# Looking for keyboard software... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334 "2003-05-25T02:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/1 "2003-05-25T02:43:54Z")
More precisely, synthesizer software that I can “play with” on my computer. I’m not a professional musician (I can’t play at all for that matter…:D), I just love 80s new wave and want to make cool synth sounds. So does anyone here know of any software that will “simulate” various synths (moog, Korg, etc.) on my comp? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/2 "2003-05-25T03:15:00Z")
You need something like Creative’s Vienna SoundFont Studio, and some shareware sound fonts. Look here: [http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/win95/SOUND\_FONTS/](http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/win95/SOUND_FONTS/) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/3 "2003-05-25T03:27:40Z")
Platform? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/4 "2003-05-25T03:52:36Z")
A couple of years ago I bought a MIDI keyboard for about $20 thinking I might learn something but I never used it and it has become one more piece of my junk. You can probably find them on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/5 "2003-05-25T04:02:35Z")
A couple of years ago I bought a MIDI keyboard for about $20 thinking I might learn something but I never used it and it has become one more piece of my junk. You can probably find them on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/6 "2003-05-25T05:23:45Z")
I use software called Sonar XL by Cakewalk. It might be a tad out of your range if you want to just play around, but it’s quite impressive. You can “plug in” third party synths (of which I have tons of freeware and shareware ones) and play them though Sonar using a keyboard plugged into the computer. Worth looking into [www.cakewalk.com](http://www.cakewalk.com) If you want to hear a sample, head over to [www.ampcast.com/tictok](http://www.ampcast.com/tictok) and listen to “Introduction to robotics”. That track was made using only Sonar, a few plug in synths and another piece of software called Gigasampler -which is a software sampler (playing back recorded sounds) ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/7 "2003-05-25T13:41:09Z")
Reason is a fun program that does just about everything an amateur tinkerer will ever need. It’s also powerful enough that I know professionals who use it, either standalone or with other products like Sonar or Cubase. You can download a demo version of Reason from [http://www.propellerheads.se/](http://www.propellerheads.se/) Propellerheads also make ReBirth, which emulates a couple of synths and a couple drum machines. It’s very easy to learn, though if you get into it, you may hit its limits quickly. If you’re just looking to mess around, it might be a good choice. It runs around $120 or so, \<$100 if you find it on sale. You can also get a demo of it from their site. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/8 "2003-05-25T17:01:47Z")
I would like software that allows me to avoid using any kind of external attachment (ie, a keyboard.) Reason and SoundFonts sound promising. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-keyboard-software/177334/9 "2003-05-26T00:34:24Z")
You can use a keyboard emulator program with most of the midi software/sequencer packages. Just click the keys you want to play