Newbie looking for recommendations

[fmlatghor]

I’m looking for a keyboard to make heavily experimental, unrhythmic, intense music—like that of Sweet Trip, Kero Kero Bonito, Death Grips (I’m not saying that these groups are all unrhythmic or intense). Thanks!

 

[happyrat1]

What's your budget? I've never heard of any of those bands but I just gave them a listen.

They are heavily into Analog and Virtual Analog Synthesis and that gear don't come cheap.

A couple of suggestions to get you started without blowing your bankroll include...

Behringer Deepmind 6

Deepmind 12

Waldorf Blofeld

Studiologic Sledge 2.0

These all sell under or around $1000 USD.

Then there's always the Modular Eurorack stuff.

Stuff like the Behringer Neutron or Model D or the soon to be released Crave.

There's also an SH-101 Clone from Behringer the MS-101.

You might also consider the Korg Minilogue or newer Minilogue XD or the budget Monologue.

Then there is the Korg Volca series which gives analog goodness for ghetto prices,

You'll find that you'll need more than one keyboard to record a real song or else you'll need a MIDI DAW Studio for your computer such as the free as in beer Cakewalk by Bandlab to record multitrack one track at a time.

BandLab - Make Music Online

The cloud platform where musicians and fans create music, collaborate, and engage with each other across the globe

www.bandlab.com

It's an expensive addiction once you get started, but it's cheaper and more fun than smoking crack in the bowery

Gary

 

[b3maniac]

Gary, you da man.

 

[happyrat1]

Gary, you da man.

Hehe... The saddest part is that I own or have owned most of them

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

B3maniac >>> I just noticed a typo in your signature. It's the XW-P1 not the XP-W1.

I used to own of those too. I still miss it sometimes

Gary

 

[b3maniac]

B3maniac >>> I just noticed a typo in your signature. It's the XW-P1 not the XP-W1.

I used to own of those too. I still miss it sometimes

Gary

Good catch, thanks Gary. I still have the XW-P1 and somtime still use it with a Neo Ventilator leslie modelling box for a light weight organ sound.

 

[fmlatghor]

I don't have a strict budget, but some things will be just too much. I've actually looked at the monologue at my music store a week or two ago; it looks good. I found out one of the bands I was looking at (kkb) uses a Casio SA-45 mini for most of their songs(?). The casio sits pretty cheap, but it's not the right thing for me. I did like the deepmind 12 you suggested.

I didn't look through everything all the way, so excuse the dumb questions.

Is there a way to record the exact sounds I'm getting out of my synth to my computer?

How do I know if I can load sounds onto a synth?

Thanks Gary,

 

[fmlatghor]

Also what is the threshold for a late/early response on a forum? When is it not considered early anymore? When is it too late?

 

[Biggles]

Also what is the threshold for a late/early response on a forum? When is it not considered early anymore? When is it too late?

Depends upon which time zone you are in and which time zone the responder is in.

Then when you quote the groups you quoted in your first post, well one of us is on a different Planet so late/early becomes relative.

 

[happyrat1]

Is there a way to record the exact sounds I'm getting out of my synth to my computer?

How do I know if I can load sounds onto a synth?

Any desktop or laptop can act as a digital recording studio with the right software.

It depends what you mean by loading sounds.

Most synths can save and load patches to and from a computer.

Some can also load samples and soundfonts as well.

My advice is to download and read the manuals for the synths you are interested in to find out which models have the capabilities you are interested in.

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

Also what is the threshold for a late/early response on a forum? When is it not considered early anymore? When is it too late?

Too late: After 10:00pm
Too early: Before OP has posted their initial question

 

[Rayblewit]

Too late: After 10:00pm
Too early: Before OP has posted their initial question

Funny . . I have seen @CowboyNQ postings at 2ish, 3ish in the morning (probably after a late nite gig) lol.

I personally have respect for members here. For instance, I would never post at 7 am Canadian time when Gary is eating his sausage. I would never post at midnight UK time when Col is driving home from one of his concerts and I would definitely never post at 4am Aussie time when cowboy is about to fall asleep after his drinks post PINK FLOYD show. How rude would that be?

Ray the respectful one!

 

[CowboyNQ]

Funny . . I have seen @CowboyNQ postings at 2ish, 3ish in the morning (probably after a late nite gig) lol.

That's because I'm the 'Midnight Cowboy' Ray!

