70s Prog Loving Funk Loving Keyboard Rec on $2-300 Budget

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So, I like Hammonds, prog, mellotrons, etc etc.

Many moons ago I used to play piano/keyboard. Went into drums for a long time, but now in my 40s and want to get serious about learning keys again.

Looking for a well balanced keyboard in my price range that has some sort of touch sensitivity (velocity, etc), but with a pitch wheel (for organ solo stuff) and a good selection of sounds.

Any help?
 
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Welcome.

Some to check out to give you an idea of what is out there.

New Arranger keyboards.
Casio CTX 3000 $300
Yamaha PSR E463 $300
Korg EK50 $399

New workstation / synths
Korg Kross 2 $750
Roland juno DS 61 $750

Check out
Numa Compact 2X $699

Even going the MIDI route and using an iPad or PC/MAC then a good quality keyboard controller new is $500 for one like an Arturia Keylab mk II 61.

Hence new is above your budget as it is unless you want to sell it on in a year or so.

You may be best looking on eBay, Craigs List, Reverb, or even go into all the Music Shops near you to see what they have by way of trade in.
 
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Welcome to the forums. You will be hard pressed to find anything decent within your budget. I second Biggles suggestions for places to look if you live in the USA, and would add Goodwill stores if you live one. If you know any keyboard players, ask if they have any unused older keys to sell at a good price. Some people sell estate items just to get rid of them, so check local auctions and "For Sale" listings if possible. Good luck. Don
 

happyrat1

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In your budget I think you should be looking at the following used models.

Roland Juno G, Roland Juno Di, or Korg X50

I think you'd be happy with any of those and they should fall into your budget on a listing on Craigslist.

Gary ;)
 
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Thank you so much - for what it's worth, I am not averse to older gear as well (10 years or so).

Very much appreciated. Been watching a lot of videos on these things, and the Korg is def at the top of my list so far (I had a MicroKorg when they were new to market and fallen in love with the brand).

C
 
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If you happen to have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, there are cheap apps with decent sounds of the type you're looking for. Pair with an inexpensive controller with sliders for organ drawbar control (like a Samson Graphite 49), and you could probably have a decent setup within budget. You could also use your computer as your sound source (instead of an i-device), but it's harder to keep the price down, since the software is generally pricier (though there is some cheap/free stuff too), and you'll probably need a more expensive interface to connect everything (unless your computer is a Mac, in which case you can probably get away without that).
 
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Another possibility: I've been playing the Alesis QS7 since I bought one new when it came out in 1996. I play out regularly (2+ times per month) and am pretty hard on my gear so I've had to replace it a couple of times, most recently last year. I bought one in excellent shape for under $250 on eBay. The other options mentioned above may indeed be better, but I just keep using the Alesis because I know it so well. Good luck!
 
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Thanks again, all. How about Cakewalk? It's free now - couple that with a MIDI and my laptop and we might be able to get a good setup for cheap, no?

Any experience with that route?
 

happyrat1

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I run Cakewalk in my home studio, albeit an older paid version, but I also have the new Cakewalk by Bandlab on my machine as well and it seems fully featured.

Good choice for a serious studio.

Plenty of videos on youtube to guide you thru the learning curve.

Gary ;)
 
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At your budget, a midi controller, and a selection of well chosen VSTs will get you the sounds you want.

I would go with something like Halion, or Falcon, that can accept soundbank expansions (not just patches), and with one VST you can cover almost any sound.

The problem with the VST approach is you need to use a laptop connected at all times.

If you really want an enjoyable instrument, you are going to need to spend at least $500+ to get good quality sounds out of a keyboard instrument with built in sounds, even used.

A really great sounding instrument that has its own library of high quality sounds, new, is over $2000 US.

If you're happy with a cheap-o Yamaha PSR fine, but most people won't be, at least not for long. If you're happy to spend $300 now and $2000 later, go with a used cheap-o Yamaha PSR for around $200. The E.P. and organ sounds are gonna suck.
 

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