i want a keyboard!

[treymonfauntre]

i'm done playing with all these kiddie keyboards. i need to get a "real" synth/keyboard. i want something that has a nice selection of tones and doesn't sound too lame. i'd like to have something that wouldn't sound like crap recorded, and ideally something that can produce a nice bass tone if i plug it into a bass amp. and a jazz keyboard tone. you know, a solid selection of tones. an added bonus would be midi but i don't have ANYTHING that supports it right now.. i just think it'd be nice to have in the future for drum triggering. so really thats not important.

something that is popular in the used market would be great, too! my budget is under 300, preferrably around 150/200 but i could go up to 300 if its gonna keep me entertained for a while

[treymonfauntre]

oh and i don't want to bother with anything with built in speakers. i'm surprised how cheap these keyboards that go for $200 new look

[thane1200]

You'll have to spend a whole lot more than that to get a "real" synth/keyboard.

[treymonfauntre]

hah, by real i meant not a dollar store toy. just something i can use live and get decent tones out of!

[Beck]

Ensoniq ESQ-1 or SQ80. There's not much these vintage babies can't do. $300.00 more or less in very good+ condition. They can be as simple or complex as you want to go. They are very deep machines, but plenty for more casual tinkering.

http://www.synthmuseum.com/ensoniq/ensesq101.html
http://www.buchty.net/ensoniq/index.html

- Tim

[seismetr0n]

the esq-1 is an alright keyboard, i played with one a couple of years ago.
if you're not concerned with midi, you could get a more analog synth for around $200 (i paid $200 for my korg polysix)... or if you want great flexability, go for a kurzweil k2000, with a sampler.. its a workhorse of a synth, with its synth engine and the sampler you can recreate almost any sound out there.. but it'll cost you more then $200

gl

[brzilian]

Korg M1, Roland D-50, Yamaha DX7...