New Comer/ Newbie, Help newbie Options

[Dipp]

Hi guys!

Please help me. I need all the recommendations that i can possibly get from this group..
Here's the scene:


I am a keyboardist[musician] and haven't used my keyboards with a Mac/Pc using Midi. I know what it can do but haven't tried it. I believe a midi interface is best for this setup. What is a good brand that will work with Mac since I will be soon exploring Mac as well.

Also, what is a good audio interface and a good software? Is Garage Band enough? Im not sure though if Gband supports midi.

I have read about M-audio. Is this a good brand? MOtu is a bit expensive If there are complete starter kits out there, please let me know. Are there suppliers here? I am looking for a Sonar Power Studio-like gear that will work for Mac and PC.

Thanks for reading!

Best Regards,

dp

[mortalengines]

M-audio makes a USB/Midi adapter with software/drivers (though they may not even be necessary with the current Mac OS...often just plugging in the device to a USB port and assigning it as a midi controller in the preferences window of your DAW is all you need to do). This will cost you around 50 bucks....Easy & cheap. I don't use Garage Band but my 11 year old daughter does & she uses a little m-audio oxygen 8 to play & control it. It is ridiculously simple to do this stuff these days. Go out & buy your Mac ASAP (chances are that the Mac dealer will have a USB/Midi adapter that you can buy right there or ANY music store that sells keyboards/computer recording gear should be able to help you). Trying to record music FROM your keyboard into your computer may get only slightly more complicated as you may want to get an audio interface....a good one (from M-audio or Presonus) will set you back about 200 bucks. Once again you install the drivers, plug in the device, open up your DAW (Garageband or whatever) & go. Pretty dang simple. There are so many good apps & freeware synths/samplers that you may not even really wanna worry about getting the sounds out of your keyboard anymore. My Korg X3 & Prophet 600 sit unused & gathering dust thanks to Ableton Live, Reason, Reaktor & Absynth.

[ironhead]

well there are many sound cards out there but i think agood starter kit is digidesign mbox 1 its pretty cheap
and it come wth protool.
BUT IF YOU ARE THINKING OF DOING A LOT OF MIDI WORK PROTOOL IS NOT THE BEST FOR MIDI .
THE EASIEST ONE OUT THERE IS SONAR BUT IT S ONLY FOR PC
AS FAR AS MAC YOU CAN TRY CUBASE WICH A VERY GOOD AND STABLE PROGRAM
OR REASON
I USED LOGIC AUDIO BUT ITS A VERY ADVANCE PROGRAM FOR BIGINNERS.
M AUDIO IS GOOD ALSO OR YOU CAN LOOK FOR A USED HI END AUDIO INTERFACE ON THE EBAY ANOTHER GOOD SOUND CARD IS THE FOCUSRITE SAFIRE WHICH ALMOST O LATENCY AND AS ITS OWN HI END PLUGINS AND PROGRAM TO RECORD

[Mac Daddy]

Dipp welcome to 'The Hood'. Asking which piece of equipment is: 'Better/Best' you'll get a million opinions. Here's mine....RME. I have seen one or two of them for sale in the Mac Forum Classifieds. There are alot of M-Audio Interface users here, I think? Only recall hearing 1 "Bad" story about M-Audio... But, for the best advice on Equipment/Software ask: Sound On Sound Music Mag out of England... Register and read to your hearts content or capacity... You name it, they have reviewed it.

Wait an extra week or month until you save enough to buy the 'Best' you can... Don't buy a cheap Interface, you'll only have to buy a better one later... Buy Good, Buy Once. You will be working for many days, weeks and years... Purchase with that in mind.

[Dipp]

Thanks for the reply guys. Appreciate it so much.

Again, thank you for all your suggestions.

[Jim Hoyland]

Well you really asked a bundle there.

Theres a huge range of midi / audio interfaces out there, most of which are cross-platform. As others have mentioned the m-box from Digidesign is pretty good and includes ProToolsLE and you now have the option of the Pro version which connects via Firewire rather than USB1. M-Audio also do a bunch of combined keyboards / midi interface / audio interfaces which will work with ProTools M-powered.

Since you're on a Mac forum I really would suggest Logic as an all in one software option. The Express version is pretty damn cheap and offers most of the features of the pro version including support for Garageband instruments and Apple Loops and in my experience musicians find the workflow pretty easy to get round.

RME do offer some fantastic interfaces so its worth looking at these too. If you have a local music store try and set up an appointment to try out a few options, or go to a trade fair if there's one near you.

And yes, subscibe to Sound on Sound for honest and full reviews of pretty much everything out there. The discussion forums on their website cober just about everything you'll need.

[paideia]

Hello, if you only need play your keyboard and make music with virtual instruments, you don´t need audio interface, only midiy. But a Tascam US 122, 122L and 144 are good choice if you need two tracks imput and midi in&out. If you need mor audio ins, MOTU Ultralite is a good choicer for me.

About the software: For the beeginer and mor, Logic Express y is gog, because if you have AKAI, Sample Cello or Giga samples, you can use its with the EXSP24 sampler player, and it cost 350 dolars. Next other option is Digital Performer (I use It), it is proffesional, mor intuitive in many aspects than Logic and have all the DAW software should do have. Of cours, Cubase y Logic Pro are excellent softs, too. If you use Reason, you have sequencer and virtual instruments, but not audio tracks.

And, If you like play virtual instruments, In Logic Express or Pro, you have the same sounds from GarageBand and others more. With the others Apps, you don´t have good sounds, except Pro Tools, with a little versions of Ableton Live, Reason and SampleTank.

Best Regards.

[zooot]

no mention of motu?