Keyboards?

[Reist]

I know absolutely nothing about them or synths. I've used them, but in the aspect of purchasing one, I know nothing. I know nothing about MIDI too. Here's what I'm thinking.

1. Something small
2. Needs "realistic" effects
3. Speakers (I'd like to mic it)
4. Cool features. I have no clue what cool features there are to have, but if anyone can suggest useful tools and features, I would be pleased.
5. Not computer-based, or needing a computer, but if you can explain MIDI to me, maybe this is possible.

I hope that helps narrow it down. If anyone can help, that'd be better than great.

[starfinger]

how stuck are you on the built-in speakers thing? also the 'realistic effects' thing is kind of weird.. what sounds do you want to make?

[ken]

Micing shitty built in speakers = shitty recordings. Why would you want that?

The MicroKorg and Alesis Micron are great small synths.


Ken

[HeuristicsInc]

yeah, built-in speakers might confine you to the world of casio. you might also ... err, i got distracted. oh yeah, tell us if you want the ability to tweak and change sounds, or just use sounds that are stored on the hardware and are immutable.
-bill

[obscurity]

5. Not computer-based, or needing a computer, but if you can explain MIDI to me, maybe this is possible.

Fuck it, I'm game:

An obscure guide to MIDI.

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and is exactly what it's name implies - a means to interface (ie, connect) musical instruments digitally (don't worry about the digitally bit, it doesn't really matter). In other words, it allows instruments to talk to each other.

Imagine you have a keyboard that you like the 'feel' of, but you don't like the sounds that it produces. Imagine also that you have a second keyboard, that produces great sounds, but has a few broken keys. With MIDI, you can play a note on the first keyboard, and have the second keyboard produce the sound.

How does this work? Well, the MIDI standard defines a list of messages that can be passed from one instrument to another down the midi cable. One of the messages is 'note on', which means 'start playing a note'. Of course, the 'note on' message included information of which note to play (known as the midi note number). It also includes information on how hard you hit the key (known as velocity), so the second instrument knows if it should play the note loudly or softly.

So as soon as you hit a key on the first keyboard, it sends a 'note on' message down the MIDI cable to the second keyboard, which knows that a 'note on' message means it should start playing a sound, so it does. And as it also knows the note number and velocity ('cos that's on the 'note on' message too), it plays the right note, in the right way.

You probably won't be too surprised to hear that there's also a 'note off' message defined in the midi standard, which the first keyboard sends as soon as you lift your finger off the key, and the second keyboard understands to mean it should stop playing that sound now. The 'note off' message includes the note number, so if you play 2 keys at the same time and then take your finger off one of them, it knows which note to stop playing.

These 'note on' and 'note off' messages only tell half the story, though. They're no good for telling the second keyboard about any changes to the mod wheel or pitch bend on the first keyboard, which it needs to know if it's going to make all the right noises. Thats OK though, because the MIDI standard also includes messages that lets the first keyboard tell the second keyboard about any changes to the pitch bend, or the mod wheel, or a whole load of other types of controllers.

There are also handy 'program change' messages you can send, so if you want the second keyboard to stop making piano sounds and start making violin sounds instead, you don't have to walk over to where it is, change the setting, then walk back to your first keyboard.

At this point, if you're still awake, you might be thinking 'but I dont have 2 keyboards, one with crap sounds and the other with broken keys, so why should I care?'. Well, there are a whole load of other uses for MIDI too. For example you can connect a keyboard to a drum machine, and then play the drums by hitting different keys on your keyboard. Lots of people do this to get a human feel out of their drum machines.

