Looking for good synth/keyboard for under $1000

  • Thread starter Thread starter elenore19
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elenore19

elenore19

Slowing becoming un-noob.
I'm looking for a good keyboard/synth to record and play shows with that is under $1000. So I'll explain of sort of what I'm looking for. I'm not good with keyboard lingo too much or synth lingo for that matter. I'm wanting a keyboard that I can get a fair amount of effects, the keys HAVE to be weighted like a real piano(or close to). One of the effects has to be the typical synth sound, if you know what I mean. Just ask away with questions on what I want. But yes, fullsized, weighted keys, keyboard. Thanks :D

-Elliot
 
:D Yo Elliot:

Hit Elenore up for another grand and get a Yamaha Motif. You can get the 88 keys or 76 or 61.

I am completely amazed at what Yamaha has in the Motif. [Nope! I don't work for Yam or a vendor.]

I spent ten years or so with my Yamaha DX-7 and it took almost that long to get to know the synth--I still have it but it does NOT have the quality patches as the Motif.

Suggest you get to a vendor and try out the Motif. Try out any/all of the other major players; to me, Yam has the best sound. And, if I live another 100 years, I'll never figure out all the stuff this board can do. You can patch it to a PC and do amazing stuff.

For 1K, you might find a "lesser" Yam or Korg or Roland. [Forget Alesis and its small LCD screen and thin patches.] But, the best thing would be to get your dados on the keyboards and decide.

Happy Labor Day
Green Hornet :eek: :D
 
The Green Hornet said:
:D Yo Elliot:

Hit Elenore up for another grand and get a Yamaha Motif. You can get the 88 keys or 76 or 61.

I am completely amazed at what Yamaha has in the Motif. [Nope! I don't work for Yam or a vendor.]

I spent ten years or so with my Yamaha DX-7 and it took almost that long to get to know the synth--I still have it but it does NOT have the quality patches as the Motif.

Suggest you get to a vendor and try out the Motif. Try out any/all of the other major players; to me, Yam has the best sound. And, if I live another 100 years, I'll never figure out all the stuff this board can do. You can patch it to a PC and do amazing stuff.

For 1K, you might find a "lesser" Yam or Korg or Roland. [Forget Alesis and its small LCD screen and thin patches.] But, the best thing would be to get your dados on the keyboards and decide.

Happy Labor Day
Green Hornet :eek: :D
Click to expand...


Alright, thanks. I'll check it out. It's hard for me to get to a vendor and try out things because I literally live in the middle of nowhere. But thanks for the help and I'll tell you what I think. Thanks man :)


-Elliot

EDIT: Ohhhh, damn man. Yeah, I don't have that much money, sorry. If you have any other suggestions, that would be great.

What are your opinions on this one. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Kawai-MP4-Professional-Digital-Stage-Piano?sku=708178

Thanks for the help man :)

-Elliot
 
Just My 2 Cents.........

Well, I have always been a roland fan. I've used them in many recordings. Babyface, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, Gerald Lavert, Silk, Mary J., Keith Sweat, Monica, R Kelly, Mint Condtion, and on and on.

For under a 1,000 dollars, I HAVE to recommend a Roland XP-80.

Hands Down.

PS. If you have a computer with a midi in out card, hook it up to your XP-80 and go to this website:

http://jv-patches.onlinehome.de/index2.html

That website has a free editor/librarian program along with 3,000 YES, thats 3000 PATCHES...Oh and its FREE !

So...... XP-80 All the way. Great sounds still usable.

Peaceout...BTW plus, If you can get ahold of SoundDiver, That XP-80 will rock.

I dare anyone to challange me to what I just said...Just Kidding.

Plus I make great drum beats with it still. I map each drum waveform as a patch my itsself, then out of 16 part performance, I do things a bit dif from others. I dedicate parts 11-16 for drums. 11 Hats, 12 snare, 13 kick, 14, 15, 16 perc sounds. each drum doing it this way has a dif pitch and more usable than the sounds from a "dedicated kit".

Anyway, i dont know if that might help you go with a XP-80, but I would.
 
elenore19 said:
I'm looking for a good keyboard/synth to record and play shows with that is under $1000. So I'll explain of sort of what I'm looking for. I'm not good with keyboard lingo too much or synth lingo for that matter. I'm wanting a keyboard that I can get a fair amount of effects, the keys HAVE to be weighted like a real piano(or close to). One of the effects has to be the typical synth sound, if you know what I mean. Just ask away with questions on what I want. But yes, fullsized, weighted keys, keyboard. Thanks :D

-Elliot
Click to expand...

You will not find a new synth with 88 weighted keys for under $1000.

Used gear options include the Yamaha S08, S09 and possibly some of the older Kurzweil boards.

M-Audio produces the ProKeys 88 which is under $1000, but has a limited sound set.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/ProKeys88-main.html
 
elenore19 said:
What about this one? I'm pretty sure it has weighted keys. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Kawai-MP4-Professional-Digital-Stage-Piano?sku=708178
Click to expand...
A Stage piano is not really a synth oin the sense we're talking about synths. It will be much more limited in its sound set.

