total noobie question about kerzweil..

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brent319

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Here is my odd situation:
I have a musical background, but not in piano, keyboards, or MIDI. I played horns in high school and bass guitar in a band for a long time.
I have a daughter that has amazing perfect pitch, but is bored with the piano because it is "out of date" :( She loves computers and anything with a CRT or an LCD. She took lessons from a great teacher for a year, but the teacher moved and things just stopped. She said she wanted to play a synth, but I did not want to buy her one because I was afraid all the bells and whilstles would detract from actually learning to play. I also did not want to drop a load of cash on stuff that might just be left to collect dust.
Enter my mom. She got a new keyboard and wanted to know if we would want her old one. We are at the point where my daughter has totally quit playing so nothing can really be lost, and the price is right (free). So I am thinking that this is a great opportunity.
My mom shipped up the books for the keyboard for me to look over and see if we wanted it. If so she would ship the keyboard to us.
Enter confusion. They said it is a Kurzwiel Pro 76. I googled it and found a small amount of info on it. Mostly just listings of it for sale. So I got the books today and all of the information is for a rack mount 1200 Pro. My mom is an amazing musician, but not up on the tech end of it. That is why the got another keyboard that is easier to use. So I called her to see if we are talking about just the keyboard or the board and the module. I am still not clear to this point, but I think it is just the board. I think they just gave her a bunch of literature on the box hoping that she might come back later and get that too.
So... assuming that it is just the board, what are your thoughts of it?
Here is what I would like it to do.
Have some "cool" sounds that would interest my daughter.
Have a really good piano sound for recordings I do. ( I think Kurz' has good piano sounds, right? )
Use it as a controller for software on my computer.

I would like to learn MIDI and I am hoping that the tech end of it might be enough to get her back into it. Out of the box, what can we do with it?
Also I read the phrase "semi-weighted keys". I know what weighted keys are, and want that, but what is semi?

Sorry for being so dense about all of this and for the length of my post. Any input would be appreciated. It would be fun for me to learn this stuff, but I would really hate to see my daughter's potential go to waste.
 
Look for a Kurzweil PC88. It has excellent presets, weighted action and features. The Grand Piano is excellent. I own a Kurzweil PC88 and I love it.

Chris
 
simi= slightly, half....i am surprised your vocabulary isnt devoloped that far, the prase explains its self.
 
Sanjanjoseph said:
simi= slightly, half....i am surprised your vocabulary isnt devoloped that far, the prase explains its self.
Click to expand...

That really wasn't neccessary.

Chris
 
Well, semi-weighted means just that, the keys are weighted but not as much as they would be on a real piano. This may or may not mess up someone who's used to playing a real piano. I believe the aforementioned PC88 has fully weighted keys, and as such would be an excellent replacement. You could play it as a normal piano, and learn the MIDI aspects too.

Just be careful, if your daughter gets to know MIDI too well, she may not bother playing. MIDI, with the right software, allows you to write whole songs on your computer and have it play them for you. I'll admit myself that, as a keyboardist/composer, it makes me a bit lazy at times. You still need knowledge of music theory, as it doesn't write the songs for you. If she enjoys playing, however, this shouldn't be a problem.

http://tweakheadz.com/how_to_get_started_with_midi.html
See that link for details on MIDI and how it differs from audio. And for any questions, just ask on the boards. Most people here are pretty friendly. :p
 
I don't know Kurzweil's line that well, but I don't think there's such a thing as a "Pro 76". There is an SP76. Is that it? Are you sure the keyboard portion is a Kurzweil?

The NON-Rude answer to your question regarding keyboard action is that there are basically three kinds of action on keyboards- synth action which is the simplest. The keys have springs on them and a very light feel with little resistance. Generally this allows you to play very fast, but you get little feedback from the keyboard. It's probably not the best kind of keyboard to learn to play on. Semi-weighted are, as the name implies, weighted, but not as much as a full hammer action that you find on a piano. IOW, it takes more pressure to depress the keys. Last, you have a full weighted action, or a hammer action which, more or less, mimics the feel of a real piano. Some of these actions are quite good. One other thing to consider is that semi-weighted and weighted actions add considerably to the bulk and weight of an instrument making them less desirable if you have to move them frequently.

I hope that helps!

Ted
 
Sanjanjoseph said:
simi= slightly, half....i am surprised your vocabulary isnt devoloped that far, the prase explains its self.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised that someone who posted a response solely for the purpose of poking fun at someones supposed vocabulary would do so, with such horrible spelling and grammer.
Let us see:

Simi (Wrong spelling)

There should be an "or" between slightly and half.

And what is .... a Defintion is not intended to follow sentence structure thus .... was not needed.

i (Should be capatilized, as "I" is always capitalized, and the first letter of any sentence is automatically capitalized).

Isnt (Isnt, Isn't one word, and hasn't would have better fit the context of your statement).

Prase (Wrong spelling)

its self (Should be itself)

Before you poke fun at people, it would pay to at least, get it right yourself.
 
thanks..

thanks to most of you for the information. I did call my mom back and ask her if there was a number on the keyboard. She said it said 1200 pro. I am wondering if this keyboard has the same guts in it as the rack mount of the same name and that is why she had all of the info on the 1200 rack mount module. (?)
Based on what I have read and what you guys said, I think it would be silly not to take her up on the offer. Seems like a great place to start.
I am new to the forum as of today. I am a regular in a woodworking forum and see noobies ask questions there all the time. It is odd to be the noobie for a change. It kind of sucks when one of the first replies to your first question is somebody telling you that you don't know anything. I was aware of that, hence the question and the subject line. So thanks to the rest of you for the good information and thanks for sticking up for the new kid.
 
Brent319,
Get the Kurzweil. It's free, and I'm sure your daughter will have a blast with it. Most everyone here is pretty well mannered (Although we all have moments when we occasionally act up). Anyways, welcome, and don't be discouraged by the occasional smart-ass comments. There are a lot of really talented and knowledgeable people here that are usually willing to help you with most any problem or question you may have. But I warn you, post questions that offer specific details if at all possible. There are people here that get irritated by generalized questions (Krakit, you listening...LOL...Just bustin' your balls a little :) ).
 
Just a word or two...

Just thought that I'd mention that most people in this forum are great... Like dude said they're very helpful and knowledgable... Definitely get the board....Its good to learn to adjust to anything that comes your way and I think that this will be the case with your daughter... Also wanted to mention that piano action keys aren't always best for synths... Can't make her enjoy it...Give her the opportunity and see how far it inspires her to take it!!
 
OK we have:
Brent319
Brett307

I'm gonna change my name to Breast313 :D
 
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