With the price of computers falling everyday and the power that sits inside going up, the option to use them as musical instruments with midi keyboard controllers has never been greater. The vast array of choices can leave the beginner with information overload, especially when deciding which if a traditional route maybe be better than going with a computer setup. We will cover the costs of of both setups along with how expandable and portable each solution is. By the end hopefully you will have a better understanding of what a workstation or software solution can offer you and then make a sensible choice on your purchase.
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.
We can see that we have two ways to approach our keyboard setup. Is the workstation really better for you or are you ready to take the next step in the digital realm. My goal is to walk hand in hand guiding you to the best option for you. Before we do anything else, lets dissect each option and what they are made of. The workstation has everything built in and has virtually no setup time. Look forward to the software configurations there is quite a bit of extra work included to get your setup running. The center of a software rig is the computer and to have a mobile setup then you will need 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.
As you can see deciding to use software can be mind blowing to setup correctly. Then why even consider this as a viable option? With experience using both methods I can easily say that software offers a much higher quality of sounds and can be expanded on overtime. With the purchase of the audio-card you now have the ability to turn your computer into a home studio. One way to go is to buy an M-box audio-card by Pro-Tools which would also come with Pro-Tools recording software. This would allow to record with high end software and could also be used in a live setting as well.
When decision time comes, does setup time and portability weigh heavier than the quality of sounds and limitless extensibility? You also have to consider that the software solution adds a home studio into the equation for no extra cost. To be fair, workstations do have the capability to do some simple recordings but it is not something you could really take advantage of in a band situation. I don't know about you but I like the idea of doing some full demos as well.
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.
Now to the main concern of most, what will each cost me? If portability is a must then a laptop is a must as well. If you do not have one then your overall price of a software setup will go way up. You will probably spend between 1 to 4 thousand dollars on a quality workstation so if a laptop is not needed then it is probably cheaper to go with a software setup.
When you add up your main components (controller, sound-card, and software) you should be able to stay under one thousand dollars. You do have to be aware that some software, including the above mentioned East West, can be just as pricey as a new laptop. In the end, the amount of software you decide to buy is what will really determine how much you spend on this setup. Hopefully I have been able to guide you through the mysterious world of software setups for the keyboard (or even other musical instruments) and you should now be able to make better choice as to which is right for you. - 15615
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.
We can see that we have two ways to approach our keyboard setup. Is the workstation really better for you or are you ready to take the next step in the digital realm. My goal is to walk hand in hand guiding you to the best option for you. Before we do anything else, lets dissect each option and what they are made of. The workstation has everything built in and has virtually no setup time. Look forward to the software configurations there is quite a bit of extra work included to get your setup running. The center of a software rig is the computer and to have a mobile setup then you will need 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.
As you can see deciding to use software can be mind blowing to setup correctly. Then why even consider this as a viable option? With experience using both methods I can easily say that software offers a much higher quality of sounds and can be expanded on overtime. With the purchase of the audio-card you now have the ability to turn your computer into a home studio. One way to go is to buy an M-box audio-card by Pro-Tools which would also come with Pro-Tools recording software. This would allow to record with high end software and could also be used in a live setting as well.
When decision time comes, does setup time and portability weigh heavier than the quality of sounds and limitless extensibility? You also have to consider that the software solution adds a home studio into the equation for no extra cost. To be fair, workstations do have the capability to do some simple recordings but it is not something you could really take advantage of in a band situation. I don't know about you but I like the idea of doing some full demos as well.
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.
Now to the main concern of most, what will each cost me? If portability is a must then a laptop is a must as well. If you do not have one then your overall price of a software setup will go way up. You will probably spend between 1 to 4 thousand dollars on a quality workstation so if a laptop is not needed then it is probably cheaper to go with a software setup.
When you add up your main components (controller, sound-card, and software) you should be able to stay under one thousand dollars. You do have to be aware that some software, including the above mentioned East West, can be just as pricey as a new laptop. In the end, the amount of software you decide to buy is what will really determine how much you spend on this setup. Hopefully I have been able to guide you through the mysterious world of software setups for the keyboard (or even other musical instruments) and you should now be able to make better choice as to which is right for you. - 15615
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