Hey There. An amateur from Turkey

[Elamshin]

Hey Guys,
I am Izzet , 28 , from Turkey. I own Psr E 423 and a Korg x50 Synth. I have a local band here and i do vocals. But i really love keyboards since i am a kid. I want to improve my keyboard abilities. I always have questions and i am looking for a mentor that i can ask questions via whatsapp or pm. (Sometimes really simple,not worth creating a thread)

 

[CowboyNQ]

It's always worth creating a thread! You have a whole bunch of ready-made mentors here.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome.

Post a question, we all learn from each other.

 

[Rayblewit]

Hello Izzet,
Welcome to the forums.
Ray

 

[Elamshin]

Thanks for welcoming me.
Firstly i cant decide where should i focus and practice. I do vocals in my band and i also want to add some keyboard to our sound. Should i be following classic piano tutorials or mostly focus on chords and types? I have limited time , i work and you know wife,family etc. i have maximum 1.5 hours of practice per day. What would be more efficient in my situation?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Both the Korg X50 and the Yamaha PSR-E423 have just five octaves of synth-style or "diving board" keys, so neither one are very suitable for "classic piano tutorials"-- although it really depends on what you mean by that. ("Classic" sounds a bit like "classical," so I'm not sure if you mean learning to play classical piano pieces or simply learning to play the piano using a "traditional" approach to the lesson plans.) If you aren't much of a keyboardist yet, I'd suggest focusing on mastering the major and minor scales and chords first, both in terms of recognizing them when written on the treble clef and bass clef staffs, as well as playing them.

 

[CowboyNQ]

i have maximum 1.5 hours of practice per day.

That's more than enough to learn whatever you like. I wish I could find that much time!

 

[Elamshin]

Sorry for my english. I meant traditional approach. For example buying a piano method and following it step by step. Also if i want to use small samples and trigger them with a key on korg x50 , what should i do? Get a pc connected to it? Thanks for your help and patience.

 

[Elamshin]

That's more than enough to learn whatever you like. I wish I could find that much time!

No kids yet and a supporting wife You are probably at God level keyboardist Sir so you dont need as much as i do haha. Thanks

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Practicing for too long at a time can do more harm than good. Rather than trying to practice continuously for 1.5 hours each day, you might want to split that time up into two or more shorter sessions per day.

I'm not familiar with the Korg X50, so I'm not sure how to answer your question about triggering samples. If you can record or load a sample on the X50 itself then you shouldn't need to connect it to a computer. But if the X50 doesn't have sampling capabilities then you would presumably need to connect it to a computer or other device that can play samples, and use the X50 as a keyboard controller.

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome to the forum

 

[CowboyNQ]

No kids yet and a supporting wife You are probably at God level keyboardist Sir so you dont need as much as i do haha. Thanks

Excellent that you have a supportive partner.

Thanks for the kind but wildly inaccurate assessment of my playing, too. We mere mortals need to stick together!

 

[Elamshin]

Thanks for all your replies. After some look in threads thanks to similar threads feature below , i found answers to my many questions. This community is great. Feels very warm and friendly.
My keyboards are pretty old. I hurried a bit and bought X50 2nd hand. Satisfying sounds but i dont find control buttons user friendly.Also very small screen that bothers me a bit.
Now i got my eyes on Korg Krome and KROSS 2. Kross has pads on it so i can assign some sounds there and use them if needed. This Workstation thing really attracts my attention.
Questions is should i stick to my keyboards till some level? Or newer technology make things easier?
Also Roland has FA series. Worth checking?
It is hard to be a keyboard newbie

 

[CowboyNQ]

Now i got my eyes on Korg Krome and KROSS 2.

Both good keyboards and exceptional value for money.

Also Roland has FA series. Worth checking?

Yes - this is another good 'board (so I hear) and appears to also pack a big punch for the price. Comparable to the Korg Krome in terms of sound quality and features.

Questions is should i stick to my keyboards till some level? Or newer technology make things easier?

That's up to you. I believe you should have the instrument that makes playing most enjoyable and inspiring for you, within budgetary considerations of course. I wouldn't say newer tech is necessarily "easier" to use, but in the case of digital keyboards it will most likely sound better and possibly have more advanced features.

 

[Elamshin]

Thanks for your replies. Very helpful for me.

 

[Elamshin]

Hello Guys I have a question.
I am planning to buy a 2nd hand keyboard. MY last keyboard was also 2nd hand and it needed some repair.
Question is what should i look for when buying a 2nd hand keyboard? I know most of the things but still wondering if i miss something.

 

[Biggles]

Great advice for you so far.

I have a Kross 2 and love it, it has been frustrating learning the operating system but now its easy to use. Its great features are its small overall size and very light weight makes it very easy to transport for me, the keys and programming is very quick, favourite combinations of instrument voices are easy to set up.

If you go onto Youtube both Roland and Korg have their own Channels where video tutorials are located on using their respective keyboards.

Korg are labelled as Video Manual and Roland as Product Support, these are well worth watching.

I watched both companies videos many times before I choose the Kross 2 over the Juno DS61 and only chose the Kross 2 on weight and size as both were very similar in use.

 

[happyrat1]

My general advice on buying used gear is as follows.

1) What is the history of the board? Was it sitting comfortably in a studio all of its life or did the roadies trash it from gig to gig?

2) Does it have any cosmetic defects that indicate rough handling? Dented corners and stains and scratches from people eating a sandwich while they played?

3) Do a thorough check of each and every key, knob, button and slider to make sure that all function nominally.

4) Check all the ports you will use including MIDI, USB, Line Outs, Headphone Jack and pedal connections and make certain that all are fully functional.

5) Avoid anything older than ten years old or so. Problems tend to start creeping in after that age.

6) Use your instincts to determine if the seller is trustworthy or not. Is he telling you the truth about the history of the board or is he feeding you a line?

7) I always deal locally with Craigslist or Kijijiji. With an ebay purchase it's impossible to determine points 1 thru 4.

I've bought and sold a lot of gear in the past few decades and these rules have always served me well.

Gary

 

[Elamshin]

Thanks for detailed help.
I bought my last keyboard without checking it and it came with few problems. Fixed it easily though.
Now i want to ask you this.
This keyboard i am thinking of buying is Krome 61 keys.
Owner lives 1000 kms away from me. I have no chance to check it. Kind of gamble.
Keyboard + Plane ticket is around 850 USD . (Converted it from TR Liras) . New one is 1100 USD. I cant decide if 250 dollars worth it. Or should i just go for new one ?

 

[happyrat1]

The savings on the used one do not outweigh the risks here.

I'd say for a lousy $250 difference you'd be way better off buying a new unit and having not only the warranty but also the privilege of being the first owner with return privileges if it does arrive with any factory defects.

To be honest if you shop around you might even be able to pick up a new one for a better price. For instance, if the unit was an open box floor demonstrator model you can usually knock 25% off the dealer price right there and STILL have a warranty on a new unit.

Also patience is a virtue. If money is a consideration then buying used works but you have to be patient.

Keep an eye on the local craigslist and bide your time until a used one appears for a decent price. Buying used is not like buying new. It takes time but eventually what you want will appear on the local used market within a few weeks to a couple of months.

But like I said, for less than 25% difference between used and new I'd say screw it and buy new. Likewise if you can't even test it and it would cost you money to ship it back if it arrives DOA it's simply not a good enough price to justify it.

If the savings including shipping were 50% or more I might risk it. But for that money it's simply not worth it.

Gary