How much does an MIDI keyboard help in production? - General

I've been interested in making music for a while. I experimented with FL Studio and I would say I had some fairly successful results, however my beats are usually just simple beats with no real depth. The problem is that I am not good at building a melody or catchy tune and find myself relying on FL studios built in generators, or I just click around to make an abstract beat. I've tried using my QWERTY keyboard to try playing some tunes but the delay in the buttons and overall roughness doesn't seem to work very well. Before I invest in a MIDI keyboard.. I want to know if it will actually help me at all. I don't want to buy one and then find out I'm just lacking in artistic ability. So does anyone have experience with an MIDI keyboard? Did it make production much easier? Do you think it would help me out in production? Also, Recommendations on keyboards would be great too. I have a small desk size and I'm looking for a compact one. Thanks!

It won't help unless you actually know how to play a keyboard. But learning basic scales and chords and such is easy (which are necessary for coming up with "good" melodies). Although I can't speak too much for electronic music specifically, having an actual instrument in front of you when trying to come up with stuff is a lot easier than programming notes one at a time into a DAW with a piano roll. Judging by the one song on your SoundCloud, I highly doubt you're lacking in artistic ability. If you learn the basics of a keyboard, you'll find songwriting to be a lot easier.

Get a midi guitar instead, they are more versatile and are usually cheaper

It helped me quite a bit. The Akai LPK 25 is a nice small keyboard if you can deal with it having only 25 keys. [img]http://www.stpaulssound.fi/kauppa/images/5042_1.jpg[/img] [editline]17th July 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=krazipanda;31168411]Get a midi guitar instead, they are more versatile and are usually cheaper[/QUOTE] Tell me where you can get a MIDI guitar for less than 50€. (nowhere)

I have a midi keyboard, and although I can play some piano, I find it a lot faster and easier to just write my melodies out in the piano roll, since I don't have to make all the minute corrections to the note placements. It's all about personal preference, and like someone above said, whether or not you know how to play the keyboard. I guess it also depends on what kind of music you're making too.

[QUOTE=gnome;31172588]I have a midi keyboard, and although I can play some piano, I find it a lot faster and easier to just write my melodies out in the piano roll, since I don't have to make all the minute corrections to the note placements. It's all about personal preference, and like someone above said, whether or not you know how to play the keyboard. I guess it also depends on what kind of music you're making too.[/QUOTE] Quantize?

[QUOTE=Eric95;31172597]Quantize?[/QUOTE] Don't you have to do that after you play, or is there a real-time quantize too? But I was just saying there's an extra step involved that I don't have to deal with when I just write stuff out. It seems simpler to just click where I want notes to be. The only point I see to playing for me would be that, if I played it right, there'd be a slight humanization to it that would make it sound more natural. But if I'm going to quantize it anyway I may as well just write it out, because I'm pretty good at knowing how something is going to sound just by looking at it. Rhythmically and tonally, that is. That's just me though. I also have a friend who prefers to jam things out on his keyboard, and I've noticed that he has more trouble writing out rhythms from his head into the piano roll than the former. I also don't make the kind of music where there's really any lead solos going on that demand improvisation.

[QUOTE=Yur|ko;31169709])[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=krazipanda;31168411]Get a midi guitar instead, they are more versatile and are usually cheaper[/QUOTE] They are less versatile too, you can put down some nice drums with a keybaord, but it's hard to do with a guitar Also I ahve the LPK25, and Ive tried quite a few keyboards, and I can tell you it's positively awesome.

[QUOTE=Croix;31172753]They are less versatile too, you can put down some nice drums with a keybaord, but it's hard to do with a guitar Also I ahve the LPK25, and Ive tried quite a few keyboards, and I can tell you it's positively awesome.[/QUOTE] Hahaha I'm imagining playing drums with a guitar

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=861297OXxNI[/media]

Speaking of midi, what would be the easiest way to use a midi keyboard to trigger sounds like this? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX40iQ46KhA[/media] I know he's using a zendrum but it's the same principle. Any free software?

