Keyboards

I'm looking for a decent keyboard to put by my computer. That way I can work out notes on the keyboard and plug them straight into Finale Notepad. Can anyone recommend a few high-quality and low-budget options?

The question is whether you want the keyboard to have built-in sound, or if you just want to use it as an input device for your computer. In the first case, there are huge differences both in quality and in price, concerning the sound quality and touch, and if you want something good there, it will cost a bit.

The second option is a lot cheaper (often < 200$ and sometimes even less than 100$), and will basically just be a MIDI controller for your computer. The between keyboards of this type are:

1. number of keys (less keys take up less space, but it will be more long-winded if you have to switch between different octaves a lot)

2. Number of additional controller knobs you want (useful if you want to use it with a sequencer and control various stuff with it, for example)

3. Whether the keys are weighted, half-weighted or not weighted at all (the first option is the most expensive, but feels a bit more like a real piano keyboard)

Personally I'm using a very simple Edirol PC-50 MIDI-controller, with 4 octaves, slightly weighted keys and almost no knobs. It doesn't take up a lot of space (it fits easily between my screen and my computer keyboard), but it still can do everything I need it for (entering notes into Finale).

If you want something really portable and cheap, there's the Korg nanoKey, for slightly less than 100$. It has two octaves, is really tiny, so you can take it everywhere, but don't expect a very accurate "piano keyboard feel".

All keyboards of this kind come with an USB connection these days, which usually also powers them, and are generally very easy to set up.

If you just want it to enter notes into Finale Notepad, "quality" isn't much of an issue, since pretty much all keyboards can do that without problem - so you just have to find your personal preference of size vs. number of keys/knobs.

Where quality comes into it is when you want onboard sound, i.e. if you want to be able to play it without plugging it into the computer. There you can get -really- expensive.

Where quality comes into it is when you want onboard sound, i.e. if you want to be able to play it without plugging it into the computer. There you can get -really- expensive.

Yup... up to $8,500. At least, I think that's the price for the most expensive one.

I should clarify. I just want the thing to play notes. I don't even need a MIDI-out. I only want to be able to stuff out and copy it by hand to a convenient computer.

First off, to Jair, that is nowhere near the top price for a high-end synth workstation. They get a great deal pricier than that.

More to the point, Sum1, I can't understand why you'd possibly want to just play something and then input it into the computer by hand instead of playing it in directly and saving yourself the completely unnecessary step, but to each his own. So to your own ends, you're looking for the cheapest possible keyboard that you like the feel of that you can find quite literally at any music store you care to search at. Weighted keys are nice if you're looking to simulate a piano, but you'll pay for them — usually quite a bit. One thing to make sure to look for is onboard sounds (so NOT a strict MIDI controller) if you're looking to just play it as an independent instrument. And if you're smart, you'll also make sure it comes with MIDI outs (which you pretty much can't avoid anyway, since it's standard) so that you'll be ready when you eventually come to your senses and decide it's much quicker to just input notes by playing them in directly.

You can expect to pay anywhere from about $30 to $500 and it'll largely depend on how picky you are about the feel of the keys, the number of octaves, and the other features you want it to have.

Good luck.

Really? Wow... what's the most expensive one? And how much is it? I always thought that as of now, the Korg Oasys topped the list at $8,500. Now I'm curious... lol.

Eh, you're probably right about the MIDI-outs. I just don't like to actually hear the music in Finale until I'm done with it. I find that the more I rely on Finale, the more Finale-attuned my music gets. I used to write everything out by hand, but that just got really slow.

I don't really understand what hearing it from Finale has to do with the choice of keyboard though. You said you -did- want to enter it into Finale Notepad in the end, so no matter -how- you enter it, you have the choice to listen to it afterwards or not, and have the choice to compose it away from the computer first, or not.

Eh, that's true. I guess I was just trying to separate MIDI input from just plain volume output. It doesn't really matter in the end. I just want it to have a good range, don't even care about the tactile feedback.