Keyboard: is it too small?

[willie45]

Hi,

Part two in a series of newbie questions I'm afraid.

I have a NI S61 MIDI keyboard and I'm wondering if I need to go larger or not. I notice a lot of changes are made using keynotes and I'm not sure I have room on mine. Is it possible to get around this by usig a MIDI controller of some sort or is that a fudge which will irritate? Will strategic mapping of articulations on the keyboard overcome any issues I might face?

I would struggle to fit an 88 key into my home office so I'm hoping the answer is yes. If so is there a framework I should adopt or does it just come with experience?

I guess I could add my small 25 key controller if need be but I'd rather not.

Any tips would be most welcome.

 William

[Errikos]

It is always possible to work with a smaller keyboard, not least due to their capacity for transposing very easily, but this is still too cumbersome for fast work. You can always buy a secondary -even smaller- keyboard for your key switches and additional knobs and such. I am a keyboard player so if you put anything in front of me with fewer than 88 keys I feel uncomfortable - especially if they are also not 'weighted'. I have a M-Audio Keystation 88, which also has many rotary knobs and faders, for a complete control setup.

However, it largely depends on your m.o. If your room cannot accommodate a large keyboard, you have no choice. Personally, if put in such a position, I would exhaust all possibilities in order to fit a full-size keyboard in my workspace. Mine fits and slides from under my desk, and I purchased the desk with that requirement in mind primarily. And with this in mind, you can also imagine the surface space offered by this desk, for everything else...