affordable synth/keyboard for recording dark/ambient type sounds

[kernel666]

hi there
Im getting a Roland VS-2000 MTR and i've been searching for an affordable (around $500) keyboard/synth for recording to it. Basically im looking for dark piano/strings/ambient sounds, similar to Nine Inch Nails/Ulver (new) stuff or the Angelo Badalamenti sounds on the Lost Highway OST... Midi control is a must too, since im also looking to hook it up to some VSTs on my PC on the near future.
Ive only tried the Roland Juno D and it seemed nice, but im sure there must be something better out there..
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance

 

[keb]

The Juno-D is probably your best bet around that price point. There are other offerings from Alesis, Korg, Yamaha, etc., but most of their $500-range keyboards are getting a little long in tooth, with more "dated" sound quality. (Though Korg just released the X50, which goes for about $700 online, which seems to be the replacement for the aging X5D.)

The Juno-D gets ragged on over on the keyboard forums I hang out in. But only from the vocal few who think this keyboard sullies the Juno name. (In case you didn't know, Roland originally used the Juno name for a series of "beginner" analog synths in the early '80s, and the purist guys who love their old Junos can't bear the thought of a Juno being a sample-playback keyboard rather than an analog synth. )