With computer horse power rising by the second, the decision to keep your musical instruments in the physical realm versus the virtual has never been harder to determine, especially for the keyboard users of the world. With so many new options and variables that come into play with each new innovation in the industry, it has become much more difficult to decide which choice may be best for you. From determining which route is most cost effective and just how expandable each can be, to understanding the technical aspects that can be quite jarring to the first time buyer. In this article I will help you figure out if purchasing an all in one keyboard workstation or just a simple midi controller with a module or software is a better choice for your budget and needs.
Musical instruments over the years have slowly been adapted to the digital format but none so prominently as the piano which became the keyboard. The first major innovation came in the 60's when Bob Moog unveiled his Moog series of keyboards. While still analog, these advancements set the stage for the digital revolution to begin. Today the choice to setup a keyboard workstation using a computer and software is much debated just as the analog versus digital audiophiles have squabbled about for decades now.
So that leaves us with the current set of choices that seem to be most prevalent among new keyboard purchasers. Do you buy the all in one workstation which would be considered the more traditional route or do you go the newer computer/software road. There are many things to consider before making your choice and hopefully I will be able to shed some new light on which one is right for you. First things first lets see what makes up each keyboard setup. For the workstation its simply the keyboard along with any accessories you would want to include, but for the most part everything you need is built into the synthesizer. Things are a bit more difficult for using software. Your brains of the operation will be a computer so if you want this to be portable then you will have to use a laptop.
The most important piece of hardware after the computer is definitely the sound card. Plugging straight in to your mic input is not going to be able to handle the digital signal in real time so you will also need to purchase a new sound card. I would advise on buying an external one as it is much easier to setup. To complete you setup a keyboard midi controller is needed along with your software of choice. When all of this is synced up you now have a computer keyboard rig ready to use.
If you haven't noticed by now the computer setup is much more difficult to get going then the plug and play workstation. Should I even consider this as an option for me? The answer is yes! While it is more of a headache to get started, the quality of sounds and options can't be beat. Add to that the ability to add-on as much or as little as you want and this now becomes a strong candidate. The audio-card also enables recording on your computer as well. If you were to purchase an M-box audio-card then that would come with the Pro-Tools software that could be used to record or for live shows as well.
So does ease of use and setup time become more important than the overall quality of sounds and add ons? Plus how can you argue against the fact that this is turning your computer into a home studio. Yes, some workstations can do some simple recordings but it will not create a demo for your band to add to myspace.
When looking for the right software I would look at Native Instruments as a great starting place. A personal favorite of mine is also the libraries created by East West. They use professional musicians to record each sound and create a sound bank of wav files of organic instruments. With a keyboard controller you can build an entire score that will sound just as real as an actual symphony.
Finally what are the cost benefits of going one way or another? Well if you need portability do you have a laptop? If not then its easy to say that the software route will cost more due to the fact that a laptop will need to be included in the overall price. Workstations will range from 1 to 4 grand and will probably have better playability than most midi keyboard controllers.
If you add up software, controller and sound-card, it could be under a grand depending on how much software you buy but keep in mind that some of the really good software from East West and others can add up quick, although they have dropped their prices tremendously over the last few years. Hopefully you have gained a better sense of what each product variations could benefit you best and also help demystify the world of software based keyboard solutions. - 15634
Musical instruments over the years have slowly been adapted to the digital format but none so prominently as the piano which became the keyboard. The first major innovation came in the 60's when Bob Moog unveiled his Moog series of keyboards. While still analog, these advancements set the stage for the digital revolution to begin. Today the choice to setup a keyboard workstation using a computer and software is much debated just as the analog versus digital audiophiles have squabbled about for decades now.
So that leaves us with the current set of choices that seem to be most prevalent among new keyboard purchasers. Do you buy the all in one workstation which would be considered the more traditional route or do you go the newer computer/software road. There are many things to consider before making your choice and hopefully I will be able to shed some new light on which one is right for you. First things first lets see what makes up each keyboard setup. For the workstation its simply the keyboard along with any accessories you would want to include, but for the most part everything you need is built into the synthesizer. Things are a bit more difficult for using software. Your brains of the operation will be a computer so if you want this to be portable then you will have to use a laptop.
The most important piece of hardware after the computer is definitely the sound card. Plugging straight in to your mic input is not going to be able to handle the digital signal in real time so you will also need to purchase a new sound card. I would advise on buying an external one as it is much easier to setup. To complete you setup a keyboard midi controller is needed along with your software of choice. When all of this is synced up you now have a computer keyboard rig ready to use.
If you haven't noticed by now the computer setup is much more difficult to get going then the plug and play workstation. Should I even consider this as an option for me? The answer is yes! While it is more of a headache to get started, the quality of sounds and options can't be beat. Add to that the ability to add-on as much or as little as you want and this now becomes a strong candidate. The audio-card also enables recording on your computer as well. If you were to purchase an M-box audio-card then that would come with the Pro-Tools software that could be used to record or for live shows as well.
So does ease of use and setup time become more important than the overall quality of sounds and add ons? Plus how can you argue against the fact that this is turning your computer into a home studio. Yes, some workstations can do some simple recordings but it will not create a demo for your band to add to myspace.
When looking for the right software I would look at Native Instruments as a great starting place. A personal favorite of mine is also the libraries created by East West. They use professional musicians to record each sound and create a sound bank of wav files of organic instruments. With a keyboard controller you can build an entire score that will sound just as real as an actual symphony.
Finally what are the cost benefits of going one way or another? Well if you need portability do you have a laptop? If not then its easy to say that the software route will cost more due to the fact that a laptop will need to be included in the overall price. Workstations will range from 1 to 4 grand and will probably have better playability than most midi keyboard controllers.
If you add up software, controller and sound-card, it could be under a grand depending on how much software you buy but keep in mind that some of the really good software from East West and others can add up quick, although they have dropped their prices tremendously over the last few years. Hopefully you have gained a better sense of what each product variations could benefit you best and also help demystify the world of software based keyboard solutions. - 15634
About the Author:
For a directoryof my favorite software and workstation brands please make sure to drop by my site and say hi. I also have the best directoryof musical instruments keyboard on the net. musical-instruments-keyboard.com