Also, you can connect a keyboard to a sequencer. A sequencer isn't another instrument, but it's more like the MIDI equivalent of a tape recorder. It can record the midi messages you send to it, and play them back to you. This saves you having to write down on paper the tune you've just come up with, if you want to be sure you don't forget it. Even better, once you've recorded the MIDI data in the sequencer, you can edit it. So if your timings as bad as mine, you can get the sequencer to fix it for you. In fact, once you know how to use your sequencer, you can just program the details into it directly without having to play a note on the keyboard at all. This means you can write stuff that's way beyond your ability to play, and have your sequencer play it for you. These days my keyboard skills are so rusty I can't play most of the stuff I've written for songfight. Thanks to MIDI, I don't have to :)

Even better, you can connect a keyboard or sequencer to two keyboards and play both of them at the same time. You could have one of them playing a bassline with a real beefy bass sound, and the other playing chords with a soft choir-type sound over the top (for example). Hell, throw in a drum machine and you've almost got a full backing track for a song going on right there. Of course, if you have both instruments playing both the bass and harmony parts at the same time it'll sound awful, so you'll need a way to make the bass synth know to only play the bass notes, and the other one to only play the harmony. Luckily, the MIDI standard includes a way of doing that, called midi 'channels'.

A MIDI channel is much the same sort of idea as a TV or radio channel. Your TV can receive a number of different channels from your ariel, but only displays the one you tell it to. Likewaise, a synth can receive a number of MIDI channels from the MIDI cable, but it only responds to the one you've told it to. So you could have the synth that's playing bass listening to channel 1, and the choir-playing synth listening to channel 2. Then you'd tell your sequencer to send the bass part on channel 1 and the choir part on channel 2 and you'd be set. Or if you're playing the part live on a keyboard, most decent keyboards will let you program them to 'split' the keyboard, so that notes played on one half of it are sent down one midi channel and notes played on the other are sent on a different channel. There are 16 different MIDI channels, which you can use however you want, although it's kind of a convention that drum sounds are sent down channel 10, so that's often the default for drum sounds.

The really cool thing here is that even if you want to use all 16 channels to play a part, you don't need to buy 16 different keyboards! Most decent keyboards are 'multi-timbral', which means they can play more than one different sound (timbre) at the same time. So you can tell the one keyboard to play (for example) bass notes when it receives note on messages on channel 1, choir notes on channel 2, piano notes on channel 4, an organ on channel 5, a saxaphone on channel 6, and drums on channel 10. Just connect that one keyboard to a sequencer with the parts programmed in, and that's it, that's your song right there, you just need to sing the vocals and record it.

A word of warning tho': not all keyboards can use all 16 channels at the same time. A common limit is '8-part' multitimbral, which means it can only play 8 different sounds at a time, and some keyboards might have other limits like 12-part or whatever. There are also other limits like polyphony on synths but they're not really anything to do with MIDI so I'm skipping them.

If you play guitar, and have a decent FX unit, it'll probably have a MIDI input to allow you to control some if it's settings from a sequencer or keyboard. Or there are other sources of MIDI data, like a MIDI guitar or MIDI drum pads, that you can use if you prefer those to keyboards (although last I tried one, MIDI guitars weren't very reliable).

Probably the most useful thing you can connect a keyboard to using MIDI is a computer. The way a computer handles MIDI messages that it receives, or decides what MIDI messages to send, depends on what program is running on it. You can have sequencer programs that do the same thing as the sequencer device I mentioned earlier. Computer-based sequencers tend to be a lot easier to use 'cos you've got a full screen, keyboard and mouse to work with, and you can save your songs to hard drive. You can also run virtual instruments, so your computer acts like it was a synth, or a drum machine, or a sampler, or even a guitarist!

If you've made it all the way through this and are thinking it all sounds kinda neat, you're gonna fucking LOVE it when you start to understand DAWs and VSTs. It'll rock your world.

[Reist]

I'm definitely diggin the sound of this MIDI deal, but I need to know a few other things. Is it possible to have small a synth/keyboard, and just plug it into your computer which has ... say ... a 'MIDI sound bank' kind of thing, and convert the signals into a grand piano/orchestra/bass sound, and play along in Audacity? That's kind of the ideal thing I'd want that would avoid the "bad mic'd sound' that you guys were mentioning. Is that possible? As well, you said some stuff about a computer 'sequencer', and it sounds good, but I still don't quite understand.

ps. good info obscurity!

