Piano player looking for keyboard advice...

[Freber]

Hello to everyone!

I'm looking for some help. I played classical piano growing up but would like to join my husband (drummer), brother (bass player) and other friends in their jam sessions in our basement. I don't currently have anything to play - but am looking for a happy medium between something with at least 71 keys and hopefully some weighted action/decent grand sound and something with enough sounds to be able to play along with their jams (we love all kinds of music - from SRV through Rush, Porcupine Tree, Journey, NIN...whatever).

My husband also has the Roland V-drums - so would be fun to be able to do some kinda computer finagling/recording or whatever with the V-drums and a keyboard.

I'm kind of a geek at heart - built our newest PC a few months ago - but am completely uninitiated with regards to digital music and computers. Would love to learn, though!

Any advice on some keyboards to look at - and how to start on digital music stuff would be appreciated!

Price range - up to $2K? Preferably $1000ish??

 

[keyplayer]

How ya doin?

sounds like your looking for a keyboard "workstation"...a workstaton can take a song from inception all the way to making a 2 track stereo mix....if you want to incorporate the v-drums, it would help if the keyboard you buy would have 2 to 4 audio inputs to feed the drum sounds to the workstation so they could be recorded on the workstations sequencer...this method would not be the conventional way but would work (with the right equipment) so the 2 of you could play live at the same time

As far as boards are concerned, with a hammer action bed, you will be around 2k to 2.5k....for a work station here are a couple to consider

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...sizer-Workstation-with-DAW-Control?sku=701599 This is the mo88.....it has a hammer action keybed and great piano sounds

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Korg-TR88-88Key-Keyboard-Workstation-?sku=702905 this one is made by korg

Keyplayer

 

[RotorOnTop]

keyplayer suggested 2 great keyboards...also for your consideration is the Yamaha S 90ES 88 keys, full Motif ES Soundband, plus the S700 piano sound bank at $2K...its here http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-S90-ES-Synthesizer?sku=707433

this is not a sequencer/workstation but a great sounding all around keyboard, buy (or download) some software to record yourselves and you have it goin' on!

 

[Freber]

Thanks to both of you! It's hard to know where to start in the vast range of keyboards/synths/workstations available these days...