Garageband: What do I need?

[DennisMadsen]

I got iLife 11. I would like to play on a keyboard like the guy did in the Apple Keynote two days ago. I got a new 13inch MacBook Pro. I'm looking at these instruments:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/T...fnode=MTY1NDA3MA&mco=MTA4NDQwOTY&s=topSellers
http://store.apple.com/us/product/T...fnode=MTY1NDA3MA&mco=MTA4NDQwMTk&s=topSellers

Would I need anything else if I buy one of these? Can I just connect it via USB to my laptop and start playing?

 

[GoCubsGo]

It sure looks like you can now. That's how it was in the keynote as far as I could tell.

 

[jackerin]

It sure looks like you can now.

That's how I hooked up my first MIDI keyboard 5 years ago now, so that feature has been present for quite a while

Personally I would recommend the 61-key version, I had the 49-key myself and beside the spongy feel to the keys (though that won't bother you as much if you haven't felt a better keyboard), and if you take it up as a more serious hobby you will quickly feel restricted with only 49 keys.

 

[HappyDude20]

I have a keyboard from like 95', without any inputs such as USB...would I still able to play the piano in Garageband and perhaps have the microphone on my MBP be turned on for the program to follow my playing? Or something similar?

 

[jackerin]

I have a keyboard from like 95', without any inputs such as USB...

If your keyboard has MIDI-out you can get a cheap MIDI-to-USB interface.

would I still able to play the piano in Garageband and perhaps have the microphone on my MBP be turned on for the program to follow my playing? Or something similar?

The piano (and other sounds) in Garageband are actually samples residing on your harddrive. When you press a key on your MIDI keyboard it triggers the corresponding sample and it plays like any other normal sound from your computer. You don't need a microphone to record it.