quote:

Originally posted by Zombie0729 wow i guess i'm more hands on then most of you... some of my best ideas have come about simply jamming, stuff i would have never come up with by penciling

I'm pretty much the same way. I get most of my good ideas from sitting down at the keyboard and just noodling around. If I am writing something that has a lot of chord movement, I frequently start out by working out the chord progressions on the keyboard.

A MIDI keyboard also provides me with other useful features, not the least of which is the modulation wheel, which gets used heavily in my work. Sure, I could simply draw in the automation, but I find that modulating sounds with the wheel tends to give things a more "live" feel, especially when tweaking synth parameters.

In addition, I spend a great deal of time working out my arrangements and chord progressions on the keyboard as an early step in my productions. I don't know how successful I would be if I had to just draw things out by hand.

i dont use a midi keyboard and produced all my releases without one in cubase sx 3. now im using logic pro 8 on a mac and still don't feel the need to get one.

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quote:

Originally posted by david.michael I produced in FL without a MIDI keyboard for years.

This is what I'm currently doing.

If I need to work stuff out or jam to get ideas I have two keyboards I can use, along with a very out of tune baby grand piano. Hell, I've even come up with trance hooks using my acoustic or electric guitar. I just take ideas from that and draw them into the piano roll, and that's worked well enough for me for the last 3 years.

There is no way I'd get anything done without a keyboard, I studied piano for 15 years so playing is 2nd nature to me.

I'm also a hardware junkie so the more keyboards I have the better I feel.

Korg has their Nano series which is inexpensive and very portable.

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Here is a low cost midi keyboard that also functions as a regular keyboard. Its very helpful and it does not take up very much space.

http://us.creative.com/products/pro...4&product=14118

US :

UK :

The Ultimate Keyboard for Work and Play

A fusion of computer and music keyboard abilities, Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI is here to redefine your PC workstation! It not only gives you the best of both worlds, it is equipped with hotkeys that make it remarkably convenient to run your everyday tasks and programs. To top it all, its innovative software suite will elevate your music experience to a new high!

Ingenious Design: You would never have guessed from those sleek lines and slim body that the Prodikeys PC-MIDI is stocked with an arsenal of features. The design also cleverly incorporates a cover which protects and hides 37 touch-sensitive music keys from view when they are not in use, while doubling up as a stylish palm rest.

Simplify Your Workflow: Breeze through applications with Prodikeys PC-MIDI's array of hot keys. The enhanced Function keys launch tasks such as Save and Print. Now you don't have to visit the Start menu when you want to write an email — just hit the HotKey and get started immediately! You can also edit the HotKeys to access your favorite programs and links.

37 touch-sensitive music keys
Snap-on color faceplate
Removable palm rest

This site has them for $59.99 but you can probably find an older model on ebay for cheaper.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...50777447&sr=8-3

I caught mine on sale and only paid $39.99 on Amazon.com

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Electronic Night Life
<3

Last edited by euphoria on Aug-20-2009 at 14:13

http://www.korgnano.com/

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The Counterfeiters : Trance, House, Disco House, Experimental Electronica

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