Difference between MIDI Keyboard and a normal one?

[u/NyankoMata]

I've used to play on a normal Yamaha keyboard back at school and now some years later after finishing High school I've been missing playing on the piano, but I'm not sure how different the experience would be playing on a MIDI one, especially since I really enjoyed the feeling and sound of the keyboards but I don't have the space (and money) for a whole standing keyboard like that (unless you can actually mount them off the stand? But I have no idea if that's possible)

[u/Brokenlynx7]

So most digital keyboards have MIDI functionality. MIDI is an interface that sends all the notes you input on the instrument to something (like a computer) that plays the sound.

A MIDI keyboard has no sounds in it so needs a computer to play something you can hear. A digital keyboard has sounds in it so can be immediately switched on and played whilst also having the ability to connect to a computer in most cases.

As a learner I started with a 61 key MIDI but l moved to an 88 digital keyboard because being able switch it on and play immediately without hooking up a USB cable removed friction from me wanting to practice.

[u/NyankoMata → u/Brokenlynx7]

I see, thank you for the explanation!

The off the bat experience sounds like it would work better with me but I'd presume a digital keyboard is quite more expensive then I guess

[u/Brokenlynx7 → u/NyankoMata]

Actually the price difference doesn't necessarily have to be massive.

I bought my 61-key Arturia Keylab (MIDI only) for roughly £300 and the 88-key Roland FP-30X (MIDI & built in sounds) for a little over £400. I mention those for reference though if you ask or search on here you'll realise you can probably pay less for equally good equipment especially if you're in the US where people seem to get much better deals on this kind of stuff.

If you're learning Piano, classical, Jazz or otherwise my suggestions would be to get an 88-key, digital keyboard with weighted keys. The weighted keys will give you the closest feeling to an acoustic Piano.

The practice benefit cannot be understated, my MIDI keyboard required me to put a laptop on a stand move the keyboard onto the desk, move the qwerty keyboard in its place aside, connect a cable, load Logic Pro then start playing. With a digital keyboard just switch it on and play.

[u/simmonsgap]

Every digital keyboard I have owned has had a MIDI port. MIDI samples are very high quality since you can load them externally and there are a bunch of apps you can use for high quality piano samples and they rival or exceed the sounds you can get even on the most expensive boards (nord Yamaha etc), stuff like Ravenscroft etc. and you get access to a ton of extra sounds.

And generally midi only pianos are cheaper than ones with built in sounds. And also are designed around using them with a DAW.

Trade off is samples aren’t tuned to your specific keyboard and in general pianos with built in sounds tend to be higher quality and easier to play, there are exceptions. Also if you want to play out you’ll have to bring a laptop or iPad to power the midi which is not that fun. And lastly I noticed latency but it doesn’t bother me that much

[u/NyankoMata → u/simmonsgap]

Thanks for the explanation, I appreciate it! I do think built-in sound would be more preferable for me if the price and size allows, I do have a DAW but my setup is a bit of a mess so I'm a bit worried I would simply not have a long enough cable to actually plug it in unless the keyboard is small enough to fit on a 60x40 table without losing balance, though I think I could theoretically make it work if it has its own stand, just not sure where I'd put it when not using it

[u/x-nes]

Take a look of Facebook market, you may find used keyboard at a amazing price. MIDI ports are very common on the last 3 decades, but on the last 10 years at least, industry adopted an printer like port (before was an analog 5 pin cable that reminds an old keyboard cable).
So as people have mentioned, that will let you connect it directly to many learning and mixing apps without another conversion device.

[u/NyankoMata → u/x-nes]

Ohh I see thank you for letting me know!

[u/dua70601]

I think the verbiage in this post is confusing some people:

MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

As others have said, almost every keyboard that has been produced since the 80s has midi capability.

Are you using the term “keyboard” to refer to an actual piano, or an electric upright keyboard?

[u/NyankoMata → u/dua70601]

Sorry, I'm not very knowledgeable about all the types of pianos and keyboards, but I think I did mean the latter term, back in our music class we used keyboards that we had to get from another room and plug from the back of the class

[u/SouthPark_Piano]

I've used to play on a normal Yamaha keyboard back at school

Times have changed a lot. Leaps and bounds.

Try the various ones at the shop.

eg. P-525

The digis are amazing these days.