Advice for MIDI keyboard to start learning music production an piano (as a hobby)

[CS70]

I see people telling me to get the interface, but is it necessary if I don't plan on recording anything yet? My initial intention is to make some techno/minimalist music without any vocals or live instruments. Can I just connect the Arturia to my PC and start having fun on a DAW?

Yes, you can just connect it. I suppose you are on PC? The challenge is not getting the notes in, it's getting the sound out with sufficient speed. Without an interface, your DAW will be using Windows' native audio system. This may or may not be supported well enough by your DAW but more importantly, in most of its operating modes, results in excessive latency. That means that you push a button on the keyboard and the sound come out of the pc later.. too much later.

However, if your DAW can use the WASAPI Exclusive mode drivers (and your built-in interface supports them) it could be doable without an external interface. Worth a try.

You will also need a PC with enough grunt to calculate/produce the sound fast enough as reaction to the keys you push, but again you find out soon enough. This is the same with an external interface, so you better try it before buying one anyways. If your computer isn't up to par to run a synth in real time, an interface won't help.

[Buddha2080]

However, if your DAW can use the WASAPI Exclusive mode drivers (and your built-in interface supports them) it could be doable without an external interface. Worth a try.

You will also need a PC with enough grunt to calculate/produce the sound fast enough as reaction to the keys you push, but again you find out soon enough. This is the same with an external interface, so you better try it before buying one anyways. If your computer isn't up to par to run a synth in real time, an interface won't help.

I have the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 and I read in its user manual this:

With the DacMagic 100 switched to USB Audio 2.0 the DacMagic 100 needs the Cambridge Audio USB Audio 2.0 Driver to be loaded and can then accept up to 24-bit/192kHz (and support ASIO and WASAPI Exclusive if required).

Also, I have a beast of a PC, I think (maybe it coulds use another 16 GB of RAM, but other than that I'm fine):

Processor: i7-9700K
Graphics card: EVGA RTX 2080 XC Ultra Gaming 8 GB DDR6
Screen: BenQ Zowie XL2546 24.5" LED 240Hz e-Sports
RAM: 2x8 GB 3200 MHZ CL 16 Kingston Hyper X Predator RGB
Storage: SSD Samsung 970 EVO NVME 500 GB
Motherboard: Gigabyte z390 Aorus Elite
Power supply: EVGA Supernova G3 80 Plus Gold 850W Modular

And for sound I have:
DAC: Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100
Headphone amp: Massdrop O2
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 ohm
Mic: Blue Yeti Black

[adrian_k]

Ok, so you have an audio interface. With that lot I’d say you could just buy a midi keyboard controller, a DAW if you don’t have one, and go for it. Something may well not work as you’d wish but that will be normal, half the job is choosing your compromises!

[Buddha2080]

Thanks, adrian_k.

It seems that tomorrow I will be purchasing the Arturia Keylab Essential 61 and start from there. Does anyone know a good PC software to learn to play piano with a 61 keyboard?

I mean, are there apps/PC software that teach you to play piano (indicating when I press the wrong keys, etc.) with the MIDI keyboard connected to my PC? Could you recommend a few so I can watch a few reviews and decide which one I like the most? Again, thanks in advance.

[Eliziah Smith]

The higher end Novation and Akai controllers use Fatar keybeds, so the feels of the keys between those two will be pretty similar. Neither is really anything more than synth weighted, so if you want a weighted piano feel you're better off looking at controllers made for that sort of thing. Not sure you're going to to find one with 64 keys though. If you try real hard though, you might find one with 61 keys.

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