Please help - need advice for a present!

[EmilyJ333]

Hi there
I know lots of people ask this all the time but I could really do with some help choosing a keyboard for my husband's 50th in a couple of few weeks. He likes using Garage Band to create tracks and I know he would love a keyboard to get more creative. On the one hand I've been advised to buy a straighforward digital piano which he can use as a controller by continuing to use the computer with it. But then other things I've read say an Arranger or Workstation would be better. For my own selfish reasons I'd like a full size 88 weighted keyboard so I can use it as a straightforward piano (I used to play).
As you can probably tell I'm completely lost in all the jargon / technical details and don't know where to go next. In terms of budget I'm thinking about £400 which I suspect means going second hand.
I'm hoping someone here will have the patience to point me in the right direction. So far my shortlist includes a Yamaha P85, a Korg N1 and a Yamaha MM8.
I'm aware these are all quite different.
Please help! Thanks
P.S. One small but significant point about my husband is that he'd much prefer something older that was better quality and respected by pros than something new that was created for amateurs

 

[Iain]

I would say that you dont need a workstation as most of the creative work will be done on garage band ... I recently played a casio .... I know ... a casio ... and was really impressed it was a CDP 100 nice touch and great piano sounds ... sat in teh shop till they got fedup with me ... it was only 280 GBP new ... so if it only to play stuff into garage band and use as a piano doodler .... I would say teh casio is a good option .. Korg and Yamaha you are paying for the name and could only get reasonable second hand kit for you budget .. try it out