Midi Keyboard user, are 49 keys enough?

[dmbandtimmy]

I was just wondering for those of you who use midi keyboards if you think 49 keys would be enough for most things? I'm not really a piano player and mostly would probably be using it for background and lead for instance like Switchfoot does.

I was originally looking at the axiom 61, but I don't think I would use all of the features and found this M-Audio KeyRig 49 | Sweetwater.com .

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Dave Peck]

A 49 key (four octave) keyboard is fine - IF - you are sure you only want to play single-note bass lines or single-note melodies or very simple three note chords. If you ever want to be able to easily play a nice big chord with a low bass note using your left hand and a chord using your right hand at the same time, you'll want at least five octaves (61 keys). Yes, you can do some work-arounds with a shorter keyboard by setting up keyboard splits & keyboard maps etc to tack a low bass octave onto a shorter keyboard but it's more hassle than it's worth. A keyboard should let you just PLAY without having to do a lot of technical mumbojumbo.

[dmbandtimmy]

Dave, thanks for the reply! After you put it that way about not being able to play chords well with the 49 I think I'm going to opt for the 61. I don't think I will be playing many chords, but you never know. That made my decision much easier, thanks. thumbsup

[Pasta4lnch]

i'm not a real keyboard player either -fwiw i find it easy to just flip the octave button on my controller. i rarely "play" a whole part non stop anyway. usually one peice at a time. . .

[donsolo]

I've owned 25 key, 49, 61 76 and 88.

Here's the reality with it:

If you're using it to program guitars/bass/drums/horns etc anything short of 88 is going to work fine.

If you fancy yourself a keyboard player, you really should have 76, you can pick up a used DX7 for the price of a new Midi controller...

If you have delusions of grandeur and want "real" piano, you need 88.

Also keep in mind that you might have clients that have to use this board too. with a 76, someone is going to bitch, with an 88, noone bitches and with 61 or less, you're able to say "hey just bring your own."

my bigger issues with keyboards is the action more than the number of notes. I've gotten pretty good with playing the octave buttons with my left hand on those little guys.

If you want to play fast synth lines you'll probably want something with semi-weighted (IE cheap synth) feel. I also prefer that for drum programming. The keys come up faster than you can play them so you can get more usage on things like snare keys.

If you want to play piano stuff you should have weighted or hammer action at least. You're going to find that playing piano on a synth action board is kinda lame. Go float around the trident boards and you'll see what I mean.

[dan p]

Hi!I am a keyboard player.I have had all different kinds of keyboards as controllers.I prefer having a full weghted keyboard when i am tracking in my studio.
I certainly play my minimoog slightly different from its keyboard than from a controller.My controller is a pc 88.I never use any of its own sounds,just the keyboard .
YOu may never need to have weghted keys to input to your computer if you are not a keyboard player so for u get what feels comfortable.
If you know someone who has one to play around with that may help you make a decision, try that!Good Luck


Dan P

[juan162]

Plus one on trying out the various keyboards. As you have gathered from the responses you received, it really depends on your playing style, and what you are using it for. I use a 49 key control for a music class I teach. It is perfectly functional and I am a chart reader, so I can make a really full accompaniment even with the limited keys. I do miss having more octaves on occasion.

I also have 2 weighted, 88 key keyboards. One lives permanently in my home studio, and the other one is used on the road, as well as a second keyboard at home when needed.

Try some keyboards out at your local GC or Sam Ash, and decide what number of keys is right for you.

Juan

[popmann]

I'm a real keyboard player. No, it's not close to enough. If you want to play piano...88 is the way to go. Others-organ, synths, etc, 61 is fine.

If you're not looking to play actual keyboard parts, but just add some pads and such...49 is more than enough. I'm sure it transposes itself, no?

Guy in town arranged the strings for that Switchfoot hit...can't remember the name...it ain't "pads", even though they bury it in the mix like it is. It's pretty nice arrangement.

