Good Keyboard Workstation for $600-$1000?

[100_PERCENT ROEMER]

Alrighty, I've decided that it's finally time to drop the money on a really nice workstation, and hopefully it'll be something I can use for years. I've been playing piano for 9 years, and while I still want to continue that, I'm hoping to do more than classical music. I've dabbled around in FL Studio a bit, and I enjoy making trance music, so I'm looking for something that has the following:

1) Needs to work both for electronic and acoustic styled music. Good samples and all that jazz.

2) I jam a lot with a friend of mine, so the workstation needs to be able to interface with other equipment.

3) Keyboard keys should have a good touch, none of that mushy plastic shit that cheaper keyboards have.

4) I need to be able to store stuff I've worked on previously, and be able to layer those things on top of additional things I've created.

5) needs at least 61 keys, and the ability to raise or drop octaves.

I've been looking at the Korg X-50 and it seems to have what I need in it, but I haven't actually played one yet, although I hope to soon.

Anyone else have any good suggestions?

[suzumebachi]

There's no real workstations within that price range man. The X50 is nice, but it's not really a workstation. The closest you're gonna get is the Alesis Fusion 6HD (~$1000 USD), which has a 80gb hard drive, 8-track hard disk recording, 24-bit sampling, and a 32-track sequencer. And there's also the Korg TR61 (~$1000 USD) that's basically an X50 with a built in 16-track sequencer.

[djpretzel]

Used Yamaha Motif 6 would be will under $1000 - that's what I use, I like it, and it fits most if not all of your qualifications...

[Yoozer]

Seconding both suggestions of a Motif and Fusion 6HD. Alternatively, Roland Fantom S (6) secondhand or Xa (but the keys on the Xa aren't that great).

1) Needs to work both for electronic and acoustic styled music. Good samples and all that jazz.

The Motif has optional plug-in boards so you can add half an AN1x which is very good for electronic stuff. The Fusion has this built in, sort of.

2) I jam a lot with a friend of mine, so the workstation needs to be able to interface with other equipment.

This is vague . It's got MIDI (regular and via USB), it's got audio outputs, and SCSI.

3) Keyboard keys should have a good touch, none of that mushy plastic shit that cheaper keyboards have.

Then forget about the X50 and even the TR, albeit that this could differ because of taste.

4) I need to be able to store stuff I've worked on previously, and be able to layer those things on top of additional things I've created.

Possible with the stuff mentioned above; the TR uses SD cards if I recall correctly.

5) needs at least 61 keys, and the ability to raise or drop octaves.

All keyboards have this; it's how easy it is to reach that is usually the challenge .

[suzumebachi]

Used Yamaha Motif 6 would be will under $1000 - that's what I use, I like it, and it fits most if not all of your qualifications...

Actually now that I recall, Guitar Center was selling off all their used, b-stock, and blemished Motif 6 ES workstations for around $800-900 not long ago (it was right around when Yamaha first released the XS series). They might all be gone now, but if you manage to track one down, silverwolf, definitely pick it up.

[Lunahorum]

get the m-audio 88 key thing. This puppy rocks. It's just amidi controller though.

Has anyone ever used one of those keytar things lol? They look pretty neat with the ribbon instead of a wheel. One handed only is a big downfall though