Decided to Go "Pro" Keyboard from "Arranger". Please show me some direction!

[Antonio7]

I have a KN6500 Arranger keyboard at the moment, and whilst good, I am thinking of going fully PRO and would like advice on gear I should get.

 

Firstly, I want good Meat & potato sounds, (like I have on the KN6500, which include excellent pianos Oboes flutes, Saxs, Trombones etc all the thing you find on an arranger etc). And I will want a weighted Piano (76 or 88).

 

If I get rid of my KN6500, I will only be left with a Sampler till I get another keyboard, but I MAY just have enough money for a couple of Boards, or a module etc. I Will have the Money from my sale/Part Exchange on the KN6500, plus I have £1500 to spend as well (about $2000 Dollars). I was thinking about the Roland RD700 since I ruled out the Roland Fantom a While ago (I would like weighted keys you see). But how does this Roland RD700 measure up as a SYNTHESISER?? - as well a piano?. Anyway, If I get a Roland RD700 Piano, I would then need a module of some sort to give me those sounds I would miss on the KN6500 (and the 10 DSP EFX). What Module? I wouldnt have thought a Roland XV3080/5080 for Obvious reasons, but what kind of module does very well on Solo sounds like Oboe, Sax, Trumpet, Clarinet English horn etc? (Theyve got to be good these, because I do a lot of composing/arranging in Orchestral music. I also like to perform as well on the Piano hence the interest for the Roland RD700.

 

So in A Summery, I want to retain most of my sounds I have on my KN6500 (theyre not bad you know by replacing it with a good Module/Keyboard, and I want a Piano type of keyboard to actually PLAY the thing!!. Arrangers give me that done it for you, sit back and listen type of feeling, and I think it is time to move on if I am going to get a more professional sound I think and put arranger keyboards behind me.

 

The only problem with this transition from Arranger to Pro keyboard, is that there is TOO MANY CHOICES!!. Yamaha Motif/Triton/Karma/Trinity/Fantom/RD700/XP80/XV88. and lots more!. I have a Sampler BTW, but not a Mixer - as I havent worked with Pro keyboards before. The Mixer would need to be a simple affair, and cheap, because it is my entry into the Pro Keyboard s

 

Sorry for mixed up post, but had a 2 or 20 beers!.

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by Antonio7:

I have a KN6500 Arranger keyboard at the moment, and whilst good, I am thinking of going fully PRO and would like advice on gear I should get.

 

 

On the mixer front, Behringer make some really useful small mixers that will purch quite nicely on top of your main board. The smallest ones cost in the region of #50-80.

 

On the keyboard front. You may want to look for something that augments your sampler rather than replacing it. You don't say whether you are gigging or not. If you are, something like the Yamaha PC80, the Kurzweil PC88 or the Roland RD100 might be the way to go. The kurzweil is a semi-weigthed action while the others are fully weighted at about the same weight. For a fixed location, Something like the XV88 would be my choice because of its exapandibility.

 

There is a separate option. That is to get yourself a master controller. Depending upon how much you can do with your sampler, you might be able to get by with the sample and the master controller, which is relatively cheap, and then add a second module, such as the XV3080, later.

 

Go Rams!

 

[Dan O]

You may want to consider the Roland Fp3 with a Roland or Korg Module ( JV1080's,Jv2080 or XV3080,5080 or Triton Rack ) .

If you did go with the RD700 ....the expansion slots would give you an additional 500 sounds or more ! dano