I need a little help here... choosing what to start with!

[KahrGuy]

You've heard it a million times.... but, here goes.

I did post this in the Yamaha forums too.. but zI need some help ASAP. so I am adding it here.

First time poster here...

I play guitar a bit and would like to learn to play keys. I'm set on Yamaha and was thinking to get the MOX8 because I like those weighted keys. I found a sale where I can buy the MOX8 for about $1450 or get the XF6 for $2100. Yeah, that's a good price diff.. but I hear there is something special about the keybed of the XF's?

How would these two compare? I have never played, so this is gonna be all new to me. I have a problem... I like buying once and crying once.. not buying and then wishing I had bought better, only to upgrade and take an aZZ kicking......

So what might you do? Is the XF Keybed so much better, even on the unweighted XF6?

Will I wish i had gone for 88 keys?

Tough choices.... No, I am not wealthy by any means, I just don't want to wish i had bought something else.

Ugh..... help me out with your thoughts!

Thanks!

 

[KahrGuy]

Anybody?

I need to decide.... 88 key to learn on or 61.....

I REALLY want the dang 61 Key FX6 for so many reasons, size being one of them... but....

I would suffer with a monster sized 88 key if it really will help me learn a little better/easier?

 

[The Y_man]

A few other things to consider - is the unit to be parked semi-permananently or taken to gigs etc (once you get proficient)? An 88 key unit can be a damn sight heavier than a 61 key and doesn't fit easily into th eback of small cars etc.

ALSO - unlike guitars, in my experience keyboards tend to be "built to be replaced". I have several *old* boards (Juno 106, ESQ1, PSR-500E) and many of them run into parts issues and intenral batteries going flat etc (the internal batteries are soldered in for many models - so it is not just a case of opening up and replacing - these allow the storing of things like your customised settings, program changes etc).

So.... buying and wishing you bought better is probably not such an issue in one respect.

More importantly - what do you want form the board? Ability to modify sounds - real hardcore soubnd generation and experimentation? ability to replicate the real thing? Ease of getting a sound to come out (let's face it, some of the control panels look like something straight out of a federation starship)

The differences between boards such as the MOX and MOTIF (without being too familiar with them) will come down to the sound engine (the "authenticity" of sounds is often down to the size of the sample - 355MB for the MOX, 741MB for the MOTIF), the number of voices (1217 vs 1664), drum/performance patterns (not sure for these Yammies), and polyphony (*very important* - if there's something you might run out of in the future, it's this MOX 64 notes, MOTIF 128 notes).

Each "note" is not only a note being played on the keyboard, but also all the backing instruments, drum's etc.

So as an example, if you had 3 backing voices (guitar, organ, piano) each playing a 3 note chord - that's 9 voices used up already. You then go and play another 3 note chord - that's 12. Then you have a drum kit going at the same time - which might be using 3 voices simultaneously so that's 15.... AND then.....some voices use up 2 notes.... so worst case you could be already at 30 and we haven't even got to the Bass and functions such as layering and auto-harmonisers....

hope this helps.

The Y-man