no m-audio $99 keyboards

[Sabon]

One confession

One confession. Part of the reason I was able to play that fast is that a long time ago (back in the late 60s and early 70s I was in band and played Trombone and also borrowed my two sisters clarinet and saxophone and sort of taught myself how to play notes on them. So I can somewhat read sheet music. Or I should say it is coming back to me.

 

[MacRAND]

One confession... Sabon is a musician.

Originally posted by Sabon
One confession.
Part of the reason I was able to play that fast is that a long time ago ...
I was in band and played Trombone and ...
sort of taught myself how to play notes on them.
So I can somewhat read sheet music.
Or, I should say it is coming back to me.

Sabon, you are a guitar picking, key thickling, note reading, Mac loving, creative animal. After all is said and done, the Ozone is too small, an 88 key too big, and the Apple's M-Audio KB too basic for you because your talent, which by now is obvious to everyone in this thread, is too advanced for basic.

What MTorbin, myself, and many of others have been saying is that if you can afford to invest a little more than $99 in a very basic KB, do so. You should buy a model not based upon your current abilities, but based on where you are likely to be a year or so from now.

Several years ago when I bought a G4 with my first SuperDrive, I didn't know how to burn a DVD, didn't own a digital camera or a DV camcorder, had only edited linearly using VHS and Hi8 tape (which sucked big time, turning me off), and I was intimidated by the learning curve for Primiere, Avid or Final Cut Pro, and the ungodly price of all the software and hardware to get into NLE on a Mac. But, I figured that I needed to get my digital feet wet, and test the waters. Today, I regularly download DV from my camcorder and digital photos from my camera or its CompactFlash card, edit with iMovie and burn finished product with iDVD. Plus, since prices have come down and capability gone up, I'm learning DVD Studio Pro 2 so I can burn from my non-SuperDrive iBook onto a LeCie d2 DVD-R/RW while on the road (no G4) and even how to edit (bought a book, page by page, chapter by chapter - it's coming...) with FCP4 including fancy Soundtrack.

Now, Sabon, if an untalented dummy like me can experience such progress in digital media over just 2 years knowing only about 35mm photography JUST BECAUSE I was brave enough to get a SuperDrive (the way of the future ) with my new Macintosh, I believe you have at least as much potential as that.

Since we all know (since your dramatic confessions) that you have musical talent, the expectation (you humble rascal) is that in no time at all you will be going nuts over GarageBand and its capability, creating not only piano tracks for your own musical compositions, but adding guitar accompanyment, and maybe even some vocal, all because your church or your kid's school had a movie project for you to help with that needs some simple background music and you suddenly realized - "hey, I can do that!"

So, don't limit yourself to the basics, plan on growth. And, get rockin'.
Isn't that why we love Macs? I can hear (and see) it now--

Sabon's first musical DVD with video - "Jazz Confessions of a Closet Guitar Picker" by Sabon and his digital orchestra.

 

[Sabon]

Come on over and listen before you say I have talent

Hi MacRAND. Come on over and listen to me peck at keys before you decide I have talent or that I'm a musician. Yes I'm trying. I sucked the least in my section in band. That doesn't mean I was good. But again. I'm trying. That's all I can do.

So far I hit about half the right notes. I'm playing out of time most of the time. And only once in awhile when they have only C, G, and F chords I can sort of hit chords when I'm playing (which puts me further out of timing). But they. My cats and wife can't hear me because I have headphones on, so they haven't run screaming out of the house.

LOL

 

[alset]

Re: Go With The OZone

Originally posted by mtorbin
The nice thing about the OZone, other than the fact that it has everything you'd want in a controller, is that it also has two 1/4 inch line inputs (i.e. for your guitar and/or mic).

Weak inputs. Better to get an Oxygen 8 with a real audio interface and a pre-amp or a DI box.

Dan

 

[MacRAND]

Come on over and listen before you say I have talent

Originally posted by Sabon
Hi MacRAND. Come on over and listen to me peck at keys before you decide I have talent or that I'm a musician.

Be carefuly what you wish for! I absolutely love seafood, especially Seattle clam chowder, including digging for fresh clams along the shore (I know secret spots where fishnets are buried in the sand; lots of clams!).

