Sounds and Recording etc

[lostindundee]

Hi Everyone

Forgive me for being a newbie here. I've been playing in bands for almost 20 years (Bass and Lead Guitar) and have just decided to compose and record my own stuff. I have just spent some hard earned cash on a BOSS BR1200CD which I'm just getting to grips with at the moment. I dare say I will get on just fine once I get going. However, I am totally at a loss when it comes to keyboard and MIDI and have some money left which can be used on more equipment to boost my capabilities.

What I was wondering is:

What is the best (not the cheapest) setup I can use to record nice keyboard sounds such as those used in 80s bands such as the human league etc and also rich blues/jazz style organ/keyboard sounds. Basically, I'm looking to have as much to play with as possible. However, I'm not that good on keyboard so it would have to be programmable.

Obviously, common sense points me towards a keyboard which does everything but make your dinner. However, I am aware of people using Sound Modules, Samplers and Sequencers etc.

What would be considered the best and most versatile way forward for me.

I'm assuming that any set up I do eventually have will give me sounds which will be readily recordable alongside guitar stuff on my BOSS BR1200CD?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as would any advice on particular products as I'm totally in the dark when it comes to this kind of stuff.


Regards

LiD

[sonicpsyops]

I think you would have to go where common sense takes you.

I'm not familiar with the BOSS BR1200CD but if it supports MIDI then just about all of the workstation keyboards (Korg, Roland, etc.) on the market have a built in sequencer which will enable you to step record one note at a time if you are not a keyboard virtuoso. Also, you can buy expansion boards for them with vintage synth 80's sounds and other styles to suite your needs.

However, you can still find standalone hardware MIDI sequencers but the market for those have greatly diminished over the last ten years or so. If that's what you really want then your going to have to look around to find one.

Mind if I ask why you would want to buy it all seperate? I think it's more cost effective, ("not the cheapest") to buy them all as a package but to each his own I guess.

[DavidK]

It all depends on how much (or little) you plan to incorporate a computer into your recording and sequencing.

[lumbago]

New, you'd be best to look at a Roland Juno D or Korg Micro-X in the budget class.

For other sounds, a second hand Korg M1, Roland Juno 106, Roland Juno 60, Korg Poly-61, Roland Sound Canvas SC50, Roland JX3P, Roland JX8P will all get you close to that 1980s sound.

If you pick up a cheap second hand Roland JV1080, JV2080, XV3080 or XV5080 and a keyboard to drive it, you'll probably be pretty happy. Add the Vintage Synth card and you'll be very happy.

[lostindundee]

Thanks so much for help folks.

I think I'm kind of leaning towards a Roland Juno-G. It seems to have a fair bit of 80s vintage stuff in there with 16 MIDI tracks and 4 Audio. The price for the product is hailed as being very reasonable when compared to a Roland Fantom-X#. I haven't decided for definite yet though. some of the demos on youtube look good.


sonicpsyops
You're right. I'm going to go with the all in one package. It definitely makes more sense.


DavidK
The Roland Juno-G comes with Cakewalk SONAR LE software. Therefore, I would be able to dabble in computer stuff too if I wished.


lumbago
I think the Roland Juno-G incorporates a lot of the sounds from the earlier Rolands you mentioned. I still have to check out what Korg and Yamaha have in this area before I commit to a purchase though.


Can I ask a general question? Do you actually get 80s vintage expansion boards or Vintage Synth cards?


Thanks again for all you help and advice.

LiD

[lostindundee]

Almost forgot sonicpsyops, the BR1200CD does support MIDI.

What I would like to do is use my BR1200CD to record the likes of drums, guitar, bass, saxophone, etc (all audio) and then import say several tracks from perhaps a Roland Juno-G synthesizer into this. This would be a conventional band based project drawing on one or two tracks from the synth's to sweeten things up here and there.

Obviously, at other times I would exclusively use the synth for synth based projects and use its audio inputs for vocal and perhaps a guitar.

I see the two situational uses outlined above as being:

1. An audio based project with minimal synth usage - using both the BR1200 and a Synth with the BR1200 being used for the final Mix Down.
&
2. A Synth project using only the Synth with a couple of audio tracks used using the Synth's audio inputs.

[lostindundee]

I was trying to post a link to my BR1200's manual but I need 5 posts in order to post a link.

[lostindundee]

Any ideas?

[lostindundee]

Oh. Looks like I have 5 posts now...lol

This is my BR 1200CD DAW

This is the Manual. The page may need refreshed if it doesn't open first time.

I've looked at Section 6 which deals with MIDI and I'm half certain that what I've decribed in my previous post is dooable regarding sending tracks over to my BR1200. I would just like to run it by you guys?

Just off the top of my head...and feel free to shoot me down here. Would one way of doing it be to synchronise my BR1200 with the External MIDI device (i.e. my Synth) and then perhaps use USB to send tracks from my Synth to my computer and then send via USB from my computer to the BR1200? Just a hypothesis from a newbie...lol

Thankfully, I'm better at composing and playing a wide variety of instruments than I am all this techy recording stuff but I'll learn.

Kindest regards

LiD