First Keyboard

[invisibleplanet]

What was the first electronic keyboard u ever used?

Can u recommend one for a learner?


I wish to buy a keyboard, for an 8 yr old friend of mine to learn to play on. He already plays drum, and will soon be taking classical guitar lessons, but has expressed a desire to also learn keyboard. He will be having six lessons first, b4 I buy the kb, to see if he actually likes to do this, but to be honest, he will have some competition with me to play on it!

I need to also plug the kb into my sound card...and to be honest, I don't have a clue how to do this!

[dirtyho]

Do you want a keyboard with a synth built in - or just a midi keyboard to attach to a computer?

[r_v]

my very first keyboard was a Yamaha portasound. I got this when I was about 8 years old too. Ahhh... happy days.

I'm assuming that your young friend is more interested in learning the theory of keys than mucking about with synth sounds and making wonky noises (so, probably the opposite of everyone on this board :) ). There probably isn't much point on splurging hunderds of pounds on a full blown synthesiser yet.

Its tough buying a keyboard at that age 'coz full size keys are probably a little too big for small fingers but if you buy an instrument with smaller keys, you'll grow out of it at some point.

I'd suggest trying to find a cheap Casio or Yamaha, preferably with smaller keys. These keyboards, although they're cheap, usually have at least a good piano sound or something and are perfectly okay for learning on. Maybe a few years down the road, your friend might want to get something with full size, weighted kays (weighted keys simulate the 'heavy' action of a piano kayboard).

As regards hooking up the keyboard to your soundcard:

You'll need to find a keyboard with a MIDI output port. This might be a little more expensive but probably not much. Hooking it up to your soundcard will be quite straight forward. I'm sure you'll find pleanty of help here when the time comes.

Hope this helps. Good luck

:)

[piscaries]

my first keyboard was a casio sa-100 that i still have today. i got it when i was about 7 from my parents. the question is, is your friend (and you) wanting to play keyboard or synth? they're two different worlds. if they just need a board to learn proper piano/keyboard technique, then maybe just a consumer keyboard like a casiotone or yamaha psr series would do. if you want to spend a little more money you can get a roland xp-30 which has some really nice sounds on it and is at the low end of the professional keyboard spectrum. the xp 30 costs about us$550, whereas the casiotones and yamahas range from about us$150 to us$400. also, roland makes a super-cheap entry level keyboard. i can't remember the model, but they're widely available at most any music store that sells keyboards. also check out (ermm..) ebay for decent prices as well

[pille'ocheoni]

see i knew planet a musican at heart!:)......my first keyboard was the sk-5 by casio.a little 25 keyer.and it was very cool back in the 80's. but not recommended, some other model of a casio with speakers on board would be enough for any begininer.:)

[tsr_tomas]

don´t remeber.

[pille'ocheoni]

?

[Ruben A]

jup go out and have a look at the cheaper Yamaha CS-1x, An-1x.... they are really cool compared to the price. I actually still have a Cs-1x.. (only use it as midikeyboard) but it´s still kind of great!

cs1x (http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/yamaha_cs1x.cfm)
an1x (http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/yamaha_an1x.cfm)

:)

[piscaries]

ooh... that's a good alternative as well (cs1x). i had forgotten about that. that crosses over into the synth realm as well as being a good keyboard.

[invisibleplanet]

thanks for your advice! i'll let u know how it goes *g

[Sheridan]

check out these two sites for info on different kinds of boards. and you could also give them a call to help you find the perfect board.

www.fullcompass.com
www.sweetwater.com

[LEFTHANDLOU]

Check Out www.sonicstate.com/synth/

They have reviews, and comments on all these lovely gadgets

[c s]

my very first synth was a very small casio with this "da da da" rhythm and 4 sounds in it, now owned by a friend. the first a-bit-real one was yamaha pss380 without midi which i still have. it was only yesterday that i used it. i also used it on kawasaki from msq018, still love it!. ;)

[invisibleplanet]

i think what you all need to know, is that I am very ignorant about electronic keyboards, and many of the terms used are as a foreign language to me.

I began playing cello when i was 8, and played until i was around 14/15. I also learned guitar for several years, but I'm not so good with the treble clef. I played around with flute, and double bass, and had several piano lessons about 10 years ago, but couldn't afford to buy a kb at that time. Since I haven't really played an instrument since 22 years ago (i broke my left wrist horseriding, and that kind of finished me off with cello), I can't recall consciously very much. Although I do pride myself on being able to pick up an instrument, and make a tuneful sound (even on John Connell's chapman stick!), I am no good with a reed instrument. The electronic keyboard has all the sounds - i think the only thing it misses is a bow.

once again, thanks for your help...but remember, i'm stupid!

[pille'ocheoni]

nice.... i want a double bass so bad.money though..........i know how you feel, i played trumpet for 10 years and have increasingly bad carpotunnel. so i cant spend the time i used to on it. accually i havent even touched that thing in a like two months. i think i will play it today. well nice to hear you've nutured your love for acoustic. good luck with your anvenues. need any help just ask:)

[piscaries]

i wish i knew how to play anything. i can program, but i can't read music. i used to be in choir when i was in jr. high school, but i never really learned how to read music well. i still sing but i still don't know what i'm singing. so at least you guys have that workin for you

[JE:5]

Originally posted by c s
my very first synth was a very small casio with this "da da da" rhythm and 4 sounds in it, now owned by a friend.

Ahh, Casio VL-1! (da da da, Trio!)
I used to have one of them ,you could program new sounds using the calculator!
Mine first was a Yamamha PSS-570 with a built in FM synth type thing.
My first Analogue tweaking experience was my Bass station keyboard that I got when I was 18, can still remember my dad saying "fucking hell it sounds like space invaders in here"!

I still have all my old keyboards, PSS-570, PSS-480, PSS-170x2, Casio SK-5 (A bit fucked now due to exsessive circuit bending) Don't know where my VL-1 dissapeared to :(

[Daddys Girl]

I still have my 1st Keyboard that my Mum bought for me YEARS ago - I think I got it when I was like seven or eight years old - It's a Yamaha Portasound PSS-170, and the baby is still going strong on her adapter. Considering that I'm 20 now, I think it's pretty cool that I still have it and tinker on it.
It boosted my interest in learning how to play the piano...

D_G ;o)

[7875]

the only keyboard i have, a juno 1 that i got when i was sixteen for
$645.
think i might need to update?

[c s]

pss series rocks! my first 'band' consisted af a friend and his pss580 (midi! sound memory! drum samples!), me & my pss 380 (no memory, no midi) and a c64 who played sampled drums & fx. no midi, all played by hand. you can easily imagine the complexity of the tracks. ;)

i also tried to learn some instruments (drums, trombone) but never got anywhere. lol

[JE:5]

I found my PSS-480 in a bin round the corner from my house, I used it for the main riff on my track "Scapegoat"!

I've also got a dead Yamaha DX-100, anyone know anyone who can fix it?