Need keyboard suggestion for a cover band.

[lttoler]

I play guitar in a 3 piece cover band and we are getting one of our relatives to do some keyboard parts live. Although we can all play, we have no knowledge about equipment in the keyboard area. I am looking for something preferably used in the $300 range. We would like to have something with an OK piano sound and a few other good sounds such as organ.

My main concern right now is to have something that is durable and dependable. Due to the size of the stages we play, we'd also like something with 61 or 49 keys and no more than around 36 inches in width. I have read several threads but it seems like there are so many options that it is hard to make a decision.

I have been looking at older stuff from the 90's and such and if I can get a quality model from this era for a better price, I would much prefer that. Can anyone give me a suggestion of a good brand and model to look for? Thanks in advance!

 

[happyrat1]

Two questions.

1) What style of music do you cover?

2) What part of the world are you located in?

If you could stretch your budget a bit to about $600, I'd recommend the Korg X50.

 

[lttoler]

Hi happyrat and thanks for your reply.

We cover many styles such as classic rock, raggae, hip hop and pop, nothing heavy rock though. We are located in the US in Georgia. If there are no other quality options we would find a way to do $600 but it would be extremely tough because of the PA equipment we just bought.

Someone from another forum suggested a used Alesis QS6.2. It seems that these are available used in the area for around $300. Do you have any input on something such as this? Thanks again for your help!

 

[happyrat1]

The Alesis QS keyboards date back to the turn of the century. I'd be very leery about buying a keyboard that old because they have many many mechanical parts which wear and fail with age.

Offhand I'd say if your budget is carved in stone at around $300 take a look at some of the Yamaha PSR line keyboards. They tend to have nice, realistic pianos and organs and you can find something decent with a few hundred GM and XG Lite sounds brand new that will come in under budget.

 

[happyrat1]

For instance, the Yamaha PSR E433 comes in under your budget.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboards-midi/yamaha-psr-e433-61-key-portable-keyboard

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musi...digitalkeyboards/portable_keyboards/psr-e433/

You could hook it up to a PA thru a mixer using the headphone jack and a 20dB attenuator.

 

[lttoler]

okay thanks for the suggestion. I could probably go to around $375 to possibly $450 USED. Is there anything you recommend in this USED price range??

 

[happyrat1]

Used in that range you might find an older model Yamaha Motif or Korg TR61 or Triton LE.

Once again I really warn against buying anything used more than 5 years old unless you REALLY know what to look for. Otherwise a $200-$300 repair will blow any savings you make buying used right out of the water.
My advice is to go with the PSR E433. It'll outrun any 12 year old synth you could possibly find for that money.

BTW, don't let the cheap price fool you. It's heavily discounted and has a lot of bang for the buck.

 

[lttoler]

Your info helps a lot. One last thing, if I could manage to get the funds for the Korg X50 you recommended, what would be the main differences between that and the PSR E433?

 

[happyrat1]

The Korg X50 is a true professional instrument, lightweight, no built in speakers, proper 1/4" Line Outs and built for gigging. It features the Korg Triton Sound Set.

The E433 is more of a prosumer instrument, intended for small venues where the internal speakers alone are enough and no external amps are required. Like I said, getting it to work with a PA requires a bit of a kludge from your sound guy. It features the XGlite sound set which, while dated, is still pretty good, but doesn't really compare to Yamaha's professional Motif Line.

Also the X50 has a metal chassis while the E433 is all plastic.

 

[lttoler]

This makes me wanna try my best to get the extra money for the Korg. Thanks again very much for all your help!

 

[happyrat1]

My advice would be to visit a music store at least to take a physical look see at whatever you decide to buy. Even though you often find the best deals online, it's always worthwhile to find a local dealer who can pricematch if there are any issues.

And nobody can decide if you really like the feel of any keyboard unless you actually touch one and play with it in a store.

Anyway, good luck with your band.

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

BTW, here's a couple of Youtube Demos to give you a better idea of how the X50 sounds.

 

[ndkeyboard]

I really like my Roland Juno-Di. It's small, has great presets, light weight, good velocity sensitive keys, etc. It retails for $699, but you might be able to find it used for $450.

 

[The Y_man]

The Korg X50 is a true professional instrument, lightweight, no built in speakers, proper 1/4" Line Outs and built for gigging. It features the Korg Triton Sound Set.

The E433 is more of a prosumer instrument, intended for small venues where the internal speakers alone are enough and no external amps are required. Like I said, getting it to work with a PA requires a bit of a kludge from your sound guy. It features the XGlite sound set which, while dated, is still pretty good, but doesn't really compare to Yamaha's professional Motif Line.

Also the X50 has a metal chassis while the E433 is all plastic.

HR,

Quick question - isn't the 433 an "arranger" and the X-50 a "synth" (i.e. no backing etc)

The Y-man

 

[happyrat1]

I believe you're right. The X50 is more of a workstation, though instead of "styles" it has hundreds of built in arpeggiator patterns and combis which kind of blur the distinction between "arrangers" and "workstations."

 

[happyrat1]

Actually the Korg X50 is pretty much identical in terms of sounds and interface to my own Korg TR76. The control layout is virtually identical and both have the same number of patches and combis and I would venture arpeggiators as well.

Korg marketed the TR's as workstation/performance synths. The X50 seems to have a lot in common with the TR. The only thing the X50 is missing is the ability to add a sampler.

Anyway, if you decide on the X50 and have any questions, chances are I can help.

The PSR E433, while technically an arranger keyboard, would probably have served equally well in a cover band, inasmuch as it's only real failing would be the lack of 1/4" Mono Lines Out.