Perhaps one area where brand can make a difference is when considering beginner’s music keyboards. Yamaha and Casio are two brands that come to mind and are pretty much the main companies that make beginner keyboards. There are even forum discussions regarding keyboard instruments by these two brands. Personally, I’ve owned and have had good experiences with both. Many will say that Yamaha is the better of the two brands, an argument supported by the fact that you’ll see more Yamaha keyboards being used by professional musicians on stage than Casio keyboards. After all, Yamaha is a world-class manufacturer of instruments, including some of the most respected and revered concert grand pianos! It makes sense that Yamaha is one of the better brands for music keyboards in any price range.

But Casio has a long history of electronics and electronic keyboard making, and does have some quality instruments in its catalog. The Casio Privia and Cabinet models are quality digital pianos that have weighted action keys and high-quality piano sounds. Now, if price is an indicator of quality, then Yamaha music keyboards would be several times higher in quality than Casio’s since Yamaha’s price for comparable keyboard instruments is two to three times Casio’s. Also, Yamaha makes a wider variety of keyboards, with some of their more professional music keyboards (workstations, particularly) offering much more functionality than Casio’s. There is something to be said, however, for Casio offering a good product at an affordable price. You may not see a Casio on a stage as often as a Yamaha, but for the average consumer, Casio music keyboards are a good buy for home use. The digital pianos and arranger keyboards made by both companies are fairly comparable to each other in terms of functionality and sounds, although many would argue that Yamaha makes a better sounding keyboard than Casio. This is a case where brand makes a difference in terms of the target market: Casio targets the home consumer whereas Yamaha targets the pro musician.

For a specific category of keyboard instrument like a workstation it makes sense to look at a brand that specializes in the type of keyboard. A popular example of this is the Roland Fantom X8 versus the Yamaha Motif XS8, the flagship workstation models by these prominent manufacturers. Both of these keyboards offer similar functionality and are geared towards the pro musician. Both of these keyboards, and their respective brands, are highly regarded and get good reviews in equal measure. When comparing the two you’ll notice that there are a few differences, one has functions that the other doesn’t, one has sounds that the other doesn’t. Ultimately every keyboard, no matter how similar to its “rival,” is a unique instrument. When comparing any two keyboards such as these two workstations the one that best suits your needs is less about the brand and more about things like which one matches your method of music production, skill level, how the keyboard feels, which one has the sounds you like, and which one sounds better to you.

Some brands do specialize in very specific types of keyboards and technology. M-audio, for example, is known for making midi controllers. Kurzweil is known for their innovative chip technology and also offering unique sounds not found on other music keyboards. Roland has a fairly exclusive line of digital organ consoles. Both Roland and Korg make expressive and unique synthesizers. When looking for some of the more sophisticated functionality and specialized sound creation, Nord is a brand to look for, a company that creates some of the most respected synthesizers in the world that do a great job of matching, as close as possible, analog sounds and real instruments such as Hammond organs and mellotrons.

The digital piano is the keyboard instrument made by more manufacturers than any other. Casio, Yamaha, Roland, M-audio, Kawai, Korg, and Kurzweil all have a fairly extensive catalog of digital pianos. Yamaha and Roland make the most sophisticated models featuring mini-grand piano cabinetry, state-of-the-art sound systems, and some of the most realistic keyboard action technology. Many models now come with arranger and workstation functions, but the digital piano is geared towards a specific market of piano players who are more interested in key action and sound, and choosing a digital piano really comes down to which one feels and sounds best.

Looking at brands when selecting music keyboards is ultimately the least important consideration. Keyboards are kind of like cars. Even though a certain car manufacturer is known for quality and prestige, their top-of-the-line model may not have a seat that feels right to you, or keeps you in a correct posture and would make driving the car uncomfortable. Likewise, every keyboard model by every manufacturer, no matter the price range, will appeal to some and not to others for various reasons including the keyboard action, the number of sounds, the quality of sound, the layout of the controls, etc. Some brands specialize in certain categories, such as Yamaha being a leader in digital pianos, where Roland is a leader in synthesizers. But ultimately, the best thing to do when deciding on a keyboard is to go try them out at the music store, and go by what sounds best and has the features and functionality that you want- the brand may be one of the last things to consider when purchasing a music keyboard instrument.

