Adding a keyboard to the mpc2000xl - Suggestions on purhasing a keyboard

Hey Guys,

   I've had my MPC for only a month and its been a little frustrating.. Although, I can admit I have been learing more things about it and how to operate it better..  I plan to get a keyboard.. I want to know what brands to invest in and what brands to stay away from...  I just need a keyboard for good sounds like: violins, bass guitars, and deep bass, you know the spooky ill stuff.. I dont need the ones with a sequencer on them cuz the MPC is the sequencer... I looked at this Yamaha S-03 at Guitar Cntr. it was $499.. Okay I'm really not worried about a budget!!! Although, I'm not a fool..  I just would like for someone to give my some good advice on buying a keyboard for the MPC cuz I dont know to look for..  Also, I'm new to this MIDI stuff.. Will I need more add on's after the keyboard... I want to make hip-hop music.. What else is needed to produce?..  Okay, the MPC, a keyboard, then what?  Please someone take me under your wings...  

   Respectfully,  Your
Apprentice,    Jaylow[/color]

um lets think big homie. anything cheap only means you may need to spend more later on. lets make sure if you do spend some money you will have a smile on ya face for a  few years. i own a mpc and a motif. i feel when spending money on a keyboard its should be in the 1000 and up price range. it hurts the pockets butyou get so much more options and you wont feel like shit once you hear something you should went out and got if you wasnt so cheap![/color]

Hi, choose a mutitimbral synth . I bought a Novation K station and I realize 2 octaves is short (it is not designed to be used as a main keyboard) and monotimbral is frustrating. Other wise it is a great piece of gear for creating sounds.[/color]

Everyone likes the Triton for hip-hop. Maybe a Triton le might be up your alley. It doesn't break the bank but gives you plenty of sounds that are being used today in hip-hop and R&B.

Something like a Korg MS2000 (?) is an analog unit that produces some serious bass and some nice strings and brass and what not.

Me personally, I like the Motif but my uses would be more for the synth sounds.

Try these out at your local music store. That's your best bet.[/color]

yea go to your local music store if there is even one. but i order all mystuff off the internet. notax. um i own a motif and i had a le for 1 month but i will get a triton le next summer just to have korg and triton products.[/color]

matter fact no i will not get a triton or a triton  le or anything from them. the motif just blows pass them in my opion[/color]

if budget's no issue, that's even better, but there's a LOT of stuff out there that won't cost $1300 and up...[/color]

if u had major cash flow, get a motif keyboard, and a triton rack. im gettin it thataway[/color]

i just got the korg microsynth. it's cool, it runs on batteries. plus, it's got the math right too. drum machine + sampler + synth = bliss.

basically i picked it up for 3 bills and, to my surprise, i didn't return it after 30 days. a sign that it's worth somethin. now if i could only get past just clocking the two together and start dealing with MIDI as my track.... what a nightmare!

any suggestions? i want to just dial it in, but it's those #### program changes that get me. oh well, i'm used to playing multiple insto-mints.        bliss in ignorance, bang the box![/color]

How much did u guys pay for your Motifs and also what version are they [6,7,8..].  Where would you rank your synth [motif or non motif] in terms of hip hop keyboard synths [this question for any1].

I bought a Novation K station and I realize 2 octaves is short (it is not designed to be used as a main keyboard)

 What is the relation between octaves and main keyboard?  Thanks to all who reply.  Peace[/color]

i got a motif! it's a 61 key. it cost me 1648 brand new. I would say that the motif is the best overall sounding keyboard. 85 mb of wave rom nothing is out coming close to this around the price range. o yea i think 76 key is maybe the best. weighted keys are hard to freak...the 61 key is the cheapest and i do most of my work in that range anyways. Yamaha is suppose to be releasing  a MoRack this month or so that on paper is suppose to be even better than the motif keyboad...stay tune.....the motif is a rap keyboard...people just gona find out from the learning curv and so on the motif is not gona play for you. i can go on for days how easy it is to put out something on a triton but if its that easy then everybody else is having the same easy....the motif gives you more of the heart and soul of music![/color]

the 61 key is the cheapest and i do most of my work in that range anyways.

 Yo isnt it possible to get all 88 keys out your motif anyway keyzfame?  I'm new to this whole synth thing and I thought no matter how many keys the keyboard comes with [whether 61, 76...], one may stil access the other keys by pressing some sort of function button/switch.  

Your motif comes with 85 MB of sounds already!!  Thats crazy, before I was looking into a MoPhatt or a XP-30, but 85 megs is hard to top.  Whats the diff between weighted keys and unweighted keys? Thanx to all who reply.  One love[/color]

o yea the the 61 key and 76 key have a octave up and down button....um weighted keys are just like a real piano keys...some people like that feeling  but thats only those who buy the 88 key...i once ask a person could i have some the cooler sounds the triton had in my motif  some way. He said because the motif has 85 mb wave rom its stronger than the triton so you could reproduce a sound from the triton with sampling but you cant do it the other way around...the motif sound is more thicker and realer than a triton....what else you want to know dogg holla[/color]

if u got the cash...i'd go for a Roland Jupiter-8 with MIDI capability.

#### that board is beautiful.
the things I'd do for it... :laugh:

it's heavier than a motha####a, though. :O[/color]

i have to say go with the motif. i myself have a trition le with a 2000xl. Im in the process of selling my le now because i want a motif.i can say that i am satified with the le, i just want some more sounds and i love the sounds on the motif more than i do on the le. both keyboards r pretty good and well worth the money. but i do agree with everyone else with going 2 your local music store and messing with them urself becasue no one knows what u want more than yourself. hollla[/color]