"personal" keyboards

[Laura]

I have been looking at "personal" keyboards like the ypg 225. (a starter keyboard for me). I think the 61-key model is like $100 cheaper than the 76-key "piano" model. I can't tell a whole lot of other differences between models such as
PSRE 403 (61 keys, $229
and PSRE MIDI 61-key $129
PSRE 313 $189.

Some of them have a few more channels for sequ3ncing etc. Or more polyphony.

Anyone familiar with these models who can give me advice?

But my biggest question is... can you hook these up to an amp if you want to play with a band? 'cause the sound is kind of, um, soft.

 

[Skipp]

all those keyboards are for starters, and for that purpose are pretty much OK, but I don't think you'll make something out of them in a band.

The sound is just fine, but the possibilities are straight to zero!

If you're just starting with keyboards and want to play in a band try to find a decent used workstation like..... Maybe a KORG Trinity or N364. They should be pretty cheap and offer waaaaaay more then keyboards mentioned above.

If you need a keyboard just to play in your home then PSR e403 will do just fine

 

[Laura]

all those keyboards are for starters, and for that purpose are pretty much OK, but I don't think you'll make something out of them in a band.

The sound is just fine, but the possibilities are straight to zero!

If you're just starting with keyboards and want to play in a band try to find a decent used workstation like..... Maybe a KORG Trinity or N364. They should be pretty cheap and offer waaaaaay more then keyboards mentioned above.

If you need a keyboard just to play in your home then PSR e403 will do just fine

So the impression I'm getting is that these keyboards have the midi capability & sequencing, but their sound & volume can't be upgraded for live situations. Like they can't be plugged into amps & stuff. What about small jam sessions?

I have an old Ensoniq ESQ-1 in the attic. I wonder if that's worth keeping or is it a piece of crap.

 

[Skipp]

So the impression I'm getting is that these keyboards have the midi capability & sequencing, but their sound & volume can't be upgraded for live situations. Like they can't be plugged into amps & stuff. What about small jam sessions?

I have an old Ensoniq ESQ-1 in the attic. I wonder if that's worth keeping or is it a piece of crap.

Well... sequencing is very limited on low budget keyboards because of their small poliphony or just a few sequencing tracks.

As for the PSR e403... i believe they can easily be plugged in some sort of amp via audio outs, or by earphone outputs but the thing is those keyboards are NOT meant to be played as a main keyboard in a band.

It's like wanting your 70 HP car to win a rally race. You can start, you'll even finish (if you don't hit a tree or something) but that's not it.

Try to find someone who has a semi-pro or a pro workstation. It's not just the sounds... it's the capabilities you can actually do.

Layering, splitting, mixing, editing... and much much more.

 

[Laura]

Well... sequencing is very limited on low budget keyboards because of their small poliphony or just a few sequencing tracks.

As for the PSR e403... i believe they can easily be plugged in some sort of amp via audio outs, or by earphone outputs but the thing is those keyboards are NOT meant to be played as a main keyboard in a band.

It's like wanting your 70 HP car to win a rally race. You can start, you'll even finish (if you don't hit a tree or something) but that's not it.

Try to find someone who has a semi-pro or a pro workstation. It's not just the sounds... it's the capabilities you can actually do.

Layering, splitting, mixing, editing... and much much more.

Thanks for your input. I'm thinking that the 'starters' like the PSR E403 are a better deal for me right now, since I can handle the $200 price tag.

I think it would be more frustrating for me to look around for a used workstation and try to figure out whether it's a good deal. I imagine it would still cost far more than $200.

As far as band capabilities, I'm thinking more like if I have jams with my family (who are great guitar players). Hopefully I could plug it into a small amp. I don't expect to be playing concerts & loud bar gigs.

The main thing I want to do with keyboards is compose tracks on the computer. (Along with guitar & other instruments.) I like that ambient, spacy psychedelic music. I imagine I can do most of that layering, mixing etc. in my audio software.

Do the low budget keyboards record well on home computers?

