I also want a keyboard

[bard2dbone]

I am trying to figure out what my home studio needs, keyboard-wise.

Actually I know I need a Yamaha Motif ES8. But I can't afford one. I'm not even poor. I'm po'. I can't afford the whole word.

So, basically how do I approcimate a Motif ES8 for around $1,000? Can it be done? I love the piano sounds in that thing.

[mutant!]

What is it you want it for, exactly? Just acoustic piano sounds? Rhodes? Other?

[bard2dbone]

I pretty much live for old school sounds. Assorted acoustic pianos and Rhodes, sure. But also Hammonds and Wurlies and Clav's. And I love the idea of blending patches together: such as a Rhodes bass with a Hammond top, but in stead of just splitting them at some arbitrarily selected key, how about blending them so that the top octave on the keyboard is all organ and the bottom octave is all Rhodes and the keys in between blend gradually from one to the other.

The Yamaha Motif ES can do that. It's got all the amazing sounds and I want one. But again, I'm po'. I can't even affoed the whole word to be poor.

So I want an 88 key weighted keyboard with good action and good old school sounds. The Nord Stage 88 would be even better than the Motif. But it also costs even more.

I really need a MOtif ES8 for the cost of a Fatar controller. Is that really so much to ask?

Yeah. I knew it was too. But I had to say it.

[mutant!]

hahaha

Look, why not go the soft synth route? It's almost always cheaper, and as far as I can tell, soft synths have far more potential for customization and tweaking than most hard synths do. You can get a weighted 88-key controller for bare little... And everyone knows that good freeware soft synths do exist.

[Dr Hooch]

hahaha

Look, why not go the soft synth route? It's almost always cheaper, and as far as I can tell, soft synths have far more potential for customization and tweaking than most hard synths do. You can get a weighted 88-key controller for bare little... And everyone knows that good freeware soft synths do exist.

ZynAddSubFX for example...

If i had a laptop i would've bought a midi controller already, but i don't, so i could never really practically use it in a band situation

then again i'd have to learn to play it before i could need to take it out of my room...

[Glimmer]

Also investigate the software emulator "Lounge Lizard 3". It only does the Wurlitzer & Rhodes, you'll have to find a decent Hammond B3 emulator elsewhere. I've heard Lizard and its great!!

[bard2dbone]

I've been looking at Alesis QS8's on ebay. You can't beat $500 for a weighted 88 key synth. But what's the quality like? How's the feel? How're the sounds?

It looks great on paper, but what's the real one like?

[bard2dbone]

Well, I've either just bought an Alesis QS8.1 on ebay or been cheated out of $500.

Either I'll have a keyboard in a few days or I'll be traveling to Pennsylvania to commit a very justified manslaughter.

[mutant!]

haha.

I hope you checked out Harmony Central for reviews before you bought.

[bard2dbone]

No I just tried out the other products that I actually could get to and asked peopele I know who've actually owned them.

It came in Thursday. I finally had a day off and go to try it out today. UPS damaged it a little in shipping, but it still works fine.

It's got several really good sounds. The old-school keyboards that I prefer are especially well-represented. I prefer a 'crisper' keyboard feel, like the 88 key Yamaha Motif, and CP300, but I'll be playing this one a lot and will probably learn to like it just fine.

[lazyguy5]

I think you can also think about other choices ,I got to know that Yamaha YPG-525 88-Key Portable Grand Keyboard is priced at $500 very good also.

[Milestogo05]

woah

Jazz piano is one of the most amazing things ever