What I would consider doing is getting a decent controller (can be had for < $500) and a rack module. If you could score a Kurzweil K2500R, you'd love it.

There are many racks out there that would do the job for you, and if you don't like the one you've got, sell it and get another rack module without changing your keyboard.
 
fraserhutch said:
A Stage piano is not really a synth oin the sense we're talking about synths. It will be much more limited in its sound set.

What I would consider doing is getting a decent controller (can be had for < $500) and a rack module. If you could score a Kurzweil K2500R, you'd love it.

There are many racks out there that would do the job for you, and if you don't like the one you've got, sell it and get another rack module without changing your keyboard.
Click to expand...
Alright, I should probably refrase what I'm looking for. The keyboard will mainly be used for a regular piano sound, but I would also like at least 5 other effects, one of which being the basic 'synth' sound. I'll look up a song with the sound I'm looking for as far as the 'basic synth sound' goes if you'd like. But yeah.
 
if you dont mind getin extra hardwere, The yamaha S90 is the finest digital keybord in the world. It has no frills as far as sequncers go but it has plug in sound bords to add more sounds to it. But honestly all of our advice doesnt meen squat...Take a pair of headphones your comforable with and know well, a 1/4 conecter plug and go to a guitar center or some place like that and just sit down and play all of them. Feal and sound is most important. You can get other pieces of equipment to add to your system to fit your need. But if you dont get the insterment that has the sounds u want and a feal that is comfortable to you all the bells and wistles in the world wont fix that and u'll end up spending the money later.
 
Metalbard said:
if you dont mind getin extra hardwere, The yamaha S90 is the finest digital keybord in the world. It has no frills as far as sequncers go but it has plug in sound bords to add more sounds to it. But honestly all of our advice doesnt meen squat...Take a pair of headphones your comforable with and know well, a 1/4 conecter plug and go to a guitar center or some place like that and just sit down and play all of them. Feal and sound is most important. You can get other pieces of equipment to add to your system to fit your need. But if you dont get the insterment that has the sounds u want and a feal that is comfortable to you all the bells and wistles in the world wont fix that and u'll end up spending the money later.
Click to expand...
Well, I can't find just a regular Yamaha S90 on the net, and the S90 ES or something like that is 2 grand...yeah. But We'll see. I wish I had a guitar center to go to. But I really don't, I still live in the middle of nowhere.
 
How about this...?

So if I find a nice fully weighted keyboard without many effects if any, just a grand piano sound type of thing. Would I be able to find things to put the keyboard through, like effects pedals for guitars. Like, something like those pedals but for keyboards? I think someone mentioned something like this. So would this work for me? And also, if that would work, what is a nice keyboard that would work for me like that?

thanks so much for the help

-Elliot
 
I dispute this claim. It is an excellent digital PIANO. Not even close to being the best KEYBOARD in the world.

It's piano sound is OK and the keyboard itself excellent, IMHO.


Metalbard said:
if you dont mind getin extra hardwere, The yamaha S90 is the finest digital keybord in the world. It has no frills as far as sequncers go but it has plug in sound bords to add more sounds to it. But honestly all of our advice doesnt meen squat...Take a pair of headphones your comforable with and know well, a 1/4 conecter plug and go to a guitar center or some place like that and just sit down and play all of them. Feal and sound is most important. You can get other pieces of equipment to add to your system to fit your need. But if you dont get the insterment that has the sounds u want and a feal that is comfortable to you all the bells and wistles in the world wont fix that and u'll end up spending the money later.
Click to expand...
 
What do you mean by "effect"? Do you mean "type" of sound?


elenore19 said:
Alright, I should probably refrase what I'm looking for. The keyboard will mainly be used for a regular piano sound, but I would also like at least 5 other effects, one of which being the basic 'synth' sound. I'll look up a song with the sound I'm looking for as far as the 'basic synth sound' goes if you'd like. But yeah.
Click to expand...
 
fraserhutch said:
What do you mean by "effect"? Do you mean "type" of sound?
Click to expand...
I think I mean type of sound. I'm pretty sure at least


-Elliot
 
elenore19 said:
So if I find a nice fully weighted keyboard without many effects if any, just a grand piano sound type of thing. Would I be able to find things to put the keyboard through, like effects pedals for guitars. Like, something like those pedals but for keyboards? I think someone mentioned something like this. So would this work for me? And also, if that would work, what is a nice keyboard that would work for me like that?

thanks so much for the help

-Elliot
Click to expand...

All modern day synths have internal effects processors with multiple effects (chorus, reverb, delay, distortion). There is no need for outboard gear.
 
brzilian said:
All modern day synths have internal effects processors with multiple effects (chorus, reverb, delay, distortion). There is no need for outboard gear.
Click to expand...
Alright, so what keyboard with fully weighted keys would work for me that is under 1000 dollars?


-Elliot
 
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