Simple recording keyboard

[omtayslick]

I am just a humble guitar player. But I can play some keyboard.
I have come to the keyboard turf, hat in hand, seeking assistance.

Here is what I am seeking:

A basic decent quality board with few bells and whistles.

Midi, shmidi. Dunno how to use it, and have no desire to learn.

I would like good basic instrument sounds- with the emphasis on good piano, organ and strings.

If the board had a transpose function that would be cool, but not essential. (I am, after all, a guitar player)

And I find something that approximates real piano feel to be more inspiring to play. But can I save A LOT of $$$ by going with "synth" action?

What kind of dough must I lay out to get something like this? Or should I look into a controller with modules? Recommendations? Can somebody point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Tom

[skyy38]

Casio WK-3000

Only $313 and some change at your local Sams Club...



Seriously....


The best deal ever...

[skyy38]

Oh yeah,said implement has 50 Organs-
and they are all *adjustable*...

[trogdor]

You would be spending QUITE a lot more money to get weighted action keys... but if you wanted to do that then your best bet would be looking at the Fatar studiologic controllers...I'm not sure what the prices run, but check ebay. You would need a sound module (midi) with that, since it is only a controller...On the cheap, alesis has the nano series including the "nanopiano" but thats only piano sounds.

For sound versatility, I would look into some of the entry level synthesizers from korg, roland, alesis, etc. I have a Korg X5D which I got a few years ago off ebay for around 400, but I'm pretty sure they're down around 250 to 300 now. The piano sounds are good, and it can do organs, pads, and just about any other sound you'll probly need.

No offense to skyy, but I would stay away from the casios...you if you check out ebay you can get a used synth from one of the brands I mentioned before for about the price of a new casio...and sound a million bucks better.

just my 2 cents...

[skyy38]

Ebay is going through a *crisis*


Beware...........


Casio WK-3000 is at Sams



$313 and some change.....

[reco]

If you have $500 to spend at the most and will be willing to pass on the weighted keys. Yamaha S05 is a great board lots of great sounds from pianos to strings and synth sounds.......
its very durable to I use to sell em and saw one fall off a stand (a kid was hanging on it) bounce and tumble off to the floor and flip face down. Not a crack! it made of metal and some plastic. tough as nails. Casios are 90% plastic.

Oh yeah skyy the casio I had just died............... cause it was crap!!!!!!!
-Reco

[Lambo]

Look around on E-bay for an Ensoniq ZR-76 which would give you what you're looking for and much more as far as weighted keys, decent piano. strings, organ, pads, rhythm tracks, sequencer and floppy disk for saving your compositions. I have the MR-76 which is the older model and it has served me well through the years.

[omtayslick]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will check out some of these recommendations.

[brzilian]

Originally posted by reco
If you have $500 to spend at the most and will be willing to pass on the weighted keys. Yamaha S05 is a great board lots of great sounds from pianos to strings and synth sounds.......
its very durable to I use to sell em and saw one fall off a stand (a kid was hanging on it) bounce and tumble off to the floor and flip face down. Not a crack! it made of metal and some plastic. tough as nails. Casios are 90% plastic.

Oh yeah skyy the casio I had just died............... cause it was crap!!!!!!!
-Reco

Don't you mean the S08?

http://www.yamahasynth.com/pro/s08/index.html