Suggestions for a Keyboard?

sdemott · Post by **sdemott** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 2:05 pm

I'm looking to get a MIDI keyboard and use it primarily as a controller for softsynths, but want it to have some decent sounds too. I am not an accomplished keyboardist by any means and haven't the slightest idea where to begin looking. Back "in the day" I had a Roland Juno, and liked the format...only maybe something with a full sized/full 88 keys.

I would like to get something good - not looking for the cheapest option, as I plan to keep this for a while. I plan on buying the MTP AV for interfacing to the Mac & DP.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:46 pm

Get a Motif 8

sdemott · Post by **sdemott** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:59 pm

This may be a stupid question, but aren't the sequencing functions overkill if I plan to use this with DP? I may be in the minority, but I prefer to "sequence" by writing out the score and then exporting all the parts as MIDI tracks. So if I plan on using Sibelius or Finale for the actual sequencing, is there a good reason to get a keyboard that has so much invested in sequencing functions? Or is this one of those situations where all the good KBDs are going to be sequencer/workstations?

Thanks for the reply.

daniel.sneed · Post by **daniel.sneed** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:23 pm

It depends on what your ears and fingers are waiting for !

Mines are very pleased since I get a Novation X-Station 61.

The internal sounds have proved to be helpfull in certain situations.

kelldammit · Post by **kelldammit** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 10:26 pm

i'll second the novation x-series. i LOVE my x-25. they also have other controllers that are just controllers...minus the audio interface/synth stuff.
a little pricey, but i love the feel of the keys. they may not be for you if you're looking for serious piano-style action though.

logo80 · Post by **logo80** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:42 pm

I think that a kurzweil pc2 would be a good choice, it isn't a full workstation, it has many good sounds, 88 keys and works well as master keyboard.
regards, Lorenzo

daniel.sneed · Post by **daniel.sneed** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:44 am

I can say, for shure, each simple MIDI master-keyboard has it's own feel.

I first bought an eVolution keyboard, that I hated quite instantly. It seemed non-musical at all to me.

Then, second, I tried the Novation one. The semi-weighted keys were immediatly nice to me.

If you can, try get your fingers on different types of keybords before you get the plunge.

daniel.sneed · Post by **daniel.sneed** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:56 am

This is NOT a musical thing, but, if you'll be on the road, you may consider the weight of the keybord.

A full hammer-weighted 88 key is about 35 pounds for the less.
A non weighted 61 key is about 3.5 pounds.

Be kind with your own back or it'll fell old much too soon !

sdemott · Post by **sdemott** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 5:03 am

Hey - I really appreciate the feedback. I'm going to check out all these KBDs. Has anyone had any experience with the Yamaha S90?

Thanks again.

daniel.sneed · Post by **daniel.sneed** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:53 pm

by the way, Kelldammit, what's your experience with DP5 and the x-Station driver under Rosetta on your black MacBook ?

Did you instal the non-intel driver ? Or some else ?

Is it possible to run audio smoothly ?

What about MIDI ?

What about integration in DP 5 ?

Your answers would be very helpfull for my next investment decisions.

kelldammit · Post by **kelldammit** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 4:10 pm

daniel,
on the macbook currently, i'm not running dp5, as i haven't upgraded the memory yet...so rosetta apps are just DOG slow..i take a huge cpu hit even from stuff like adium.
at the moment, i'm using the ub driver with metro, and it's working very well. the only issue i can think of is that if metro's open, and i go to audio MIDI setup, and select the xstation in the MIDI device list, audio MIDI setup will crash.
performance is wonderful, even with the bare minimum ram (512), at 256k buffers.

yofo · Post by **yofo** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 5:00 pm

MOTIF is great with good sounds and perfect for live but in the studio I think you should put your money into soft synths . I know you still need a good keyboard, but for sounds, nothing beats a good Mac and some good software.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:06 am

What kind of music do you play? What types of sounds are most important to you? Do you need a workstation? Being that you're using DP, I doubt this is the case. Without knowing much of what you're after BUT knowing you're using DP and looking for 88-keys AND without going too expensive..... there are (2) keyboards I would recommend to look at in no particular order:

The first is the YAMAHA S90ES. This is basically the MotifES without the sampler and workstation. The sounds are wonderful, the instrument is deep should you choose to do your own programming. The quality of converters and output level is VERY good, making it ideal for recording applications. There are quite a few features onboard for real-time control and quick editing, all MIDI controllers that will be recorded via the sequencer. But what I like most about the S90ES is the action, what a great feeling keyboard!

The other I recommend is the Roland RD700SX. Historically, I'm not a fan of the Roland weighted action or piano sounds. But the RD700SX is different, it feels wonderful and the piano sounds are fabulous! It's a little more money I think (not sure off the top of my head), but there is a lot there. Now while it does have a lot of other sounds, I would classify it more as a digital piano than I would a synthesizer where the S90ES is really classified as a synthesizer. The great thing about the RD is the features for live playing, to quickly EQ your instrument, setting up of layers and splits on the fly, and how quickly you can transpose.

FYI in our demo room, I have virtually all of the major keyboards on display that I get to go through daily and figure out the pros and cons from the entry-level Yamaha PSR's to the Oasys.... it's great to step away from my desk and play a keyboard because if someone asks what I'm doing I just say "uhhhh RESEARCH!"

There are many other killer boards to look at, but those I mentioned above are going to be your best bang for the buck and most affordable options without sacrificing sound quality or feel.

sdemott · Post by **sdemott** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:12 pm

I suppose I'm not completely sure of what I'm after. My main purpose for the purchase is for real time playing of SoftSynths and also for realtime input for scoring. All I really need is a KBD MIDI controller, but I prefer to get something that has some good sounds and has 88 hammer action keys.

The problem is that I'm primarily a stringed instrument player - so outside of the Roland Juno I had in the mid-80s I haven't had much experience with synths in the past 15 years. I play my piano at home, and since I am comfortable with that I would like to replicate that feel (or as close as possible) with the synth. I was never a big fan of the "synth action".

If I had my druthers, I'd like a good piano sound, a good B3-esque organ and a smattering of useful brass, strings & synth sounds. At this point I am leaning towards the Yamaha.

So, what would be the difference between the yamaha S90 and the S90ES? Is there anything significant?

Thanks again. This is all very useful information.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 3:41 pm

The S90ES has more power, better sound, etc. It's basically a more improved version. Truthfully, I don't know if there is a difference in the action or not. The S90 is discontinued, replaced by the ES. However, it's a worthwhile investment if you can find a highly reduced price on the original. If not, the ES is at least the latest (for today! LOL).

Brad