What's a good keyboard to go with...

I'm a beginner. Right now, I'm working with a MPC 2000XL. It isn't mine, I'm borrowing it from a friend. I'm saving to get one, but the next thing I want to purchase is a keyboard. I need good bass, and I need a good sound collection. Budget?? I'm a college student, with a job paying $200 bi-weekly. So take it from there. Please help me out. With so many to choose from, I'm having problems. I'm doing hip-hop music, sampling and want to get into making original beats. I've worked with a Korg Triton, but not sure if that's necessary with the budget I'm working with. Help please.

Ok you are on a real tight buget. So I would suggest you get a roland JV-880. You can get one right now for about 125 dollars off ebay. Its not as advanced as the 1080 and up, but its pretty dope. then after you get that go to a pawn shop or even a goodwill and look for an old keyboard that has midi and hook that up to the sound moudle. So you can get rolling for as little as 175 if you shop correctly

Well as far as the budget, I have a lot saved up. So I can work with something more expensive. I was leaning towards a Korg Triton Extreme, but was seeing that everybody uses an Ensoniq ASR-10. Do you think it's good to get such an outdated piece of equipment or should I go with something like a Korg Triton extreme, The Roland keyboard or something else. Help me out.

If I were you, I'd get a board that could be repaired when the thing starts acting up. Alchemist prolly has two asr-10 in the closet just in case(already in the game too). Don't get a ten year machine with no support. I own a motif es and its cool (yamaha isn't going anywhere). Um, look into them rolands, though. Sampling functions on the fantomx appears to be the best outta the big three + the pads( roland isn't going anywhere). Korg is due for a completely new workstation so you might want to ease up off the extreme for a sec. Wait for namm.

lee majors wrote:If I were you, I'd get a board that could be repaired when the thing starts acting up. Alchemist prolly has two asr-10 in the closet just in case(already in the game too). Don't get a ten year machine with no support. I own a motif es and its cool (yamaha isn't going anywhere). Um, look into them rolands, though. Sampling functions on the fantomx appears to be the best outta the big three + the pads( roland isn't going anywhere). Korg is due for a completely new workstation so you might want to ease up off the extreme for a sec. Wait for namm.

why does it seems like korg is always working on a new flagship board instead of improving on the old ones........?

I know roland was just trying to get their game right....while korg tries to cover all market and shiz........

the extreme is nice but it's just a repackaged triton classic. there's no new sounds or anything yea they put that tube in their that's it. they took some existing sounds from some of their expansion boards and used the triton studio sound set and called it the triton extreme. that keyboard shouldn't cost as much as it does. korg could have justified it better by making the moss exp board stock. sorry just venting a little

elliz wrote:the extreme is nice but it's just a repackaged triton classic. there's no new sounds or anything yea they put that tube in their that's it. they took some existing sounds from some of their expansion boards and used the triton studio sound set and called it the triton extreme. that keyboard shouldn't cost as much as it does. korg could have justified it better by making the moss exp board stock. sorry just venting a little

nah that board has the actual expansion board in there......I don't think itz shaved......the shaving comes in with no cd-r and a few less features....the korg sound collection is in that board if I am not mistakin.....for details...ask lamp

SO ease up on the Korg's and wait to see what they're gonna do. But give the Roland Fantom a closer look? Is that what you guys are saying?

This other guy I chat with about music equipment recommended the Fantom also. I want a good sound with my keyboard. I wanna be able to create sounds like Timberland created on "Fade To Black" with the first beat he played for Jay.

Also what do you guys think of the Roland V-Synth?

yea, the extreme has all the sounds from some exp boards (trance, vintage, and orchestra) but they shaved the sounds from the dance, studio, and piano exp boards. i seriously thought about getting an extreme but decided to wait until korg came out with a new workstation. i'm getting a motif es6 in jan. maybe i'll luck up on a cheap triton classic a few months from now

yo if i was you id get the roland fantom in a second. I use it at my work and that thing is amazing. Ive been using it for a few weeks now and i havent even touched more than like 75 or the sounds. The sampling is dope as fukk and the pads are pretty decent. If you want a doi it all in one workstation then this is exactly waht u want. I would buy one for myself if i had an extrea thousand dollars or so.

- just go try it in the store, it might take time but youll have to get it

peace

tg dub

the v-synth is geared towards people that want to make their own sounds. choosing a board really depends on what you're wanting to do. i play keys so i'm more prone to keyboards that offer not only sampling functions but also sounds i can use. i gotta have a good grand piano and a good rhodes but it might be something different for you. go to guitar center and check the boards out, that's the best advise i could give you

See heres the problem. I go to school in this small town called Statesboro, GA. There is basically no place to go to test keyboards out. So it's going to take a while before I can go home, (New Jersey), or visit my mom, grandma, aunt, etc. (Charlotte, NC). So right now, I'm just researching.

I want a keyboard that I can add basslines to samples that I make on the MPC 2000XL, but also make my own sounds. I want to have the ability to make original beats with this keyboard. I was watching Fade To Black and seeing Timberland do his thing on a Korg Triton Classic and some other black keyboard, got me wanting to do my own beats. But I'm only using a borrowed Radio Shack keyboard. It really doesn't offer me the power I need and soon will have to give it back. So I'm going to save up and get my own.

I want something that's going to function well, not just look good to have. I'm not trying to buy the most expensive gear to do the least possible with it. I want the right priced gear to do the most with.

if that's the case, go with the triton. there's not much of a learning curve, it's a sampler, and the user interface is pretty open so tweaking sounds to your liking wont be a problem. it's a good board to start with.

If you are on a budget, don't buy no Triton or no $1000 keyboard or nothing like that! Buy yourself a sound module, that way you get all the sounds of a keyboard and you can play them on the MPC pads using MIDI. With sound modules, they already come with a gang of sounds and then you can always expand using those expansion cards that they offer.

If you eventually plan on expanding into computer based recording, then a simple keyboard w/ MIDI can be used as a controller. Follow that advice and save yourself about 800 bucks!

Though I own an mpc 2000, I use the motifes as an all-in-one workstation so... The motif es is built mainly for musicans(not taking anything away from hiphoppers, I'm one) who might sample an incorporate sample into there music. I bought the es due to the sound quality, m-lan, remote functions. Money was an issue for me too. With the remote feature I wouldn't need a surface control. If the fantom had these feature, I'd prolly would've gotten one. anyway, the motif es is difficult as hell to master cus it has more feature under it's hood and the manual is bs. They focus mainly on effects and acoustic sounds. Fantom main focus/ advantage is it's powerful sampling engine and ease of use. Man, go with the fantom it has the best sampler and by the time you start hitting cats off with them million dollar tracks prolly be using soft synths anyway.* tangent* If I ran up on 5 thousand I'd get cubase, waves, and a shitload of records.