[Tonamel]

Yes and no.

Yes, you can totally play MIDI into your computer based sound banks/synths/whatev, but no, I don't think Audacity has that functionality.

[starfinger]

another thing that might not be obvious is that you can get a keyboard that doesn't make any sounds on its own - it just sends midi data. Most of these nowadays can plug it into the computer via usb, and they look like a midi device to your software.

What's your budget? There are quite a few great little synths that act as good controllers. Then you have something that adds value regardless of whether or not you are using your computer.

I have one of these: Yamaha AN1x

Which is an older, *very* capable analog modeling synth that makes a great midi controller.. but you will have to use something else to hook it into the computer, because it has no usb.

You can get these for a steal on ebay.

-=craig

[HeuristicsInc]

hey obs, that post about midi would do well in jb's how-to page wherever that was. very good intro.
-bill

[Reist]

Starfinger, I checked out your link, and was really impressed. It definitely looks tough to figure out, but that's just my problem. It's cool how you can get the grand piano hookup for that. Those are what I mostly want - grand piano and strings. Cool synth effects are great too. I may have to pop over to my local st. john's or long&mcquade and check into this stuff. Maybe mother's music.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

You can find used sound module-things to jack into your midi keyboard fairly affordably, too. The Alesis NanoPiano can be found for usually under $100 US. And it's chock full o' fun and weirdness. Strictly MIDI though, MIDI in/out/thru and stereo outs so you'll need a way to get your sound into your DAW.

Used on my "Cheer Up Shelley" (all the sounds except guitar & drums) and the Primitive Screwhead's entry in the Residents of the USA sidefight "Harry the Head" (organ & strings). Pro'lly others too, but I'm not totally sure c'est moment.

[Reist]

Cool sounds Rabid. This stuff is looking better to me all the time.

[obscurity]

I'm definitely diggin the sound of this MIDI deal, but I need to know a few other things. Is it possible to have small a synth/keyboard, and just plug it into your computer which has ... say ... a 'MIDI sound bank' kind of thing, and convert the signals into a grand piano/orchestra/bass sound, and play along in Audacity? That's kind of the ideal thing I'd want that would avoid the "bad mic'd sound' that you guys were mentioning. Is that possible?

I'm not familiar with Audacity, but as I understand it, it does not handle MIDI, only audio. However, what you describe is perfectly possible with other software, such as Cubase (which is what I use), or Sonar or Logic or many others. These are known as DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software, btw.

Some MIDI controller keyboards (IE, keyboards that only generate MIDI messages, and don't produce any sounds of their own) come with free scaled-down versions of DAW software, which might be a good starting point if you're planning to buy a keyboard anyway.

As well, you said some stuff about a computer 'sequencer', and it sounds good, but I still don't quite understand.

If you can explain in more detail what bits you don't understand, I'll have another go at explaining them. For example, did you understand the bit that talked about a sequencer as a seperate device (before I got to the computer bit)? Put some effort into telling me what you need explaining, and I'll put some more effort into explaining it.

[obscurity]

hey obs, that post about midi would do well in jb's how-to page wherever that was.

I didn't realise jb had a how-to page, but he's welcome to include my post if he wants to.

(Although if you're reading this JB and you do want to use it, send me a PM and I'll spend a bit more time editing it first - I couldn't be arsed for a message-board post but the inconsistent capitalisation needs fixing for a start).

[Reist]

Well, I guess the confusion I have is - are computer-based sequencers just programs where you use the keyboard/mouse to play the music? Or is it a program that you plug your MIDI sequencer into, and record from there? I just can't seem to grasp what it is. If I bought an analog sequencer, would it hook into the computer to record, or would it need a synth? Sorry if my questions sound vague.