There have been several attempts to reproduce the sound of a pipe organ electronically while creating a music keyboard instrument that is more portable and cost effective. Some of these include the spinet and combo organs, but the Hammond organ was the most notable attempt at recreating the sound of a pipe organ. The original Hammond organs use mechanical tonewheels to generate sound, and a combination of the waveforms produced – controlled by drawbars – imitated the effect of a pipe organ’s diverse mix of tones. It ended up having a distinctive sound that was adopted for performance in jazz, blues, and rock music particularly. The Hammond organ was invented in the 1930s and it wasn’t until the end of the 20th century that electronic music keyboards were able to reproduce the distinctive sound of this instrument by way of synthesizers. Nowadays, only a few select music keyboards such as the Hammond-Suzuki XK3, the Nord C2, and the Roland VK-8 can claim to closely reproduce the sound of the Hammond organ.

Organ Sound Samples

A realistic pipe organ sound can be generated from a digital music keyboard via digital synthesis or, more authentically, using sound samples which are actual recordings of a real instrument. Most organ sample libraries will have samples of each individual pipe and/or collection of pipes. Most music keyboards like arrangers and workstations have on-board pipe organ sounds that are synthesized digitally. Only a few professional music keyboards and home consoles have authentic pipe organ sound samples built-in. The Nord C2, perhaps the most portable example, can reproduce a baroque pipe organ sound. There are home organ consoles by Roland such as their Atelier series and C-series organs which use the Roland/Rodgers sound library featuring authentic pipe organ samples from Rodgers Instruments digital organs.

For those who are on a budget, don’t have the space for a large organ console, or want to expand their library of organ sounds, pipe organ sample libraries are a great and fairly inexpensive way to play authentic pipe organ sounds at home (or even on the go) using your existing console or MIDI-capable music keyboard. A computer with a sample streaming (a.k.a. sample playback, or sampler) software program such as Gigastudio 3 or Kontakt 2 is also required. There are a few good pipe organ sample libraries available. One is the Vienna Instruments Vienna Konzerthaus Organ, a high quality library of a concert hall organ. Peter Ewer’s Symphonic Organ Samples feature the Cavaille-Coll organ at the Eglise de la Sainte Madeleine in Paris, one of the finest church organs in France. Notre Dame of Budapest Pipe Organ Samples is another high quality sample library of two symphonic pipe organs in Hungary. Hauptwerk Virtual Pipe Organ is a sampler program specifically designed to stream pipe organ samples. It provides full control of the sound and hardware interfacing. There are a number of high quality sample libraries of various pipe organs throughout the world that are recorded to be used with Hauptwerk. All of these libraries capture multiple individual pipes, the combinations of stops, the space the organ is in, and other details such as windchest noise to create a realistic sound. Searching for organ samples or virtual organ samples on the web will bring up other quality organ sample libraries.

Virtual Organ Setup

To create your own virtual organ setup you can combine the software mentioned above, a computer, and a combination of MIDI devices. Any music keyboard with MIDI in/out or usb connectivity will do the job of allowing you to play the organ samples mentioned above. It’s better, however, that the keyboard has full-sized, “organ weighted” keys so that it feels like a real organ. Organ keys are “lighter,” or easier to play than piano keys due to the difference in mechanical action required to produce a tone. Semi-weighted keyboards are typically the best option whereas graded-hammer action keyboards are less desirable (unless you like the touch of a piano keyboard when playing an organ). See my post on weighted keyboard action for more clarification.

To get the most authentic feel of playing a real pipe organ you’ll want to have multiple manuals (keyboards) and an organ pedal board, and perhaps an array of MIDI switches and expression pedals to simulate the pistons and pedals on a real pipe organ. You’ll need to find a way to stack the keyboards in a similar configuration like that of an organ console. Some people build their own wooden keyboard stack (the cabinetry that holds the keyboards), take apart the MIDI keyboards, take just the bare-bones keyboard components and necessary electronics and fit them into the wood stack. There are a variety of organ pedal boards that are MIDI-capable, or there are kits with the required electronic components to make a pedal board MIDI-capable. For toe pistons, thumb pistons, and expression pedals one can use a variety of MIDI switches available at pro-audio retailers that normally were designed for electric guitar and keyboard effects and MIDI functions. You can program these switches for memory settings or other organ console functions in the sampler software. For those who are truly into “do-it-yourself,” there are companies that sell keyboard kits, pedal boards, MIDI controller electronics, and even drawknob panels to those who want to build a custom organ console from scratch. The Hauptwerk website has a forum and other resources with a wealth of information on building a custom digital organ console.

