Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Stick with NWC or go with Steinberg Cubasis? (Read 2998 times) previous topic - next topic

Stick with NWC or go with Steinberg Cubasis?

I am contemplating the purchase of a Yamaha PSR-530 or 630 keyboard. I want to use it for composing.
Yamaha has a special package deal where they will sell me the keyboard, cables, and
Steinberg Cubasis recording and notation software all together.
I have found Noteworthy Composer to be an excellent product for
manually writing music, but how good will it be when I use the
new keyboard? This Yamaha keyboard uses an extension of General Midi,
although they claim it is compatable with General Midi.
I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience
(good or bad) using a Yamaha keyboard to record and produce
notation with Noteworthy Composer.

Re: Stick with NWC or go with Steinberg Cubasis?

Reply #1 –
As long as it has midi out, you shouldn't have any problem. The bells and whistles added are up to you. I used a junky little thing for awhile. Whatever I played got captured just as my setups told it to. Don't think there are any glaring incompatibilities as long as you've got midi in/out.
Are you looking to capture special features? 128 note chords?

Re: Stick with NWC or go with Steinberg Cubasis?

Reply #2 –
Must be my week for coincidences...
I bought a PSR 520 about 10 months ago and am very happy with it.
I used it with Noteworthy (I didn't get the free offer of Cubase, but then again, I may have got it cheaper... :-) for many months until I got my AWE 64 card (I was upgrading my computer, and went the whole hog... ya never know when you'll want to download the midi-sound to replace the one that you can't stand).

Like Kent with his "junky little thing", I could use the keyboard with Noteworthy no problem. I just prefer the method of entering from the computer keyboard. Must be a right brain thing...

Andrew

I think you'll come up against the same limitations with CuBase as with NWC. That of how accurately the software listens to you (which on a fast CPU is VERY accurate) vs. how much you want it to cover up for you.
Why not get Cubase, if it is part of the package? It may help with those nasty little things you need to do.

$64000 question. What are your needs?

Andrew

Re: Stick with NWC or go with Steinberg Cubasis?

Reply #3 –
We have a Yamaha PSR-520, and it works well with most MIDI software, including NWC. On the other side of the spectrum, one of our systems includes an inexpensive MIDI device that gets its power from the sound card, and is MIDI out only. It includes a pitch bend wheel, mod wheel, sustain pedal, and data entry slider. It cost us about $100, allowing us to put more money into a better sound card on that system. In the end, it is all about what you are looking for in a system. If you want to be able to play without your computer powered on, then a stand alone keyboard works well. If you want better sounds from your computer, and only need to use a MIDI keyboard when your computer is on, the money may be better spent on higher quality computer components.

Re: Stick with NWC or go with Steinberg Cubasis?

Reply #4 –
Thanks for the feedback on the PSR620. It was just what I was looking for.