Malcos Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I've been using Reason for 7 years now (although I still haven't got version 4 yet). I'm a keyboard player at heart so I'm looking for a workstation keyboard. I've always lusted after workstations, and now I've got a real job I'm gonna get myself one! I'm really thinking of the Yamaha Motif XS 8, which is super expensive so it'll take me a whole year of some serious saving up to get. Is there any other synths which you guys think I should also consider? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Ask yourself first if you really need a workstation. The screen is smaller, it won't run any VST plugins, and you'll need a lot more button pushing to get things done. Sure, you can hook up a mouse. Now you have an older computer with a tiny screen. Yay! The reason people buy those is because they usually have the best piano sounds. Consider an S90ES; yes, it's a little bit older, but the keyboard's just as good, and it'll accept PLG plugin boards; also, it's got all the sounds (it's not just a digital piano). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunahorum Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Get some sick vst plugins with a good keyboard you can stick in front of your computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaris Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Hey Malcos are looking strictly for hardware solutions? If so the Roland V-Synth is another to check out. With the V-Synth you can add a $99 card that will allow to play the full Roland D-50 on it. It also has a ton of functionality as well. Getting IK-Multimeda Sampletank 2.5 or Sonik Synth 2 are other options. Native Instruments Komplete will give you an ENORMOUS amount of sounds to work with for a much lower price. Although some are CPU hungry like Massive, GuitarRig3 for starters. It would prob be best to demo a lot of NI stuff first before you shell out that huge amount of cash. If you are looking for something that is just completely kick ass this might float your boat: http://www.spectrasonics.net/omnisphere_teaser/ Are you looking at a workstation for it's functionality or its vast array of high quality sounds? You looking for sampled or synth sounds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverCoat Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 The screen is smaller, it won't run any VST plugins, and you'll need a lot more button pushing to get things done. Sure, you can hook up a mouse. Now you have an older computer with a tiny screen. Yay! I've been looking at the Neko64 keyboards, which actually CAN run VST plugins, but I'm kind of regretting ever considering them because now their main selling point is that Timbaland uses their product. They actually have a "Timbaland Edition" Neko64. Yes, I will drop support of a product for stupid reasons like that. Same with the RME "Multiface" because it's a goddamn stupid name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I've been looking at the Neko64 keyboards, which actually CAN run VST plugins But they're computers. Pretty high-priced ones at that, and the only advantages are that the control surfaces are right in front of you. While it's not portable, a good desk goes a long, long way in the way of ergonomics... Same with the RME "Multiface" because it's a goddamn stupid name. But RME is actually pretty good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcos Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Hey Malcos are looking strictly for hardware solutions? Yeah I'm looking strictly at hardware, I should have mentioned that from the beginning. I'm looking for hardware because there is a good chance that I'll be doing some live gigs in the future and I'll want to be able to carry those sounds with me wherever I go. Are you looking at a workstation for it's functionality or its vast array of high quality sounds? You looking for sampled or synth sounds? The only thing that I would say that I wouldn't really need in a workstation would be the sequencer. I'm looking for everything you said there though - vast array of hq sounds, both sampled and synth. I want it all. I also want to be able to import my own wav files ie. drum kits. Roland stuff that I've heard so far is really lacking in the realism as far as acoustic instruments go. I had considered the S90ES very seriously - it's still in contention if I can be sure that the sounds are as fantastic as the Motif XS, or close enough to it. I'm going to do a lot of research/reading around before I get down to a final 3. Then I'll go and play them all and see which one I like best. This is a huge purchase so I have to make sure I get the right synth. I know it might sound silly to some to say that I want an all in one solution, but Reason has done it for me thus far. I'll be using Sonar to sequence, record and master, (so I won't be needing that neko) but great sounds and a nice new keyboard is what I'm after. Thanks for your recommendations so far guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaris Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Ahh okay. Here is a pretty good conversation on KVR about the M3 and V-Synth. There is some good info in there. http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=215585 The Korg Triton is another one to check out. The sound demos for the Roland Fantom-8 were pretty good. http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=918 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverCoat Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Malcos, you ARE going down to the shop and playing with these things, right? Actually, I wish I had more time to do stuff like that I like playing around with stuff in the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcos Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 It's crucial that I do play the keyboards before I make the final decision. I have played around with the Yamaha Motif XS8 and the Roland fantom (only a little bit). But this was long before I though of actually buying a workstation. I'm just looking for any input that might help me with my decision. The s90es really is great, if only it had sampling so I could put my own drum kits in the machine! There should be a new version of it coming out soon (s90xs?) so I may wait till that one comes out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpretzel Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 One option would be to save some serious $$$ and get a plain old Motif 8, or if you don't need the keys, Motif 6. I bought my Motif 6 back with the introduction of the Motif series, for something like $1600 if I recall, and you can now get them for... $650-700 used, good condition. If you're all about loading your own sounds and what not, checking out Alesis HD workstations might not be the worst idea, as they're pretty cheap... now. Can't vouch for 'em at all, just tossing that out there. Bottom line, if you're gonna take it to a lot of gigs, I wouldn't get the shnazziest, most expensive kit available. I'd get something sturdy that does what you need and no more and that wouldn't set you back a ton if got beer thrown at it by inebriated audience members. Then again, I don't know what type of gigs these are... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcos Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 Yeah getting an older Motif 8 might be a good idea too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 The ES has several improvements over the original, though, and because of the XS those prices have been pushed down, too. It's really stupid. You have a perfectly good model from 2005 or so, and it suddenly turns obsolete when the new kid in town arrives. It didn't stop working and the difference in instrument quality is - let's be fair - not that big. In fact, the XS (as well as the Fantom G) have dropped several useful functions present in the ES and the Fantom X). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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