[obscurity]

I'm afraid that while I understand the words you used in that last post, the only thing I can gather from the way in which you combined them is that you're pretty confused. I wish you'd actually explained what bits you understand and what bits you don't, or at least answered the example question I asked, so I could have a fighting chance at guessing what I need to explain.

Sorry, but I'm not the most patient of people, and I've come to the point where I can't be arsed, so I'll leave this for someone who has more patience than me now.

[starfinger]

are computer-based sequencers just programs where you use the keyboard/mouse to play the music? Or is it a program that you plug your MIDI sequencer into, and record from there?

you can do it either way... also, most multi track audio recorders let you have midi notes on tracks as well, so you can sequence midi right along with your audio.

If I bought an analog sequencer, would it hook into the computer to record, or would it need a synth?

i don't think you're ready to start thinking about analog sequencers. if you mean a hardware sequencer, you can usually sync those to your computer, but that's probably more complicated than you need to get right now.

Some [probably most] hardware sequencers have built in sound generators, but they're usually pretty lame.

-craig

[Lunkhead]

Lemme take a whack at this.... Here are the components you need for live performance using MIDI:

1. Controller: the hardware that you physically interact with to generate MIDI data

2. Sampler/sound module: the software that receives MIDI data and uses it to play audio samples (or otherwise generate sound)

If you want to work with MIDI in a studio environment you will need:

3. Sequencer: the software you use to record, edit, and play back MIDI data

You can use a keyboard for just #1, or #1+#2, or all three components. You can use computer software for #2, or #2+#3. You can also buy dedicated hardware that's just #2, or #3, or both.

So basically you should figure out first and foremost whether you want a setup for playing live, or for studio recordings. If you just want to play live, don't even worry about the sequencer part.

I think the most flexible setup for doing recordings is to have a keyboard that's just a controller, and use computer software for everything else. You could even use a setup like that live, if you have a laptop and a keyboard that plugs into a USB port, and you don't mind carrying both around.

Lately I feel like you could do anything you could ever want with just Reason and a controller. That program is totally amazing...

[Reist]

Sorry obscurity. I thought my description was detailed enough, but I was pretty unclear on everything.

That was really helpful Lunk. I was getting pretty confused, and that at least cleared up a bit of it. I'm just wondering - what it Reason? How do you get it, and how much does it cost? Does it work as a multitrack recorder with which I could insert recorded audio to play along with, or is it just for MIDI? For a controller, would a small synth be fine, or would I need a full keyboard? Thanks.

[Lunkhead]

Sorry to add more confusion. Reason is an awesome piece of software that's like a virtual rack full of as many samplers, keyboards, drum machines, mixers, and effects as you want. You can find out more and buy it here:

http://www.propellerheads.se/

There are less scrupulous ways to obtain it, too, but I won't go into that here. If you buy it from some other retailer, rather than direct, it's usually $400. As far as I'm aware, you can't record audio into Reason. By itself it's just a sampler/sound module and a sequencer. However, you can use it from within audio programs like Cubase, Logic, ProTools, etc.

How big a controller you should get depends on what you're going to do with it. You probably only need a big controller if you're going to be playing real piano/organ/etc. parts with both hands, spanning several octaves. If you're mostly going to be doing drums, or bass, or mono-synth lines, or just one hand of a piano part, you could probably get away with 2-3 octaves. Controllers that size are much more portable, too.

[Reist]

I checked out the link, and everything looks like all I could dream it could be. Wish it didn't need a computer though. That problem can be fixed with a few months of work. One more question (sorry). What's a MIDI interface? It's required for a keyboard to work with Reason, built in or not.

[Lunkhead]

A MIDI interface allows you to send MIDI into your computer. There are two ways to go:

1. A dedicated MIDI interface, which is a little box that you plug into a USB port on your computer. Then you plug your MIDI controller into the interface.

2. A controller with a MIDI interface built in, so you can plug the controller right into a USB port on your computer, with no need for additional hardware.

Some audio interfaces also have MIDI interfaces built in, in which case you wouldn't need to buy an additional dedicated MIDI interface.