I have one bad problem, some may think it's good though.... I hate wasting money on cheaper stuff, only to later want to buy better stuff!! So.... if I decide to get serious and really learn to play, I really think I want to spend more and not regret it later!!{/quote]
I preach about this all the time. Yes, if you are going to continuously upgrade then, buying a whole bunch of lower items is, in effect, wasting money. You're a guitar player! Think about how much faster you would have learned with a higher end guitar. Notes are easier to play, better pickups for better sound and not having to spend months trying to get that signature sound - it's the quality that helps you to develope your skills faster as you aren't struggling with what that instrument can't do.
Same thing with any instrument including keyboards. One nice thing about keyboards though - you can always attach more keyboards via MIDI and increase your sounds. But we are talking about quality. A better built keyboard just has better options and sounds you won't find in a cheaper model.
Would you guys buy the XS6 if money was not a big issue?
No. My tastes in keyboards aren't the same as everyone elses. I tried the Yammies and found them harder to work with than Roland and Korg (Korg was easiest for me). I'm not saying Yamaha is better or worse than other keyboards, just not my first choice. Whichever board you decide, remember, you have many nights - weeks - months - years of learning and creation. My best advice is to go to the music store and try all of them. Don't let the sales person sway your opinion. This is a big buy and you should be sure of what you are paying for.
My favorite music would be country/country rock and top 40 stuff. Is the Motif XS6 an awesome setup for that or what would you buy?
I mentioned this in another post. I believe Roland has the best pad and ambient sounds, Yamaha has the best lead sounds (not lead guitar but sounds meant to be up front) and Korg has the best drum sounds (I have been asked repeatedly who recorded our drum parts). All the companies (including Kursweil, Alesis, etc.) have good sounds in all departments. Some boards are just better in certain sounds. As far as ease of use - they all have their high points. One thing you have to consider with keyboards is the fact that none of the sounds are as good as they can be without your influence in playing style and how you program them and add effects. I have seen some boards I wouldn't let the neighbors dog chew on that worked wonders for people.
I am leaning toward the 6 vs the 7 or 8, more because $2100 is easier to swallow than $2800!!
61 keys is fine. If you plan on learning piano I would recommend 88 keys with the hammer weighted action. Other than that, I write most of our music on a 61 key (we have an 88 key with weighted keys). Again, there are advantages to both. If you know for an absolute fact that you will be expanding in the future, you can get an 88 key midi controller. The controller itself produces no sound but, as you add more keyboards or synth racks you can connect them via MIDI and play them all (the Yamaha rack comes to mind along with the Roland V-Synth rack. These are same keyboards with the keyboard - just the sounds in rack form)!!!