 

[Biggles]

I am posting this at 08:45 GMT knowing that Gary will still despite it being 5 hours earlier there be wide awake in the greater Toronto area either
(1) creating his latest masterpiece
(2) researching for his Music thread
(3) Watching all the videos that flood his in box
(4) Researching for his Equipment thread
(5) Re-wiring his kit
(6) Eating his sausage buttie before another creative day.

Meanwhile those of us in Europe will be either
(1) Working
(2) Still catatonic after a gig
(3) Boxing up kit to return it to the Retailer
(4) Still asleep (the retired ones)
(5) Feet up browsing whilst watching Breakfast TV wondering just why our schoolteachers have to printout in colour all the posters around the classroom in the school that is grossly overspent.

Time travelling east our Aussie brethren will not give a damn, another bag of prawns will be going on the barbie and tinnies galore will be being opened and the talk will be all about how can the Aussie Rugby team beat England.

So that’s it all round to Ray’s for the barbie.

 

[CowboyNQ]

3) Boxing up kit to return it to the Retailer

...so they can buy it again later.

the talk will be all about how can the Aussie Rugby team beat England.

I never waste time discussing the impossible.

 

[happyrat1]

I am posting this at 08:45 GMT knowing that Gary will still despite it being 5 hours earlier there be wide awake in the greater Toronto area either
(1) creating his latest masterpiece
(2) researching for his Music thread
(3) Watching all the videos that flood his in box
(4) Researching for his Equipment thread
(5) Re-wiring his kit
(6) Eating his sausage buttie before another creative day.

Meanwhile those of us in Europe will be either
(1) Working
(2) Still catatonic after a gig
(3) Boxing up kit to return it to the Retailer
(4) Still asleep (the retired ones)
(5) Feet up browsing whilst watching Breakfast TV wondering just why our schoolteachers have to printout in colour all the posters around the classroom in the school that is grossly overspent.

Time travelling east our Aussie brethren will not give a damn, another bag of prawns will be going on the barbie and tinnies galore will be being opened and the talk will be all about how can the Aussie Rugby team beat England.

So that’s it all round to Ray’s for the barbie.

At 3:45 AM my bladder usually kicks in so I have a whiz at 4 AM then go to the bathroom at 7 AM

Gary

 

[fmlatghor]

I meant in days mostly. I dont really see it mattering what time, because you can just ignore it.

Anyways, I got all my questions I had answered by this guy, so new it's a matter of looking at keyboards.

I'm not going analog anymore, and I'm aiming more towards digital. The dude who answered my questions ended up suggesting the modx.

 

[happyrat1]

ModX is not bad, but personally I hate Yamaha for many reasons.

You might also want to consider the new Roland Fantom F6 or F8 or the newly released Kurzweil PC4.

Both newer than the ModX and in many ways superior IMHO.

Gary

 

[Biggles]

Shortlisting a few different models then visiting a music store to play them back to back will very soon bring out a favourite or narrow it down to two.

Watching some basic tutorials prior that show how to navigate through the menu system helps me and it may help you.

I played an MODX a few months ago, typical Yamaha sounds, great pianos but other instruments well that I will leave that for you to decide. By for the most frustrating was the menu system, whereas with a Roland, menu navigating is far more straightforward.

Make multiple visits to play the shortlist if you can.

Keyboard feel, inbuilt sounds, inbuilt sequencer, pads, keyboard sound cut off when changing patches/sounds, ease of customising sounds/combinations all and more are factors to consider and test out.

 

[vantinz]

Personally I would buy something like a Yamaha NP-32 with an expectation that if you find you enjoy it you are going to upgrade to something better in between 3 and 6 months.


So why did I recommend that particular device. The NP 32 is a 76 note (not a full 88 note) keyboard with spring loaded but responsive keys (if you hit the note harder it gets louder). Its enough for a beginner but only just but when you have outgrown it you can still fit in into the backseat of a car to take it with you when you go somewhere (I took ours on holiday).

It doesn’t have to be this particular model there are others like it at the same price, but I bought this for my grandson to see if he liked it - he did and we are about to upgrade (probably to an acoustic upright piano) - and I feel the quality of the build on it is good enough to recommend.

When you upgrade you will have to spend more - I would probably suggest one of Yamaha P124, Kawai ES110 or Roland FP30. These are portable keyboards but they have the full 88 keys and are weighted like an acoustic piano - but can be bought with a wooden stand to turn them into more like a furniture piano.