Hey, I'm looking for an electronic keyboard to help in creating music. I currently use Acid Pro 4.0, but was thinking of picking up a copy of Cubase VST (friend uses it and looks like a good, powerful program). However, I'm not really sure the ins and outs of what I'm looking for. Like I want to create techno music and create my own melodies and stuff to incorporate. I'd also enjoy copying music I play on the piano to my computer and even change how it sounds on the computer. Anybody have ideas? I'll respond if I didn't make this clear enough.
Also, I'm on a budget of around $450 at the most.

I was looking at regular electric keyboards because I want to play for my own enjoyment classical piano pieces. In this case, I was looking for a 76 key one. I like the Yamaha DGX-300 keyboard since it's got a lot of options that appeal to me for just for fun playing.

Now I was also looking at these MIDI keyboards. They seem to only have 8-16 keys on them. This wouldn't satisfy my wants for playing piano pieces. I'm going to do some research, but I think if I can find a cheap MIDI keyboard, I could make those sweet ass synths I hear in my favorite techno music. What would be even better is getting that DGX 300 and having it do exactly what I want. It does have some general MIDI features...

Please help me out, I'm a newbie and it's hard finding this kind of information.

korg m1

Thing is, I want a keyboard that I can just pick up and just start playing like a piano. The electronic music creation would come second. I would like to have that feature, like through MIDI or something and let me do VST stuff. I wasn't sure if the Yamaha DGX 300 would do something like that. Also, I'd rather have something new, not from the 80's or 90's.

It is going to be hard at that price to find a new keyboar for both piano and techno parts. I like the E-mu Pk6 but it is $599 and only 61 note. It is expandable and E-mu makes great ROMplers for techno. Lots of ROMs available for expantion into different sound areas. For $450 I would definately go for a used keyboard. I think Roland used to have a 76 note controller (A70?) that was a cut down from the A90 88 note controller. It had the option for some nice piano sounds and the Roland keys feel great. I hate playing piano parts on a 61 note keyboard.

Though this is a software site I think everyone should have a piece of hardware for practice and song construction. To me it is much easier to become one with a keybaord and record the parts into a sequencer without the lag of soft syths or the distraction of 1000's of patch choices.

Robert

How about an alesis QS7. I like the feel of the keys. 76-keys. The strength is in the synths leads and pads, but the pianos are usable. Makes a great MIDI controller too.

prog

The Alesis looks cool, but it's kinda old and not sold new anywhere. I am really looking at something new... My eyes are really set on that DGX-300, but I am not sure if I could do all the VST stuff with it and hook it up to MIDI and copy sounds over.

I've just bought the Proteus PK6, as I couldn't afford to replace the poor olde stolen Triton. It was £479.00 and I managed to get the XL lead expansion rom for just over £100.00

In my opinion the key action is better than the Triton, and you have the expandable rom options as well. The bread n butter sounds are good, and the manual makes it reasonably easy to program your own.

I was also look at the sub 400 market and there isn't too much there really - you have the Yamaha CSx2, which sounded ok but the keys look really cheaply made, the ALesis Qs1 and the Roland RS7 i think.

I am not sure what sub $400 relates to into pounds, so you may only be looking at the home keyboard market and then just relying on midi?

Ya, I think the Proteus would be cool, but the 61 key just turns me away right away. If my budget was, lets say, $600-700 instead of $450... are we looking at better products (maybe even 88 keys)? Just a keyboard that I can pick up and play my favorite piano pieces and one that will let me create my own techno music on my computer (using ACID Pro or Cubase to transform notes, etc.). Any ideas?

obiwarz,

Forgive me, but I think you misunderstand the problem.

The issue is not whether you can get a keyboard that allows you to use it as a MIDI controller with your Cubase and VST synths. I doubt you can find a current electronic keyboard from a reputable maker that doesn't have MIDI, ergo computer connectivity (as long as you have a halfway decent soundcard - say, SBLive! and above). The PSRGX75 and the DGX200 and 202 all seem to offer the same thing as the DGX-300, and I'm almost certain they're significantly cheaper.

The issue is whether you can find a halfway decent 76 key touch-sensitive keyboard for U$450 - and then I haven't even mentioned your desire for built-in piano/sounds... Probably the least expensive competitor is Evolution, and even their 61 key MK361 controller (no built-in sounds whatsoever) keyboard goes for almost U$300; and neither its touch-response nor the feel of its keys have anything 'classic' about them...

Don't take me wrong, I adore my Evolution MK249c. I still think it's the best deal in this class, though if Edirol's PCR-50 will offer a bit higher quality, and its price doesn't go above U$250, it will take the first place. But these keyboards are sure as hell not made for classical pianists...