Any Keyboard players?

Fullmetal · #1 12-21-2008, 12:37 PM

For starters, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section, and can it be moved to the correct forum if possible.

Anyways, I'm thinking of taking up keyboard so I can do some techno stuff, I want to buy a cheap keyboard with synth options and have found one here:

http://solodeals.com/MAudio-Oxygen-4...oogle-GB&id=uk

Now the question to all the keyboard players, would this be a good first buy? I am keen to start but don't wanna spend more than £100 on a keyboard (the above is £60) in case I don't get into it. Any help would be great, but I would like to know...

-Is it good for beginners?
-How easy is it to use?
-Do I need anything else with it?

Thanks to anyone who helps.

megadan · #2 12-21-2008, 12:40 PM

That's not a synth, it's just a MIDI controller. You would need to connect it to a keyboard/module or to a computer to get sounds out of it.

But given some of the decent software avaliable today, if you have a good computer that would be a good way to learn.
But as I said that unit will NOT make any sound on it's own, what so ever.

Fullmetal · #3 12-21-2008, 12:44 PM

I thought MIDI Controllers allowed you to play through a laptop? Could you suggest a good but cheap keyboard/synth?

megadan · #4 12-21-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fullmetal

I thought MIDI Controllers allowed you to play through a laptop? Could you suggest a good but cheap keyboard/synth?

They do, but that can be somewhat complex for live playing. For learning about synthesis, a real hardware unit can be quite helpful.

Starter sythns that actually sound decent are generally the Microkorg, the Novation K-Station, and the Alesis Micron.

Fullmetal · #5 12-21-2008, 01:17 PM

Thanks, although they are double the price I was looking for, I will still take a look

How easy are they to use? And can new sounds be programmed into them?

As you can tell, I am very much a novice.

megadan · #6 12-21-2008, 01:24 PM

Believe me, it's worth investing that, instead of some crappy knock off; this will have resale value if you decide it's not for you; if you do these keyboards are live and studio worthy.
All are fully programmable.

tasty sweeps · #7 12-21-2008, 01:30 PM

i had a microkorg for a good long while and i loved it. the action of the keys was a little tight, but since they're small it kinda worked out for the better, less flubbed notes [because i'm a pretty sloppy keys player].

the microkorg has some great built-in sounds, and only a slightly annoying interface. built in sounds are categorized by genre which makes no sense to me, but ignore the labels and try making your own sounds. plus it can be used as a midi controller.

if you have a laptop and some music software on it already, the m-audio stuff will do you ok. it's hit or miss on quality- some keys may not trigger properly, scratchy-feeling knobs, whatever- but the prices are pretty good for what you get.

right now i'm using a korg nanokey and i love it. i may get one or two more! but i do pine for a moog stage II synth on a daily basis.

groooooove · #8 12-21-2008, 01:33 PM

the microkorg is pretty tasty, a good friend of mine has one and we both love it..im not sure how much they cost though.

Fullmetal · #9 12-21-2008, 01:34 PM

I've been looking at some videos of what the Microkorg can do, looks promising and is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll do a little saving and purchase one, if it doesn't work out, I'll sell it on to someone else.

Thanks for your help guys.

bassteban · #10 12-21-2008, 01:47 PM

Are the Microkorg vid's on youtube?
Also, all the above metioned units are analog modelling, correct? From a TBers' perspective, how do these compare w/genuine analog?

Fullmetal · #11 12-21-2008, 01:54 PM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-QOkNDUWXc0

That's a link to the demo songs on the Microkorg (the first one is the exact stuff I wanna compose, so that's made me happy).

megadan · #12 12-21-2008, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassteban

Are the Microkorg vid's on youtube?
Also, all the above metioned units are analog modelling, correct? From a TBers' perspective, how do these compare w/genuine analog?

Obviously when you play one of these side by side with a vintage Moog or a Juno or what have you, there's a difference - like a MIM jazz bass versus a Sadowsky. But they all do it well enough for live and studio recordings, like I said. It's just GAS that separates them, really.

keb · #13 12-22-2008, 06:27 AM

Another suggestion: a Roland SH-201. It's another virtual-analog synth like the microkorg, but it has full-sized keys (I'm personally not a fan of mini keys), greater polyphony, more knobs and sliders so you can really see what you're doing while you're learning how things work... in fact I think this synth was partially designed with education and teaching in mind. You can probably get a used one somewhere at a decent price.

tplyons · #14 12-22-2008, 10:38 PM

If you can find one, though a bit more expensive than you want, I would recommend an Alesis Ion. It's big, it's red, it's easy to use, and it sounds great. Wish I still had mine, but someone offered me a killer price, about $100 more than I paid and I needed the cash.

keb · #15 12-23-2008, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

If you can find one, though a bit more expensive than you want, I would recommend an Alesis Ion. It's big, it's red, it's easy to use, and it sounds great. Wish I still had mine, but someone offered me a killer price, about $100 more than I paid and I needed the cash.

Haha, yeah, I've always liked the kinda '60s cheesy sci-fi movie red-and-silver look of the Ion with all its blinking LEDs... it would look right at home mounted on the wall in the Enterprise's engineering room in the original Star Trek series.

It's too bad Alesis discontinued it... granted they still make the Micron which sounds the same, but I wouldn't recommend that synth to a beginner unless they felt ok with the lack of knobs and didn't mind menu diving to create new sounds and to learn the basics of synthesis.