Forum Overview :: No Stairway to Heaven :: USB == you can plug it straight into your computer w/o owning anything else.

[quote name="Fullofkittens"]That's the only major reason why someone would want USB midi over regular old DIN connector MIDI as far as I know. There are some keyboards that let you do two-way things like download patches or control things inside the synth (but MIDI has a lot of that built-in already too). When choosing a keyboard controller there are a few things to consider: <ul><li>Number of keys</li> <li>Action (weighted vs nonweighted etc)</li> <li>Onboard sounds</li> <li>MIDI CC controllers (i.e. faders and knobs)</li> <li>Size and weight</li> <li>Built-in speakers</li></ul> I'm probably forgetting some things. But as you probably noticed there are a couple of branching pathways. At the very low-end you have small keyboards with no onboard sounds and few controls. Then as you head upwards in price they branch into "keyboard controllers" and "digital pianos." Keyboard controllers (e.g. NI Komplete Kontrol) have few or no sounds but lots of knobs and faders. Digital pianos (like the thing you posted) have nicer sounds but no knobs or faders. Then as you head upward into Spending a Fuckton of Money On This dollars, keyboard controllers get a 2nd stage evolution called "keyboard workstations" (higher-end Korgs etc) and digital pianos get a 2nd stage evolution called Stage Pianos (Nords etc) where all the features come back together and the keyboards all have some different flavor of "does everything." Weighted keys are usually in the digital piano branch and not the "meant for controlling synthesizers" branch but it appears that <a href="https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=midi+keyboard+weighted+keys">Novation in particular has been anticipating your needs.</a> I personally have been using a low-end Kurzweil stage piano with a separate midi controller sitting on top of it as my setup for all these years. re: the one you posted, generally when I see built-in speakers, to me that says "this is meant for somebody who wants to learn piano but can't justify the space" aka somebody's kid or mom. If you just want to play piano, look for an upright on craigslist, they're about a billion times more rewarding to play than the digital kind.[/quote]