I was discharged from the USMC in December 1969 from Marine Barracks, Bremerton, WA. (I had been Personnel Admin Chief aboard Marine Detachment, USS KITTY HAWK for 2.5 years. The KITTY HAWK bent a screw running over a Soviet sub playing stupid war games with us in the Tonkin Gulf in 1969, requiring us to head for Dry Docks at Bremerton for substantial repairs. Tried to fix it in Sasebo, Japan, but it didn't work. Now that was good liberty.)

Know and love Seattle, but I must admit I was never colder in my life than that December...Brrrr! Comes from being a thin blooded Arizona Desert Rat. Nam was never really too hot for me, but damn humid; don't miss that.
I've been back several times in the last decade, love Seattle.

Tempting, Sabon, very tempting. I always travel with my iBook, some DVDs, and BOSE Noise Canelling Headphones.

 

[Sabon]

LOL - Save your ears MacRAND

Hey MacRAND. Before anyone wants to come over and hear me play I probably should get better than I am. Yes my wife can recognize a song. But that isn't saying much yet.

I you really want to be punished I can record how I play and put it up here. Now it's _your_ turn to be careful. lol

 

[MacRAND]

Save your ears MacRAND

Originally posted by Sabon
Before anyone wants to come over and hear me play I probably should get better than I am.

Can't afford either the time or the airfare right now, but I'm with you in spirit.
Sure, record an audition clip and post it here or on your .Mac sight or somewhere. (Boy, is the pressure on or what!)

Update: 2 hours ago I was in the Phoenix Apple Store and saw an M-Audio keyboard basking in the sunlight. Also, they had an "edirol" (spelling?) keyboard the same size but tons of other features, switches, and dohickies. They also had an impressive set of 3 Kipsch speakers that sounded great (stereo + subwoofer).

As I've pointed out in other threads, starting with the last week of each month -- the manager puts a whole bunch of "refresh" items (returned) on a cart and the classroom bench at pretty good discount, G5 dual 2.0 for $2,599, some 12" and one 15" PB w/ComboDrive, Canon digital cameras, and a bunch of odds and ends.

So, visit the Apple Store near you for details...(do I sound like an ad?)

Sabon, keep practicing, soon you'll be perfect...

 

[0359392]

Originally posted by White Hawk
Two thing's I'd like to mention, if you just want to plug your guitar in your Mac you don't need to spend $80, I spent £1 on a 1/4 to 1/8 Mic adapter, that's all I needed.

Also if you really are not going to learn the Piano and just want a way to play the software instruments in GarageBand, get a free little program called MidiKeys, no setup needed, just make it appear always on top and click on it to be in focus and away you go, it's enough to do basic stuff using your QWERTY keyboard.

For those of you who have not recorded music with a MIDI guitar, let me tell you this. You'd better have talent out your ass to get those drums to sound decent coming from a guitar controller.

My point is, if had to go with one controller, make it the keyboard, NOT the guitar. You'll get more versatility out of the keyboard than you will the guitar, trust me. I have experience with this. (and I say this as a guitar player)

- MT

 

[White Hawk]

I didn't mention anything about MIDI guitar's now did I? I was talking about plugging in your real guitar into your Mac, for just doing that you don't need any "controller' between the guitar and the Mac, just a adapter to change the connection to be able to plug it in the Line In which costs hardly anything.

And as for making guitar sound's with a keyboard, well as good as the software guitars are in GarageBand (and they are, tried some Dire Straits MIDI's and the guitars was quite a bit better than expected) if you want real you can't do it with a keyboard.

And if you can't afford or are just interested in playing with more than one key at a time the software instruments so you can do your own loops or not so complex tracks then you have the option of using your QWERTY keyboard as a musical input for them using MidiKeys.

I just think there might be a lot of people buying a musical keyboard when all they want to do is simple stuff that can be done using MidiKeys.

Matt, take a breather, it's ok.

 

[0359392]

White Hawk,

I appreciate your input... only if you had read me right. I was refering to making drum sounds with your guitar.

- MT

 

[White Hawk]

And why on earth would you want to do that? I don't even know if that is possible in GarageBand, but using the software drum's with MidiKeys is real easy.

 

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by edesignuk
I ordered a keyboard yesterday, eta early march!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!

w00t! Just got an email saying that it had been despatched today Looks like their origional ETA was way out