Decent Used Keyboard?

[bbZ]

For a home studio. Need good organ and instrument sounds, like violins, steel drums, good old farfisa, etc. Don't need happening synthesizer sounds. Don't wanna spend over $1000 for a Motif or a Triton. Anything for around $500?

Let's say I lay down tracks for a Jimmy Buffet-type song. I have all the guitar, bass, and drum sounds but need everything else.

bbz

[wakeupbomb]

I don't have an answer for you, but I just thought I would add that I too am looking for a good keyboard around $500. I really want one with weighted keys and a nice piano sound....MIDI would be good too.

[bbZ]

I might go with the Casio 3500. Yeah,I know it's noisy but I can fix that via EQ. I've heard alot of great things about it.

[steve350]

For $499 the Casio 3500 is a good deal.

http://www.casio.com/index.cfm?fusea...roduct=WK-3500

[mawtangent]

About 10 years ago I was in the same boat..looking for a "real" keyboard...I wanted something with a sequencer and disk-drive, all self-contained...I live in guitar country so there was not a lot of avenues to get first hand education on keyboards. An aquaintance said he would help me but he faded out of the picture...I even subscribed to Keybaord Magazine to try to educate myself...Long story short I finally found a used keyboard with the sequencer and disk-drive for $850 (a Yamaha V-50). It sounded impressive so I bought it. I later figured out that it did not have modern "sampled sound" for most of its instruments (where sounds are recorded from the real instruments,) although the percussion was sampled (It used FM, similar to the early 80's Yamaha DX-7). Despite not getting the "perfect" keyboard I used it, enjoyed it, and still have it (Although a few years later I also got a Roland XP-50 that truely does have that modern sound, and later a Yamaha PSR 540 "home" keyboard which hold its own, soundwise)...My point (finally) is that you can get so much more for your money now and all the major brands (according to what I read) seem to produce comparable sound, dollar for dollar. Even Casio is getting a thumbs up. You should find something very useful with a budget of $500 (I envy your shopping adventure). I say play as many keyboards as you can possibly find and see what you like. As far as specific used models/brands I recommend looking at the Roland XP's (XP-10 and XP-30, if you don't need the sequencer and disk-drive - many people do their sequencing and saving via computer now). Korg X3, Yamaha SY-85, and Roland XP-50 probably all have sequencers and disk-drives (I'm not sure about the Korg X-3) and can be shopped for with $500. Hope this is useful.

[bsr2002]

Originally Posted by mawtangent

Korg X3, Yamaha SY-85, and Roland XP-50 probably all have sequencers and disk-drives (I'm not sure about the Korg X-3) and can be shopped for with $500. Hope this is useful.

KORG X3 has sequencer and uses a 3.5" floppy disk drive. Kick Ass keyboard, I still use it!

Peace

[mawtangent]

Hey bbz and wakeupbomb...I haven't looked seriously at new keyboards in a while(satisfied with what I have and don't need the temptation) but today (with you both in mind) I looked at the keyboard section of a several month-old Musician's Friend and for what it's worth here is some of the models I came accross in the $500 and under range: Most of these have at least 32-note polyphony and touch-response. As mentioned earlier there was the Casio WK 3500, and the less-featured WK 3000, and the even-lesser featured (but very affordable) Casio CTK-691. Yamaha PSR550, Yamaha DGX300, and (very affordable) Yamaha PSR273. There was actually a 88 weighted-key Casio digital piano - PX-100 Privia Digiatal Piano w/real hammer action, I don't know anything about weighted keys (the step-up PX-300 has more tones, midi, but a bit over $500 budget). The Alesis QS6.2 (which fits the profile of a true "pro" keyboard, having 64-note polyphony and no on-board speakers) was just (I'm sorry) a bit over the $500 budget...but you know how that goes sometimes if you want to check it out...This was some new stuff in an outdated cataloge (but a 2004 cataloge) that you might want to check out (the borderline prices may have dipped to your favor by now also)...I didn't find much mention of sequencers and disk-drives on the pro-level keyboards, probably people do all that by hooking up to computers now. I hope this is useful.

[LAZI]

I will have available for sale...

Korg N364 for $650...
Korg Triton Classic $1400...

[lbanks]

Roland U-20, don't pay more than 300....