JayBurger Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Hi all... I'm a guitarist by trade (just thought i'd get that out the way), but am looking for a good keyboard to goo in my home studio. I had a yamaha YDP 121 digital piano and loved the feel of the keys... but for some reason I sold it (think it was to fund a gibson les paul).. Any way.. I have just bought a second hand Roland E-70.. which has some great sounds.. but I can't stand the plastic keys.. So its on ebay.. and I am looking for a good keyboard Mainly piano and strings) for a studio set up.. I have just played on a Roland RD300sx and that is fave at the moment... Has weighted hammer action, and some great sounds... Can anyone reccomend a good studio keyboard that meets my requirements? 1. full size 88 weighted / hammer keys, 2. midi/usb for future sound mod connection. 3. Great sounds. Any Advice or opinions welcomeCheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundscape Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Originally posted by JayBurger: I'm a guitarist by trade (just thought i'd get that out the way)I think you sunk yourself right there. (Doesn't bother me, but you don't want to get the 'anti-guitarist' contingent going!) Originally posted by JayBurger: Can anyone reccomend a good studio keyboard that meets my requirements? 1. full size 88 weighted / hammer keys, 2. midi/usb for future sound mod connection. 3. Great sounds.Budget? What kind of sounds do you need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBurger Posted October 6, 2006 Author Share Posted October 6, 2006 Budget is around £1000 give or take a bit... The roland I loked at retails for £750. I mainly want some good string sounds... and a nice Grand Piano sound. I know the YDP 121 is a cheap piano.. but the grand sounded really well on that, and the keys felt really good... Also I want to have it so I can use rack mounted sound modules at a later date. so it needs to be usb / midi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverDragonSoun Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Sound and feel are such personal things to each user. What one person thinks sounds awesome, another person may think sounds average. The best thing to do is get out and play as many things as possible to see what sounds and feels best to you. I'm not sure of the transfer rate in US money in terms if your exact budget. Going by the fact the RD300SX is at $750, have you considered the following: Yamaha CP300Kawaii MP8Yamaha S90ESRoland RD700SX I don't know if these are in your price range but IMO these are better options for a homestudio. Pay attention to the action, sound and store setup when demoing these. Try to evaluate things on as even a playing field as possible. An example, sometimes a keyboard sounds and feels great in a store and you bring it home and it sounds and maybe even feels different. The sound system, stand and various other factors greatly influence the sound and feel of keyboards. But remember it what you like best that will work the best for you. Begin the day with a friendly voice A companion, unobtrusive - Rush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundscape Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Originally posted by Silver Dragon Sound: I'm not sure of the transfer rate in US money in terms if your exact budget.£1000=US$1870 (current rates from xe.com), but consider the VAT (sales tax) is 17.5% in the UK, so more like $1550 to spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keynote Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 You may want to have a look at the new Yamaha CP-33. I played one recently and was absolutely entralled with key feel and the Piano sounds. It does have a String sound but it didn't impress me that much. Maybe some EQ adjustments would perk it up some though. There are EP's, a Vibraphone, a Clav, a couple Organs with the Church Organ being excellent I might add, and a few other voices for a total of 14. Here are the CP-33's Specifications: Keyboard GH keyboard 88 keys (A-1 C7) Sound Source AWM Dynamic Stereo Sampling Polyphony (max.) 64 Voices 14 x 2 variations for each Voice Effects Reverb, Effect, Brilliance Controls Dual, Split, Click, Transpose, Touch (Hard/Medium/Soft/Fixed), Functions Pedal SUSTAIN PEDAL (can be used with half-pedal effect), AUX PEDAL (assignable to various functions) Controller Master Volume Dial, Pitch Bend Wheel, Modulation Wheel, Zone Control Sliders Jacks/Connectors MIDI (IN/OUT), PHONES, " OUTPUT (L/MONO, R), SUSTAIN PEDAL, AUX PEDAL, USB TO HOST, DC INLET Dimensions (W x D x H) 1312 x 330 x 151 mm (51-5/8" x 13 x 5-15/16") Weight 18 kg (39 lbs., 11 oz) Accessories AC Power Cord, Foot Pedal FC3, Owner's Manual And it's within your budget also. Plus it is very portable for an 88 note keyboard, weighing in at under 40 lbs. Happy gear hunting on whatever you decide to get. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Kurzweil excels in both pianos and strings. You could keep an eye on the new PC1se (76 keys with hammer action), which is about to be released, or has possibly just been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keynote Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Originally posted by marino: Kurzweil excels in both pianos and strings. You could keep an eye on the new PC1se (76 keys with hammer action), which is about to be released, or has possibly just been. Has just been. Kurzweil PC1se for sale at Sweetwater Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBurger Posted October 7, 2006 Author Share Posted October 7, 2006 I have never heard of Kurzweil ? I'll look out for them when I go to the keyboard shop. At the moment the Roland RD700sx is looking favourite. Has anyone had any experience with one of these ? Cheers guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Originally posted by keynote: Originally posted by marino: Kurzweil excels in both pianos and strings. You could keep an eye on the new PC1se (76 keys with hammer action), which is about to be released, or has possibly just been. Has just been. Kurzweil PC1se for sale at Sweetwater Not quite. Sweetwater posts things that aren't available yet. If it's not in their NOW SHIPPING area, it's available as a pre order item. Look at NOW SHIPPING, then VIEW ALL PRODUCTS FROM THE LAST 30 DAYS. My dealer tells me ETA 10-14 days. Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keynote Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Thanks for the tip Bill. Just to be sure I called Sweetwater and talked to a sales Rep and he told me they actually had one on 'hold' and that if I purchased today he would let me have it. It might have just been a gimmick to get me to buy though. I asked him when they would start shipping in quanity and he said the first part of November, which coincides roughly with your figure. It will be interesting to hear the reports that start rolling in about the PC1se in the coming weeks. Hopefully they will all be positive. I'm still waiting for Yamaha to get in gear and release the Motif ES successor, hopefully at Winter NAMM 2007, before I consider purchasing another keyboard. If Yamaha is a no show at NAMM regarding its new Flagship then I'm sure I'll be itching to get something, anything that may be a good prospect in 76 or 88 keys. It's almost certain the other contenders i.e. Roland, Korg, GEM, etc. will have something up their sleeve at NAMM. It has to be a full blown Workstation though. And relatively portable. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon111 Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 +1 for Kurzweil Great quality build and great quality sounds... Best Regards, James -- http://cdbaby.com/cd/carbon1112 http://www.carbon111.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.