I need a keyboard to use with RW/Reason, any suggestions?

[beauzeau]

So I'm diddling around with reason, and, being a dumb guitar player that ain't never learnd no nothin about them, well, I thought I'd ask you guys.

I'm not so much worried about built-in sounds of course, as the synths that are within reason seem plenty capable of creating just about all the sounds I'll ever need. It would be nice, but not necessary, for it to have built-in speakers, as I'm hoping my daughter will take interest, and while I want her to play if she wants to play, I'd like for her to be able to do it without having to kick me off my own computer.

Also, I don't have a pro soundcard, nor an in/out interface of any sort. I use the pod xt live for all that currently. I DO have a toneport, if that makes any difference.

I would like to be able to control the sounds made within the synths of reason with the keyboard in real time. Don't know if that's doable or not, but would imagine so, as I remember that midi could do it.

Speaking of which, are we PAST the whole midi thing yet? Is there newer and better technology? I really love the fact that the podxt just plugs in via usb. Is usb going to replace midi or something like that?

Anyway, if any of you have any advice, I'd love to hear it.

Oh yeah, weighted keys are of no significance. If there's a really great piece out there that could be had for only a couple hundred bucks more for the weighted (or graded, or whatever that is) version, then I'll probably spring for it.

Beau

[dan]

I will take a crack at a couple of your questions.

MIDI as a protocal or technology isn't dead. People keep waiting for it to be replaced or go away. However it seems to do a good job decribing how a keyboard is being played and the keyboard isn't really going away either.

MIDI as a connector isn't really going away either. It does a good job too. However if you were to buy a little controller keyboard these days you would want to connect it directly to your computer with a usb port. Most any little modern controller keyboard you buy is going to have this usb port.

Reason talks to these keyboards. Newer midi keyboards do an even better job talking to Reason.

MAudio makes weighted and non weighted keyboards. I don't know if this site sells them or what. They do a good job listing the different configurations.

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/keyboard-controllers.html

[beauzeau]

Thanks dan. Now that I know they are called controller keyboards, I'm getting more of what I want to see in my search results!

[ShredRex]

I am going to get this http://line6.com/toneport/kb37.html

But for now I am using this http://www.bome.com/midi/keyboard/ it isn't the real thing but it gets me by.....for free.

[mickeymix]

Shred that makes 2 of us.......... I was going to get a new TonePort today at GuitarCenter but saw that on the Line 6 website this morning and figured , what the hell ........I'll wait a couple if months.
If I don't wait , I'' just be kicking myself in the ARSE later....... any idea on the price?

[hbursk]

The KB37 has had a couple different price points throughout its development history. The highest I heard was $349 MAP. So expect that, or lower.

[ShredRex]

I heard 269.99, that I can live with.

[mickeymix]

Yeah......... that's more like it