Newbie Help! Is this keyboard the best for me?

[waynesun]

i went from graphics to digital audio!

i'm still adapting to this entirely new environment... i've been playing violin competitively for 9 years now, and decided i want to try something new.

But anyway, i'm shopping around for MIDI keyboards, and i want to start with a 49-key. The M-Audio Keystation 49e was the best one i could find for myself.

Does anyone else recommend something different near this price range? I am not a compulsive buyer, so i'd like to see if there are better products for a better deal before my purchase.
Thanks!

 

[Sesshi]

You play violin competitively? What do you do? Fence each other with your bows? Time each other playing Paganini?

The Keystation seems like a 'standard' to me - almost everyone offers it in a starter pack. I only prodded it a bit in a demo environment but it seems OK to me for casual music making. I ended up going for the Axiom 61.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I'm also asking the same question - seems to be a choice between the M-Audio 49E and the, erm, M-Audio 61ES which has some more keys and has a partial weighting. I think the latter is the better bet.

Axiom seems to have drum pads and suff so that's not interesting for me right now - I just want a decent basic midi keyboard.