Keyboard recomendation please

  • Thread starter Thread starter glynb
  • Start date Start date
G

glynb

Balladeer
I'm new to the world of keyboards (being a guitarist). I'm looking to buy a second hand keyboard with the capability to load up downloaded sounds from the Internet. A friend of mine once had one whereby you can insert floppy disks and load up sounds which sound just like violins, strings, cellos etc.

Can anyone recomend what to look for, I'm after makes and models and I don't want to spend a fortune ($1000 say?).

Once I have a few suggestions I can start to do the rounds of music stores etc.
 
The keyboard you describe is a sampler. The sounds you load into it are called samples.

The true samplers on the market nowadays are all pretty expensive (eg. Roland V-Synth and Roland XV-5080). Most samplers now work as software so you record with them on your PC, and they don't lend themselves to live use (eg SampleTank).

If you were looking for something in the sub-$1000 price range, and were prepared to use sample base sounds that are preset (not user definable), I'd recommend (for orchestral samples) a midi keyboard driving a Roland XV-2020 (which has good keyboard and orchestral sounds) with the add-in SRX-06 Orchestral card (better sounds) or SRX-04 card (strings).
 
Thanks

Thanks for the info.

I don't like using PCs to record as I sit at one all day at work and don't want to come home and sit at one again! So i use a portastudio (Fostex vf160). My friend had a keyboard which he just put floppy disks into and loaded the sounds, but maybe thats old hat now, it was about 10 years ago! I'm suprised they're still so expensive after all these years and the march of technology.

Guess I'll have to do the rounds and see what appeals for the money.
 
You can probably get a used Kurzweil K series or a Korg T or O for that price. They both have decent orchestral and pop sounds and depending on the options may let you load samples.
 
i would recomend a Roland xp-60 (under a grand), Korg m1 (under a grand), Korg trinity ($1000-$1100)

all of these pieces will be used, not new.

Good luck
 
glynb,
You should also look at the Motif Rack. The other option you have even though you don't want to sit at a pc and do it, it will offer you the most options and flexibility, that is to get something like Gigastudio or Reason and a controller.
Terry
 
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