Learning to funk

[funksoulbrutha]

Hey i want to learn to play the keyboard with the aim to play funky organ along with vocals and bass and drums i will compose myself. But i want a keyboard that will produce the funky sounds of the 70s like fender rhodes , hammond, wurli, and clav but also want to access samples like minimoog bass. Should i get a Nord keyboard or should i get a controller keyboard and get the samples from elsewhere??? Please help!! Budget is an issue-i'll have to get used or second hand equipment.

 

[Burn4Him]

your best bet is probably a controller, rather than a nord. what is your budget?

 

[Skipp]

Keyboards are expencive instruments. Everything that doesn't sound like a toy, costs a decent amount of money.

Usually, for the price of a new decent keyboard you can get a used semi-pro/pro keyboard.

It seems you want an all-round machine and really, there is no such thing.
Every keyboard has it's flaws and advantages and it's up to you to see which of
them can you turn a blind eye to.

For example, Yamaha is known for great acoustic sounds like pianos, guitars etc...
Korg on the other hand blows everything away when it comes to synths, pads, motion pads etc... but has really (and i mean really) crappy pianos - especially the old ones.

If you get a controller, you must know that you don't get a single sound with it,
and you'll be forced to use VST software on your PC. And those things really
don't cost much less. Not to mention you'll need a lot of them since you basically
want all sounds (drums, bases, synths, guitars...)

Let us know your budget and we can discuss further

 

[[email protected]]

Nord keyboards are adequate controllers...

I would reccomend you get a small Nord Electro, and maybe a microkorg.

My experience of using a controller with modules or soft synths... is that modules sound shit in an attempt to do everything... they're ok live, but on a recording sounds will dissatisfy you everytime you hear them if they aren't amazing. E.g. the rhodes sound on a motif is fine. Its perfectly fine. Its too perfectly fine!!

And soft synths sound amazing but are expensive, and a hassle...

If you can get into synths you can get some really good sounds with the synth section of the nord stage. But its not particuarly intuitive... It'll do for a while though... what I'd do in your position would be either get an Electro 3, and microkorg, or a stage, and save money for a while before deciding what you want.

Some of the sounds on the yamaha motif are nice. They are not THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD, as many would tell you! They're usable. Wouldn't touch a recording with them though. And it certainly doesn't have 'killer organs', as I have read in many reviews!

 

[Mourndark]

Nononono, you don't want a MicroKorg! It's a synth - you won't get any of the classic keyboard sounds on it. The Nord MAY be a better idea, but if we know your budget, then we can give you some better advice.

 

[[email protected]]

Nononono, you don't want a MicroKorg! It's a synth - you won't get any of the classic keyboard sounds on it. The Nord MAY be a better idea, but if we know your budget, then we can give you some better advice.

I would reccomend you get a small Nord Electro, and maybe a microkorg.

Our keyboarding comrade wants :-

The classic keyboards + synths.

Nord Electro gives access to a pretty good sampled mellotron. Nord stage has an effective synth section, but I wouldn't say its the best one for doing funk stuff... if by funk stuff we're thinking along the lines of Herbie esque...

 

[jmemcse]

E-Mu Vintage keys has every instrument your list.

 

[FrankJ]

Nords are okay, but last time I checked they didn't have a factory repair shop in the U.S. Which means that if the keyboard breaks then you have to ship it to Sweden to get it fixed.

I think skipp is right about Yamaha. The Motif es and xs series have great clavichord, electric piano, and organ samples. They even have some good synth samples. However Korg has recently introduced a new board, the Korg SV-1 http://www.korg.com/product.aspx?pd=562 It's a tube driven keyboard with 36 (I think) vintage sounds. It has amp simulation as well as onboard effects and its about $500 less than a motif. I think the going price is around $1500, and from what I've heard I really like it.

 

[Skipp]

I think skipp is right about Yamaha. The Motif es and xs series have great clavichord, electric piano, and organ samples. They even have some good synth samples. However Korg has recently introduced a new board, the Korg SV-1 http://www.korg.com/product.aspx?pd=562 It's a tube driven keyboard with 36 (I think) vintage sounds. It has amp simulation as well as onboard effects and its about $500 less than a motif. I think the going price is around $1500, and from what I've heard I really like it.

You can't compare a stage piano to a workstation sampler

If you're comparing the SV-1, then you'd have to compare it to Yamaha's CP series.
(CP33, CP300, CP50, CP5, CP1)

 

[FrankJ]

true. but I was talking more along the lines of sample quality. In which case the yamaha CP series doesn't impress me very much.

 

[Burn4Him]

if budget is an issue then were starting to get into the more pricy equpment. what is your budget?

 

[elwoodblues1969]

For example, Yamaha is known for great acoustic sounds like pianos, guitars etc...
Korg on the other hand blows everything away when it comes to synths, pads, motion pads etc... but has really (and i mean really) crappy pianos - especially the old ones.

If you get a controller, you must know that you don't get a single sound with it,
and you'll be forced to use VST software on your PC. And those things really
don't cost much less. Not to mention you'll need a lot of them since you basically
want all sounds (drums, bases, synths, guitars...)

