Looking for info for a synth keyboard

Mr. CooL ICE

I am looking at buying some sort of synth keyboard this summer, but don't really have much of an idea of what to look for. I'm a bassist, but took piano lessons when I was younger, and after dusting off my old Casio heap o' crap, was able to piece together some songs I used to be able to play (Ode To Joy is hard to forget tbh).

It's mainly going to be for fun, but I may decide to record with it, so I want it to be somewhat decent. The type of sounds I will be looking for will be a 60s and 70s-style organ, a la Steppenwolf, Kansas, Pink Floyd, etc, piano, and maybe some string sounds, e.g. Don't Fear The Reaper/Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I may even decide to venture into Children Of Bodom territory if I feel adventurous Obviously, I want the keys to be touch-sensitive, but I'm not too pushed about having them weighted.

After reading a few other threads, I assume Yamaha and Roland would be good brand names to look for, but after a quick look on thomann, I don't know what section I need to look in. How wide would my options be if I was looking to spend €600, possibly stretching to €800/900?

crosstownk

I'd go for a Roland. They have good organ and strings sounds plus a lot of others. -=al=- got one of these recently so maybe he'll be able to give you a decent review.

Dublinstiofán

I'd go yamaha. I have a MO8 but its a bit out of your price range, maybe a
M06 would suit you. Should pop into Danfay some day they won't bull**** you its on Georges St. on the right hand side (opposite OPUS 2 on the far side)

Buy a Roland Amp tho theyre great.

Good luck with it.

jimi_t

Try on the highstreet, buy online would be the basic advice.

Anything with a GM sound set (General Midi) would suit you - the Roland EM series ain't bad for example, I've one and the sound quality is decent.

Alternatively, for that kind of moolah, you could nearly get a stage piano - but you say you're not pushed about weighted keys and the likes.

Mr. CooL ICE

Dublinstiof&#225 wrote: »

Should pop into Danfay some day they won't bull**** you its on Georges St. on the right hand side (opposite OPUS 2 on the far side)

Hehe, coincidence. I bought a Yamaha bass (my first 5-string) there 3 years ago. From memory, they have a pretty decent range of keyboards. I'm heading to Dublin in a few days to see a gig; I'll go a bit early and at least stick my head in the door. Cheers

ZenforHead

If you're just looking for that 70s sound try get a vintage combo organ, they're the type the keyboardist from the doors played, floyd had one too. They're not that expensive on ebay. Vox or farfisa are the best. Also, they have retro cool!

eirejam

if your looking for a current roland synth for around €600 than there is the juno D. It's very good for the price.


Eirejam (roland ireland)

Mr. CooL ICE

Had a look during the week and from the range of stuff he had in the store, he recommended this to me. His price was comparable to that on Thomann's for July only (then it goes up over €100), and I must say, I enjoyed the sound and feel of it. The keys were lightly weighted, and the overall sound was pretty damn nice. Had a play-around with some of the organ sounds, and they weren't quite what I was looking for, but some playing around with the effects might be a good idea. Has anyone got anything to say against this keyboard?

That vox seems like a good idea (one for sale here), but there was only one on ebay at the time of searching. How would a not-so-vintage alternative organ combo like this suffice?

The_g-man

http://www.musicstorekoeln.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/MusicStore-MusicStoreShop-Site/en_EN/-/EUR/ViewProductDetail-Start;pgid=?SKU=KEY0001607-000&ProductUUID=0&JumpTo=OfferList
There's good reviews of this on the net, but I personally haven't heard it. Not sure if you will get enough vintage rhodes or wurlitzer sounds, maybe try adding something like this:
http://www.musicstorekoeln.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/MusicStore-MusicStoreShop-Site/en_EN/-/EUR/ViewProductDetail-Start;pgid=?SKU=KEY0002179-000&ProductUUID=0&JumpTo=OfferList
to add that extra touch later on if you stay with the keyboard.
This yamaha looks promising:
http://www.musicstorekoeln.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/MusicStore-MusicStoreShop-Site/en_EN/-/EUR/ViewProductDetail-Start;pgid=TOZgS8fSZObR0000000000000000oX1HcLrT?CatalogVideo=&ProductUUID=gvrVqHzlH6wAAAES9vl_Z_HR&CatalogCategoryID=a67VqHzmpX4AAAER4Z0vKPl9&JumpTo=OfferList
Having the weighted or semi-weighted 88 keys might end up making this more cumbersome and off putting than just a keyboard that can be set up and ready to go in a flash. Consider holding off on going all out, as a keyboard might be easier to sell off after if your interest wanes.
And definitely for starting back in a reliable new keyboard with many variations of vintage organ and electric piano sounds is so much better than a bulky old vintage organ with about 8 sounds and constant repair worries.