I'm too green to even figure out what I need.

[ermghoti]

OK, I'm not a keyboardist, but I have been pressed into service as such. My capabilities extend to holding down chords, and I pretty much lack the time and inclination to progress. In any case, the guy who runs the band is mostly looking for a bit of texture here and there, and he likes my guitar and recordin' chops.

Anyway, I grabbed an Edirol PCR M-80, and use it to trigger the synth that comes with Sonar 5 PE. The Sonar synth is 90% fine by me, but dragging the recording rig and an LCD is a hassle, and it's only a matter of time before somebody spills a beer on it, and I go to jail for mass murder.

Finally getting to the point: I use a piano, some electric keys/organ/vintage analog synths, a few pad-type atmospheric sounds, and I'd like a good rotary effect. I also use horns and strings. Is there a decent module at a cost commensurate with my lack of dedication, so I don't have to cart around a half a truckful of delicate gear just to doodle some square waves in the wrong key?

Would a Kurzweil ME-1 be up my alley, or is it too limited? I see stuff around the $1k mark that looks about right, Yamaha Motif ES, Kurzweil PC2R/O, et al. Are these plug n play, or do you need to do some serious editing to get up and running? Come to think of it, are these guys even intended to be used as a standalone, or do they require a sequencer?

What's a rompler, and how does one romple? Does it hurt the first time?

[MadAudio]

All the modules I've seen are plug-n-play. So really all you need to worry about is cost and what patches the modules have. The patches you're decribing are pretty common, though.

I'm assuming the Edirol is a MIDI controller.

[travelin travis]

If you have the funds, get a laptop.

[kojdogg]

I had the Kurzweil ME-1 for about a week. I was hoping that it would be an upgrade over the onboard sounds that came on my Casio PX-110 (a decidedly consumer-ish digital piano, but with a nice action). For my purposes I was pretty disappointed in the sounds (was looking primarily for acoustic piano sounds, of which it had many-- none of which I particularly liked). It is really easy to use however-- plug it in, set the midi channel and pick a patch. It had a variety of sounds that cover the teritory you described. I was able to get it for about $340 with price matching.

[ermghoti]

Thanks, guys. I would be hesitant to spend the money for a laptop, which would be nearly as fragile (much more portable, obviously) as a desktop PC, IMO. Then again, I could load Sonar on it, get the card for my Multiface, and do my on-location tracking with it...

Meanwhile, I'll see if I can test-drive a ME-1, they turn up pretty cheap on eBay.

Yup, the Edirol is a MIDI controller. Works well enough, as far as I can assess.

Any other suggestions?

[MadAudio]

Have you considered an actual keyboard with internal sounds? I have the Korg X5-D and it might suit your needs.

[kojdogg]

Maybe used E-Mu (Proteus series stuff) or Roland rack stuff. Your local music chain store probably has some of these you could test out and then shop on the bay for them. I also had a Korg O1/W Pro until recently that I actually liked the sounds on. You have to keep in mind though that the sounds on these cheaper modules tend to pale in comparison to what you get with a decent soft synth due to the memory dedicated to the samples. Also the sounds on the ME-1 were pretty old, so I'd definitely try one out before you buy one if you can.

[ermghoti]

Originally Posted by MadAudio

Have you considered an actual keyboard with internal sounds? I have the Korg X5-D and it might suit your needs.

I did, but I already have the controller, and it would sort of grate on me to buy a second keyboard, which would realistically mandate I get rid of the controller, at a huge loss, do doubt.

If some keyboard with integrated sounds were ideal, I guess I'd just man up and take the hit. I'll add the Korg to my list.

[SonicAlbert]

Skip that older stuff like the O1/W, there's newer synths that have a lot more sounds.

I'd say go for a Triton LE keyboard or a Roland Fantom rack or Yamaha Motif rack. I like and use Roland synths a lot because there is a huge set of expansion boards for them, allowing me to customize the synth sound sets to my needs.

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by SonicAlbert

Skip that older stuff like the O1/W, there's newer synths that have a lot more sounds.

I'd say go for a Triton LE keyboard or a Roland Fantom rack or Yamaha Motif rack. I like and use Roland synths a lot because there is a huge set of expansion boards for them, allowing me to customize the synth sound sets to my needs.

Absolutely agree with this-- sorry, for some reason i was thinking you needed low $ recommendations!

[ermghoti]

All price ranges are welcome, if I can do well enough for $4-500, great. If I have to spend $1k, well, OK. $1500 sounds a bit like I'd just as soon keep carrying the computer around, and maybe look for softsynths.