Keyboard for older people

[Rayblewit]

My friend (also age 70 plus) has a EK-50 and a psr373.
He is keeping the Korg and selling the Yamaha.
Says the Korg has better sounds and is easier to to use.
I would choose Korg now if I starting out.

 

[Biggles]

 

[Cliff]

I'm new to this forum, and can't figure out how to edit my post above. But I would like to add that the Roland BK-5, BK-9, G-70, E-50, etc., all have a DIN MIDI input and provisions for triggering bass from a MIDI pedalboard like the PK-5A. So if your friend wants to continue playing bass pedals "organ style," there's no reason he can't continue to do so with one of these single-manual arrangers.
The same would be true of a Korg Pa700 or a Yamaha PSR-SX700. You have to select a model that's at least middle-of-the-range. A low-end entry level keyboard won't have this facility. My $.02.

Thank you for your input. You have been most helpful. I will canvas the idea with them. In fact I will check it out for my keyboard at home. I have the Roland BK-9, which from you post suggests it should be compatible.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Roland GO:KEYS 3

 

[Biggles]

Roland GO:KEYS 3

Good call.

A keyboard that looks like a vast improvement over its earlier models.

Has Style play and whilst there are a lot of modern ones there looks to be more than enough to satisfy older users. Plenty of Ballard, Rock, pop, Jazz, Latin etc styles.

£350 for the Go 3 & £450 for the Go 5, dimensions 950mm x 286mm x 87mm and only 10lbs in weight.

 

[Rayblewit]

I'm new to this forum, and can't figure out how to edit my post above.

At the bottom of your post is 3 dots (next to "report") Click on the 3 dots and you will get an "edit" option.
But, if you leave it too long . . You could be timed out.

 

[TedS]

If your friend is happy with his Korg that's great. I would still regard it as an entry level arranger, albeit with a pro-level sound set. It doesn't have DIN MIDI jacks, or any provision to control the bass with organ-style foot pedals. I was disappointed to learn that Korg grouped "on bass" chord detection together with "Fingered 3" in a single menu setting, instead of making bass inversion a separate control as on the Pa700 and all of its older models. The result is that songs having mostly basic chords and the occasional slash chord are unnecessarily difficult to play, because ALL chords must be played with a minimum of 3 notes. (IMO Roland has the best system of this type; Casio comes close.)

Re: GO:Keys: I agree that the GO:Keys 3 and GO:Keys 5 are much more capable than the original GO:Keys. However, they lack any provision for "Sync Stop" (which silences the accompaniment when you release the keys.) Almost all arrangers since the 1990s have had this feature, and it's essential to my playing style. I have requested that it be added in a future OS update. In the meantime I would cross-shop the GO:Keys 3 against the Casio CT-S500. Download both manuals and compare them feature-for-feature. The Casio is also tidy and portable, IMO a good value in an entry-level arranger.

 

[Biggles]

If your friend is happy with his Korg that's great. I would still regard it as an entry level arranger, albeit with a pro-level sound set. It doesn't have DIN MIDI jacks, or any provision to control the bass with organ-style foot pedals. I was disappointed to learn that Korg grouped "on bass" chord detection together with "Fingered 3" in a single menu setting, instead of making bass inversion a separate control as on the Pa700 and all of its older models. The result is that songs having mostly basic chords and the occasional slash chord are unnecessarily difficult to play, because ALL chords must be played with a minimum of 3 notes. (IMO Roland has the best system of this type; Casio comes close.)

Re: GO:Keys: I agree that the GO:Keys 3 and GO:Keys 5 are much more capable than the original GO:Keys. However, they lack any provision for "Sync Stop" (which silences the accompaniment when you release the keys.) Almost all arrangers since the 1990s have had this feature, and it's essential to my playing style. I have requested that it be added in a future OS update. In the meantime I would cross-shop the GO:Keys 3 against the Casio CT-S500. Download both manuals and compare them feature-for-feature. The Casio is also tidy and portable, IMO a good value in an entry-level arranger.

Despite the sales blurb I certainly would not class the S500 as an Arranger, it has Arranger features.

There are three things wrong with a Casio CT S, (1) poor operating system (2) AIX sound cannot be described as anything other than mediocre (3) the design looks like a Bontempi organ of the 80’s.

The Korg and Roland offer by far better VFM

 

[Franky de Montreal]

Can anyone recommend a suitable easy-to-learn keyboard for older people? I'm often asked by retired folk, who would like to get back into playing again, but are confused by all the bells and whistles that are on offer now. Is there something in a reputable brand that only requires a simple choice of rhythm and solo instrument and they are up and running? All they need to do is play the solo with the right hand and chords in the left.

 

[Franky de Montreal]

Yamaha !