I currently own an entry level Yamaha Keyboard - the EZ-30. It features a simple sequencer and Flash ROM.

There is no disk drive and if you want to create a song you have to fully commit a one off performance to a track so you really need to have decided exactly what you want to do before you begin recording which, as a non-musician, isn't something I'm into.

What *I* like to do is to improvise and experiment with musical phrases with a view to being able to freely cut and paste them together.

With this in mind, I have been considering the Yamaha PSR 2100 but have also seen a lot of people praising Technics boards (which I hadn't previously heard of).

I wonder which makes and models of keyboard the knowledgeable would recommend as being the best for composing. I'm looking for ease of use, practicality and high quality voices that sound as much like authentic instruments (I'm very drawn to orchestral, folk and ethnic tones as well as the human voice) as possible.

If anyone can provide links to products, especially if they have sound samples and images of editing facilities - that would be super fab'.

You should consider a PC software sequencer as your first option. Even the low priced PowerTracks by Band-In-A-Box people www.pgmusic.com will produce easier sequence results and viewed on a larger PC Monitor screen.

Graham UK

Hmm.

The reason I've never really embraced a PC sequencing package is that I *love* certain voices that are available on the keyboard but that are beyond the scope of General Midi (which is all the EZ-30 can offer).

To retain EXACTLY the sounds I want I have so far had to acquire them as wavs and then manipulate them in Cool Edit Pro 2.

This is awkward for me, as a non-musician, because it means I lose the raw MIDI information - which is the only route I have back to re-creating and re-using an appealing melodic phrase that I have accidentally shaped and would have liked to have tried with a variety of voices.

I was hoping that there would be a keyboard that would allow me to use its high quality voices with free cut and pasting available so that I could rearrange AND save my efforts to disk.

The EZ-30 only permits you to have one live performance run at each track. You can't go back and alter anything, re-record a segment or create a song in stages and your storage is limited by the Flash ROM.

I've made lots of 30 second to 1 minute pieces that I like and that I would want to develop but I've been too hemmed in.

I hoped with a better machine I could build pieces up bit by bit - a few seconds at a time.

Would this be off-puttingly hard to achieve with a Yamaha PSR 2100 or Technics KN2600 ? I've read that Korg have the best on board sequencing.

Is it true that the PSR 2100 has 16 tracks available for sequencing but that you can only put certain types of instruments in certain of these numbered slots meaning that you couldn't have 16 drum kits or 16 woodwinds - or are you free to select ANY voice ?

I find all of the Yamaha models, even the tyros limiting if trying to do extensive sequence editing like your are asking.
Korg i3 & i30 I have owned in the past were certainly good at the things you are wanting to do. Possibly the Korg PA80 may provide the same facilities, but I have not tried the sequencer on the PA80.
Possibly a PA80 owner could add comments regarding the limitations of the PA80 sequencer.

You could record into a PC Sequencer and then load back into your keyboard and change any GM track voices for your inbuilt panel voices.

Just a suggestion. Graham UK.

I would look for a keyboard that has the voices you like, and use a PC sequencer for recording, editing, and playback. I use Sonar but there are many alternatives available. I only edit files using the sequencer onboard my PSR2k when "in the field" and even then only for track remix/revoice purposes.

You can easily configure your PC and keyboard so that the PC records your playing and uses the keyboard to play back the music.

You could play back wav files on the PC triggering from the keyboard (or previously recorded playing) using a PC sequencer package that included sample playback; this is not an area I have personally explored.

I've had a look at Cakewalk Music Creator and loved the simplicity and the way that you can record several times over a single track and mix multiple takes together - wonderful.

That program has some templates for the orchestra, a rock band, string quartet, jazz trio etc that is really useful. It even gives you panning so that voices are correctly positioned - MAGIC !!

I think the voices are all chosen from the General Midi 128. Does this mean that if I got a keyboard with higher quality voices I would automatically get the BEST version of each available on that instrument - so if I bought a Yamaha PSR 2100 I'd automatically get Sweet Trumpet ?

I'm most keen to find a keyboard that has the most natural sounding orchestral and acoustic instruments and that will help me create compositions that will generally not be longer than 2 minutes in duration, 3 at the most and it would be brilliant if I could sequence ON THE BOARD - I still find it far more comfortable.

I've downloaded the PSR 2100 manual and looked in the sequencing section. It says you have 16 tracks but I'm not sure if YOU, as the user, actually only have 8 and that the second half is entirely for the keyboard's OWN accompaniament - this seems to be the case with my EZ-30 where you are only actually free to do as you please with 5 voices/tracks.

I wonder if I should be looking more to something like the Motif or the Korg (mentioned in this thread) to achieve what I would like to do.

Do these synth's have much higher quality voices ?.... They look a bit dauntingly spanners out with OS's having to be downloaded, and expansion cards 'n' hard drives needed.....

Tatter,
I own both the Tyros and the Motif. What I will say in general is this to your last Q. One needs to be ready to move to a workstation like the Motif. While the sequencer is great and allows for what you want to do, seperate instruments of your choosing on all 16 tracks, the learning curve on a workstation is quite a bit more than on an arranger.

The Motif manual is online, you perhaps want to have a look at it and also visit the Motif forum and see if it is something you want to buy into. I love it as do most MoBros however it is a challenge for many.
http://www.motifator.com/es/index_es.ph

Terry

------------------
jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html