[QUOTE=Eric95;31173162]Speaking of midi, what would be the easiest way to use a midi keyboard to trigger sounds like this? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX40iQ46KhA[/media] I know he's using a zendrum but it's the same principle. Any free software?[/QUOTE] If you want to use a midi controller with 12 million buttons like that effectively live, ableton live is your best and possibly only good choice. Im around 95% sure he is infact using it in this video. It's not free but it's software. Not implying anything here. [editline]17th July 2011[/editline] Holy shit that thing costs 1800? For a couple of velocity sensitive buttons? Most overpriced thing ive seen

[QUOTE=Croix;31173246]If you want to use a midi controller with 12 million buttons like that effectively live, ableton live is your best and possibly only good choice. Im around 95% sure he is infact using it in this video. It's not free but it's software. Not implying anything here. [editline]17th July 2011[/editline] Holy shit that thing costs 1800? For a couple of velocity sensitive buttons? Most overpriced thing ive seen[/QUOTE] So the only thing that can trigger separate sound files from midi signals is Ableton? holy poop

[QUOTE=Eric95;31173412]So the only thing that can trigger separate sound files from midi signals is Ableton? holy poop[/QUOTE] No but it's the most effective way to perform live with midi instruments. Feel free to chill out a bit. It seems to me he is stopping the audio with it too, and stuff like that. Ofc this is possible with other stuff, but making live mashuppy stuff like this is what Live is good at.

[QUOTE=Croix;31173481]No but it's the most effective way to perform live with midi instruments. Feel free to chill out a bit. It seems to me he is stopping the audio with it too, and stuff like that. Ofc this is possible with other stuff, but making live mashuppy stuff like this is what Live is good at.[/QUOTE] Oh, ok. Cool. I'll try it then.

A midi keyboard didn't help me much, as I don't know how to play. I just write the melody out on the piano roll. If I use it, I use it for testing the instrument quickly.

[QUOTE=Natrox;31174207]A midi keyboard didn't help me much, as I don't know how to play. I just write the melody out on the piano roll. If I use it, I use it for testing the instrument quickly.[/QUOTE] Yeah actually that's the other time I use them is when I'm making a synth patch. Definitely helps to be able to hear it as you're changing it without having to loop something.

If you don't plan on taking the time to learn how to play on it, then don't buy it. The keyboard is really easy to play simple stuff on and you can get a lot of ideas through it that you usually wouldn't. I mainly play guitar, and I find that switching to a different instrument allows me to get outside what I'd come up with on guitar. It can help you out a ton and inspire a lot of creativity, but you have to learn how to use it and actually use it. One big advantage of using a keyboard is that leads are a lot easier to come up with. Part of that is that you can improvise. The other is that you can get a lot better phrasing. Quantizing and then humanizing doesn't add any phrasing, and adding legitimate phrasing with the piano roll is hard to do. There is also a satisfaction that you can play what you wrote. Personally I never play my drum tracks because my timing isn't up to par. I record parts that make sense to, and I avoid recording parts that I way to simple like a chord ever bar. In songs that are too hard for me to play, I just write them out.

[QUOTE=Pepin;31176220]If you don't plan on taking the time to learn how to play on it, then don't buy it. The keyboard is really easy to play simple stuff on and you can get a lot of ideas through it that you usually wouldn't. I mainly play guitar, and I find that switching to a different instrument allows me to get outside what I'd come up with on guitar. It can help you out a ton and inspire a lot of creativity, but you have to learn how to use it and actually use it. One big advantage of using a keyboard is that leads are a lot easier to come up with. Part of that is that you can improvise. The other is that you can get a lot better phrasing. Quantizing and then humanizing doesn't add any phrasing, and adding legitimate phrasing with the piano roll is hard to do. There is also a satisfaction that you can play what you wrote. Personally I never play my drum tracks because my timing isn't up to par. I record parts that make sense to, and I avoid recording parts that I way to simple like a chord ever bar. In songs that are too hard for me to play, I just write them out.[/QUOTE] To be fair, buying the lpk isnt a big decision, and it's helpful even if you are fairly shit.

[QUOTE=Croix;31176573]To be fair, buying the lpk isnt a big decision, and it's helpful even if you are fairly shit.[/QUOTE] The LPK's is cheap too. So not much regret if you're the type who gives up easily. I myself don't know how to play a piano nor do I know its music theory. But I am determined on investing on a 49-key keyboard and taking the time learning how to play it.

[QUOTE=adam1172;31189952]The LPK's is cheap too. So not much regret if you're the type who gives up easily. I myself don't know how to play a piano nor do I know its music theory. But I am determined on investing on a 49-key keyboard and taking the time learning how to play it.[/QUOTE] If you're looking to play stuff with both hands then 49-keys won't be enough.

