Get a 25 Key MIDI Controller (Keyboard, Recording)

Owning both a laptop and a desktop computer is beneficial if you travel a lot, but still need the benefit of having a beast of a system at home. (Which one do you bring on the road?) Similarly, owning both a "studio-sized" keyboard/MIDI controller and a 25 Key MIDI controller will be useful.

So let's talk about the smaller one. If you already have a mid- to full-sized keyboard in your home/work studio, you needn't spend more than about $100 on your portable keyboard. You also probably won't need semi-weighted keys, unless you're really picky. It's just a good idea to have a travel songwriting studio because ideas don't care about geography. A company like M-Audio manufactures MIDI controllers, but be sure to do some research on the best prices and most reliability for the price. And be sure to look for coupon codes (remember the state of the U.S. economy these days...).

So, when you're on the road, living off hotel rooms, remember to bring that laptop and MIDI controller, loaded with similar software as your home system. Happy traveling, songwriting, and demo recording!