 

[Skipp]

Thanks for your input. I'm thinking that the 'starters' like the PSR E403 are a better deal for me right now, since I can handle the $200 price tag.

I think it would be more frustrating for me to look around for a used workstation and try to figure out whether it's a good deal. I imagine it would still cost far more than $200.

As far as band capabilities, I'm thinking more like if I have jams with my family (who are great guitar players). Hopefully I could plug it into a small amp. I don't expect to be playing concerts & loud bar gigs.

The main thing I want to do with keyboards is compose tracks on the computer. (Along with guitar & other instruments.) I like that ambient, spacy psychedelic music. I imagine I can do most of that layering, mixing etc. in my audio software.

Do the low budget keyboards record well on home computers?

In that case - go for it. I thought you want to start playing in a full band.
The PSR e403 does come with a USB connection so you can use it as a MIDI controller on most of the software that support it, but you can also
plug it in your LINE IN on your sound card and record the same way you record a microphone.

Recording software are cheaper then those "composing" software supporting midi.

 

[Laura]

Recording software are cheaper then those "composing" software supporting midi.

Yeah, I'm kind of new to this whole thing, but I wonder why they have "arrangers" and "workstation" keyboards when it seems like you can do all that arranging, splicing, editing etc. on a computer.

Maybe it's just for folks who are computer-phobic.

 

[Skipp]

Yeah, I'm kind of new to this whole thing, but I wonder why they have "arrangers" and "workstation" keyboards when it seems like you can do all that arranging, splicing, editing etc. on a computer.

Maybe it's just for folks who are computer-phobic.

No no no... You got it all wrong...

Keyboards are mainly meant to be played live (except few models designed for studios).

Arrangers are keyboards with styles and are used as a one-man-band keyboards. Workstations on the other hand are "Full band" keyboards, and
are waaaaaay more powerful then arranger keyboards.

If you want to make your own music at home just buy a controller keyboard, and a bunch of samples from the net and start playing... But I don't believe that would do you any good on a live gig

 

[Laura]

all those keyboards are for starters, and for that purpose are pretty much OK, but I don't think you'll make something out of them in a band.

The sound is just fine, but the possibilities are straight to zero!

If you're just starting with keyboards and want to play in a band try to find a decent used workstation like..... Maybe a KORG Trinity or N364. They should be pretty cheap and offer waaaaaay more then keyboards mentioned above.

If you need a keyboard just to play in your home then PSR e403 will do just fine

I hope you folks will bear with me while I ask some more newby questions.

I was pretty much excited about the PSR-E403 as a starter keyboard.

Then I saw a page about a MIDI controller, E-MU Xboard 49. The price was $169. Definitely in my range and according to the ad copy, it was playable on stage or in the studio.

Which means that if I want to play with a band somewhere down the road, like 15 years from now, the possibility will still be there.

Because the personal keyboards are kind of Soft.

But my fear of the MIDI controller is that it is way too technical and I'll be spending thousands of hours trying to tweak things instead of learning to play.

How difficult is it to learn to make basic sounds with a MIDI controller vs. a regular keyboard?

 

[Skipp]

I hope you folks will bear with me while I ask some more newby questions.

I was pretty much excited about the PSR-E403 as a starter keyboard.

Then I saw a page about a MIDI controller, E-MU Xboard 49. The price was $169. Definitely in my range and according to the ad copy, it was playable on stage or in the studio.

Which means that if I want to play with a band somewhere down the road, like 15 years from now, the possibility will still be there.

Because the personal keyboards are kind of Soft.

But my fear of the MIDI controller is that it is way too technical and I'll be spending thousands of hours trying to tweak things instead of learning to play.

How difficult is it to learn to make basic sounds with a MIDI controller vs. a regular keyboard?

I haven't tried any of the midi controllers but they DON'T have built in sounds... it's just keys waiting to get some external sound info.

If you have a tone generator or a rack component then it will do you a great job... but getting it for a main "keybord" is just plain dum cause you DON'T have sounds on it.