piano (read: isn't moving anywhere, and is sitting on top of custom organ pedals) hooked up to an altec lansing 4.1 system through the headphone jacks, and I use the surround speakers for the computer that I occassionally have hooked up there when I'm recording midi files.

santucci218 · #4 03-16-2007, 01:59 PM

i dont get the difference between a midi controller and a keyboard. please tell me.

bassturtle · #5 03-16-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

i dont get the difference between a midi controller and a keyboard. please tell me.

Generally midi controllers dont have internal sounds.

santucci218 · #6 03-16-2007, 05:55 PM

well yeah...but like...can i play that thing through my amp? or only through my computer?

barthanatos · #7 03-16-2007, 06:36 PM

MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) is a signal that describes a note being played. It contains really very little information:
duration of note (how long)
frequency of note (what note)
attack of note (how hard it is hit)

I think that's it - that's all that's coming readily to mind, anyway.
You need a processor to convert those signals into sounds that resemble instruments. The processor will have stored "samples" of what a real instrument sounds like (or an imaginary instrument), and will then play that sample back in the manner you described using your MIDI controller.

A MIDI controller could be:
a keyboard
a footpedal
an electronic flute
a bass with MIDI pickups
a violin with MIDI pickups
etc.

If you plugged a MIDI keyboard into your computer, your computer could process the MIDI signals and convert them to sounds. You could send the resultant output to your bass amp, yes.

santucci218 · #8 03-16-2007, 08:46 PM

how much is it to get a program to change what sounds it can make the midi?

lemur821 · #9 03-16-2007, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

how much is it to get a program to change what sounds it can make the midi?

Nothing. A quick google will show you some solutions. Here on Linux I'd connect my MIDI in to Timidity, a software player for simple stuff. If I wanted to make my own sounds I might muck about with Pure Data or Csound (both will run on many operating systems).

There's probably some more good Windows around as well as a host of lousy shareware monstrosities. Just Google for freeware softsynths.

santucci218 · #10 03-17-2007, 12:34 AM

wow cool. whats the best midi controller i can get for say...150?

i herd Korg and Roland are the best brands.

geoffkhan · #11 03-17-2007, 04:00 PM

For $150... you're not going to get much, unless your expectations are not very high. Your best bet would be to look for a used keyboard made in the 90's, like an Alesis QS6 or something. That's your best bet at getting a good synth for not too much.

seamonkey · #12 03-17-2007, 06:44 PM

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Oxygen61/
Comes with free software to make sounds.
find many more using google.
But Geoffkhan is right - it aint much, but it's good enough to start with.

lemur821 · #13 03-17-2007, 08:59 PM

Look for something that's got velocity sensitive keys for sure.