I have a midi keyboard but the only thing I use it for is pressing keys while I'm programming synths so I don't have to turn on the regular keyboard-midi shit in logic and I don't have to click to hear the synth. I bought it like 2 years ago and I've probably recorded like 32 bars worth of me actually playing it. Sometimes I use it to find notes I have in my head too, but I don't even really need it for that anymore lol. [editline]18th July 2011[/editline] That being said, buying gear is not going to make you a better producer. Learning to produce better is the only thing that is going to make you a better producer. If you have trouble coming up with interesting leads and interesting rhythms you should read up on music theory and keep practicing. Buying a keyboard won't magically make you better at writing melodies.

[QUOTE=Yur|ko;31191827]If you're looking to play stuff with both hands then 49-keys won't be enough.[/QUOTE] Not sure what you are basing that off of. I haven't had much of an issue with a four octave range and I play with both hands. On a standard 24 fret guitars you only get a four octave range as well. There is plenty of room to play with both hands and do a bass part in the bottom and a rhythm or lead in the top. Even better, in most DAWs you can assign a a bass instrument in the bottom, a rhythm instrument to the middle, and a lead to the top. You can say you don't have enough range to play common pianist songs that need a lot more range, but 49 keys will do fine for people who don't need more than a 4 octave range. I could see somebody who is used to playing with 88 keys feeling limited by a 49 key piano, just that doesn't mean that the person can't play with two hands.

In order for a MIDI keyboard to be incredibly useful for writing and recording endeavors, all you need to know is keys, scales, and chords, which is something you should be learning/know anyway. I'd say go for it. The cheap ones are cheap and get the job done until you are ready to upgrade. Example: Learn C scale, learn C major chords; boom, you're dropping phat C melodies over a C major progression. Now just repeat for the other keys. Honestly, I rarely write songs that aren't in the key of C, G, or D, anyway. Once you've got a few keys and chords down you can write music using those while learning the rest. Learning the Circle of Fifths is also fantastic for keyboard work. Now, as for actually playing 'piano' on a keyboard, that takes a lot more effort. But for overlaying tracks and designing melodies and progressions separately,a starting grasp on theory, and a MIDI keyboard can really get the job done.

Bought one o' them lpk25s because of this thread [img]http://gyazo.com/1d653b7c6350ab900ab53177763908c5.png[/img] [B]Edit:[/B] Note that my hands aren't actually this small, my webcam distorts the perspective in a strange way. Refer to the other picture below.

[QUOTE=Eric95;31195975][/QUOTE] You have realy small hands, the LPK looks huge in that pic Also, how are you liking it?

[QUOTE=Croix;31196137]You have realy small hands, the LPK looks huge in that pic[/QUOTE] Wow, I didn't notice the wierd perspective in that picture. I actually have quite long piano-fingers. [editline]19th July 2011[/editline] I put my hands closer to the camera and they look huge [img]http://gyazo.com/7523600666c9faaf9c7f2170b3eb5665.png[/img] [editline]19th July 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Croix;31196137]Also, how are you liking it?[/QUOTE] It's great! I had some latency issues but ASIO fixes that. I just wish famitracker would support asio..

I have a korg microKEY it comes with 2 extra usb slots in the side, its a power house so it can really only be used for a usb thumb stick and a mouse plugged in at the same time. I love it, I know the basics of playing piano and that gets me thru making melody's. Its alot of fun -- i recommend trying one at your music shop before you buy, just to make sure you aren't throwing money away for something you wont use in a month. I love mine; it works great in reason very easy to set up.

Ignore the people saying you[I] need[/I] to know how to play the piano. I have no idea how to play piano but buying a midi keyboard helped me a lot. After a month or two of messing around on it, you'll figure out the scales and find it much better for coming up with song ideas. I don't really record it live then quantitize, just press the notes on midi and they'll highlight on the piano roll. Then I just click them in.

[QUOTE=Platinumcs;31198136]Ignore the people saying you[I] need[/I] to know how to play the piano. I have no idea how to play piano but buying a midi keyboard helped me a lot. After a month or two of messing around on it, you'll figure out the scales and find it much better for coming up with song ideas.[/QUOTE] It's more that you need to take the time to understand the instrument and how to use it and get good with it. You certainly aren't going to be able to do too much with it if it is your first instrument until you get some real. Why people keep repeating this is because many people buy something, work a few days with it, and then give up. Personally I had a very nice transition because I knew the note layout and was already pretty adept in improvisation. Playing in different keys was harder, but still not bad, especially when sticking to common keys. I really suggest people who don't play their keyboard too much to improvise with them. There are tones of jam tracks on youtube, just pick one and jam.