Hi,
I hope this post it not off-topic, but it is about wanting to use hardware with Linux.
I have decided that I want to try to learn to play piano as a hobby. As it's mostly for fun, I'm not wanting to spend £1000 or so on a fully-weighted piano and then more money on piano lessons, so I'm looking to spend around £100 on a MIDI keyboard that I can use with Windows/Linux software. I've been playing with Jack, Rosegarden etc. in Linux, and it looks like a great setup for playing around with music and should be fun. I don't like using Windows, but there doesn't seem to be any MIDI piano education software for Linux.
I'm currently undecided whether to get a MIDI controller keyboard (i.e. no speakers) or a stand-alone keyboard. It seems to me that the former is cheaper because the computer is used to make the music and therefore for the same price as the latter, I can get a better keyboard.
I was looking at getting this keyboard MIDI controller:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...61es-main.html
Pros:
* It's keys are semi-weighted (so will be more piano-like).
* It's powered by USB and uses a MIDI USB connection.
* It's quick small and light so it won't take up too much room.
Cons:
* It has no speakers so it must be used with the computer (doesn't bother me too much).
* Might experience latency when playing, making it harder to play.
My other option is a regular electric keyboard (e.g. Yamaha, Casio):
Pros:
* They have speakers so I can play it anywhere.
* Latency won't be a problem useless I'm using MIDI with the computer.
Cons:
* Usually have to spend extra for the MIDI connector.
* Cannot seem to find any semi-weighted ones that are less than £500.
* Can be big and heavy.
What seems like the best option? The M-audio option looks good to me, as long as latency or anything else computer related won't be an issue.
My computer is a AMD 3800 Dual-Core, 2GB RAM with a RealTek motherboard soundcard and I'm using Ubuntu Edgy. Am I likely to experience latency problems with this machine? I think I might need to tweak some kernel options about clock frequency, but I can't find any information on other sources of latency. I don't really want to have to spend more money on a new soundcard or anything. I'm confused at the cause of MIDI latency really. For instance, a wireless mouse and keyboard can be used with virtually zero noticeable latency, so why would a MIDI keyboard have some?
Any advice would be appreciated.