Begginer: What to choose? - Looking for specific sound

[Agustin]

Hello everybody! I'm totally new to keyboards, so I'm joining the forum!. I've taken piano lessons when younger, but I'm now coming back to keyboards many years later, after 4 years of Bass playing.

I am looking for something to start, mainly based on my influences, but knowing almost nothing about equipment. I want something with a Hammond-esque sound or 70's sounding mainly. I would also like good synths, but my main concern is that. Specifically, the one that kills me is Rick Wright's sound in Pink Floyd's Live in Pompeii, on Echoes for example. In particular, and if it is helpful on defining what I need, my influences are Richard Wright, Jon Lord, Rick Wakeman, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Charly Garcia.

My budget is for something between 300-600 dollars, but if it is really worth i could make it up to 800 or so.

In other matter, I would be thankful for any advice or link which can help me know what I must know when buying a keyboard.

Thanks

 

[happyrat1]

In the $500 and under range take a look at the Casio XW-P1.

Also the XW-G1 but that one adds sampling and subtracts the drawbar organ and hex layer sounds.

For under $500 that's about as good as it gets. Nothing else even comes close in your price range.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...403653548&sr=8-1&keywords=xw-p1&condition=new

Gary

 

[Agustin]

In the $500 and under range take a look at the Casio XW-P1.

Also the XW-G1 but that one adds sampling and subtracts the drawbar organ and hex layer sounds.

For under $500 that's about as good as it gets. Nothing else even comes close in your price range.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...403653548&sr=8-1&keywords=xw-p1&condition=new

Gary

Thanks! Is there anything really worth for less than 900? I could make it up to that

 

[happyrat1]

If you're going up to $800 or $900 then others worth considering are the Korg Kross, the Casio Privia PX-5S, the Roland Juno DI, the Yamaha MX61, but none of them can complete your laundry list of requirements.

You'll just have to do your homework, read the specs, watch and listen to the youtubes and audition them in the stores and go with your gut instincts on which one to pull the trigger on.

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

Howdy Agustin,

My Pink Floyd tribute band plays "Echoes" and also 'One Of These Days" live. The interesting intro to "Echoes", including the signature "ping" sound was done by Rick Wright on piano run through a Leslie cabinet. I use a Korg Krome to recreate this by running a piano patch through the on-board rotary speaker effects (I don't have the money nor the muscle to lug around a real piano and Leslie for gigs). The rest of Echoes is done with Hammond and Farfisa Organs, any keyboard that can recreate these sounds will do for that. I don't use the Krome for those (my Pink Floyd rig has three keyboards and an iPad running a soft synth), but I guess there's no reason you couldn't. One of These Days (Meddle version) is simply Hammond organ (with a healthy dose of reverb and the rotary speaker cranked up) and piano, and the middle part can be done with any half decent synth/workstation and a bit of time spent fooling with the patches. The Pompeii version replaces the piano sounds in the last part with a percussive Hammond sound - there's plenty of keyboards that will give that a fair run.

In my other band we do a couple of Deep Purple covers - and I break the Krome out for that too. It's a very versatile bit of kit, a bit out of your preferred price range but if you can stretch your budget I can recommend it.

My "spare" keyboard is a Roland Juno GI - it's closer to your price range and a good swiss army knife, I picked mine up second hand for AUD600 about three months ago. You might have a look at one of those but to be honest (in my opinion) the ease of programming and the sound quality of this 'board is far inferior to the Krome.

Being very frank, you're going to struggle to capture all the weird and wonderful Rick Wright/Rick Wakeman sounds for $300 - $600 unless you're happy to compromise along the way. If you can stretch your budget a little you'd be amazed what opens up for you.

I heartily endorse Gary's sentiments above. Do heaps of homework via the net and then go to some music stores and hear/play different 'boards for yourself. You'll pretty quickly work out what you like/don't like within your price range, or how far to stretch your budget if you're able to.

Cheers!