How to play MIDI keys
 

I bought an M-Audio Keystation 88es. I understand it is plug and play. I need to know how to set it up to simply play as a piano through my pc. I have windows XP. Although it's a MIDI controller, I really want to (right now anyway) just PLAY it as one would a piano. Do I need to purchase something else and if so what? And if I don't need anything else, what am I missing?
Thank you for you time.

i'm no expert on MIDI but from what i understand of it basically your controller is exactly as it sounds, a controller, it does not generate tones.

the way the controller works is that a synth generates a particular sound wave that is then controlled using the keyboard. the MIDI bank on your soundcard will determine the type and quality of the MIDI sounds available to you at the moment. some driver packages offer simple composition programs that should allow you to fool around and play with the default sounds using your keyboard.

you'll likely want to get something like cakewalk or reason to use as virtual synthesizers to generate sounds for your keyboard.

you need soft synths and vsts bro

I recently got reason adapted....can I make that work?