live keyboard questions

[lavaxtris]

I want to drag a small-ish keyboard on stage with me to play some stuff while my lead guitarist is soloing. the main problem is finding some good sounds to go along with our "classic rock/prog" sound. cheap toy keyboards dont really do the job, at least not the ones we have come across.

my question is this:
is there a keyboard out there that I can import my own sound samples into?

if there is, how cheap can I get something like that?

I really don't want to drag my laptop with me to gigs.

[seamonkey]

Dragging a laptop is not such a big deal for me. You don't even need to open the lid.

You can find a lot of keyboards on CL as people are abandoning them for soft synths. Every year there's less keyboards and more controllers.

I wouldn't focus on a samplers you can load your own sounds into. These are going to be more expensive, and the samples may be harder to come across. Many made you buy ROM sample modules. Many just plain midi keyboards with already loaded sounds let you adjust the sounds and effects and store them as presets.

Now you have to replace the bass sound while you're playing keys. Go back to the laptop and try out some backing tracks you can add soft synths and soft samplers to. Ableton Live is great at this. Used by many. Keep playing your bass and let the laptop add the backing tracks.

[lavaxtris]

I own a macbook pro, dragging it on stage and closing the lid are not things I can do. I need a keyboard that can store samples. I already have samples I can put into it.

[longfinger]

Ask the people here...

http://www.keyboardforums.com/

They'll know better. Have ideas about budget? key count : 49, 61 ? Used is cheaper than new, especially keyboards and anything digital. A $2500 keyboard of year 2004 might sell for $600 now. It's a much stronger deprecation of prices than what we experience with used bass guitars.

[seamonkey]

And check out some Mac forums on how to keep it awake while the lid is closed.

For a Hardware sampler, IMHO you can't beat a Roland Phantom, I've got one, excellent sound and excellent piano weighted keys, but no way can it load a modern sample library. Roland is making new models every year, maybe new ones can.

[lavaxtris]

I actually found out that my Casio WK-3200 samples sounds and pitch shifts them all across the keyboard. I downloaded some mellotron sounds and uploaded them into the kyeboard using the software and a midi cable and it sounds great. the only problem is that the keyboard has very limited memory and its way too big to take to shows with me.

Wish I had something smaller and with more memory...

[Doley50]

Hello,

Have you looked into, the iOS route, ( iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch ) the reason is, if you already have one of these, there are controllers that are very stage friendly and you will have a ton of sounds at your disposal. look at a few of them here.

I know this is not what you asked about, but it maybe an alternative for you. some of these controllers come with soft synth apps. that have some amazing sounds, and also have samplers that you can load your own sounds to.
I like the Novation and the Arturia controller,and also Garage Band has some pretty good sounds as well.

Hope this helps.

[Holdsg]

sampling keyboards are more money than ones without. I agree with the others in the thread, that's where the laptop or ios device can help bridge that gap.