Keyboards for producing tracks...help!

ibarelycare

Hey, my boyfriend is a DJ and has started making a lot of his own tunes. He mentioned that he wanted to buy a keyboard to help him out so I decided to get him one for Christmas. I've already got him other presents though so don't want to spend more than €100 on it. I was having a look at HTFR but I know absolutely nothing about this stuff so would like some advice!

http://www.htfr.com/midi-keyboards/

I don't know if you need to spend a lot of money on a keyboard, DJing is a hobby for him but he does take it seriously so want to get him something decent enough. If anything under €100 is crappy then I just won't bother.

EDIT: By the way, his computer is a Mac, don't know if that's important!

jtsuited

ibarelycare wrote: »

I don't know if you need to spend a lot of money on a keyboard, DJing is a hobby for him but he does take it seriously so want to get him something decent enough. If anything under €100 is crappy then I just won't bother.

you're lucky because midi keyboards are pretty much the only area where the crappy cheap stuff isn't actually too bad at all. Any of the m-audio cheap and cheerful keyboards on that page would do the job more than adequately.

And the fact he's on mac pretty much means it's going to be a plug and play situation (one of the huge benefits of macs regarding external midi devices).

10 out of 10 on being a good girlfriend by the way.

Zascar

jtsuited wrote: »

10 out of 10 on being a good girlfriend by the way.

LOL +1

http://www.thomann.de/ie is a good place to look

Stab*City

jtsuited wrote: »

10 out of 10 on being a good girlfriend by the way.

+1

oh and ya what jt said..

ibarelycare

LOL cheers, I'm a pain in the arse girlfriend really :pac:

Zascar thanks for that link, they've loads on there.

I like the look at this one (I know, I know, I think it looks pretty, I'm such a girl) but then there are cheaper ones like this which seems pretty similar. Would I be better off with the more expensive one?

Also, both of those only have 25 keys, and there are ones for the same price with more keys. I know it's probably a matter of taste and depends what type of music you're making, but is it important to have more keys?

Stab*City

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=162438&cat=55

mordeith

It mght be worth checking what kind of software your boyfriend is using to produce his tracks. What you need to remember about the MIDI keyboards mentioned here, is that they don't produce any sounds by themselves, only via the soft synths that they control.

old gregg

ibarelycare wrote: »

there are cheaper ones like this which seems pretty similar.

I'm sure there are better ones out there and all that good stuff but I took one of those m-audio models all around Australia/Europe in hand luggage while recording/performing and it was/is a perfectly solid bit of kit. A little cramped for studio work but brilliant for working on the go.

jiltloop

You can't go wrong something like this http://www.thomann.de/ie/maudio_keystudio_25.htm it has assignable knobs which come in very useful. Cheap, cheerful and efficient.

Starfox

jtsuited wrote: »

you're lucky because midi keyboards are pretty much the only area where the crappy cheap stuff isn't actually too bad at all. Any of the m-audio cheap and cheerful keyboards on that page would do the job more than adequately.

And the fact he's on mac pretty much means it's going to be a plug and play situation (one of the huge benefits of macs regarding external midi devices).

10 out of 10 on being a good girlfriend by the way.

+1
m-audio

ibarelycare

I was down there last night and was meant to get a look at his laptop to see what programme he uses but I forgot. I think i'm just going to go for the one jiltloop recommended. I spoke to a friend who's also a dj and she said that that more than likely whatever programmes he uses will work fine with the keyboard.