To put it all together, you can connect all the MIDI devices (keyboards, pedal board, etc) to a multi-channel MIDI interface that connects to your computer (typically via USB), or connect the devices to your computer’s usb ports or a usb hub if they have usb connectors. On your computer you’ll want to have the sample streaming software such as the Hauptwerk or Kontakt 2, and then your library (or libraries) of organ samples. Once you have everything connected and the sampler program is configured, you’re ready to play. You’ll want a high-quality sound card (internal or external) on your computer to which you can connect headphones or a high-quality loudspeaker system, one that can reproduce the lowest frequencies of sound to hear the low rumble of 32‘ organ pedal stops. Multi-channel speaker systems are a great way to play around with simulating multiple divisions sounding from different locations, and to fully enjoy the sound of the organ and the reverb in a large cathedral or concert hall.

Today’s technology has come a long way in allowing keyboard musicians to have a satisfying experience playing a pipe organ virtually on electronic music keyboards. Not only is the physical experience of pressing the keys simulated accurately to a high degree, but also the sound that is produced is very realistic as well (with a good set of speakers or headphones, of course). Realistic pipe organ samples, such as those of famous cathedrals and concert halls, have been increasing in number and quality, and MIDI has made it possible for even those with a low budget to have the experience of playing a pipe organ in a home and studio environment.

Both arranger and workstation music keyboards have the same basic set of sounds to choose from (piano, organ, brass, etc) and the standard MIDI musical instruments and drum samples. The workstation keyboard will usually have a larger palette of high-quality sounds than an arranger keyboard, and an added advantage: the ability to create your own sounds. Workstation keyboards are sometimes called “synth” keyboards because they allow you to synthesize your own samples, either working with existing samples by modifying them to create new ones or creating samples from scratch using tone generators and audio filters (there are standalone synthesizer keyboards but workstations often incorporate some of their functionality). Workstation music keyboard instruments tend to have a larger collection of high-quality, specialized sounds than arranger keyboards do. This does not mean arranger music keyboards have inferior sound. The top end arranger keyboards have exceptional realistic sounding piano, bass, string, and drum sounds for the purpose of its main strong point: live performance.

Arranger keyboards excel in live performance and making music “on the fly.” Arranger keyboards have onboard rhythm styles (such as jazz, disco, or pop) that allow you to create a more “live band” effect by having a virtual backing band complete with bass, percussion, and other supporting instruments (depending on the style) playing while you play the harmonic and melodic content. Simply play the chord progression and the melodies and the keyboard takes care of filling in the rest. You can split the keyboard into two sections, with the lower one or two octaves controlling the chord progression and the rest of the keyboard available for the lead part. All arranger music keyboards will offer the ability to introduce fills, intros, endings, and the ability to create variations within a style. All of this allows a “one man band” to create a live sounding ensemble performance.

Workstation keyboards can also be used for live performance, but require an element of preparation before being ready for the stage. Workstation music keyboards are equipped with what is known as a sequencer which allows one to essentially create the music from scratch. You can create all the different parts, line by line, and assign an instrument to each part, selecting from the wide variety of high quality instrument sound samples that accompany sequencers to create the exact sound you want. Sequencers have tools such as loops to expedite the completion of a sequence of music. One can then play this sequence at a live gig and perform leads over it.

When it comes to composing your own music, both arranger and workstation musical keyboards are adequate for the job. Each has it’s own way of assisting the composer. The arranger keyboard has onboard rhythm styles over which composers can create the harmonic and melodic content. This can be useful if composing in a particular style of music. The workstation has loops and the ability to cut and paste so that a composer can create a few measures of music and then repeat those measures or paste them in other parts of the song. The workstation does excel over the arranger with respect to composing because of the greater flexibility and the greater amount of options. The sequencer in workstation keyboards allows a composer to create music piece by piece, part by part, line by line, and make it easy to go from concept to the finished composition.

When choosing between arranger or workstation music keyboards, it will be important to determine what you’ll be using the keyboard for. If you’ll be using it for live performance, an arranger keyboard is going to be more intuitive and a better choice. If composing music, both would actually work well, although the workstation keyboard will give you more options for creating a finished composition. Perhaps, if your musical activities require it, you will need both types of music keyboards.

