I've decided to get started, first step- keyboard.

[Zephyr]

Allright, I've been posting here for a bit about getting into remixing and such, now I'm serious about it and am buying a midi keyboard. I'm feeling very strongly toward the Axiom 61 from M-audio, I'll be working with FL, by the way. This will be my main midi controller.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom61-main.html

1) Will I be dissapointed?

2)Any features I might want that this doesn't have?

3)It works with the USB port right? I don't need to have anything to do with the midi-in midi-out right?

4)I'm up here in Canada, and from what I saw at Zzounds they don't ship up here (plus I don't want to go through the hassle of getting it across the border, any good deals from canadian dealers? I think M-audio has canadian outlets here)

5)Anything else to say?

[Kanthos]

1) Will I be dissapointed?

As long as you're well aware of what you want the keyboard for and the Axiom 61 fits those goals, no, you won't be.

2)Any features I might want that this doesn't have?

Weighted keys is the only thing that comes to mind.

3)It works with the USB port right? I don't need to have anything to do with the midi-in midi-out right?

The only reason you'd use the midi-out is if you're controlling another MIDI device using the Axiom. I don't know why you'd use the midi-in since the Axiom doesn't produce audio output, so using something else to control it seems pointless. Use the USB connection.

4)I'm up here in Canada, and from what I saw at Zzounds they don't ship up here (plus I don't want to go through the hassle of getting it across the border, any good deals from canadian dealers? I think M-audio has canadian outlets here)

I got mine at a small store in Kitchener; due to a pricing error, I ended up paying about 2/3 what it was worth even after I pointed it out to them. I was only looking at places I could get locally. You might not want to ship it unless you get a really good deal because it'll be big and shipping costs will probably be high. I suggest www.kellysmusic.ca for gear in general; if they have what you want, their prices are usually quite good and as long as you don't order an academic version of software (which has to be shipped from the manufacturer as a special order; they don't stock academic software by default), they ship quickly as well. Here's the link for the Axiom 61.

5)Anything else to say?

Don't know if you've thought about what kind of sound card you're using, but I suggest getting a decent audio interface. If your audio playback latency isn't really low (I need it at 10 ms or less; I wouldn't even consider any interface that doesn't have native ASIO drivers), then when you play along with audio you've already recorded, you'll be out of sync and it'll be hard to play. Note that this isn't the keyboard's fault either, so if you don't have a good sound card, don't blame the keyboard

[suzumebachi]

10ms is being fairly generous as well. 5ms or lower is preferable (I keep mine at 2ms).

[Kanthos]

Well, depends on you as a performer and how fast you react. I just tried it out by opening the ASIO panel for my interface and decreasing the latency to see what the threshhold for me was between playable and non-playable. I'm at 4ms right now and not complaining.

[Fray]

Definately try before you buy if you're a piano player. If you're just looking to punch in synth lines you'll probably be ok, but if you're going to play piano parts you should consider sprining for fully weighted keys (or better yet, hammer-action).

The most likely reason you'd use the MIDI-in on the Axiom is to dump settings to it from some device that doesn't have a USB port Not that there are many of those lying around...