Complete newbie looking for opinions on keyboard selection

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bjavor
Posts: 5
Joined: 00:11, 31 March 2016

Complete newbie looking for opinions on keyboard selection

Post by bjavor »

Hello everyone,

I know these type of threads must be a dime a dozen. But as probably everyone else, I have my own unique perspective and I'm trying to come to a decision. So I would nonetheless truely appreciate to hear peoples opinions about it.

Let me start with the fact that I'm in my mid-forties and never touched a musical instrument before. I can't sing to save my life, and always thought that the kind of magic required to play an instrument (the ability to recognise notes by ear, perfect timing etc.) one needs to be either born with or one needs to start practicing them at a very early age. Which I haven't.

I still have no evidence against that theory, however recent discussions I had with friends and colleagues have piqued my interest a little and I actually started considering to give learning music a try afterall.

To be quite frank the tipping point was probably seening a basic Roland V-Drum set, which looked like a tonne of fun to play. Well, perhaps I might actually get one one day, however for now I immediately moved on to thinking that while drums might be a lot of fun, I should probably start at the beginnig and learn some of the basics of music theory first. Notes, chords, scales, timings etc. And the classical and probably most versatile tool for that is a piano...

Now, I do not really want to set up a full upright piano so I started to look into stage pianos. The Roland RD-800 seems to be a very well reviewed strong contender in that field. However, while looking at reviews and YouTube videos I ineviatably also came across the FA-06/08 workstations, which seem to be quite impressive instruments in their own right. I _do_ understand that a stage piano and a workstation are two completely different things for different purposes. But it still made me think:

Since my main motivation for looking at keyboards to begin with was less the intention of becomming a pianist and more of the need to learn about and experiment with music in general, perhaps I could de-prioritize "real piano feel" and still acomplish that goal using the FA-08 or even the FA-06 while also having a bit of fun through the additional functionality they provide at the same time. And just to put yet another twist on it: I have of course also come across the Integra 7 that everyone seems to speak only in superlatives of... So yet another choice might be the Integra 7 with a controller like the A800 Pro or the A-88...

All this leaves me with a couple of interesting choices (and scratching my head):

1. Go the classical route, stick with piano lessons/practice, get the RD-800
2. Compromise a bit and go for the FA-08 with its weigthed keys, workstation functionality and probably good enough piano samples. (And possibly buy the RD-800 at a later stage if I ever get good enough to truely appreciate the difference it makes...)
3. Forget weighted/heavy keys altogether for now and go with the FA-06
4. Get the Integra 7 instead with the A-88 for more piano like weighted feel
5. Get the Integra 7 instead with the A800 Pro for a more synth like feel that is probably more suited to the Integra anyway...
6. Get the Integra 7 AND an FA-06 ??? (Probably no real sense in this one...)
7. Give up on the whole idea, I'm too old to start now :(

Final note: I know that as a beginner I could and perhaps should get some of the cheaper alternatives. The whole thing might not work out afterall. But luckily I can afford the "good stuff" and I'm not getting any younger, so I might as well stick to them from the get go...

What do you think?
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Hermax
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Joined: 14:00, 30 November 2005
Location: Belgium
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Re: Complete newbie looking for opinions on keyboard selecti

Post by Hermax »

I think that there still is one thing you forgot to say :-)
What exactly are you going to play? Are you planning on reproducing songs from other composers? Or is it your ultimate goal to compose (and record) songs yourself?
You probably now will answer something like... the first option as a start with the second one as a possibility for later on.
And I think that's what's it is all about. You may know where you start but not where it will lead you. So the FA-08 would be a great starter for you. You can expand later on if things work out.

Whatever you do, don't forget that playing music = practice, practice, practice... (repeat x-times)
But never get frustrated! The moment you come along a difficult step and you just can't seem to overcome it, let it rest for a while. You will be surprised how a good night of sleep will help you...

