Tedster Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 My 17 year old son is playing keys. He wants a synth. Not a megabucks setup, but a good pro keyboard for under or around $1500. I'm thinking a Roland, but I'm a geetar player and I know nuthin' 'bout synths. Model numbers, good piano sounds...tell me what I should be looking for... Talk to me, folks...help me out, brothers and sisters... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 a good pro keyboard for under or around $1500. snip Model numbers, good piano sounds...tell me what I should be looking for... From the wording of your post, I'm not clear whether you're asking if good piano sounds are important, or telling us that's what you need. What kind of music does he play? If you think that you want a weighted 88 key instrument that's pretty flexible, has a ton of onboard sounds and has room to grow, your best bet may be a Yamaha S80. Spec-wise, it's pretty much king of the hill in that price range right now. His hands and ears should still be the ultimate gauge, just like any other musical instrument. Do the same thing that (I assume) you would do when shopping for a guitar - take the boy to Big Dude's or Quigley's (say hi to George for me!) for an afternoon, and let him play with the toys for a while. Odds are that at least one will catch his attention. If you have spec questions or want to solicit opinions on specific models, we can certainly try to help you with that. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 27, 2001 Author Share Posted February 27, 2001 Thanks, Dave... You're obviously familiar with KC music stores. Right now Big Dude's and Quigley's are feeling the pinch from other huge stores that moved into the area. Not to name names, but one is named after a candy company planet and one is "friendly to musicians"...so I guess it's more important than ever to support your good ol' fashioned music store. Will definitely say hi to George for you. My son started out on piano, likes classical stuff, is currently playing drums with some high school buddies...but, as another thread mentioned, there are other drummers, but such is not the same with keyboard players. Versatility is the key here, I think. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve44 Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 Also check out the Equinox if you can.. I know dB will second that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 Originally posted by Steve44: Also check out the Equinox if you can.. I know dB will second that. Yep. Bet you'll be able to find a pretty good deal on one, too...most music store guys have no clue about this piece, so they may be eager to move it. That is, assuming that they even have one. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 27, 2001 Share Posted February 27, 2001 I know dB will second that. Yep. Bet you'll be able to find a pretty good deal on one, too...most music store guys have no clue about this piece, so they may be eager to move it. That is, assuming that they even have one. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS Posted February 28, 2001 Share Posted February 28, 2001 The best first synth, in my opinion, is always a used synth. Sometimes someone will go out and spend a fortune and end up not playing what he just bought after a month. It all depends on the kind of music he's into. I always say, unless you're a gigging musician, the best way to get a natural piano sound is with a real piano (I don't care how good a Kurzweil is). But if you're looking for a synth to make electronic style music, buy used. All of the most popular bands like The Prodigy, NIN, or the Chemical Brothers have synths that make up 75% of their studios, are under $500, and pre 1990. I personally recommend a Roland Juno 106 just because it has a reputation to be in everyone's home studio. Don't just go to your local music store and choose between what they have on display. There's a bagillion great synths out there that stores never (as far as I've seen) put on display like the Clavia Nord Lead 2. Doing a little research can go very far. Go to vintagesynth.com or sonicstate.com/synth. That should help you out. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 28, 2001 Author Share Posted February 28, 2001 Well, that's good info, too. Used to know a ton of music stores that had good consignment departments...lotsa cool used stuff. Now it's either online (let the buyer beware) or running all over town chasing classifieds. But, a good used keyboard would be great. Oh yeah, I agree about the real piano, but we're talking teenagers who are trying to spread out a bit from excessive Limp Biskit (sp?) on their set list. I think anything sorta decent will work... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiggum Posted February 28, 2001 Share Posted February 28, 2001 I would check out a Roland XP-50, 60, or 80. They are being discontinued, and there should be some good deals out there. They don't have weighted keys (which may or may not be important to you), but they will allow your son to build entire compositions on one instrument. You can say the same for a Korg Trinity or Triton, but the Roland is far more affordable and will suit the job well. My first synth was a Roland D20 (still have it), and while it's not remembered as a great instrument, it was paramount in teaching me to arrange and compose. You should be able to find a Roland XP board for less than $1,500. All the best, Wiggum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve44 Posted February 28, 2001 Share Posted February 28, 2001 I would check out a Roland XP-50, 60, or 80. While I was never really a fan of the synth, I do have to second that - the XP-60 is going for $1350 new, and has a rebate of $75 I think. They're on Ebay for under a grand. While they're not as flashy as a triton, they're full of useful sounds and can be expanded with the same boards as the 2080 that nearly every musician nowadays has in their studios. On the subject of Roland, their new RS series synths seem to be aimed at the same market as the Yamaha S80, except cheaper: the RS-9 88 key weighted synth goes for $999. It boasts 32 Megs of wave data and looks just like my Kawai K5000S in beautiful silver aluminum (real stuff, not plastic like the Triton). Plus, since you mentioned your son is a pianist, it has a dedicated "Piano mode" to let you quickly switch to the piano sound out of its synth mode. Looks good.. but is not out yet http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/frown.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 28, 2001 Author Share Posted February 28, 2001 How about the Yamaha S-30? I found a good deal on one of those...I guess it's like a junior version of an S-80... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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