This is the setup I'm thinking about...what do you think

[aml4]

I've just been plugging keyboards and guitars straight into my PC and recording them with "MAGIX music studio delux" (haha) software up until now.
After some research and reading lots of forums this what I'm thinking of getting next:

Alesis Proactive 2.0 Bi-Amplified Studio Monitors
MAudio Firewire Audiophile 2496 Audio Interface
East West Symphonic Orchestra (Silver Edition)
2 MIDI Cables
An old Yamaha with MIDI I/O

I'm not going to worry about recording guitars for now...
Is this a good entry level setup?

[Silent Bob]

I'd get better monitors if I were you, like a pair of M1 Actives or something.  Aside from that, I think it would be OK.

[Nathan]

How old is that Yamaha? I hope it responds to key velocity...
I don't like Alesis monitors, but that's a personal preference. They sound too "Hi-Fi" for me. In that price range, I like Tannoys better.
Other than that, the set-up seems just fine.

[Silent Bob]

The Alesis M1's have a slight rise around 16KHz but in their price range, they have just about the most acurate low end I've heard.

[aml4]

How old is that Yamaha? I hope it responds to key velocity...
I don't like Alesis monitors, but that's a personal preference. They sound too "Hi-Fi" for me. In that price range, I like Tannoys better.
Other than that, the set-up seems just fine.

What is "key velocity?"

[Nathan]

The Alesis M1's have a slight rise around 16KHz but in their price range, they have just about the most acurate low end I've heard.

That rise in the highs is also what I've noticed. To my hearing that low end is too much. To me it's a bit muddy and Hi-Fi. But hey, I'm used to mixing with Yamaha NS10's so any speaker has too much low end for me  I like the KRK V8's a lot (thankfully, the Yamaha's aren't the only speakers I use), but they are in a totally different price range.

Key velocity is touch sensitivity. That means, that the keyboard responds to the velocity/speed/power at which you strike the keys (soft, loud, etc).

[Silent Bob]

On the M1's if you can't keep them far enough away from wall, you need to plug one of the ports to tame the bottom end.

[garreth]

What is "key velocity?"

its how heavy u hit the key measured , i think , between 0 - 127 ... PLEASE correct if im wrong and basically 10is very light and 120 would be a good deal louder