Super Nube Question

[John Taylor]

i don't know ANYTHING about virtual instruments other than ezdrummer. if i were to use (for example) IK Multimedia Miroslav Philharmonik (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MiroslavPhil/), do i need a keyboard controller? if so, would the Akai Professional MPK Mini Controller work? i don't want to invest so much money that I could go buy another guitar. any suggestions as to where i might find more information?
Thanks

[TimOBrien]

You dont NEED a keyboard controller ( you can write parts in a daw's piano roll or a notation program) but a keyboard will make your life a lot easier.

Yes, the MPK would work fine.

[rancourt]

Virtual instruments, in general, accept MIDI event data input, and produce wave output. You can record MIDI event data with any MIDI controller you like, or you could step-sequence it with a piano roll or staff view editor in your DAW, using just a mouse. Part of the beauty of MIDI controllers is that they translate the input method to something familiar and convenient to your preferred style of playing, but indeed, as long as you can create MIDI events somehow (and every DAW I've seen allows one to do so without a controller, if necessary), you can send those events to a virtual instrument, and thus, play it.

As long as you're happy with the MPK Mini as an input device, and comfortable with its feature set, then you can use it to play and/or record any virtual instrument that accepts MIDI input.

[paulstappe]

A novation nocturn 49 Keyboard controller was recommended me by my sales engineer.

I really like it. There is still a lot to learn, but I can make it hum. I am working on making it smoke.

Paul