What do i need?

[TurtleJuice]

Hi

I have recently thought about buying a keyboard. I'm a guitarist and want to start making my own music just for hobby use. So i i want a keyboard that can simulate instruments such as bass, drums, guitar etc. Simple stuff. But most importantly, i want a keyboard that i can make good ambient music with, strings, cello, violins etc. I may not need any fancy stuff, but i dont want a keyboard with too simple features that can cause an obsticle for creativity. My budget is about 8-900$.

TJ...

 

[DickR]

For that money you can buy a very good keyboard with all the strings you want. Plus recording, editing and creating possibilities and a lot more.
I am biased and a Yamaha player and lover for years but there are many other brands with good keyboards.
Best advice is to find a good dealer and listen to various models within your budget as sound is a personal thing. And if you can't play good enough yourself, listen to the demo's build in. It gives you a fair idea what it can do and how it sounds. Polyphony is an important point to keep in mind, meaning how many voices can sound together and to give it a rich 'full' sound. In my opinion 48 is an absolute minimum and the higher the number the better.

Good luck keyboard hunting

 

[YeahDoIt]

I recently purchased a used Yahama keyboard that has hundreds of voices, drum sounds, backing tracks, MIDI in out, velocity keys, lots of features for USA $ 70. I notice used keyboards advertised on craigslist.org. Get the model number then google search "specification" or "review" + that model number.

 

[TurtleJuice]

I havent been to the local dealer yet, but i will go there tomorrow and ask for advice and what i really need, but its nice to check with you guys with possibly more experience on this. So far i have been looking into the Roland Juno DI. I've checked reviews on youtube and what sounds it can offer, it seems like a good choice for me. The other keyboard i have checked into is Yamaha PSRE423, although less polyphony, it is half the price of the Juno DI. I cant really understand the major differens between these two, maybe someone can point out some important differences? Im open for other suggestions for workstation keyboards. Thanks so far for reply. I didnt quite figure out the craigslist though...

 

[The Y_man]

I havent been to the local dealer yet, but i will go there tomorrow and ask for advice and what i really need, but its nice to check with you guys with possibly more experience on this. So far i have been looking into the Roland Juno DI. I've checked reviews on youtube and what sounds it can offer, it seems like a good choice for me. The other keyboard i have checked into is Yamaha PSRE423, although less polyphony, it is half the price of the Juno DI. I cant really understand the major differens between these two, maybe someone can point out some important differences? Im open for other suggestions for workstation keyboards. Thanks so far for reply. I didnt quite figure out the craigslist though...

The main difference between the Juno and the PSR is that the PSR is mainly a "preset" machine - you can't change (edit) the sound as much as you can with a "synth" (like the Juno)

The Y-man

 

[SophOnKeys]

Check out the Yamaha Arranger Workstation Keyboards on this link... http://music2000.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=65_94_184
All of these keyboards will do the job u asked for.

If you want something abit cheaper look up the Yamaha psr-2000 on google or ebay, it's about 10 years old keyboard, but they are amazing, or failing that the psr-423, hope this helps!

 

[TurtleJuice]

Thoughts on Korg M50? I just bought one, the store had sale on the 1 they had left. Im just starting to learn about it, so many features. I didnt have much time to research much before i bought it, it was a really impulsive buy. The sale ran out today.

 

[goz211]

Good luck with your new machine. It's a good bit of kit.

 

[The Y_man]

Thoughts on Korg M50? I just bought one, the store had sale on the 1 they had left. Im just starting to learn about it, so many features. I didnt have much time to research much before i bought it, it was a really impulsive buy. The sale ran out today.

Well done. I hear good things about it.

The Y-man