| MIDI keyboards are a kind of missing link in the modern | | | | they have many varieties of this model available. Korg |
| world of computer generated audio. A great many | | | | MIDI keyboards and casio MIDI keyboards are also |
| music hobbyists and professionals working in the field | | | | popular with different features and models available. |
| of electronic music are generating their sounds and | | | | One function that effects the price is weather the |
| music from inside their computers. The sounds | | | | model has a weighted action in the keyboard, many |
| themselves are synthesized by the computer in a | | | | cheap MIDI keyboards do not and have a plastic kind |
| virtual environment, and it is the job of a MIDI controller | | | | of feel when they are played. More expensive MIDI |
| or MIDI keyboard to control these sounds and make | | | | keyboards will have either a full or a semi weighted |
| them playable just like a traditional musical instrument. | | | | action and will feel much more responsive to touch. |
| It is a little more complicated than that and MIDI | | | | Aftertouch is another feature sometimes left out on |
| controller keyboards can come in many varieties, | | | | cheap MIDI keyboards, yet most professional |
| differing in price and in features between different | | | | keyboard players find this to be a necessary function. |
| models. Piano keyboards will generally try and imitate a | | | | The third effect on price is simply the number and |
| piano playing experience with sampled piano sounds | | | | quality of the knobs and sliders that control the MIDI |
| and familiar hardware like foot pedals. A MIDI | | | | data along with the piano style keys. |
| keyboard controller on the other hand either includes a | | | | Most keyboards today are USB MIDI keyboards and |
| hardware synthesizer on board in which case it is | | | | connect through the USB port to a host computer. |
| probably best called a synthesizer, or it acts as an | | | | Some however do require a MIDI interface that will |
| interface to a computer running virtual synthesizer | | | | need to be installed on the computer before they will |
| programs. | | | | work. MIDI keyboard controllers connect through the |
| The models that do not include their own synthesis | | | | MIDI data protocol and effect and alter how the |
| engine are much cheaper but can still be complex | | | | synthesizer engine creates sound, whether that engine |
| pieces of equipment due to the controller functions that | | | | lies in the MIDI keyboard itself or on a host computer |
| they include. Yamaha MIDI keyboards and Roland MIDI | | | | running virtual instruments. There are many different |
| keyboards are two popular brands but other | | | | models and brands available, it is best to do your |
| companies have developed innovative models in | | | | homework before you buy, and probably better to not |
| recent years. The remote midi keyboard by novation | | | | get the cheaper models as you can grow out of them |
| has become a standard in many music circles, and | | | | rather quickly. |