[franklloydwrong]

i use an M Audio Radium 49, and it has been definitely enough keys for me. i play all the instruments on my recordings, and though piano is not my focus, i can still play piano parts with 2 hands on it. i use piano patches as a rhythm instrument and organs as pads, so i don't go high or low on the keyboard. if i use piano as a solo, i overdub in a higher octave, since i can't really play piano solos while playing chords at the same time. if this might be how you plan on recording, 49 keys will work. if you plan on recording other people, mainly piano players, they will probably laugh at your little toy.
hope that helps some in your decision.
regards.

[theblue1]

My first six octave 'board felt pretty big. If I shifted it down an octave I could sort of approximate playing it, piano-style. For a while.

Eventually... well... pretty quickly... I found myself wanting a hammer-weighted 88 key 'board and wasn't really happy 'til I got one. (Now if I could just afford a really nice virtual piano instrument! )

But I have a piano and I'd fallen in love with the feel of playing it.

If you're just doing leads and bass lines, you can likely get by on a lot less.

[gio.vanni]

Any serious electronic musician is going to want at least a 61 key hanging around somewhere in the studio. All though, 49 keys make great secondary synths and controllers if you are tight on space.

[Jose Mrochek]

Whatever you do, don't get the m audio.. it's a waste of money, like someone said above.. the action is key. and it SUCKS on the m audio.. i have it and hate it. 49 is enough for anything but real deal piano playing. If you cant afford a weighted keyboard, at least try to buy one that "feels good". Very very important.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by donsolo

Also keep in mind that you might have clients that have to use this board too.

+1

I'm not a piano player, so I originally bought the keyboards for my studio based on my personal needs...which, since they're exclusively for MIDI programming of faux orchestrations, drums, and occasional Rhodes or organ sounds, necessitated a synth action with aftertouch and only 61 keys.

The first time a "real" piano player booked time with me I immediately discovered the error of my ways.

So *if* you'll be bringing in outside clients I would strongly suggest you consider two keyboards: an 88-note weighted action 'board that approximates the feel of a piano, and a 61- (or 49-)note synth action 'board for all the spongey fake stuff.

[donsolo]

Originally Posted by Jose Mrochek

Whatever you do, don't get the m audio.. it's a waste of money, like someone said above.. the action is key. and it SUCKS on the m audio.. i have it and hate it. 49 is enough for anything but real deal piano playing. If you cant afford a weighted keyboard, at least try to buy one that "feels good". Very very important.

M-audio semi-weight have a funny feeling but I actually like the feel of my keystation pro...I may be really weird though...

[kafka]

Originally Posted by popmann

I'm a real keyboard player. No, it's not close to enough. If you want to play piano...88 is the way to go. Others-organ, synths, etc, 61 is fine.

If you're not looking to play actual keyboard parts, but just add some pads and such...49 is more than enough. I'm sure it transposes itself, no?

I'm not a real piano player, but I can work a piano enough to do arrangement on it. I found that 88 keys is it for me. I suppose if I'm just comping out jazz chords 76 or 61 should be fine. 49 is pretty cramped, but you can at least get some wider voicings in. 25 is useless because you only have 2 full octaves of C, and everything else is less. It's hard to even type in a bass line on one of those things.

Originally Posted by donsolo

M-audio semi-weight have a funny feeling but I actually like the feel of my keystation pro...I may be really weird though...

I picked up one of these recently for just over $300. Yeah, it feels funny. It's got a real "kathunk" to it that's not like a real piano. But then again, I'm not a real pianist, so it's fine with me. Personally, I think it's a fantastic bargain.

[uncle duncan]

If you opt for the 49 keys, you should also pick up a 4-string guitar to go with it. And a 3-string bass.

[donsolo]

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

If you opt for the 49 keys, you should also pick up a 4-string guitar to go with it. And a 3-string bass.

I think that analogy is flawed especially when you consider some of the greatest synthesizers of all time have 49 keys or less:

Korg MS-20
Moog Little Phatty
MiniMoog
just to name a few.

It's called "reductio ad absurdum" which is to reduce it to a ridiculous point and then criticize the results. We get your point but it probably could have been put a touch better.