That keyboard may work (I dunno), it also costs 129 bucks new.
An older model M-Audio MIDI controller goes for 1/2 or less than half the price on s/h market (Ebay, Craigslist etc) and they usually work great and have OK synth actions. Test that the USB port on the keyboard works before buying it or get current owner to demonstrate that it works. Remember to test that USB port. Don't end up like me having to resolder controller circuit boards because the quality control in the factory was not up to scratch.
You'll need a USB cable, possibly a longer one to reach the computer, depending on where your keyboard stand is located.
You may need some kind of decent quality Linux Compatible sound card (typically a USB Roland, Focusrite, Behringer etc) unless you plan to use computer on-board audio.
You'll have to research which soundcard models are indeed Linux compatible. Not all makes, models, or models of makes are.
You'll need to set up plain ALSA, alternatively Pipewire or Jack Audio on your computer to handle the sound.
You'll need to configure your computer for low-latency audio, otherwise there's going to be a long delay between pressing keys and hearing sounds. Many people (musical illiterates, and there are many of them on audio forums) don't mind such delays or have any realisation that there are delays and it just doesn't matter to this category of user. High latency is a problem for most musicians who want to live play typical pop/rock/jazz/funk/reggae/folk and even most forms of classical music.
Yes a minority of musicians live in a different space / time continuum (senile, Class A drug users, ones who don't take showers or trim their nosehairs, ones on their 5th vaxx boosters etc) where counting and playing in time has no meaning. But timing and latency matters to most other musicians.
Software, you'll need some kind of sequencer like Ardour, Muse, Reaper, Rosegarden or whatever can host the VSTs. If you just want to host the VST / LV2 plugins and don't need the sequencing then Carla will work
Figure out what you want to do and what your requirements are, then you will figure out what you need
1) Do you just want to trigger sounds
2) Do you want to record sounds
3) Do you want to record MIDI events to play back synth sounds
4) Do you want to arrange songs by recording MIDI events, or audio tracks, or some kind of combination of both
etc etc
Statistics: Posted by asbak — Sat Jun 29, 2024 11:50 am
