Why do you need a MIDI keyboard if you are a beginner musician

There are two kinds of musicians. Some are fanatical about the sound of a certain instrument - guitar, violin, drums. Others, on the other hand, like to play with different sounds and create new ones. The basic instrument for the musicians in the second group is the MIDI keyboard, and even guitarists with drummers often use different midi controllers to create arrangements. Such a device will help any novice musician to develop musical abilities, and why - we'll figure it out further.

Midi controllers take on a wide variety of incarnations - from the usual black and white keyboards to devices made of square rubberized buttons-pads. There are also controllers in the form of a guitar neck, and even touch keyboards on which you can make pitch and vibrato. However, all of them are united by their main function - control of musical devices or software on a computer, smartphone or tablet. This could be:

• A synthesizer, both in plug-in format and a real hardware device. Many synthesizers do not have keys and are controlled by external controllers.
• Sampler with loaded sounds of piano, violin, drums, etc.
• Elements of the DAW or VST plug-in interface - enable recording or playback, mute a specific track, turn up the volume or go to the desired part of the song.

The MIDI standard was developed back in the 80s, and therefore has an old-school five-pin connector, similar to the audio jack of Soviet audio equipment. Not only the note is transmitted via the midi protocol, but also data on the strength of its pressing (velocity), pitch, modulation, vibrato and other parameters. Roughly speaking, a midi keyboard creates an accurate numerical description of the pressed note and transmits it to a PC or musical device. And then a synthesizer or sampler applies sound to this note. The keyboard itself does not contain sounds - this is not a synthesizer, but a controller (although there are exceptions, for example, Akai mpk mini play still has built-in sounds).

Modern keyboards can be connected to a PC via USB, so they do not need an audio card with MIDI connectors. In fact, most budget keyboards don't even have MIDI output. But almost all of them have an input for an expression pedal, which will allow you to adjust the set parameters (sustain, pitch, etc.) with your foot.

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In general, a beginner musician needs a midi keyboard because it:

Will help you learn to compose and record music

One of the main features of midi keyboards is the ability to record lessons, rehearsals, and drafts on a PC , tablet or even a smartphone . This not only greatly increases the effectiveness of any music practice, but also opens the door to creating your own material. Composing music is much more exciting than playing exercises and scales, and is often a guarantee that good endeavors will not be abandoned in a couple of months.

Not all midi keyboards are suitable for setting hands and playing classical pieces, they differ greatly from each other in key mechanics. There are inexpensive keyboards with unweighted synth-type keys that feel only vaguely like playing a real piano. The keys are very easy to press, making fast passages easier to play, but also depriving many of the expression needed to play the classics. Therefore, often such instruments are usually only 2-3 octaves. But they are compact and lightweight, it is convenient to work with them, having laid out several keyboards for different instruments on the table, and one more can be put on your lap. Professional musicians often use inexpensive midi keyboards to create demo tracks and arrangements.

There are also keyboards with semi-weighted or weighted keys, which with closed eyes can be confused with a piano - the feeling of playing is so similar. These are usually large multi-octave instruments. They are very massive due to the design of the keyboard, so you won't be able to move around the room and put it wherever you want. Nevertheless, they are still more compact than traditional and even electronic pianos - compared to the latter, midi keyboards have just as much features at a more modest price. It is convenient to learn on them, put your hands on and play classics.

Gives you access to a billion sounds and instruments

Perhaps the main advantage of a midi keyboard over a traditional piano and even a less traditional synthesizer is the ability to play any sounds. Their keys can be transformed into a violin, flute, guitar, French horn, drums, or any of thousands of VST synthesizers at the click of a mouse. You can find dozens of free sample and synthesizer libraries on the Internet, for example, here's a noteworthy list. 

The midi keyboard opens up the ability to work with sound. This is an important part of the modern musician's creativity: every famous band or solo artist has its own style and sound, behind which are hundreds of hours of experimentation and research. A unique sound is an important part of an artist's self-expression, because if a track is recognized from the first notes due to its sound, then the listener will remember it.

More features, functions

Midi controllers come in more than just black and white keys. Sometimes these are pads - large square buttons that are sensitive to pressure, it is convenient to program beats and drum parts on such buttons, to work with non-tonal samples.

Often, controllers are tailored for specific VST instruments. For example, Native Instruments Maschine even comes with matching software, including full versions of the Massive, Monark, and Reaktor Prism synthesizers, as well as the Komplete Start sample set. The controller helps you manage your software faster and more efficiently, gives you instant access to the functions you need and allows you to be more productive with your music.

There are also controllers for more efficient work in DAW, for example, these . They are often used by sound engineers at the stage of mixing, for example, to quickly jump to the desired parts of a song, control the faders with your hands, not a mouse, and write automation in real time, rather than draw it in an awkward interface.

Will allow you to speak

For performing musicians, a combination of "midi keyboard plus laptop / tablet" has replaced bulky synthesizers. Midi controllers are lightweight, compact, provide great opportunities, they can be connected several pieces and laid out on one table, with their help you can control the playback, run samples and whole parties. 

Of course, the ranks of huge synthesizers are still popular with musicians of specific genres, where you need to show the virtuosity of playing the instrument. However, for modern rock music and electronics, virtuosity of performance is less and less important, and more attention is paid to the uniqueness of sound and comfort of the performance, where midi keyboards again outperform synthesizers.