If you had $1,500 what two keyboards would you get to cover piano/organ and synth?

[Visconti]

I need some recomendations.

 

It could be one keyboard or two.

 

I want the piano/organ keyboard to have 88 keys.

 

Don't forget the synth?

 

Thank you.

[Citizen Klaus]

With that sort of budget, and unless you're willing to accept vintage digital, you might be better off with a single workstation. A B-stock M50-88 would do it all.

[The Severalist]

I don't know.

 

Munky319 would have a good answer, he was the king of this kind of thing, his mind was like a diamond, hard, cold and brilliant, but unfortunately I think he went completely insane around the time Obama won. He's still around somewhere, but his answers are usually very cryptic, although highly informative and helpful to a patient observer.

 

Calling Munky?

[Randyman]

If you're lucky like me and get a Nord Stage 88 for $1,500 (damaged GC demo unit) that'd be the top choice. WHAT A BOARD!!! Very satisfying to play, only 41 pounds, not as long as a starship console, and very user friendly. The Nord Electros can prob be found used for your budget, but they're max 76 keys and you can't layer sounds, which results in friggin' awesome sounds on the Stage.

 

Otherwise, the M50 88 is a solid choice.

 

I've found it very hard to tell which board to get until I've actually spent time at home with one; don't know why, but can't tell as much as i'd like at the store. With the return policy most stores have these days (of course local is the way to go), if you have the bank to buy one, try it out and return it if its not your thing.

 

I should be working for Nord! But seriously, after dealing with excessive technology with a Motif XS for several years, I was blown away by the playability and quality of sounds of the Stage. For Piano / Organ / Synth, esp. in a live setting, there's none better in my experience (I have the M3 as well).

[Strenge]

Edit: just noticed the 88 key comments. Substitute the 88-key version for the Motif classic 6.

 

I had similar needs and ended up with two used boards in great shape: Motif classic 6 for piano, epiano etc and a Virus Kb for synth. Both for 1200 and I couldn't be happier, especially with the keybeds on them...they feel so nice they make me want to play, especially the virus.

 

Now, the organ on the Motif is not the best, I much prefer the B4II softsynth, but I got the thing so I didn't have to take a laptop around Even so, in recordings of the band it sounds just fine. Both these are 10 years old or so if that matters. My main concern with that was some kind of breakdown or battery failing...soundwise I think they hold up just great (except for the so-so organ I mentioned). I played most of the newer ones from the big manufacturers (m3, m50, junos etc) and while they were nice, they were not worth the price difference from what I got IMO. Build quality on many of the newer boards did not impress me, though I admit there are times I wish I had a light board

[AnotherScott]

 

I need some recomendations. I want the piano/organ keyboard to have 88 keys. Don't forget the synth? Thank you.

 

 

It depends on what you mean by "synth". To some people, a "rompler" is a synth (and they certainly do get lots of synth sounds, along with orchestral sounds and everything else); to other people a synth is specifically designed to create sounds primarily out of raw oscillators, envelopes, and filters as opposed to playing back samples. There are increasingly units that blur the lines, but still, most fall more into one category or the other.

 

Anyway, I would suggest a Casio Privia PX-3 and a Roland Gaia SH-01 as one possible combination. The PX-3 has some passable organ sounds... not world class, but if you're okay with playing organ on an 88 in the first place, they might be fine for your purposes. And really, within your budget, you're not going to get an outstanding organ *and* a good 88-key board, and it sounds like the latter is your priority.

[ChristianRock]

Well, I've been thinking about this and if I was starting from scratch with 1,500 and wanted a 88-keys workstation, good synth sounds and good organ sounds, I think I'd do this:

 

 

plus

 

 

I'd use the Plugiator for organs, but it can do a lot of other synth sounds as well.

 

The keybed on the Fusion is not so heavy that you can't pay organ sounds with it.

[Visconti]

Some good choices here, but I will wait to see what comes out at 2011 Winter Namm before choosing a keyboard.

[MuzikB]

I'd make some compromises and realize that you can't have the world for that price.

 

Only 1 keyboard. Nord Lead 2X

[Visconti]

 

I'd make some compromises and realize that you can't have the world for that price. Only 1 keyboard. Nord Lead 2X

 

 

You know I should have said it could be two keyboards.

 

I want a 88 key piano/organ and a synth with less keys like a Mopho.

[AnotherScott]

 

You know I should have said it could be two keyboards. I want a 88 key piano/organ and a synth with less keys like a Mopho.

 

 

You did say two keyboards, but thanks for clarifying the kind of synth you were talking about.

 

So yes, the PX-3 would remain my suggestion for the 88. The Mopho could be your synth and you'd be just a little over your $1500 target, or for less, you could go with the Roland Gaia, Novation UltraNova, or Korg R3 (there are some lower priced options than these, but you start losing more in either front panel editing facilities, full size keys, or both). If you need to economize the 88 a bit, you can drop down to the PX-330 but it's organs are weaker and you lose a lot of its MIDI control facilities. For example, if you wanted the Mopho but sometimes wished it had a bigger keyboard, on the PX-3 you could easily turn the top section (whatever # of keys you wanted) into a controller for the Mopho (either by itself, or layering it with one of the PX-3's internal sounds) while playing some other PX-3 sound on the bottom section of the keyboard, and you can define presets that will allow you to have one-button recall of the whole setup... the split point, which PX-3 sounds you want where, octave transpositions if needed, and even which patch you want the Mopho to change to... that's beyond the PX-330's capabilities.

[piano39]

A Yamaha MO8 plus an Alesis Micron

[Etienne Rambert]

If you're not going to move it around, an MO8 would be a good choice.

 

It's right at $1499. It does everything you want.

 

 

Being Yamaha, it will sound great, be well-made, heavy & difficult-to-use.

 

But it has everything you're looking for.

 

You might be able to find a Yamaha S-90 used for that price too.

Very nice synth.

 

If you want to go lightweight, get a module & an 88 key MIDI controller.

You could probably get both for

[AnotherScott]

 

A Yamaha MO8 plus an Alesis Micron

 

 

Over-budget. But maybe Yamaha MM8?

 

I left the Micron off my synth list because of the lack of front panel knobs, making it more of a pain for sound creation/editing. But you're right, if that's not an issue for the OP, that's another good choice that would be a bit cheaper than the others I mentioned. I also forgot about the Novation XIO.

[suitandtieguy]

well i paid 250 for my hammond, so i guess i'd do that and then go buy a rotary simulator for like 40 bucks and spend the other 1200 USD on hookers and blow.

[ChristianRock]

 

well i paid 250 for my hammond, so i guess i'd do that and then go buy a rotary simulator for like 40 bucks and spend the other 1200 USD on hookers and blow.

 

 

...and what about his need of piano and synth sounds?

[Gribs]

In budget:

 

Korg Triton Extreme (this one on Ebay starting bid 1399.95 or make on offer of 1500 on this one)

 

Yamaha ES8 (make an offer on this one that includes M-Audio monitors and sell the monitors).

 

Other used workstations from the previous generation from the big three like the Roland Fantom X8.

 

Edit - Or an M50. The M3 is great and the M50 gets you a lot of the way there.