Is There A Keyboard That Will Play Something I Create Continuously?

[daresquid]

I am an older person looking to buy a substantial arranger/workstation keyboard, maybe something in the $2000 range. Despite my age I have worked in the tech field and am electronics literate so in your answers don’t hold back on ideas or terminology.

Although there are many bells and whistles in the brands of keyboards I would look at, say Korg, Kurzweil, Roland, I have in mind a feature that the manuals don’t clearly spell out. I am interested in creating and midi recording longer atmospheric passages, say 10-15 minutes, store them on the keyboard and then at my leisure, play them on the keyboard in the background, for my pleasure and to evaluate for further editing, over and over on repeat without any further intervention. This isn’t looping. This is more like how an mp3 player might have a repeat function so the playlist is started over from the beginning or even a single track can be played continuously.

So to summarize, I want to create something with the noises I want to hear, play back the song, if you will, with the noises I want hear, over and over as a keyboard jukebox, preferably without needing bluetooth, wifi, external recorder or a computer. Is this a feature of any current electronic keyboards (for all I know they all can do this) or do I have to use other means or devices to accomplish this? If I do have to resort to a Rube Goldberg chain of action to make this happen, please feel free to outline how you would do it. As short as possible number of steps and equipment would be best.

 

[Biggles]

With most keyboards there are Recording options (MIDI only considered), Full Realtime up to 16 Tracks, Step, Sequence, Pattern etc.

So recording what you seem to want is very possible.

The Repeat playback is another matter.

Patterns or Loops are generally 4 bars and the go on and on and on once started but this is probably not what you seek.

An arranger like a Korg PA1000 and Yamaha SX900 is about $2500 and their smaller 700 models are about $1800. The thing with arrangers is they are limited in what they record on each track.

A workstation will do what you seek regarding recording but I am unsure of the repeat playback.

That said some workstations are much better at recording than others.

So until you get other responses take a look at a Korg Nautilus, Roland Fantom 0 series (brand new keyboard), Korg Krome EX, Yamaha MODX, Kurzweil PC3 and 4.

 

[daresquid]

"...but I am unsure of the repeat playback"

Thanks for your response, Biggles. That's the crux of my question. Without that I have to, what, export as wave to a computer with player software capable of repeat with a separate amp and speakers or a bluetooth speaker or then send to another networked computer to play? I used the term "Rube Goldberg" which you may not understand, but the point is I would like to avoid any convoluted and time consuming solution.

The reason I want the repeat is I want to listen to the track while I go about my day, have it in the background, see how it affects my mood. Then if I need to edit and change or polish, I go right to that and then go back to playing the track on repeat. Not spend my time exporting, copying over, running a player program plus the extra cost of equipment that entails.

 

[Biggles]

Being a Brit I had to lookup your Rube Goldberg and found his work was similar to our Heath Robinson.

BTW your 10-15 minutes may also be a stumbling block as many inbuilt keyboard recording systems have a maximum measure which in the case of the new Roland 0 series is I believe 64 measures hence it may all be a moot point and the only way to achieve what you seek is via a third party device like a Zoom Recording Mixer,similar products from other manufacturers are available, or to use a DAW on a computer.

 

[daresquid]

"Recording Mixer...or to use a DAW"

Which is exactly what I want to avoid. As to length, I believe the Nautilus will do 80 minutes maximum time mono, though there may be other constraints that I am not aware of.