help!axiom49 or PSR?

[Kimmi]

Hey guys,

I've been interested in playing the piano but since i have no space for one,i was thinking of something to "replicate" a piano plus i'm alos interested i getting those synth/electronic/samples/effects sounds.Bands like B-quartet and incubus.

I've been looking around and seen the PSR yamaha but also the m-audio axiom 49.

I know i'm confusing alot of stuffs.what would you recommend for what i'm looking for.Budget wise 500?I'm asking alot but only have little to get it.

 

[Cheez]

They are 2 different animals and cannot be compared. Axiom 49 is a midi controller, which means it does not produce any sounds. It is used to control other midi devices/instruments. So that's obviously what you don't want, unless you want to go the software route, which will end up more than your budget.

PSR at that price gives you the basic sounds, but unlikely what you want in electronic music. Best is to look for 2nd hand synths like the Yamaha S03 (for example).

 

[iansoh]

Firstly, to play piano you'll need more than 49 keys. you can get by with 76 keys as a beginner.

Secondly, to have the cool electronic sounds/effects you'll need a synthesizer, not an arranger keyboard like the PSR series. Korg has nice electronic sounds, you'll want to consider Korg above yamaha and roland in this department. with a budget of $500 you can land an old X-series, T-series or N-series or the older M1. only the X, T and N series come in 76 key variants.

If you go down the midi controller route, which is becoming more common these days, you'll need a laptop to go along with your midi controller keyboard. you can get by with a Pentium 4 and 512MB RAM. Lots of freeware VSTs out there to use, and they're getting better all the time. KVR: Virtual Instruments, Virtual Effects, VST Plugins, Audio Units (AU), DirectX (DX), Universal Binary Compatibility - Audio Plugin News, Reviews and Community is the place to go.

Software is certainly more powerful than any of the old hardware synthesizers mentioned above. Moreover, it allows you to streamline and customise your rig. hardware synthesizers come with a lot of other sounds which you may not be interested in, and you may end up liking only a handful of sounds. whereas if you go down the software route, you can pick and choose what to install and use. On the down side, you'll need to muster the discipline to learn the basic technical aspects of setting up your computer for audio.

 

[Kimmi]

haha,kind of noob at this stuff.

Actually,to be more exact,kind of looking for stuff that "resembles" of Incubus or B-quartet.The mellotrons,samples and Piano,.They use a keyboard like equipment.I'm interested to learn but theres so many things.The effects and those ambient sounds but also the acoustic piano sound.

I've been looking at M-audio site and the options.So far,i'm thinking of purchasing the Keystation 61es and the software key rig and the G-force M-tron.

Haha,i'm confusing everyone i guess but its just,i don't really gets how it works.

Anyone has experience with the above mentioned equipment?haha do help.

 

[SilverBeast]

Kimmi, do more reading up to find out what you really want in your keyboard, then stearnline to fit your budget. The following link is not the only source for reference, but something to start with:
Tips on Buying a Keyboard for your Home or Project Studio