Good intro keyboard for Mac Garageband?

[Invincible Sugar]

I've been playing around with my M1 Mac Mini, it's almost useless right now because there's no good way to get it online. My main PC is a docked laptop with built in LTE but the Mac can only use hotspot off of that laptop or a smartphone, which is going to have very limited data available before slowing to useless speeds...

 

Garageband has been fun, I've never owned a mac so I wasn't aware that was even there but it's been fun to play with and I might be able to learn a little bit more music wise if I start playing with it more.

 

I'd like to purchase some kind of entry level USB keyboard instead of using my computer keyboard. This is just for fun at this point, so I'd like to spend less than $150. I don't want to purchase used, I've had too many used items fail on me recently. I see a bunch on Amazon ranging from $50 to $150 but there's so many choices I really don't know where to start.

 

It's gotta be under 24"/2' wide and 9" tall to fit on my desk. Ideally less than 2" deep/tall. Does anyone have a good recommendation? Preferably one available on Amazon. Thanks!

[Bombastinator]

56 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

I've been playing around with my M1 Mac Mini, it's almost useless right now because there's no good way to get it online. My main PC is a docked laptop with built in LTE but the Mac can only use hotspot off of that laptop or a smartphone, which is going to have very limited data available before slowing to useless speeds...

 

Garageband has been fun, I've never owned a mac so I wasn't aware that was even there but it's been fun to play with and I might be able to learn a little bit more music wise if I start playing with it more.

 

I'd like to purchase some kind of entry level USB keyboard instead of using my computer keyboard. This is just for fun at this point, so I'd like to spend less than $150. I don't want to purchase used, I've had too many used items fail on me recently. I see a bunch on Amazon ranging from $50 to $150 but there's so many choices I really don't know where to start.

 

It's gotta be under 24"/2' wide and 9" tall to fit on my desk. Ideally less than 2" deep/tall. Does anyone have a good recommendation? Preferably one available on Amazon. Thanks!

Well there are some very very cheap keyboards out there if you don’t need mechanical.  Like under $20. Or less.  It sounds like you’re looking for mechanical though.  The main advantage of mechanical is longevity.  They’re so much more robust than non-mechanical they can actually be cheaper in the long run.  As a toy I’m not sure one makes sense though as it would never be used enough to wear out. I don’t know what a USB keyboard has to do with GarageBand though.  It sounds like there’s some sort of major requirement missing.  

[Invincible Sugar]

12 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

Well there are some very very cheap keyboards out there if you don’t need mechanical.  Like under $20. Or less.  It sounds like you’re looking for mechanical though.  The main advantage of mechanical is longevity.  They’re so much more robust than non-mechanical they can actually be cheaper in the long run.  As a toy I’m not sure one makes sense though as it would never be used enough to wear out. I don’t know what a USB keyboard has to do with GarageBand though.  It sounds like there’s some sort of major requirement missing.  

Garageband asks me when I open a new file if I want to use existing audio files, the keyboard, or external accessories. It's been fun playing with the keyboard and I've learned the piano as a kid so... if a cheap keyboard with actual sensitivity for how hard you press can work, it would be fun to play around with. 

[Bombastinator]

10 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

Garageband asks me when I open a new file if I want to use existing audio files, the keyboard, or external accessories. It's been fun playing with the keyboard and I've learned the piano as a kid so... if a cheap keyboard with actual sensitivity for how hard you press can work, it would be fun to play around with. 

I think a keyboard change won’t do you a lot of good if it’s just “the keyboard” as the keys on most computer keyboards are generally on/off.  Some may have variable stuff where each key is effectively a potentiometer or a pressure sensor or something though.  I don’t know. Most won’t.  It sounds like what you probably want is an external accessory that is not a computer keyboard.  Or at least not a regular one. 

Edited November 25, 2021 by Bombastinator

[Invincible Sugar]

19 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I think a keyboard change won’t do you a lot of good if it’s just “the keyboard” as the keys on most computer keyboards are generally on/off.  Some may have variable stuff where each key is effectively a potentiometer or a pressure sensor or something though.  I don’t know. Most won’t.  It sounds like what you probably want is an external accessory that is not a computer keyboard.  Or at least not a regular one. 

This one on Amazon has pressure sensitivity and is pretty cheap, decent reviews too: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBNNF23/