We've had many people interested in Virtual Drumline wondering if they absolutely need a MIDI keyboard or not. The quick answer is -- yes.

Technically, this isn't absolutely mandatory, but if you plan on entering notes into your notation program (Sibelius/Finale), you really should. This library was designed to enter notes via a MIDI keyboard. Why, you ask? Because there are so many different sounds on each instrument (each mapped to a different MIDI pitch), that it would be excruciating to access them all simply by pointing and clicking with the mouse.

If you don't have a MIDI keyboard, you should get one before trying to enter notation that is mapped to Virtual Drumline sounds. We recommend shopping at Sweetwater Sound for their great prices and friendly service. You can find them at: http://www.sweetwater.com.

Check out some of the new USB Keyboard Controllers from M-Audio. The "Oxygen8" is very popular, compact, and inexpensive (around $140). Plus, because it's a USB keyboard, you don't need to worry about buying a MIDI interface. Check out this, and other USB Keyboard controllers at:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/midiman/keystations.php

I recently purchased the Creative Labs MIDI/PC Keyboard--A computer keyboard with a 33 key midi keyboard built into it. Will I need more than 33 keys with Virtual Drumline, or will this suffice?

KT

[quote="KTreadwell"]I recently purchased the Creative Labs MIDI/PC Keyboard--A computer keyboard with a 33 key midi keyboard built into it. Will I need more than 33 keys with Virtual Drumline, or will this suffice?

KT[/quote]

If you are referring to the Creative Labs "Prodikeys" keyboard, this should work. You WILL need more octaves than this keyboard supplies, because our sounds are mapped over several octaves on the MIDI keyboard. This isn't really a problem however, because virtually all midi keyboards offer you to shift octaves up or down if you need more range.

From the Creative Labs website (Prodikeys FAQ):
QUESTION:How do I play notes that are on the higher or lower octave keys?
ANSWER: You can expand the music keyboard virtually by pressing the LEFT arrow key to play lower octave notes, and the RIGHT arrow to play higher octave notes. With the Octave Shift Keys, you can play more than 100 keys, which is more than an average piano keyboard.

Hope this helps. Looks like a convenient way to setup your keyboard!

I am trying to sift through all the info on this site and figure out if I can use Virtual Drumline with what I've already got . . . does the keyboard connection have to be USB? I have a Yamaha PSR225GM with standard MIDI connections going to a fifteen prong plug. Will that work?

No, it doesn't need to be a USB keyboard. As long as your keyboard has a MIDI-Out port, it'll work just fine. You will however need a MIDI interface (such as a MOTU Fastlane, or a Midiman 1x1) to allow your keyboard and your computer to speak to one another.

When you refer to the 15 prong plug, is that a parallel port? MOTU makes a parallel midi interface called the MIDI PC Flyer, which works quite well. Most interfaces are USB these days, but either format will work.

Adam