I need a decent keyboard, what you guys recommend?

[musicmaker]

Hi everyone, I plan to buy a suitable keyboard mainly for making song with my other relatively simple gears such as VS880Ex, drum machine, PC sequencer....etc, I also like to involve in MIDI music in the future so that I won't be only stick with record 'audio' such as bass guitar and guitar.
Which mean I would like to layer my song with some background sound such as string arrangement. Although I am not familiar with those MIDI set up, but I hope my keyboard is able to work with the sequencer, sampler and digital recorder to form a MIDI'up system. Beside that, I also expect my keyboard able to record or trigger sample, let say I want to play some special instrument sound on the keyboard which the sound is originally not including in the keyboard. Of course, the keyboard must be easy for beginner to use. Please recommend some decent brand at the budget around 500-700 pounds, or other good quality but slightly expensive brand. Thank you!
P/s: How about Korg Triton and Roland XP-60? Anyone know the current price of these product? Is it better for me to prefer brand like Roland since most of my gear is Roland and Boss?

Musicmaker

 

[Wide Awake]

I think a good keyboard might be the Yamaha S80. I don't know the price in pounds but I think it's really good quality and it has a nice 88 note keyboard. I like the Korg Triton a lot but it's quite expensive but it has a good user interface, lots of sounds, easy to edit. The Korg Trinity is good, not as much money but still has lots of good sounds. All the keyboards have MIDI and will work with your other equipment. If you already have some synthesizers you might like to try different brands. That gives you more variety to work with.

 

[musicmaker]

Thank a lot! Are you using the brand you mentioned to me, the Yamaha S80? You haven't tell me whelter this keyboard can record some external sound and play it on the keyboard or not?

 

[Rolex Tha Tima]

Triton-61 Key-$2400, 76 key-$2800, 88 key-$3350
XP 60-$1350

 

[foo]

I'm not real familiar with the VS880 - but I think it may have an ADAT lightpipe or some kind of digital/optical (S/PDIF?) connection.

If so, you may want to try looking for a synth/sampler that will hook up to that - what that does is keep everything in the digital domain - i.e. really clean.

hope this doesn't make things more confusing.

foo