A decent small sized keyboard for e-piano and 60s organ sounds

[thecolourbox]

Yes I don't think a slightly smaller key would be a big issue it's only the micro ones that are unplayable. Between my actual piano and the church organ I play there's already enough variation for me to be used to it. From my days playing classical piano I can happily stretch to a major 10th with either hand so no benefit there though! But I only want these two sounds for modern music to sing along to so there's no need for a real big range for that in my view, it's just looking like the mx49 and the x50 are the smallest size I'm going to find.

Thanks ever so much for bearing with me on this and for the suggestions

 

[Ted Nicoson]

"Full sized keys" has pretty much come to mean just NOT "mini sized keys", but I think you will find some slight variations from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even from model to model from any given manufacturer, so I doubt very much that you would notice any difference between the MX-49's keys and those of comparable models. The important point about the MX-49 is that it uses the Motif sound engine and wave samples, so sound selection and quality should be very, very good. It also includes the DAW MIDI controller integration of the Motif. It is probably the best combination of MIDI controller/ROMpler that has been offered, to date. Akai offered a similar 61 key unit some years ago, but it used the economy 128 GM small wave samples. BUT . . . all of this comes at a little higher price. Yamaha's original MSRP was $799 USD, and it is just now at the end of its "current" marketing cycle. Yamaha still lists it as a currently active model on their website. Guitar Center has several new ones on clearance for $499 USD and several used units for $350 to $400 USD:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/search?Ns=r&Ntt=yamaha+mx49

 

[thecolourbox]

Thanks Ted, I shall be giving them a listen and searches are saved on ebay - I don't think there are that many music shops here in the UK where I live that have much like that in stock to try out so I'm relying on used ones turning up locally that I can try out.

What does concern me is that I think I read it has unweighted keys, which is no issue for organ of course but does it make much of a difference for epiano? I assume there is still touch sensitivity?

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Yes! The MX-49 has touch sensitivity keys, but they are unweighted. I have never seen weighted keys in anything less than 88 keys. Dynamics on an unweighted keyboard can be learned. If that were not true, there would never have been a Keith Emerson, or a Jordan Rudess, just to name a couple, but if weighted keys are of primary concern to you, you are looking in entirely the wrong place.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Regarding the MX-49, you might need to be careful when purchasing, especially if you're looking at a bargain-priced one. Yamaha recently updated the MX-49 and MX-61, so if you see one offered at a greatly-reduced price then it's probably an older one, not a newer "version 2" model. The new version is MIDI class-compliant, whereas the old version isn't; and the new version is designed to integrate with an iPad app that can play FM synth voices through the MX.

EDIT: Of course, if you don't actually need or want anything that the new version offers that the old version doesn't have, then you might be able to get a really good discount on the old version. I believe the two versions are identical as far as internal voices and functions-- the main (only?) differences are the MIDI class-compliancy and the integration with the iPad app (with the potential for integrating with future apps).

 

[Fred Coulter]

I have never seen weighted keys in anything less than 88 keys.

The Kronos 73 has the same weighted keyboard as the Kronos 88. There's been some bitching about that on korgforums.com, from people who want unweighted keys and a lighter keyboard in general. In fact, there's been a call for an unweighted 88 note version. (I'm not joining in on that; if it looks like a piano keyboard it should feel like a piano keyboard.)

When I was looking at 61 note MIDI controllers for a different thread, about half of the "good" ones were semi-weighted, whatever that means.

 

[Marten Richens]

I am in the same position as the OP, and have come down in favour of the Roland VR-09. I know it has 61 keys, but it does everything else required; Rhodes for left hand bass and 'transistor' organ for the Vox. It also has drawbars to play with the sound. And you get a decent sounding B3 with Leslie as well as all the other guff that I may never use.

 

[Marten Richens]

Here are a couple of YT videos of the organ sounds in action. The first is the Transistor Organ and it does sound good:

Next is a B3 demo from the same chap:

I do know that (theoretically at least) the Vox sound on Korgs (I was also looking at the Kross 61) should be the best as they now own Vox, and I think the Reface YC sounds great but as has already been pointed out you will need to get at least two of them and a midi controller, hiking the price up to near Nord levels. I do believe that the VR-09 is the whole package for what I need.

 

[CowboyNQ]

The VR-09 is an excellent keyboard - I know a couple of professional musicians locally who are very happy with it, and my limited experience with one has also been very positive.

It's particularly geared towards ease of use in a live performance context. It does transistor and tonewheel organ sounds very well indeed.

Some don't love the action, that's always a personal thing. Personally I reckon it's OK although I wouldn't want to play piano on it for long stretches.