88 Keys? 61?, What size keyboard is good for learning? Options

[xparrot]

I'm on the verge of purchasing a MIDI keyboard to learn how to play the piano.

My question is, how many keys do I need to learn? A piano has 88, so I lean towards that. But there are 76 key, 61 key and 49 key controllers.

Which would be a good one to learn on for someone who has never played before?

I found this software for OS X that will be available soon:
http://www.floridamusicco.com/pianokeyboard.htm

What other hardware will I need to connect the MIDI keyboard to my computer.

I have(or will have as soon as it delivers) a dual 2Ghz G5 with 2GB of RAM

Thanks in advance for the help with this.

-Kirk

[Synthetic]

well a 61 note keyboard will probably be fine to learn on and especially for any synth work but... if you want to be a piano virtuoso though... a 88 key is what you should go with because when you start playing with both hands (one for bass lines and one for the melody) you will need that extra range of octaves to be effiecient.

I took lessons on 88 key piano but did all my practicing on my Yamaha 61 key synth that was sufficient for me... i never really planned to become Billy Joel or Elton John though

if you plan to get a G5... you really don't need anything else. It comes with 24bit audio inputs and midi in and out I think so it sounds like you will just need to consider software that you want to use and that depends on how much midi and audio work you wish to do.

PS... you know most of us here will be envious of your G5 and will probably spew a few sarcastic remarks at you when you start asking for help relating to that new speed demon hehe

[JamesIII]

I don't think the G5 has midi in/out. It does have the digital in/out, but that is it as far as audio inputs are concerned. Some synths out there have a midi interface built in so all you have to do is hook the synth directly to the G5's USB port. The coolest new standard is the "mlan" which can be found on the KORG Triton series as well as Yamaha's sythns. This new standard allows all of your midi data and audio data to be sent over one firewire cable from your synth to your computer. To make this work you have to use software that is ASIO based; unfortunately ProTools isn't. On the bright side, Logic and Digital Performer are. I hope this info helps. Good luck.

James III

[formatj]

You may want to consider a weighted keyboard
i.e. one with a piano hammer action.
e.g.
http://www.doepfer.de/pk88.htm
(this keyboard is MIDI only, no USB connector)

[xparrot]

Thanks for the help. I know that the 61 key keyboard I was looking at has a USB connection.

I think the Doepfer pk88 is a little too much piano for me, price-wise.

Spent all my money on my G5. Supposedly should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. I ordered it in July.

I also ordered two 23" Cinema Displays, so start the sarcastic comments.

I was thinking about the Fatar TMK 88 key

http://www.kraftmusic.com/catalog/keyboard...sp?product=2521

Think this would work?

-Kirk

[Synthetic]

dual 23" monitors too? uhhhggg you are killing us

that truly will be the most "kick-a$$" system I have ever seen

looks fine to me but i would check the controllers on site below and compare features and prices

http://www.musiciansfriend.com
http://www.samash.com
http://www.zsounds.com

[xparrot]

Knowing absolutley nothing about keyboards, do you think this
http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp...&departmentid=3

is better than the Fatar?

-Kirk
P.S. I did go a little bat-sh1t on my computer system, but I came into some money and thought, "When else will I be able to afford this?" The monitors arrived almost two months ago and have been sitting in their boxes. My current G3/300 can't handle any of the new equipment I purchased, so it's just sitting there like I am waiting for the G5.

[xparrot]

Actually, the more I look at the StudioLogic and the Fatar I'm realizing that they're the same keyboard with a different logo slapped on it.

-Kirk

[lync4495]

First I would tend to believe that if you are only going to be sequencing simple beats and riffs into your g5 a simple 61 or 76 key non-weighted keyboard is fine. But if you are planning on actually learning piano which is highly recommended in terms of writing music you will need an 88 weighted key keyboard. Without the weight I there is nothing to ease the abrupt stop the key gets when it hits the bottom and this can cause pretty severe carple tunnel syndrome (puts a quick stop to long practice sessions). I bought an Alesis QS8.1 off of ebay and I love it. Before I bought it though I spent a couple of months researching the wide world of keyboards. I settled on the Alesis because it seemed to fit into my setup and it has aftertouch sensitivity, but some other keyboards that seemed great are the Yamaha P80 (average of about $600 - $700 on ebay), the Roland RD series (averaged about $500 - $600 for the RD150 on ebay, higher for the RD600 and RD700). These two are digital weighted pianos with pretty much only piano sounds on board while the Alesis is more of a weighted synthesiser keyboard. In terms of the feel of the keys I haven't played the other two but the Alesis feels exactly like a real piano (of course i'm also not a classically trained pianist so don't take my word for it). One thing to note though: Almost all the weighted key systems in most popular keyboards are made by Fatar and as far as i know they don't do much to change the design from keyboard to keyboard. So basically if you were to take it apart there would be the same key system in almost any keyboard... therefore I don't put much stock into comments like "the P80 action is too heavy, or the Alesis too light" They're all the same.
One final note.
Your budget obviously isn't too tight. Get a Korg Triton. I has a whole bunch of stuff that you may or may not use being that you'll be doing most sequencing in the G5, but it's a wicked machine leaving limitless possibilities for live use.

[xparrot]

Both the Fatar and the StudioLogic have "full-size semi-weighted keys" according to their identical descriptions.

Is that weighted enough? The Korg Triton looks nice, but having never played the piano before I'd rather not spend that much money for something I may end up not using.

The G5 and the monitors I will use daily. I work on a Mac all day long.

-Kirk