I am looking for a cheap keyboard/synth. Just something to learn how to play, but still good enough to through it into a couple of songs. It's going to be more in the style of Janne Warman from Children of Bodom. Right now, I have a really old, small Casio. It sounds like crap. I am looking for something a bit bigger, and something that sounds better. Right now, I am thinking about a Casio WK-1630.
Looking For A Cheap Keyboard/Synth
- Thread starter sjaguar13
- Start date
sjaguar13 said:
I don't know about the Casio, but the Alesis Micron is an incredible 3 oscillator synth, with 37 full-size keys. The sounds are great as are the patterns... $399.00
For under 400 dollars you can get a used synth from the 80's that is professional like a Juno 60, Juno 106, Ensoniq ESQ-1, SQ-80, Roland D50 that blow Casios away.
Do some research on older synths and figure out what you need. Do you need more analog or more 'realistic' sounds.
Heck, a Roland JV80 or Korg X3 is WAYYY better than a modern Casio. Cheaper too.
Do some research on older synths and figure out what you need. Do you need more analog or more 'realistic' sounds.
Heck, a Roland JV80 or Korg X3 is WAYYY better than a modern Casio. Cheaper too.
mawtangent
New member
If you are going the home keyboard route I suggest that you check out the Yamaha keyboards in your price range, before buying Casio. Often they can be found in the same stores that sell Casios.
BLEARGH!
Are you seriously advising this guy to buy nasty Yamaha's and Casio's over old, but great, keyboards of the past???
Used gear is great. All my synths were bought used and I don't regret it a bit. For less than the price of 2 'newer' pro synths you can have 7-8 older keyboards that, quite frankly, are a lot cooler than things made now.
Are you seriously advising this guy to buy nasty Yamaha's and Casio's over old, but great, keyboards of the past???
Used gear is great. All my synths were bought used and I don't regret it a bit. For less than the price of 2 'newer' pro synths you can have 7-8 older keyboards that, quite frankly, are a lot cooler than things made now.
a guy on earth
New member
I happen to be selling an Ensoniq VFX-sd synthesizer/workstation in excellent condition, with manuals and software for 300 bucks, which is alot of keyboard for the money. It is a 24 track sequencer that I have midi'd to my recorder and used to track hundreds of songs for kareoke, originals, covers, studio work....if you want more info email me ....davewatkins@sbcglobal.net.....just thought I'd mention it, seeing as it's pretty much exactly what you're looking for
chrissosa216
New member
Including my midi yamaha keyboard. Plus the software on it. Upgrade
chrissosa216
New member
I have a keyboard for midi and by itself yamaha psr275 61 keys. you can plug it in your computer.
One, forget casio ! Never heard one I liked and neither has anyone else i know. Two, follow cloneboy studio's advice and check out some older synths. I use a korg m-1 myself but there are a lot of other good ones out there as well.Any keyboard newer than 1980 or so usually is midi equipped, which opens things up to just about any sound you want.Also, most are programmable, so you can build you own sound , if you're into that tech. kinda thing. Rock on !
I am liking the Ensoniq ESQ-1. I am planning on going with that one, unless any of you can talk me out of it.
Roy/Keys said:
MIDI came out in late, late 1983. (Trivia time: First MIDI synth--Sequential Circuits Prophet 600; first MIDI synths hooked together, Roland JX3P and the Prophet 600, second MIDI synth ever, Roland Jupiter 6). Most synths post 1984 have MIDI but prior to 1990 MIDI spec could be pretty crappy...
I don't know how MIDI opens you up to more or less sounds as it has nothing to do with how a synth sounds.
Just clarifying things.
the esq-1 has a midi in and out (no thru). it makes for a good controller and/or 8-voice multitimbral analog box. the midi is pretty basic: no aftertouch, gm type stuff, or real-time control of paramaters, cept through the modwheel or foot controller.
do not buy it for realistic sounds . . . it uses sampled waveforms like piano, reed sounds, fm creations, etc., but they are 8-bit, single-cycle samples that sound grainy and weird and should only be used for textures. i'm not sure it's realistic emulations would even fly in 1986. but it has an analog resonant filter that is pretty nice. and lots and lots of sonic range. it is an oddity of a synth. plus the sequencer! you can buy them for like 150 . . . making it the best value of almost any synth, imo.
do not buy it for realistic sounds . . . it uses sampled waveforms like piano, reed sounds, fm creations, etc., but they are 8-bit, single-cycle samples that sound grainy and weird and should only be used for textures. i'm not sure it's realistic emulations would even fly in 1986. but it has an analog resonant filter that is pretty nice. and lots and lots of sonic range. it is an oddity of a synth. plus the sequencer! you can buy them for like 150 . . . making it the best value of almost any synth, imo.
sjaguar13 said:
MIDI is simply a protocol for controlling synths (and a lot of other stuff too). You can hook up a MIDI equipped keyboard to another sound producing MIDI device and control it in a variety of ways.
MIDI passes no audio info--only control info. The sound in your example would come from the rack unit's outputs--not the master keyboard.
So yes, you can do what you suggest.
sjaguar13 said:
Yes it does.