Good luck!
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kimsnarf
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Joined: 17:55, 4 January 2013
Location: Oslo, Norway

Re: Complete newbie looking for opinions on keyboard selecti

Post by kimsnarf »

It is never too late to start learning to play an instrument and making music. It is a nice hobby and good mental exercise. Since you can afford it, I would go for a quality instrument and skip the plastic stuff. Go for what inspires you and feels good to play, since you will spend a lot of time on it. Preferably, try out a few alternatives before you buy.

I was in a similar boat a couple of years back, and thought I had to have piano-feel keys to learn to play. But when I discovered the Jupiter-80 I found it easier to play but still with excellent key response and ability for nuances. I also enjoy switching to non-piano sounds for playing different pieces. And for most sounds, semi-weighted is better than weighted keys, which are slower/heavier. Then again, piano keys are best for learning to play piano, especially if you are going to take piano lessons. I prefer practicing piano on the A-88 (with an Integra-7). The RD-800 probably has even better keys than the A-88.

Focus on the one feature/goal that is most important to you and buy something that fits. You can always change/expand later. If you get hooked (like many of us) you will probably want more than one keyboard anyway, for different purposes and for inspiration. Again, I recommend the Jupiter-80 for semi-weighted playing. Lots of fun. I would definitely pick that instead of the FA-06 for primarily playing (not composing).

Don't let the options discourage you. That just means it is easy to expand later. Get something and start playing! It will give you lots of enjoyment. Just hang in there and keep practising.
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Andy Keys
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Location: UK

Re: Complete newbie looking for opinions on keyboard selecti

Post by Andy Keys »

bjavor wrote:Hi bjavor,

...the kind of magic required to play an instrument...
The only magic involved is a mix of continued interest and practice, practice, practice :)

I know that as a beginner I could ... get some of the cheaper alternatives.
If you're serious about wanting to learn to play, don't buy a toy. You will outgrow it very quickly and will start to feel like it's holding you back.

Buy something decent that can grow with you. The RD's and the FA's are great choices, but do different things, so will take you in different directions.

Some things to bear in mind...

- if you want to learn to play it is well worth getting some proper lessons, even if only to get you started off on the right foot. Find a teacher who understands where you are coming from and what you want to achieve. If a teacher doesn't understand this, move on to someone else.

- If you learn to play on weighted piano keys you will fly on semi-weighted or synth keys. It is much harder to move from synth keys to piano keys and keep it smooth. That said, some sounds feel better on lighter keyboards (like synth leads for example).

- What sounds do you want to play the most? If you want to play piano & Rhodes with occasional strings, go for a keyboard that does those sounds well. Ignore the 8,000 sounds called 'Alien Invasion' and 'Drop da funk'. You will muck about with them, but you won't play them. The sounds you want to play are the important ones.

- Play all over the keyboard. Most beginner lessons will restrict you to the middle two octaves for a while as you get your hands started & you learn to recognise the notes etc. You bought 88 keys, so play all of them.

- Lastly, and most importantly: right from the start, play along to the music you like. While your fingers are struggling to find "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for your teacher (we've all been through it) take the down time to muck about and play along with your favourite albums. The sooner you connect your instrument with a deeper experience of the music you love, the deeper, better and more rewarding your whole experience will be. Can't work out the notes? Don't sweat it. Pick out something (anything) that works. Play anything that matches the intensity of the music, go for it in the loud bits, back off a bit during the quiet bits. You get the idea. Just take part in the music.

Welcome to the wonderful world of keyboards, synths, gear lust, late nights, friends who don't get why you didn't learn the guitar like they did, and SysEx headaches.
bjavor
Posts: 5
Joined: 00:11, 31 March 2016

Re: Complete newbie looking for opinions on keyboard selecti

Post by bjavor »

Many thanks for all the encouraging words!

I did not write about what I would like to play as at least for now I don't really know myself. Anything that may help me in learning and improving myself while being at least a bit of fun at the same time, I guess. I definitely would consider both classical pieces as well as some more contemporary stuff to keep things interesting. Should I eventually end up favouring one over the other, that I will probably only learn later.
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