Please help me in selecting a keyboard for live performances

[PaulOrr8179]

I need your expertise. I am not a keyboard player, my band has one.
However, our keyboard player uses an older Yamaha PSR500 keyboard. He likes it because it is easy to program and then call up setting for each song.
I played back a video from a live performance and I feel it sounds very toy like.
I bought a Yamaha MX61 for me to learn keyboard on, and for him to try out.
He does not like it because calling up settings from performances it not easy.
For example, for the song "Sweet Caroline" H]he needs to split the keyboard, shift pitches, play different brass on each split.
Can someone please tell me what better sounding keyboard can accomplish this?
Many thanks!

 

[anotherscott]

MX61 does let you split the keyboard, shift pitches, and play different sounds on each side of the split.

You can then Store what you've created as a Performance which you can subsequently instantly recall.

Most keyboards can do this, but it's hard to be sure what someone else will find easier or more difficult to do it on. In the similar price range, the Roland Juno DS is probably easier for managing splits, though. If nothing else, it gives you dedicated sliders for the volumes of the upper and lower sounds, and has a bigger display that provides more info at once.

 

[Wackienne]

I used a Roland Juno DS-61 in performance for seven years and I loved it. it managed well with 90 presets I could call up quickly. The keyboard can’t be split into more than two parts, but there always seemed to be a workaround if I needed it. Quality is pretty subjective, but I was happy with the sound of most of the patches. It‘s also capable of loading audio (think car horns in “Summer in the City”). I never imported any patches (other than an expansion pack) so I can’t vouch for that process, but it completely met my needs. And at just eleven pounds, it was easy to schlepp around on my back.

 

[scottWOLF_00]

I need your expertise. I am not a keyboard player, my band has one.
However, our keyboard player uses an older Yamaha PSR500 keyboard. He likes it because it is easy to program and then call up setting for each song.
I played back a video from a live performance and I feel it sounds very toy like.
I bought a Yamaha MX61 for me to learn keyboard on, and for him to try out.
He does not like it because calling up settings from performances it not easy.
For example, for the song "Sweet Caroline" H]he needs to split the keyboard, shift pitches, play different brass on each split.
Can someone please tell me what better sounding keyboard can accomplish this?
Many thanks!

you can get 16 layers and splits, with the Roland Juno DS, basic pianos are ok but if you layer you can get some good piano sounds. It does take a while to learn how to build performance programs. But very easy to call up on stage. Organs are very good, brass aint bad, but again you have to layer to get good sounds, it has probably 1000 sounds to use and good strings . The DS 73 is the one I have, it goes for about 950, you can get the 61 key DS for about 750, but for lots of layers and splits you should get the 73 . I went through a quite a few key boards before keeping this one, . Nice thing about it is the weight 15 lbs. It is not built really sturdy but a soft padded case and careful transportation take care of that. Organ leslie speeds are adjustable , you have to use an onboard sound adjust speeds ,save it to user bank then import it to your performance setup.

 

[PaulOrr8179]

My keyboard player and I went toGC yesterday he uses a Yamaha PSR500 which is great for calling up settings by number but it is getting really old. And I think todays keyboards have gotten pretty good at sounds.

i felt the DS61 had the best organ sounds. The second wheel next to the pitch shift wheel does a spectacular job imitating a Leslie speaker speed up. If only it did what my keyboard player needs to do With programming.

the Roland Juno DS61 was great at storing and calling up sounds and settings but the tone, I felt, was not as good as the MX61.

oh in case you are wondering. My keyboard player is a curmudgeon; difficult to change, and as cheap as they come. He opted to replace the rubber part below the keys that were failing. Now he has one key where the velocity is full on while the rest of the keys are soft. Oh so cheapskate.

P

 

[sevn_music]

MX61 does let you split the keyboard, shift pitches, and play different sounds on each side of the split.

You can then Store what you've created as a Performance which you can subsequently instantly recall.

Most keyboards can do this, but it's hard to be sure what someone else will find easier or more difficult to do it on. In the similar price range, the Roland Juno DS is probably easier for managing splits, though. If nothing else, it gives you dedicated sliders for the volumes of the upper and lower sounds, and has a bigger display that provides more info at once.

I've had the roland Ds-88 for about 6 months, lots of features and sounds, split/dual, nice key feel. Didn't take too long to figure out how to setup patches and save them as favorites to quickly recall live. Still features I don't know about this keyboard.
If you're don't mind the lighter key touch, the DS61 is a smaller version, lighter in weight, still all the great sounds and features and cheaper. I just needed 88 keys and a good keybed when playing.

 

[Old No7]

My keyboard player is a curmudgeon; difficult to change, and as cheap as they come.

You've gotten some good info up above.

Looks like the only option is to have his beloved PS500 take a terminal dive off its stand.......... Or not start up due to a "broken wire" inside.........

That will solve one problem (at the risk of creating another...)

Old No7

 

[Rayblewit]

Sweet Caroline" H]he needs to split the keyboard, shift pitches, play different brass on each split.

"Sweet Caroline" . . Grrrr!!!
Just remove this song from your set.
It is the most overplayed, overrated song.
I am just sick of hearing it.
Every cover band plays it and it drives me crazy!
Da da da da dah...

 

[Wackienne]

"Sweet Caroline" . . Grrrr!!!
Just remove this song from your set.
It is the most overplayed, overrated song.
I am just sick of hearing it.
Every cover band plays it and it drives me crazy!
Da da da da dah...

Hahaha! Tell us how you really feel!

 

[Tahitijack]

We replaced Sweet Caroline with Song Sung Blue. Yes....uggg ... but a lesser uggg.

But after your comments about the piano player...is it time to look for his replacement? Been there done that and sometimes it just needs to be said and done with,

 

[Rayblewit]

Sweet Caroline with Song Sung Blue.

Add in Red Red Wine to you set and your on a triple downer ...

 

[Rayblewit]

“Summer in the City”).

Superb!
That is a classy tune.

 

[Biggles]

 

[scottWOLF_00]

In the same Genre, do Oh what A night, Frankie Valle, it is more danceable.

 

[scottWOLF_00]

Or how about Tip Toe through the tulips, by the great Tiny Tim

 

[Wackienne]

Honestly, anything that gets people leaping up from the table and leaving their beer to get to the dance floor is fine by me. My band's lineup includes Sweet Caroline and...yup, Mustang Sally, but two of the guys drew the line at Old Time Rock and Roll.

 

[PaulOrr8179]

We play it as a sing along. We like to engage with the patrons as much as we can. At my age, it's about just having fun.

 

[delaware dave]

off topic response:

the day i start playing Neil Diamond will be ,,......... never. i'd retire from playing b4 i play that crap ......

 

[happyrat1]

off topic response:

the day i start playing Neil Diamond will be ,,......... never. i'd retire from playing b4 i play that crap ......

How do you feel about Yankee Doodle Dandy?

 

[Tahitijack]

We sometimes used SONG Sung Blue as our closer to send the audience home with an ear worm. Thankfully we had better songs for that. My favorite was Soul Kitchen.