Let us know your budget and we can discuss further

Woah lady...with all due respect,do you really think the Korg M3 Xpanded pianos are crappy??
Hell...even the Bosendorfer piano sample in the Triton Extreme is very usable(it's not as meticulously sampled as the M3 Xpanded piano),but it is still a vast improvement over any other piano sound Korg ever created prior to it.

As for computer software being equally expensive...well,that's not necessarily true(unless of course,one is starting from absolute scratch,with not even so much as owning a computer).
For instance,Propellerhead Reason 4 is the most value-priced software program out there,as not only is it a midi sequencing program,it has some of the most amazing synth engines I have ever heard..along with amazing electric guitar & bass samples you won't find in hardware.
The effects processors in this program,simply cannot be found in any hardware workstation and there are also usable organs & e.pianos.

The included acoustic pianos in Reason 4 are terrible,but the Piano Refill software is very reasonable & very authentic in sample quality.

No one who buys Reason 4,will "be forced" to buy VST's,as Reason 4 is all inclusive(with the exception of upgrading your pianos & supplementing your drum arsenal a bit,with Reason Refills).

Reason 4 is only $300 now...(I paid $400,but don't regret one red cent of it though).
I also have Presonus Studio One & NI Komplete 6 and Reason 4 is still the centerpiece of my studio for excellent synth sounds,e. bass & guitar sounds,because it's t-h-a-t good!

I would recommend Reason 4 to anyone just starting out on a budget,but Reason 4 is also a very professional sounding program in many respects.


-Elwood

 

[Burn4Him]

i have played the pianos on the m3 and i have to say its the best on any korg i've ever played (granted ive never played their sv1 but i heard its pretty good) however compaired to the yamahas there not quite there yet. yamaha has some pretty awesome acoustic piano sounds i have an s90 and its phenomenal.

 

[FrankJ]

The reason the SV-1 impresses me so much is that its tube driven, giving it a very warm sound. As far as I'm aware, there aren't any other new keyboards on the market that boast this feature.

 

[Burn4Him]

i believe the korg tr extremes are also tube driven

 

[Skipp]

Woah lady...with all due respect,do you really think the Korg M3 Xpanded pianos are crappy??
Hell...even the Bosendorfer piano sample in the Triton Extreme is very usable(it's not as meticulously sampled as the M3 Xpanded piano),but it is still a vast improvement over any other piano sound Korg ever created prior to it.

Yes I do. M3 pianos are WAY better then any previous Korg pianos, BUT they still
feel and sound plonky and thin (especially in a full band mix) compared to my CP33.

I've always been a big fan of Yamaha's pianos, and I always will.

Korg's pianos compare to Yamaha's the same way as Yamaha's pad/strings compare
to Korg's.

Korg just blows them away without even trying

i believe the korg tr extremes are also tube driven

There is no such thing

There's the Triton Extreme, and the Korg TR (Which is not officially a triton), and it doesn't have a tube.
TR is basically a very stripped down version of the Extreme, same as the LE is to the classic Triton

true. but I was talking more along the lines of sample quality. In which case the yamaha CP series doesn't impress me very much.

Which is funny since even Korg claims that the SV1 has "Japaneese sampled pianos" hehe. I've played the SV1, and there is a piano very similar to the on in the CP series.
Maybe needs a bit tweaking though

 

[FrankJ]

Yes I do. M3 pianos are WAY better then any previous Korg pianos, BUT they still
feel and sound plonky and thin (especially in a full band mix) compared to my CP33.

I've always been a big fan of Yamaha's pianos, and I always will.

Korg's pianos compare to Yamaha's the same way as Yamaha's pad/strings compare
to Korg's.

Korg just blows them away without even trying

I must agree. I've used the m3's pianos live on several occasions and they tend to sound very shrill in a full band mix

There is no such thing

There's the Triton Extreme, and the Korg TR (Which is not officially a triton), and it doesn't have a tube.
TR is basically a very stripped down version of the Extreme, same as the LE is to the classic Triton

this link seems to say differently... http://www.korg.co.uk/products/workstations/triton_ex/ws_triton_ex_info01.asp

Which is funny since even Korg claims that the SV1 has "Japaneese sampled pianos" hehe. I've played the SV1, and there is a piano very similar to the on in the CP series.
Maybe needs a bit tweaking though

it seems to me that korg is starting to come out of its lame-ness as far as pianos go. and just for the record I plan on getting one as soon as I can amass $1500.

 

[Skipp]

this link seems to say differently... http://www.korg.co.uk/products/workstations/triton_ex/ws_triton_ex_info01.asp

Hehe, that's what I wrote. there IS a Triton Extreme, and there IS a Korg TR.
There are NO Korg TR Extremes

Unless Burn4Him ment "Triton" when typing "tr"

It's a common mistake since they chose to shorten the name like Yamaha did
with the MO, while half of the people kept reffering to the Motif Classic as "Mo"

 

[FrankJ]

ooooooh my apologies

 

[Burn4Him]

sorry that was my fault i did mean triton extreme. sorry sometimes i type faster than i think and i ment to comment something on the korg tr too, sometimes my brain just doesnt work as fast as i would like it too.

sorry for any confusion.