Joe Cool Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 Help!!! I currently own a Yamaha PSR225 and i NEED an upgrade..I aminterested in the jazz piano, classical and up-beat piano genres. I have been playing for a long time now and I would like to move on, hopfuly someday (soon) a professional. I would like to be able to record and combine/incorperate instraments together to creat songs. It would be nice for it to have many different voices and options etc..I am on a budget so i would apprieciate if any one would have some tips for me. Thanks Joe Cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman_nsyahoo.com Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 What kind of budget???? Are we talking about $500-1000??? $1000-2000??? What's an appoximate price range....... Also, do you need 88-keys or maybe just 76 or 61?? ------------------ John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 Try vintagesynth.com and use the "Synth Finder" option. It gives you the synths that fit your priorities. Mike www.mp3.com/deathofsound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cool Posted February 18, 2001 Author Share Posted February 18, 2001 Hey thanks for replying! My price range is probably from $500-$1500 and a 61 or a 76 should be fine thanks Cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 Originally posted by Joe Cool: My price range is probably from $500-$1500 and a 61 or a 76 should be fine It sounds to me like the Alesis QS6.1 or QS7.1 would be a nice choice for you. You mentioned that piano was important to you, and the QS synths come with a very nice onboard stereo piano sample. They are definitely in your price range; plus, they come with free sequencing software and a host of other goodies. Also take a look at the Roland XP30 and Yamaha S30, both of which are in your price range, but may very well need piano expansion boards to make you happy. The Korg N5 is also in this price range, but it is the only one of all of the synths that I've mentioned that has no expansion capabilities at all. If you don't want to use your computer to sequence, something like a Roland XP60 might be the way to go, or maybe a used XP50. I heavily recommend using the computer for the sequencing, though... One other note - if you're gonna spend $1500, you can afford a nice 88 key synth, which might be nice if you want to emphasize piano performance. Look at the Yamaha S80 and the Alesis QS8.1. The Alesis will save you some money, but the Yamaha is a more powerful machine on paper. As noted above, the used market should also provide you with a plethora of choices. Of course, your ears and hands need to be the final judge - external opinions and specs are only worth so much. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman_nsyahoo.com Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 I second Dave on almost every point..... I'll say go with either the Roland XP-60 or XP-80 if you want to sequence (record songs) on the keyboard... or maybe the Yamaha S-30 if you want to record on the computer. Don't take my word though...... go try 'em yourself. ------------------ John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guestuserguestuser.com Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Originally posted by KeyboardFreak: KeyboardFreak, I guess you can do whatever you want, but is this forum really the place for expressing religious views? For instance, you probably couldn't care less that I'm an agnostic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman_nsyahoo.com Posted February 20, 2001 Share Posted February 20, 2001 Umm guestuser....... I guess I do think it's the place. I think just about any place I can share my beliefs is a good place to share them. I wouldn't mind in the least if you put your agnostic views on here..... I'd actually be pretty interested in what you believe. After all.... it's just a signature, I'm not preaching sermons or anything. Just identifying myself. ------------------ John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman1ovation.net Posted February 20, 2001 Share Posted February 20, 2001 Originally posted by Joe Cool: Help!!! I currently own a Yamaha PSR225 and i NEED an upgrade..I am interested in the jazz piano, classical and up-beat piano genres. I have been playing for a long time now and I would like to move on, hopefully someday (soon) a professional. I would like to be able to record and combine/incorporate instruments together to create songs. It would be nice for it to have many different voices and options etc..I am on a budget so i would appreciate if any one would have some tips for me. Thanks Joe Cool Hiya, Joe Cool! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif I'm not going to add much that hasn't already been said, but I want to ask a question or two. Actually, these are questions for you to ask yourself. Because you named the "jazz piano, classical and up-beat piano genres" as your area of pursuit (get down! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif), it helps to know whether or not you initially played (or still play) an acoustic piano. Many people that started with acoustic pianos and then get a keyboard with synthesizer/"organ" keys, and although they prefer the feel of an acoustic piano, the keyboard fills some needs like portability, lower price, more sounds, and the ability to practice silently with headphones that you can't get with an acoustic. So, playing the non-piano-like action is a trade off. Then again, you may have started with a keyboard and developed your abilities there. There's no right or wrong answer to this, because I've seen some jazz wonders playing nothing but piano sounds on synthesizer action keyboards. And although most jazz and classical players would prefer to have piano action, there's no reason to assume that is true for everyone. Anyway, if I were you I'd ask this question first and foremost. You can stay within your budget no matter what the answer is, and since there is such a LARGE difference in how it feels to play one type or the other (not to mention the tremendous difference within each type), it is very important for a pianist, whether acoustic or digital, to have keyboard action that suits them best. Another thing to be sure about is the number of keys. Since you are pursuing jazz/classical/up-beat piano music, you might really want to give yourself the benefit of having the same number of keys as an acoustic piano. While it is true that most playing resides, if not within 61 keys, certainly within 76 there are times when you're going to want that bass thunder and high treble rain. If you prefer synthesizer action, you'll find that most 88 keyed synths have weighted piano action, but you can still get the thunder and rain with a nice 76 key synth action 'board by hitting an octave switch to bump you up/down that extra octave. For me, I go all thumbs when I try to play piano with synth action. I *have* to have weighted keys. But that's just me. I've heard some jazz folks rip through a synth-action digital piano with all the dynamics and accuracy I could NEVER get from synth action. Conversely, when I play organ sounds, I have to have synth action. But there again, I've seen some organ people do the B-3 thing with weighted keys perfectly. Unless you are "ambiactionous" (a made up word taken from the word ambidextrous, but meaning "playing with equal skill on both synth and weighted action), I'd ask these questions and go with what makes you most comfortable. I think this is actually more important than the sound of the device. I just spent several months looking for a keyboard with weighted hammer action, where my main but not only criterion was how it FELT. They are all very different. For piano parts, though, I'd take ANY of their piano sounds if I liked the feel. And both of those aspects - feel and sound - are a subjective thing. Best wishes to you! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Bring on the PIANO!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 20, 2001 Share Posted February 20, 2001 Interesting concept, trying to do all the B-3 stuff on a 88-key fully weighted board. I'm attempting it with an S80, but when you think about it, only a small amount of time do you have the fast soloing that makes it hard. So much of the beauty of the Hammond sound are the low chord voicings, that "rumbling" of a I-III-VII-#9th.... Any thoughts? Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wools Posted February 20, 2001 Share Posted February 20, 2001 musicman1, You said above "I just spent several months looking for a keyboard with weighted hammer action, where my main but not only criterion was how it FELT." What did you like? ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cool Posted February 21, 2001 Author Share Posted February 21, 2001 Does any one have suggestions for me in buying a new keyboard what exactly whould i look for...tips? thanks cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 Originally posted by Joe Cool: Does any one have suggestions for me in buying a new keyboard what exactly whould i look for...tips? Go play a bunch of them. See which one you like. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Listen to the sounds - try and imagine them in your music. Feel the keys - see if your hands like the feel of the keybed. Check out the operating system and see if it makes sense to you. Spend some time doing this - for most folks, a keyboard is a significant investment. Chances are good that at least one will reach out and grab you more than the others, though. Buy that one. Specs and opinions should be used for reference only. A bunch of people might not like a keyboard that totally works for you. That doesn't make you wrong. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.