Need keyboard selection help

What's Hot
So, my bands keyboard player needs a new keyboard as his current one is quite large and is going to be set up permanently in his new house. 
Bonus, he needs a new keyboard.
So now we get onto the hard part, he needs something to replace it, lighter to carry, can do we a good range of sounds (band plays soul, blues style music) and weighted keys of this is possible!
I have no ideas, so any suggestions are greatfully received 
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    How about narrowing the possibilities down a bit by providing a few clues?

    For instance, what make/model of keyboard is being "retired" to the new house? Which of that instrument's capabilities will be required from its replacement? 

    Weighted keys suggest a pianist which, in turn, suggests a requirement for eighty-eight keys rather than seventy odd plus an Octave Up/Down button.

    Several instruments spring to mind but it is pointless listing them without first knowing your keyboard player's budget.

    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Asking the questions now. I'm trying to convince him to go to a smaller size at the moment. Also the ability to change the 'voices' is a massive help.
    Budget is dependent on what the keyboard does (hows that for a catch 22) as he put it to me, he's quite willing to pay on card or if it's really expensive take out credit to get it. I would have thought a decent keyboard is £500+?

    I have no idea really!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    horsehead said:
    the ability to change the 'voices' is a massive help.
    Your mixture of blues and soul music almost certainly requires piano and organ. Serious practitioners of the latter will no be happy without real-time drawbar controllers. 

    horsehead said:
    I would have thought a decent keyboard is £500+?
    Nord does a few instruments that should fit the bill ... albeit, at a price.

    My bias is towards Roland. Other forumites will lean towards KORG, Yamaha and others.

    Beyond a certain price point, it might make better economic sense to use a MIDI Controller Keyboard to trigger software sounds from a computer. 


    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • No computers being used and I know he doesn't like doing that. I know Nord is rated very highly, but I've seen the going for a grand plus! I don't think he wants to go up that far!

    Is there anywhere you'd recommend that would be good to go try a few
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • It's a Roland, he's going to check model but does want 88 keys
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • horsehorse Frets: 1561
    Used vr09 may be worth a look. Good organ, passable piano in a mix, light and small. Keybed isn't the best by any means, but small light keyboards that sound reasonable and are low cost need to make savings somewhere...
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • horsehorse Frets: 1561
    edited November 2018
    Just read 88 keys, which will mean weighted.

    Casio px5s is one of the lighter lower cost 88 keys I think. Good piano, decent synth, weaker organ sounds. There's prob cheaper light ones in the range without the synth engine.

    Kurzweil sp6 is a newer light weight 88 key. Not played one and doubt there's many around used.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Anyone else suggest a good keyboard please?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • paulmapp8306paulmapp8306 Frets: 829
    edited November 2018
    88 weighted keys....are NOT light.   If you want light/portable then you cant have weighted keys.  Its a compromise.  Also you need weighted for piano, and non weighted for organ sounds ideally.

    I recently bought both.

    A Roland RD2000 for 88 note weighted.  This has 4 voices complete with FX, and 4 more without - that can be switched between or layered - each with its own slider for volume.  The 8 sliders (there are 9 actually) an be used as drawbars for organ tones.  Its not cheap - but cheaper than the Nords.  Its very good.

    For unweighted I went for a 76 note Roland FA07 - its VERY light.  Like one hand light. It has 16 pads, that can ne used to switch between 16 tones if thats what you want - OR can be set to select combos of tones (so pad one selects sound 1 and 6, pad 2 selects sound 1 and 9, pad 3 selects sound 5 etc).  Plenty of keyspace to play piano - and there full sized semi weighted keys - not like playing a piano but you do get some feel you dont get on a normal synth action.

    Both have all the sounds you'd need. The RD has better Piano (acoustic and electric) and organ sounds - and plently of orchestreal and synth stuff as well.  You cant really edit them - though you can play with cut off/resonance and EQs. The FA has a better synth section (Virtual analogue engine) and more control over edits, and doesnt have as much real time control (6 rather than 8 rotaries and no sliders), but you have more sounds available at a single button push, better FX routing, and the editing.

    There is the FA08 for not much more than the 07.  88 note weighted board, but a lot heavier.

    Either would work.

    Cost wise... the RD is around £2k......... I got my FA new for £1k a few months back.  The FA does come in a 61 note version cheaper - and is much more available used.

    Going used, opens things up cost wise.  Older RD800s/900s, the casios as noted.  You could try and pick up an 88 note Motif.  Ive seen them used at £800 or so.

    Having said ALL that, you can get something suitable cheaper, and Im going to suggest the Roland JunoDS 88.  Weighted board, full 88 note, enough of the sounds and editability you need, comes in at about £750 new.   Not as nice to play as the RDs, not as competent synth wise as the FAs, but a good all round workhorse.



     

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.