Synth question

[natmj]

I had been planning to buy a Casio WK-1300, thanks to advice I got earlier in this forum about it's abilities as a low-end synth. (I'm real poor.)

Anyway, my parents have a really nice, attractive ($2000 in its day) Yamaha Clavinova that they're ready to retire. They said I could add it to my studio, which is cool ... but its sounds are old and cheesy. (And, sadly, it lacks a pitch-bend wheel.)

So two questions:
1. Can I hook up a rack-mount/box synth to this piano through midi and get newer, better sounds? I don't know much about how that works. Do I need to be concerned at all that the Clavinova is run by an older chip?

2. If that works, how much will this kind of synth set me back? I definitely need a good, realistic piano sound, which is why I like the Casio. (Never thought I'd say that about a Casio till I went into the store and heard it.) But I also want good bass sounds. And, of course, a whole lot of other neat-o synth sounds for whatever. So how much? What brand? New? Ebay? In the end, am I better off spending $400 on the Casio, stand and sustain pedal I'd need to get?

Thanks a lot.

[loudnaybor]

If the Yamaha has MIDI outs on it, you can use it just as a keyboard. Check out the Alesis Nano-Synth module, it's got some cool sounds (including pianos) and it's about $300.

[DJFunk!Star]

Yeah, good advice on the Alesis Nanosynth. I've seen it for $279.99. For all the sounds that you get it's freaking awesome. It gives you 256 sounds total, and the sounds are of a higher quality than the ones in the wk1300, at least I think so. If the clavinova doesn't have a midi out, then go for the wk1300. It's a steal. I've seen it regularly for like $329.99 and on sale for like $289.99. 76 keys and 200 sounds for that. Then you could always add sound modules and use it as your controller.

[Gearless42]

Hey, cool! There is someone else in this world that has a clavinova! I use mine for exactly that, a midi controler.

Since you don't know much about midi, I will give you a quick run-through.
MIDI is like audio: you play an electic guitar and the sound comes out of the amp
you hit a key on a midi keyboard and that note comes out of the midi synth (only the SOUND that comes out of the synth is whatever sound you have it set to)

Midi is also a different way to record! If you have a midi sequencer like cakewalk or Cubase, you can record the !NOTES! that you play on a midi keyboard and play them back with any midi synth (or just different soundes on the same synth)you want untill you find the sound that you like the best!

Also a midi sequencer alows you to PROGRAM music that may be too difficult for you to play (like 50 mesures of 32nd notes at 180 beats per min.)

[Gearless42]

If you already know all this than dissregard all that I wrought

[natmj]

Thanks, all. At this point I'm leaning Nanosynth... but it really bothers me that I wouldn't have a pitch-bend wheel. That might cause me to go Casio. I don't know, but that is something I feel I must have. As a guitar-player, I can't imagine how much less I would enjoy the instrument if I couldn't bend notes.

Is there any way around this problem?

[natmj]

To Gearless:

Bend, Oregon? Wow. My law school buddy is out from around there! We're in Boston... his name is Kimber Baumgartner... know him?

[DJFunk!Star]

Yeah, that Nanosynth is getting blown out at really cheap prices. Where I work we're about to sell ours for like US$150, which is a really good deal. You can probably find it for about the same somewhere. JM

[RyanOD]

Is the Roland VT-1010 or even the VT-1080 worth the extra cash when compared to the NanoSynth?? I played around with a 1010 today and it was impressive. Has anyone used both?? What did you think??

[RyanOD]

Is the Roland VT-1010 or even the VT-1080 worth the extra cash when compared to the NanoSynth?? I played around with a 1010 today and it was impressive. Has anyone used both?? What did you think??

[Gearless42]

THe VT-1080 is a rather kick-ass synth! I am getting prety pissed off at the current state of my funds. If I had the money to spend I would get a 1080. totally! very expandable! lots of voices and very good sounding.

Oh yah! It is way way way way way way better than a nano synth. It has way way more controlability.

[This message has been edited by Gearless42 (edited 03-09-2000).]