Gigging musician needs pro keyboard

[Rockin Moxie]

I’ve been a gigging keyboard player for the last 3 ½ years and it’s time for me to get a “real” keyboard now that the band is actually good and we make $. When I first auditioned, I hadn’t even played the piano for years, and had no experience at all. I wasn’t confident in my skill set so I wasn’t willing to spend a lot of money. Well, it turns out, I’m pretty darn good, especially at playing by ear, but my current keyboard isn’t cutting it.


I’ve got a Yamaha DGX-640. It’s got some features I really like, but it is lacking in others. I’m not happy with the organ, brass, or synth sounds. Even the piano sound is mediocre through a sound system. Also, I’m not able to create new sounds to save, or download new ones. I have been shopping for the last few months, and it is overwhelming. The employees in the music stores don’t know anything about the keyboards, so they can’t even show me the basics. I’ve left frustrated and almost in tears. I’m not a techie, and don’t even understand ½ the lingo out there. I’m willing to spend some cash to get something that won’t need to be replaced for a long time.


My band is a variety cover band: current hits, 80’s, funk, country, oldies, classic rock, etc. We play a lot of weddings, private parties, and corporate events. So we keep people up and moving on the dance floor. I switch sounds quickly either within songs back and forth, or immediately after because we keep the beat going and don’t have much downtime between songs.


The problem is that I don’t know what I want or need. Workstations seem overwhelming, but basic stage pianos like the CP4 seem too basic.


Great sounds: epiano, organ, synth, brass, strings

Split feature: I’m play 2 different parts at once often

Layering:

Quick access to presets:

Because we play current hits – how do people download patches/sounds that are exact? Do you need a laptop for this?


I know I’m all over the place with this post. I’m inexperienced in the gear side of things , but I’m also willing to spend the time to learn my new instrument. I just don’t want to buy something and regret it later wishing I had spent more $.

 

[Alchemy]

I thought it said giggling at first . Welcome to the forum but I don't really count much cause I'm new too.

 

[Fred Coulter]

First, there are a few questions that we probably need to ask. How much money do you want to spend? How many keys to you want? Weighted or unweighted? Do you want an all-in-one unit, or multiple keyboards or MIDI controller and sound modules/computer? (I don't mean an all-in-one unit with speakers. Generally, professional keyboards don't have their own speakers. Unless you're talking about arrangers, for whom the rules are different.)

As for getting the exact sound? Generally that's far less important to the audience than to the keyboard player. But you can get pretty close in most cases. What may be the best approach is to get some sort of flexible synthesizer / ROM player and join the forum for that instrument. Then post on it "I'm trying to recreate the synth sound from White Wedding. Any suggestions?"

(Also, if you listen to some of those groups from the seventies and eighties, their keyboards sounds vary from year to year as they switch in and out of different keyboards. Even from gig to gig in the old days of analog synthesizers with no memory. If the exact sound wasn't that important to the band who wrote the song, perhaps it shouldn't be that important to you.)

There is no perfect keyboard. You'll probably have to make some sort of compromise even if you toss a lot of money at it. Right now the two most expensive big name keyboards are the Korg Kronos and the Yamaha Montage. If you ask people which one's better, people start getting out their blue and gray uniforms. (And that's not looking at the big bucks arrangers, but since you're in a band that's probably not be the right way to go for you.)

 

[CowboyNQ]

What's your budget?

 

[TJ Masc]

I’ve been a gigging keyboard player for the last 3 ½ years and it’s time for me to get a “real” keyboard now that the band is actually good and we make $. When I first auditioned, I hadn’t even played the piano for years, and had no experience at all. I wasn’t confident in my skill set so I wasn’t willing to spend a lot of money. Well, it turns out, I’m pretty darn good, especially at playing by ear, but my current keyboard isn’t cutting it.


I’ve got a Yamaha DGX-640. It’s got some features I really like, but it is lacking in others. I’m not happy with the organ, brass, or synth sounds. Even the piano sound is mediocre through a sound system. Also, I’m not able to create new sounds to save, or download new ones. I have been shopping for the last few months, and it is overwhelming. The employees in the music stores don’t know anything about the keyboards, so they can’t even show me the basics. I’ve left frustrated and almost in tears. I’m not a techie, and don’t even understand ½ the lingo out there. I’m willing to spend some cash to get something that won’t need to be replaced for a long time.


My band is a variety cover band: current hits, 80’s, funk, country, oldies, classic rock, etc. We play a lot of weddings, private parties, and corporate events. So we keep people up and moving on the dance floor. I switch sounds quickly either within songs back and forth, or immediately after because we keep the beat going and don’t have much downtime between songs.


The problem is that I don’t know what I want or need. Workstations seem overwhelming, but basic stage pianos like the CP4 seem too basic.


Great sounds: epiano, organ, synth, brass, strings

Split feature: I’m play 2 different parts at once often

Layering:

Quick access to presets:

Because we play current hits – how do people download patches/sounds that are exact? Do you need a laptop for this?


I know I’m all over the place with this post. I’m inexperienced in the gear side of things , but I’m also willing to spend the time to learn my new instrument. I just don’t want to buy something and regret it later wishing I had spent more $.

 

[TJ Masc]

Have I got a deal for you..... AS soon as I can I will put it on the classifieds.
I do think you need to qualify a few things
How many keys? Do you need a "real" feel or hammer action? Do you transport yourself or are there "Roadies"?
What about sounds? Do you only play piano and organ? Are you filling in for the rest - ie Strings, horns etc?