Absolute Beginner in MIDI Stuff...Keyboard vs Launchpad? And Other Questions

[Zahra]

Hello Future Producers!

My first post here. I am pretty inept when it comes to MIDI stuff but definitely want to learn (and also looking to take advantage of Cyber Monday deals so your punctual feedback is appreciated!).

My questions are as follows:

1) Are there keyboards that act as both standalone keyboards & music controllers? I would like to use it to improve my piano skills as well as creating music (but don't want this if the combination means the quality of each component is compromised)

2) What are some big differences and pros/cons between a keyboard and a controller like Launchpad? Do either come with good music production software? Again, I would like to create beats (I often sing and record the beats I come up with so I am looking to translate them into digital music)

3) Can something like Launchpad control lights or a fog machine? I could have sworn that I read that somewhere...

4) For either forms of music controllers what are some excellent brands? I am looking for quality, value and versatility

5) Bonus question - what a is a good vocal looper? For this I don't need many effects as I want to rely mostly on my own output and not have it so digitally altered. I am looking at the TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch but want to know what else I would need to record and listen with this one. I have a Shure mic (SM58) and a Mackie monitor (SRM150). Is the software included here with the devise? If not would it be included with a music controller?

Sorry if any of these questions are annoyingly basic but I am overwhelmed by information! Thank You Thank You Thank You!

 

[krushing]

1) Are there keyboards that act as both standalone keyboards & music controllers? I would like to use it to improve my piano skills as well as creating music (but don't want this if the combination means the quality of each component is compromised)

Pretty much each and every keyboard made after 1983 (when MIDI was introduced) will work as a controller - so no problem there. Of course most "standalone" keyboards won't have the extra stuff that dedicated controllers have, like faders and DAW transport control and whatnot, but as far as note input goes, you won't be compromising quality.

2) What are some big differences and pros/cons between a keyboard and a controller like Launchpad? Do either come with good music production software? Again, I would like to create beats (I often sing and record the beats I come up with so I am looking to translate them into digital music)

Well, the Launchpad is a bit special in the sense that it's really designed for a single purpose - to launch clips in Ableton Live. It doesn't have velocity, and the buttons are pretty small so it doesn't really compare to other "drumpad" controllers. You can use it for note input, but it's not really very ideal for that. It comes with a feature-limited version of Ableton Live.

3) Can something like Launchpad control lights or a fog machine? I could have sworn that I read that somewhere...

Theoretically yes, although I admit that I don't really know anything about this subject. I believe the standard for lighting control is a protocol called DMX, and there are plenty of MIDI to DMX solutions available. But as said, I don't really know how it works in practice.

4) For either forms of music controllers what are some excellent brands? I am looking for quality, value and versatility

Akai and Novation make decent controllers, although they don't really have a piano feel (which calls for weighted keyboard action). If you want to practice piano, I'd probably get whatever you like for that, use it as your keyboard controller and get an extra control surface for the rest of the stuff (faders, pads, buttons, DAW controls and such if needed).

I'll just leave the bonus question for someone who knows about those

 

[noobproducer123]

Find an (online) shop that lets you try out various models before you decide on one. I recently bought a new keyboard and went through about 10 models before I found one that suited me. I wanted it cheap (< 100 bucks) without any bells and whistles, just for note input, but most models in that price category have really cheap keys that feel nothing like a real instrument. I ended up with an Alesis Q49 and I'm quite happy with it.

 

[krushing]

Yeah, do try 'em out. The keybed feel is pretty important and personal.

 

[Zahra]

Thank you both for your feedback! You are very right about trying out the keyboard first. I went to Guitar Center yesterday to see what I might like but I was still unsure of what I was looking for, though I did try the Launchpad and was surprised that it was not as low-resistance as I had expected (you really gotta press down on those pads!).

I was hoping to get the Launchpad to do some live effects when I DJ sometimes; my clientele would appreciate effects here and there but not full-out mixing and scratching all the way, so I was thinking that the Launchpad could substitute my Serato system and turntable sometimes. Can I rely on the Launchpad to be versatile, or does it really need to be fully pre-programmed before I use it live? (ps I am aware that I need to use it with Ableton, so if I have a dedicated laptop for the Launchpad and another source of music how will that go?)

