Apr
3
2009
New Addition to the Workstation
Author: Brandon Higley
A picture of my workstation, with the new digital piano.
I recently invested in a tool which will make composing so much easier: a digital piano. It’s an entry-level piano, but as I do not actually play the piano, it suits my purposes perfectly. It has MIDI input/output, so I can connect it to my computer. This allows me to do something very clever; my old routine involved writing out sheet music in Finale, then saving it as a MIDI file, then opening that file in ACID Pro, then finally using ACID to sequence a sample library, all just to see how a melodic idea sounds. Now, I can simply turn on the piano, open the sample library, and play the melody. If I don’t like it, I just play it differently or scrap it altogether. The best part is that my piano will use a sample library on my computer instead of its own if I tell it to, so I can actually hear what the music will sound like on the instrument for which it is intended.
It also has other great features, such as a sustain pedal, and my favorite, weighted keys. They actually simulate the feel of a real piano. And, I bought a book which I can use to learn how to play the piano.
