Making and using backing tracks with keyboard?

[musicman57]

Hi to all - I'm newthe forum and need some advice.
my questions may have been answered before but some may be more specific. I am a novice keyboard player but play guitar in a band that just lost its keys man.
I want to use a keyboard to play commercially available MIDI backing tracks and also create my own using an onboard sequencer preferably 16 track type.
I have a limited budget of $1000 - 1500 and have been considering the yamaha PSR 710, and Korg PA500 series arranger keyboards. At the other end of the spectrum I've been considering the Korg M50 workstation.
I like songs that have synth effects for example the intro to Money For Nothing by Dire Straits. Here is my problem I am hoping someone can help with.....
I can build tracks on an arranger keyboard and play them back on this keyboard exactly as recorded, but will likely not be able to create certain synth sounds on this keyboard unless it has these effects avilable in its patch set. I can also get pre-made songs off (for example) the Yamaha Musicsoft site but unless my unit can play back the same patches as the unit the song was created on the playback will be not exactly the same.
If I use a Korg M50 it might have the capabiltity of great synth and arpeggiated riffs but it may or may not play back pre-recorded MIDI songs and it is unlikely it will have the ability to play back a file created on an arranger keyboard. Am I correct or can someone throw light on the best way for me to go within this budget. Thanks.

 

[The Y_man]

The M50 can definitely take on a midi file. See page 93 of the manual
http://www.korg.com/uploads/Support/M50_OM_E3_633640857467707404.pdf

Also remember you can do the sequencing on a pc, and carry over the mid file to a keyboard too.

A Standard Midi Format (SMF) file created on any equipment can be played back on any other General Midi (GM) compatible equipment. As you say however, the instruments available are GM instruments only - voices perculiar to a key board may have to be "manipulated in".

The Y-man

 

[DickR]

You mentioned the Yamaha Musicsoft-site. If you use their midi-songs, I would go for the PSR S710 or 910 (although a newer model or update comes out this year) It is a great sounding keyboard.
Don't forget that most available commercially made midi's are recorded in studio's with very advanged equipment. Lesser (cheaper) sounding midi's like the ones available in only GM format-voices can be easily 'tweaked' to sound the way you want them on these keyboards.
My two cents.

DickR

 

[musicman57]

Thanks to both of you for this info. That's pretty much what I expected would be the case here.
I have downloaded MIDI songs before and then played them back on my Yamaha PSR 292 which as you know has GM & XG voices. Some sound Ok but others are very "deficient", also it only has a 6 track sequencer and very limited memory with no slot for a SD card or USB drive.
I've opened the MIDI songs in Reason and been able to manipulate the sounds but many times the timing is wrong or an intro was done on something that will not produce the required data even with Reason's extensive software synths. I will probably upgrade the keyboard to one of these units we have discussed though because for live playing I'd rather have a reliable hardware device than rely on playing back through a computer.
I guess maybe I'm just looking for an easy way to replace the keyboard player in the band. I suspect I'll just have to put in the hours of work getting the backing tracks the way we need them. Oh if only keyboards were my first skill!

 

[DickR]

Yes it takes time to make/adjust them but when you get used to the 'actions' you have to take, working on a mid or high-end arranger keyboard, you get used to it quite quickly.
The PSR 292 is a nice little keyboard but very limited with XG-light voices only. If you look at the PSR 710 or 910 (let alone the Tyros) with the extensive range of XG, Mega, Sweet, Live and Super Articulated voices, we are talking about something completely different. These Kboards also have 16 track recorders on board, meaning you can start from scratch recording live (quick recording) or track by track and step-recording. Midi in out or/and USB connectors, direct Internet, microphone in, Line/Aux out etc etc. But they also have a price-tag.

 

[b3maniac]

Another alternative could be purchasing commercial backing tracks. You can also render MIDI files to high quality MP3 files and use a small music player to play back the tracks and play along. It's easier in the long run if you can just find a good keyboard player.

 

[Archie]

Hi to all - I'm newthe forum and need some advice.
my questions may have been answered before but some may be more specific.I am a novice keyboard player but play guitar in a band that just lost its keys man.
I want to use a keyboard to play commercially available MIDI backing tracks and also create my own using an onboard sequencer preferably 16 track type.
I have a limited budget of $1000 - 1500 and have been considering the yamaha PSR 710, and Korg PA500 series arranger keyboards. At the other end of the spectrum I've been considering the Korg M50 workstation.
I like songs that have synth effects for example the intro to Money For Nothing by Dire Straits. Here is my problem I am hoping someone can help with.....
I can build tracks on an arranger keyboard and play them back on this keyboard exactly as recorded, but will likely not be able to create certain synth sounds on this keyboard unless it has these effects avilable in its patch set. I can also get pre-made songs off (for example) the Yamaha Musicsoft site but unless my unit can play back the same patches as the unit the song was created on the playback will be not exactly the same.
If I use a Korg M50 it might have the capabiltity of great synth and arpeggiated riffs but it may or may not play back pre-recorded MIDI songs and it is unlikely it will have the ability to play back a file created on an arranger keyboard. Am I correct or can someone throw light on the best way for me to go within this budget. Thanks.

Musicman57, hope you like the 1957 Chevy HD convertible: YOUR question sounds VAIRY much like the problem I spent more than a year attempting to find a solution for, , and after hundreds of hours of research, settled for the brand name that provided the most for the dollars invested & on three basic counts that niether Roland nor Korg could even begin to match, and all other brand names couldn't even be realistically compared with. If you browse my various other input on this site, you'll be able to avail yourself of that lengthy dialogue.
Archie

 

[Archie]

The M50 can definitely take on a midi file. See page 93 of the manual
http://www.korg.com/uploads/Support/M50_OM_E3_633640857467707404.pdf

Also remember you can do the sequencing on a pc, and carry over the mid file to a keyboard too.

A Standard Midi Format (SMF) file created on any equipment can be played back on any other General Midi (GM) compatible equipment. As you say however, the instruments available are GM instruments only - voices perculiar to a key board may have to be "manipulated in".

The Y-man

Comment Only Y-man: To =ALL= reading the Y-man's single sentence of this instance, take note of his last two words, that in MANNNNY cases, , can be the difference between success and failure, if MUCH patience is an on-board virtue . . . "manipulated-in" althoh an often extreeeemly difficult to accomplish requirement, CAN produce such results as a need for such product called, "little-grin-pills". Jist kidding, to get the point accross. Archie