Keyboard or (boards) suggestion for composition and performance

[ChrisR]

So I am in the market for a new board. I have had a Yamaha S-80 (which I loved) and a Yamaha stage piano hooked into True Pianos VSTs for composition (also awesome).

I love the full-weighted keys, 88 as well as access to a great sustain pedal, good sound bank/synthesis and rhythms. Basically a very strong piano that gives me real capability to add in other strong sounds, split sounds, experiment with synthesis. Given these needs, I would normally gravitate towards a piano-based workstation--Yamaha S90xS or similar--then if I was dissatisfied, add in sounds I wanted from VSTs (such as True Pianos) and plug the thing into recording software and I would seemingly be set for composition and performance. I am wondering, though, with software so advanced, if there's a cheaper way to do this. A friend has suggested an 88-key MIDI controller and plugging it into VSTs. I don't know. The controllers tend to be geared towards fooling around with sounds and not actually having to compose something on piano or performing something that is piano-based.

Suggestions?

Also, if I am moving into performance, I am wondering if I'd need two sets of keys for some 80s stuff that seems to require it or whether a split function would be enough.

Also, I've seen some of these performance guys hook their machines into laptops, and my hunch is they are playing VSTs through them--not actually playing a whole separate line (say bass or accompaniement) through the system---but you never know. Any suggestions there? What's a good live setup for a lot of synth-driven stuff?

 

[proghodet]

I have a topic on the subject in the midi-section, check out "New setup, any tips?"

 

[b3maniac]

I still have a Yamaha S80 with the PLG piano board, and I like the feel and sound of it. But it weights about 57 pounds, and recent cyatic nerve issues won't let me do much lifting. I just bought a used Casio PX3 because it only weights about 24 pounds and has some good midi controller features. I was thinking I would use the PX3 as a controller for my Receptor, but the PX3 sounds pretty good so I probably can get by with just the PX3. It has split/layer/zone capabilities, and you can do layers on the fly. It is primarily intended to be a stage piano, but does have other basic gig sounds.
You might try to find a store with a PX3 in stock and play it to see if that is something that might work for your purposes. Don.