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Hiya !!!

... dunno if this has been posted b4, if it is, thousands of apologies ...

I am looking for a synth, preferably 88 keys, as I am a pianist. I want to use the synth as my input device for MIDI.

I already have my PC properly set up, it is capable of doing all the music notations, DAWs, and all that, so...

What I am looking for is a 88-key synth with NOT that much bells and whistles, as most of the bells and whistles are already located in the computer.

The keys, weighted or not, are not that important either.

So ... what's the cheapest (and still reliable) synth you think I should buy?

Thanks !

PS. This synth gonna be my own Christmas present for myself, so it should be both good and cheap.

If you're not going to use the keyboard outside a studio setting, then you likely don't need a synth at all - just an 88 key midi controller. The following would seem to meet your needs:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=30647&Category=MIDI_Controllers

Jonathan

Thank you very much for the reply !!

Hmm... MIDI Controller... hmm...

Thanks again !!!

Oh btw, is there any most basic MIDI controller on the market --- something like a musical keyboard with a MIDI jack, perhaps?

That M-Audio board 10fingers suggested is about as basic as they come, it's a decent keyboard though. I have the 61 key version and it's served me very well for 2 years.

What types of sounds will you be using? There are a couple of features that you might want:

Will you need pitch bend and mod wheels?
Will you need aftertouch?
For many instruments, you can change the volume while still playing a note. You can't do that with a piano or most keyboards, but if the keyboard has aftertouch, it can send that signal. Otherwise, you can control this with the mod wheel or an expression pedal.

Rich

If you don't need pitch and mod wheels, you could look at the Yamaha NP-30 digital piano.

It has 76 velocity sensitive graded soft touch keys and and dedicated MIDI ports.

It's light (12 lbs) and has a small footprint, although the speakers mounted at the ends make it about as large as an 88 note controller.

It's also very inexpensive, rugged, and has some decent sounds of it's own, including a very nice grand piano.

For something with pitch and mod wheels you might look at Casio keyboards....some have dedicated MIDI ports, and are also inexpensive.

Personally, I'd be looking for a dedicated controller keyboard with velocity and aftertouch and P/M wheels.

The Fatar SL990XP 88-Note Controller Keyboard is a good choice and M-Audios's Keystation Pro 88 seems to work well for some.

Snazzy