As for keyboards, my friend who has experience with them suggested that my needs would be met with a small keyboard and an iPad system that has the right interface (and the iPad can actually make up for the "pads" concept that Launchpad has). I'd like a keyboard that I can use to improve my playing skills but it does not have to have speakers. I want it to be able to produce with it as well and translate the beats I come up with in my head into something that I can record on my laptop, and I absolutely do not want something for a total beginner, but something that is not complicated and intricate as well. Even if you don't really have a solid idea of what would be a good fit, what are some key words I should be looking for so that I can avoid keyboards that are just keyboards?

As for the looper I am pretty sure I am going to go with the TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch (1 or 2) depending on the conversation I will have with their customer service about them. I have seen enough demos and of artists I like that use these things so I am sold!

 

[krushing]

I went to Guitar Center yesterday to see what I might like but I was still unsure of what I was looking for, though I did try the Launchpad and was surprised that it was not as low-resistance as I had expected (you really gotta press down on those pads!).

As I said before, they're more like buttons than pads - the way Live (usually) works means that you won't be hitting them exactly on time but rather rely on the quantization settings to do their job...

Can I rely on the Launchpad to be versatile, or does it really need to be fully pre-programmed before I use it live? (ps I am aware that I need to use it with Ableton, so if I have a dedicated laptop for the Launchpad and another source of music how will that go?)

"Fully pre-programmed" in the sense that yes,you need to build up your stuff in Live before the Launchpad will do anything. It's preconfigured to do stuff like launch clips, control tracks levels (in a pretty rough fashion, but should be somewhat enough for live use) and send levels, stuff like that. But basically everything happens in Live, and the Launchpad is just a physical manifestation of the on-screen interface. As for the "other source of music", that kind of depends whether or not you'll need some kind of sync between the two.

Even if you don't really have a solid idea of what would be a good fit, what are some key words I should be looking for so that I can avoid keyboards that are just keyboards?

Basically you have a few basic types of keyboards - those that are "just keyboards" are called MIDI controller keyboards (keyboards because there are other, non-keyboard MIDI controllers as well - such as the Launchpad, for example); then you have synthesizers, workstation keyboards (that usually involve the possibility to build complete songs on them), digital pianos and stage/performance keyboards (which are somewhat like workstations but with a live perfomance focus, usually omitting sequencing and other song-building kind of features). I'd say the "stage" class might be what you're after here, but that kind of depends on what kind of sounds you're looking for (pure synthesizers don't really have "normal" acoustic instrument sounds, for example and workstations/stage keyboards can be more limited in the synthesis department but there's overlap in all these categories regarding this).

 

[Zahra]

Krushing,

Thanks again for your feedback. Let me ask you this - what was your process in creating that track in your signature? What equipment was involved? I think I am getting closer to what I want.

 

[krushing]

Frankly I can't exactly remember which synth is doing what in there...I reckon I've done the main arp first (which is probably the Mutable Instruments Anushri), then the pads (again, *probably* out of a Waldorf MicroQ), then added the drums (just samples in this case, sequenced in Live) and then additional melodies, fx & mixing in Live. After I have the initial sequences recorded, I usually do a few recording passes (with the previously recorded MIDI sequences from Live driving the synths), tweaking the synths live and recording the audio from them. The song structure usually just comes from - roughly - just triggering the clips from an Akai APC40 (which is basically the same as the Launchpad in this regard), and then I manually adjust some things afterwards, like drop some stuff out, create breaks and whatnot. So it's mostly an iterative process where I start with something and see where it leads me - I rarely have a very complete idea of what a song should be when I start out, it's more like jamming with myself (and my studio-building process has always more or less revolved around that idea, everything should be as hands-on and immediate as possible, allowing for all sorts of happy accidents).

As said before, most of the mixing & fx is done itb, but I do have a bunch of outboard units as well - mostly just "flavour" type of fx more than basic mixing tools though.

 

[Zahra]

Thank you, Krushing! I'll figure it out eventually