Which method should I go with to get more out of my keyboard?

[Flight_of_Icarus]

Hey all, new to the forums, and still pretty new to keyboards/synths - just had a few questions!

 

I recently acquired an older synth - a Kawai K4, both to learn a new instrument with (Guitar & bass is where most of my experience lies, wanted to branch out), and to use as a MIDI controller with a DAW. I've learned that the K4 has some pretty awesome atmospheric/ambient sounds, and even some decent string and voice sounds, but is lacking in the area of acoustic instrument/piano sounds. This seems to be the general consensus on K4's, from the research I did on them.

 

That being said, there's a few options I've been looking into on how to address that issue. I'm wondering which one would be best for me?

 

- Find a rack/external sound module of some sort, and control it via MIDI from the K4? (If this is doable? I'm told the Roland JV units are nice).

- Sell/trade the K4 for something else? (Have been told that Alesis Q-series, and Korg M1/Trinity are good older units that can be had for decent prices, just not dirt cheap like K4's).

 

Overall, I like the things that the K4 can do, but understand it's limitations - I'm looking for more realistic sounding piano/organ/harpsichord tones, and just more sounds to work with than it has on board.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Mmmmqac]

If realistic harpsichords and piano are your aim, I have found the Modartt Pianoteq plugin/soft-synth to be absolutely fantastic in that department. They have three price levels: I started with the cheapest, which works great, but I needed micro-tuning for my 19-tet music so I upgraded to the next level.

 

Second-hand General-MIDI modules cover a lot of sounds, with the Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 being a good contender. All General MIDI modules have organ, piano and harpsichord sounds.

[JeffLearman]

Keep the K4 and find out everything you can get out of it, both internally and as a controller for your computer. Mac or Windows?

 

If you like Hammond organ (and who doesn't?) there's a fantastic software one for only 50 Euros, VB3. This is as good as any pro clonewheel, comparable with the best from Hammond/Suzuki and Nord.

 

There's heaps of other great software out there, in a wide range of prices, including free. For Windows, I use the free sfz soundfont player, though I have to run my DAW or host in x86 mode for it to work. I use it to play my own keyboards I've sampled (for convenience), plus my (free) jRhodes3 soundfont, and a flawed but nonetheless warm, roomy, woody, and lively free piano soundfont, Splendid Grand 136.

 

If you're at all serious about learning piano, though, you'll need a hammer-action keyboard. Comb Craigslist for a used digital piano, like a Casio CDP-100 which can often still be found for $250 (don't pay more than $300). Or any Casio Privia piano, or Yamaha P90, P95, and other models, but most likely with higher prices. Others may know of other bargain pianos to look for. The CDP-100 is good enough for me as a piano player to gig with, and can also be used via MIDI/USB to play software pianos like Pianoteq mentioned above (a great bit of software, no doubt.)

 

Those of us who are serious about keyboards need at least two: one hammer-action (aka "fully weighted") and one either semi-weighted or unweighted, one for piano and percussion, and the other for organ and synth. IMHO, frankly, if you have to have only one, it's best to start on hammer action, because it's easier to go from that to unweighted than vice versa. But you already have the K4, so use what you have!

 

[Karma1]

I'm very familiar with the Kawai K4. I used to have the keyboard, and still have the K4r (the rack version). To me its one of the great overlooked synths, as I wrote about recently in another thread in this forum. I do primarily ambient music, and as you mentioned the K4 is great for that. Its got excellent pads, strings, bells, textures and trippy sounds. As far as pianos and acoustic instruments, that is not its strong point.

 

In answer to your question about MIDI, you can definitely use the MIDI-out on the K4 to control a synth module. I would probably go that route. As far as which one, there are a lot of choices, although I'm a big Korg fan. If you could find a good deal on a used Triton or Trinity module, that would be a nice combination with the K4. Although the Roland JV units you mentioned would also be fine.