Looking for a keyboard for use with Sonar

[The Legendary Zoltan]

So, this one is available at my local music store.

http://www.soundaffectsmusic.com/roland-cakewalk-a-500-s-usb-midi-keyboard.html

I'm just looking to control orchestral samples in Sonar. I don't need to have any good sounds already contained within the keyboard. I'm mostly worried about latency when playing along with drums and such. One more thing I'm wondering about is the controller wheel. Do you prefer the wheel that just moves vertically or the stick type that can also move horizontally. The sales staff said that with the stick you can do vibrato and volume at the same time as you play. That will take some practice.

Alternatively, if anyone has a good one for sale, let me know.

Thank you all for your always-invaluable input.

[Kanthos]

If you're not performing live, it doesn't matter much whether you have a joystick or a separate pitch bend and mod wheel, since you can record the two automation tracks separately. For orchestral work, you might not be using much/any pitch bend anyway, just mod. The one advantage of a separate mod wheel is that you can set the mod in position and leave it, hands free; the joystick will always snap back to the mod wheel at the lowest setting. Having some kind of MIDI controller with a knob or fader would be a good way to do that, whether it's on your keyboard or a separate controller.

Your choice of keyboard won't do anything to latency; MIDI (and MIDI over USB) are pretty fast. You'll notice latency if either your CPU is slow or if your audio interface has too large a buffer setting.

The one concern I'd have with the keyboard you linked is that the keys are synth action, so it will be hard to get a wide range of dynamics. You can certainly play the notes in and edit the velocities after the fact, but that's tedious; using a semi-weighted or weighted keyboard will be better in that regard.

[SnappleMan]

It makes a big difference whether it is a pitch wheel or pitch stick, regardless of if you play live or not. If you're going to be using keyboard to record MIDI then you are playing live....

Anyway I much prefer a joystick, but that's just my taste. My advice is to go to a music store and try both, then make up your mind.

[The Legendary Zoltan]

Hmmm. Thanks guys. As far as control goes, I think I prefer the wheel. I was playing that keyboard and when I hit the keys harder it got louder. Are you saying that weighted keys can read my pressure better? It didn't seem like I wouldn't be able to control the velocity while playing.

[Moseph]

Hmmm. Thanks guys. As far as control goes, I think I prefer the wheel. I was playing that keyboard and when I hit the keys harder it got louder. Are you saying that weighted keys can read my pressure better? It didn't seem like I wouldn't be able to control the velocity while playing.

Weighted keys feel more like an acoustic piano. If you aren't already more comfortable playing an acoustic piano than a synth-action keyboard, weighted keys may not be worth the extra cost. Kanthos's point, though, is that it's a little easier to judge how hard you're hitting the keys when they're weighted. And at least on cheaper synth-action keyboards, the velocity response may not be terribly accurate. I had an M-Audio MIDI controller where this was a big problem.

[Flexstyle]

Yeah, honestly, this is the kind of thing where you're going to want to go and test a bunch of different keyboards out for yourself. The latency is a function of your audio drivers, and have nothing to do with the keyboard. I absolutely love my Akai MPK49, but it's got a LOT of bells and whistles and may not be the best for what you're looking to do. Check out some models at the store, find out which ones you like, and then do a bit of research online and make sure that there aren't any glaring flaws with your favorite one.

[The Legendary Zoltan]

OK. Thanks, Flexstyle. It's too bad the selection is so sparse out here.

[Kanthos]

Kanthos's point, though, is that it's a little easier to judge how hard you're hitting the keys when they're weighted.

It's not quite so much about judging how hard you're playing. On a synth action keyboard, it takes a lot less pressure to play the notes, and thus a lot less pressure to play at full velocity than a weighted keyboard. The range of velocities is compressed into a smaller range of pressure on a synth action keyboard.

I agree that this is something you should try out yourself, if possible. People's tasted will vary; I'd never buy the Akai MPK that Flexstyle loves since I found it to be unnaturally stiff; it was trying to feel like a piano without there being actual weight to the keys.

Good luck!