What is it you’re looking for in a music keyboard?  Are you looking for something just to be able to plunk out ideas for compositions?  Is MIDI important to have so that you can connect your keyboard to the computer?  Are you looking for a professional-level instrument with realistic instrument sounds for performance?  You can have a keyboard with only 25 keys if you want the most portable option or a full size 88 key music keyboard.  Many electronic music keyboards will have built-in speakers but some won’t so you’ll need to buy separate speakers for these.

Don’t forget the pedal!  If you’re looking for a music keyboard instrument that you’ll be performing with, you’ll probably want to get a sustain pedal, which is not always included with the keyboard.  If you’re looking to use your keyboard to enter music into a sequencing program, the pedal can serve several useful functions that will make the entry of music into your computer easier.  Accessories like a pedal are another important thing to look at when selecting a keyboard.

Some music keyboards are designed for specific music production purposes.  You will see keyboards that also work as a control for a digital audio workstation (DAW).  These more professional music keyboards will have additional functionality to control levels, panning, and channel selection in audio recording and mixing programs on computers. This kind of keyboard, often called a workstation (or sometimes “synth”) keyboard, also allows you to manipulate your own sounds and interface with sequencing software to compose music and create a sequence of music that you can solo over during a performance.  Another type of music keyboard is known as an “arranger.”  These will usually have a standard set of instrument sounds and a collection of rhythm styles (such as rock, country, jazz) included in their sound library.  These keyboards specialize in giving the player the ability to play a backing rhythm section, control the chord progression, and play a lead all at the same time, essentially performing as an “instant” one-man band.  Many arrangers (as well as some workstations and digital pianos) also have pre-installed piano lessons that essentially help you learn some songs and develop keyboard skills.  Some even have keys that light up to guide the student in which keys to press.  Although these won’t replace a “real” teacher, they can be used to learn a few simple songs built-in to the keyboard program.

Here are a few more questions to ask to pinpoint what music keyboard is best for you:

• Is this a keyboard just for practice or will you be performing for an audience?

• Will you be traveling with it (to a gig or a friend’s house)?

• Will you need it to interface with computer sequencing software to compose music?

• Will you use it to control mixer functions in recording software?

• Do you want synthesizer functionality to be able to create sounds from scratch or manipulate existing sounds?

• What kind of keyboard action are you used to?  Do you prefer piano or organ touch?

• What style(s) of music do you play?

There are a variety of features that you’ll want to consider as well.  When looking at built-in speakers, consider the quality of sound and the volume.  The headphone jack should also reproduce a high-quality sound so that you can enjoy the music on headphones.  The number of keys will play a role in how heavy and portable the keyboard is and what repertoire you can play.  If you’re used to playing classical piano pieces (and/or just really like the lower bass tones in general) you’ll definitely want a full 88 key keyboard.  Polyphony (how many notes can play at the same time) will be an important factor especially when playing the built-in rhythm styles or any MIDI sequences you may have created.  The layout of the controls will affect your creativity and how intuitive and enjoyable your music making experience is.  Expression controls such as modulation wheels can expand your creativity and allow you to add extra character to your performances.  Listen to the quality and authenticity of the built-in sound samples, drum kits, and rhythm styles.  If you want to record your performances pay attention to how many tracks you can record and for how long.  Digital effects such as reverb and synthesizer tone generators give you greater control over the character and manipulation of sounds.  Connectivity options such as MIDI, USB, microphone (for karaoke applications), and foot pedals are also important considerations in terms of expanded functionality and the ability to connect seamlessly with computers and other MIDI keyboards and devices.  The keyboard action (i.e. graded-hammer action, semi-weighted keys, etc.) will make a big difference in how the keyboard feels.

You will find that certain types of keyboards will fall into certain price ranges. Digital music keyboards with the built-in speaker and built-in library of sounds, for example, will typically be in the lower price range, whereas the music keyboards with DAW functionality will be “the next step up.”  The keyboard instruments designed as digital pianos (that produce the most realistic piano sound) will usually be in the upper price range.

When you know what you need the music keyboard for, it will be easier to search for the one that best fits your needs.  Decide what features you want that will meet your needs, then go try out the musical keyboards at your local music store to make a final decision.