With computer horse power rising by the second, the decision to keep your musical instruments in the physical realm versus the virtual has never been harder to determine, especially for the keyboard users of the world. With so many new options and variables that come into play with each new innovation in the industry, it has become much more difficult to decide which choice may be best for you. From determining which route is most cost effective and just how expandable each can be, to understanding the technical aspects that can be quite jarring to the first time buyer. In this article I will help you figure out if purchasing an all in one keyboard workstation or just a simple midi controller with a module or software is a better choice for your budget and needs.

All musical instruments in one way or another seem to be showing up in a digital format these days and the piano has been at the forefront of this digital age with the use of a keyboard for longer than any. The major advancements in this technology came in the 60′s with the great Moog synthesizers came on the market. While these were still analog, the achievements made paved the way for digital keyboards in the decades to come. In today’s market the question is not about digital versus analog but whether or not a piece of computer software can hold up against the more familiar workstations.

So when you when you decide to make your purchase you have two main options to select from. Do you go the software route or stay with the more conventional all in one keyboard workstation. It is my hope that I will be able to guide you on your journey, helping you make the choice which is best for you. First, lets see what each setup is made of. The digital workstation is pretty much what you see is what you get. It’s all built into the unit and unless you want to add some accessories then you need nothing else. Now the first drawback to some wanting to use software is that this is a bit more of a setup. The heart and soul is your computer and if you want to use this for gigging then you have to have a laptop.

Secondly you will need an audio sound card to handle the processing of the digital signal. Its possible the one built into your computer may be ok for just one signal with a half to quarter inch jack converter running into the microphone input, but chances are the latency (the time it takes for you to hit a key and have it converted and output through your speakers) will be too high to deal with. So along with a computer you will need a simple external sound card to process the signal. Add to that a midi controller and the software and you now have a solid software setup.

Wow, it can be a bit overwhelming when considering a software setup. So why would anyone choose this route then? As far as Im concerned the sounds are far superior to anything you will find built into a workstation and the ability to expand your setup and add-on is limitless. Not only that, but you now have the capability to record your ideas or songs using a piece of recording software like (Pro-Tools, Nuendo, etc). As a matter of fact you kill two birds with one stone buy purchasing an M-box by Pro-Tools. Not only would that allow you to record onto your computer and come with the software to do that, you could use it for live performances as well.

In the end you have to decide whether or not ease of setup and portability is more important than quality of sounds and endless extensibility. Not to mention that going this route sets you up with a mini home recording studio as well. A lot of workstations may allow some basic recording functionality but this will allow for recording any instruments you want and make for a very conducive writing environment for band situations.

Some great soft synths to start out on would be anything by Native Instruments. Another favorite of many are the libraries made by East West. They will record in various concert halls, using the best microphones available and create small wav files from popular string or woodwind instruments. With a simple midi keyboard you can control each sound and build an entire orchestral piece that would be impossible to do with just a workstation.

Now to the main concern of most, what will each cost me? If portability is a must then a laptop is a must as well. If you do not have one then your overall price of a software setup will go way up. You will probably spend between 1 to 4 thousand dollars on a quality workstation so if a laptop is not needed then it is probably cheaper to go with a software setup.

If you add up software, controller and sound-card, it could be under a grand depending on how much software you buy but keep in mind that some of the really good software from East West and others can add up quick, although they have dropped their prices tremendously over the last few years. Hopefully you have gained a better sense of what each product variations could benefit you best and also help demystify the world of software based keyboard solutions.

With computer horse power rising by the second, the decision to keep your musical instruments in the physical realm versus the virtual has never been harder to determine, especially for the keyboard users of the world. With so many new options and variables that come into play with each new innovation in the industry, it has become much more difficult to decide which choice may be best for you. From determining which route is most cost effective and just how expandable each can be, to understanding the technical aspects that can be quite jarring to the first time buyer. In this article I will help you figure out if purchasing an all in one keyboard workstation or just a simple midi controller with a module or software is a better choice for your budget and needs.

Musical instruments over the years have slowly been adapted to the digital format but none so prominently as the piano which became the keyboard. The first major innovation came in the 60′s when Bob Moog unveiled his Moog series of keyboards. While still analog, these advancements set the stage for the digital revolution to begin. Today the choice to setup a keyboard workstation using a computer and software is much debated just as the analog versus digital audiophiles have squabbled about for decades now.

We can see that we have two ways to approach our keyboard setup. Is the workstation really better for you or are you ready to take the next step in the digital realm. My goal is to walk hand in hand guiding you to the best option for you. Before we do anything else, lets dissect each option and what they are made of. The workstation has everything built in and has virtually no setup time. Look forward to the software configurations there is quite a bit of extra work included to get your setup running. The center of a software rig is the computer and to have a mobile setup then you will need a laptop.

After the computer, a sound card will be needed in order process the digital signal. You can try using what is already built in to your computer but the latency will probably to much to overcome. There are many way to go when purchasing a sound card but buying an external card will save in setup costs unless you are comfortable with installing it yourself. We will also need a midi keyboard controller and the software package that you prefer. Once you have that then you have a solid software setup ready for use.

Wow, it can be a bit overwhelming when considering a software setup. So why would anyone choose this route then? As far as Im concerned the sounds are far superior to anything you will find built into a workstation and the ability to expand your setup and add-on is limitless. Not only that, but you now have the capability to record your ideas or songs using a piece of recording software like (Pro-Tools, Nuendo, etc). As a matter of fact you kill two birds with one stone buy purchasing an M-box by Pro-Tools. Not only would that allow you to record onto your computer and come with the software to do that, you could use it for live performances as well.

So does ease of use and setup time become more important than the overall quality of sounds and add ons? Plus how can you argue against the fact that this is turning your computer into a home studio. Yes, some workstations can do some simple recordings but it will not create a demo for your band to add to myspace.

Some good examples of software would be anything by Native Instruments. Also my absolute favorite libraries are made by East West. They record all of their sounds using the highest quality of mics, recorded by professionals and convert them to individual wav files. With a midi controller you can be John Williams and score your own soundtrack with just one piece of software.

In conclusion let’s discuss the pricing of each setup. First is this going to be used for live gigs or just home use. If you do plan to take it on the road then do you have a laptop? If you do not then you have to add the purchase of one into the final price. Good workstations can cost between one to four thousand dollars but they will usually have better playability than most midi controllers. If a laptop purchase is not required then it is probably a safe bet that a software solution will be cheaper.

If you total up the price of a keyboard controller, sound-card, and software you will probably be well under a thousand dollars on your total purchase. You do have to consider that some software can be very expensive and how many different pieces you decide to get is what will really determine what your completed price will be. Now that we have looked at both scenarios, hopefully you will be able to make a better choice as to which setup will be right for you.