Coming back to keyboards after 15 years, need updates!

[Federicofkt]

Hi there, I’m new here and I came across this forum while searching for some updates in the keyboard’s world, since I’m back at it after 15 years.

With some friends where are setting up a symphonic metal band (nightwish covers at the beginning) and I’d like to update my gear, but I don’t know anything about new workstation on the market, as if I type “korg new products” it shows me only arrangers.

I still have an old X50 that I remember it was awesome in terms of sounds and portability, but very very uncomfortable in terms of usability with no touch screen etc.

I was looking for an used m3 and I found they are around 600-700 euros, that would be absolutely fine, but it sounds a bit weird to go for an almost 20 years old keyboard.

So I’m wondering what’s on the market at an affordable price, with good functionalities and a touch screen that make it easy to use.

Thanks!

 

[Old No7]

We'll need more info on what type of keybed you want, and what you'll plan to do with the sounds from the keyboard.

* For the keybed, will you want weighted keys ala piano-style, semi-weighted, or a synth action.

* For the sounds, if you plan to "just play" the given sounds, then you can get away with a ROMpler (Read Only Memory) keyboard that offers many sounds or tones, but limited editing of those other than EQ or basic effects. (The Yamaha MX series as an example).

* On the other hand, if you really want to edit, shape and create your own sounds from the base tones in the board, then for sure you're looking at a more expensive board. Especially if you want to program sequences, arpeggios and such.

Between Korg, Roland, Yamaha and others, and maybe even Casio, there's a wide depth and breadth of available boards from $300 to well over $3,000 retail. It would help us to better help you if you provided some more info; as some of those boards are better on piano versus organ, or synth tones versus piano & organ.

And for sure, whichever board you get, it seems you'll want one with easy recall of saved sounds or tones (or scenes or performances) with "tone remain" so that the played sound isn't cut off when you hit the switch to the new tone (until you hit a new key).

With more info from you, I'm sure some others will chime in on this.

Old No7

 

[Federicofkt]

Hi Old, thanks for the answer.

Main features should be:
- portability
- easy to use
- 61 keys

The last thing you mentioned is absolutely what I’d like.

If I imagine myself using it, I’d like to:
- have many ready sounds, I don’t want to spend lot of time in creating my own. I remember there were some features on the X50 that allowed to customise sounds a bit, like attach, velocity, and other thing. That would be enough;
- be able to split the keyboard into 2-3 parts with different sounds, regulating the octaves in each split (so like with the right hand I can play something like a “bells” sound and with the left some strings that are not too lower in term of register;
- extremely easy to go from a sound to another.

All of this features were quite satisfying in the X50, apart with the last one, the menu was veeeeery difficult to use, and switching from a sound to another was quite impossible.

I don’t know if I answered correctly.

Thanks

 

[Biggles]

Welcome.

You still have not quoted a budget?

As you are quoting € are you in the EU?

To stay with Korg, their Krome is a workstation with a touch screen but questionable keybed, a 61 retails c£850. Their top of range is the nautilus @ £1850 for a 61.

I do not know if you will find what you want, setting up into a User Location for easy call off takes time and effort and will not be there Out Of The Box.

 

[Federicofkt]

Welcome.

You still have not quoted a budget?

As you are quoting € are you in the EU?

To stay with Korg, their Krome is a workstation with a touch screen but questionable keybed, a 61 retails c£850. Their top of range is the nautilus @ £1850 for a 61.

I do not know if you will find what you want, setting up into a User Location for easy call off takes time and effort and will not be there Out Of The Box.

I’m looking at the Krome at it seems super! It come used for like 500 Euro (I’m from EU, Italy) that is totally fine as a budget.

The only strange thing is that the 73 comes at the same price as the 61, so maybe I could thing about the 73!

The Nautilus is quite over priced for now.

Many thanks for the suggestion!

 

[anotherscott]

Korg Krome is the closest recent keyboard to "an X50 with a touchscreen" and would be less expensive than non-Korg competitors (Yamaha MODX, Roland Fantom-0).

 

[Old No7]

...the 73 comes at the same price as the 61, so maybe I could thing about the 73!

For sure! 73 will make splits and other pieces of music SO much more doable, and less stress to play!

Buona fortuna!

Old No7