Church without keyboard player needs recommendation

[Limozine]

Hi,

I pastor a small startup church that is looking to purchase a keyboard. At the moment, we don't have anyone who can play, but I have friends and relatives who can play and are willing to record worship instrumentals for us. I need a recommendation for a keyboard ($1000 or less) with the ability to easily record and save a lot (300 or so) instrumental tunes. I would basically be operating the keyboard myself, pushing buttons to play back the music as we sang during a live service.

Ideally, I'd like for the songs to be recorded internally within the keyboard memory, but I'll settle for something that records to a separate disk if necessary.

Suggestions?

 

[mikemorgan]

You need a keyboard capable of recording/storing midi sequence files which you can then play back at random. Even some low level Casio boards can do this. You could also have performances recorded via mid into a computer sequencer program. You need to ask your keyboard friends if they know how to record midi performances. If they understand the question, and can answer yes, your problem is virtually solved.

 

[fraserhutch]

Why bother with a keyboard at all, if your friends can play, just record that.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Rev:

Just worked a session this day....Amazing connection via the Almighty?

Anyway, this Gal had a Yamaha Keyboard that does all you need to do; it also can handle back-up memory sticks and cards and has a good capacity.

She used some midi files with intros/endings and she played the "one note" chord structures into the file before storing it. Then, after I recorded the music, she sang the vocals. Kind of midi like but it worked very well.

I suggest you investigate this type of keyboard.

Also, you might seek out the help of a young musical brain at a junior college who could use the experience as credit for his/her degree. Of course, any college would work but junior colleges seem to have "folks" who like to do this sort of thing. Also check your congregation's talent supply. You never know.

Good luck.

Green Hornet

 

[RandyW]

Hey preacher, what you want to get is a Korg SP-250.
It falls in your budget and if the church is small enough
you can rely on the built in amp and bass reflex system.
It has impressive pianos, nice strings, and a couple decent
organ sounds.

It has line outs and MIDI out and IN so it would be extremely
easy to hook up to a sequencer or recording device.
It has an assortment of tunes built into it but I'm pretty sure
there is no way to over write them with out powerful magic.

Actually it sound rather canned to play back pre-recorded
music even from a keyboard, you need a musician to play live.

 

[Oancient1]

The $1000 number for an all-in-one solution limits you to the lower end keyboards, sometimes called home keyboards. While these are not professional units that can be counted on to stand up to the rigors of gigging, they should be sturdy enough for the use you describe. Being a Yamaha user, I would recommend looking in the Yamaha YPG-525 and YPG-625:

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-YAM-YPG625KIT.html

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-YAM-YPG525KIT.html

Both of the above have full 88 keyboards -- the 625 version has weighted keys that feel more like a real piano. Both have internal sequencers that will let you "record" 5 track user songs and save them as MIDI files on USB memory, where they can easily be called up and played back. Yamaha has other keyboards, but I recommend these because they support your all-in-one needs without requiring connection to a PC, are nicer looking and more sturdy than the typical plastic home boards, and both are inexpensive enough to leave room in your budget for an external amp that you will likely need unless you church is really small.

Manuals for the YPG-525 and 625 are available on the Yamaha website, and somewhere there you can put in your zip code and maybe find a local dealer where you can go hear them. Casio likely has similar solutions. Some say that the Casio organ sounds are better, which might be a consideration for you considering it is for a church and all.

Good Luck,
Tom

 

[Lectric_Lab]

Pastor, just save the money and use pre-recorded CD's to sing along with, I have people come in the studio all the time who do voice overs to instrumental gospel CD's...it would be alot cheaper until God sends you a keyboardist. (who owns their own keyboard)