Keyboard or Synth with speakers - any advice ?

[Farmsteadsimon]

Hi
I'm a piano player with about 27 years experience.

I'd like to branch out with a keyboard, but my lack of knowledge is startling ! Any recommendations on my spec please. Thank you so much !

Price : up to £1500
speakers : built in, good quality
Voices : I'd like lots of various sounds to play with.
Keyboard : preferably 88 keys or slightly smaller.
Operability : to be simple to use ! I'm not one for hundreds of flashing lights all over the keyboard !

I appreciate some of the upper end keyboards and synths have no speakers. But I've no idea if I just have to buy a speaker or amp or some other devices to get the sound ???? What would I need if I opted for synths with no built in speakers ?

Thank you so much in advance.

Simon

 

[happyrat1]

A few more flashing lights than you wanted but the Roland Juno DS88 would fit your budget and has over a thousand great sounds including excellent pianos.

No speakers but if you just want to sit down and play you only have to learn a dozen or so keypresses.

As for speakers?

You can run it with headphones, or a mono keyboard amp or a pair of studio monitors or even plug it thru your audio system to play with. Even a set of 2.1 Powered Computer Speakers would work fine with it as long as you use the correct adaptor cables.

Built in speakers in keyboards generally suck and they are not upgradeable. Because with external speakers you have a modular system you can upgrade each component at a time without having to trade in the whole shootin match.

Thomann UK carries the DS88 for 888 UK Pounds leaving plenty of room in your budget for a decent set of monitors and even a subwoofer.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/roland_juno_ds_88.htm

For sound, I'd recommend a pair of Rokit G3 Active Nearfield Monitors at 139 UK Pounds each...

https://www.thomann.de/gb/krk_rp5_rokit_g3.htm

And if you really want to hear those bass notes add an LD Systems Sub88 Powered subwoofer to hit those really low bass notes for another 238 UK Pounds and you're still under budget.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/ld_systems_sub_88_a.htm

Add the appropriate cables and a $40 X Stand and you're off to the races.

This is a system that will blow away any home style digital piano offered by Yamaha or Casio or pretty much anything out there aimed at the home market. This is professional sounding gear which you will never outgrow.

 

[Farmsteadsimon]

Hi Happyrat1
Many thanks for replying, that certainly fits the bill
One question, if I buy the suggested speakers, do they just plug into the back of the Juno - i.e., do I also need to buy an amp ?
I guess I also need to buy these cables ....

https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_sssnake_smp6bk_mikrofonkabel.htm?sid=824a6de3f954dd4ee3a77a881a3e676f

thanks again, Simon

 

[happyrat1]

All the speakers I listed have their own built in power amps.

The cable you listed is XLR FEMALE.

Either use TS Male to XLR Male

or

Use a standard TS to TS guitar patch cable for hooking the Rokits to the Juno.

Likewise the connector om the subwoofer is universal. It accepts either XLR Male or TS Male plugs. However you would also require a small mixer or some other means of breaking out a separate signal to the subwoofer. Perhaps a simple hardwired splitter off of the left channel would work.

At any rate make certain you are working with the correct cables. Simple TS to TS patch cords are the simplest and easiest to work with.

If this is for home use I can't honestly see you requiring longer than 3 meter cables though.

ALWAYS Be careful about gender when it comes to XLR cables.

All the best.

Gary

 

[Farmsteadsimon]

Many thanks Gary - That's Superb ! I think that's the one - Will look at purchasing next week

 

[happyrat1]

Here's wishing you good luck Simon.

Hopefully you won't be disappointed.

Personally I own the little brother, the DS61 and I simply love mine.

Roland really put a lot of thought into designing the ideal performance synth/workstation crossover.

Gary

 

[Farmsteadsimon]

Thanks Gary, should be buying it next week
as a pianist I'm used to sheet music stands, something that doesn't seem to integrate centrally with keyboard ones..... Oh well !

 

[happyrat1]

Easiest thing is to just get a standalone folding sheet music stand for $20 and be done with it.

Otherwise you could add on a stand as I did in this thread. Just scroll down a bit.

https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/keyboard-rig-pics.21919/page-12

Gary

 

[larrys5]

Hi
I'm a piano player with about 27 years experience.

I'd like to branch out with a keyboard, but my lack of knowledge is startling ! Any recommendations on my spec please. Thank you so much !

Price : up to £1500
speakers : built in, good quality
Voices : I'd like lots of various sounds to play with.
Keyboard : preferably 88 keys or slightly smaller.
Operability : to be simple to use ! I'm not one for hundreds of flashing lights all over the keyboard !

I appreciate some of the upper end keyboards and synths have no speakers. But I've no idea if I just have to buy a speaker or amp or some other devices to get the sound ???? What would I need if I opted for synths with no built in speakers ?

Thank you so much in advance.

Simon

I’ve been ‘married’ to Yamaha YPG-625 and YPG-635 (no real upgrade, same piano) for 10 years.


EXACTLY like a piano in regards to feel, action and sensitivity and that is my main concern. You are a PIANO player not a keyboard player


The preset voices are endless and adjustable in every way. Split keyboard.
Got built-in stereo speakers.


I have the new ‘upgrade. ’The new model DGX-660 is virtually the same as the YPG-635. You can get a new DGX-660 for $799. Find it and try it…. You’ll see. The entire stand comes off w/4 screws for portability. You can replace the screws with knobs so u can do it by hand. There is nothing else if this is what you want. The next step up is the Motif for about $2500 or more and still it’s a workstation and not a piano.