charic Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 So I play keys in my current band, thing is I get a little bored of being stood behind something I can't move. Was looking at an alesis vortex as a cheap way to remedy this but I'm wondering if there are any other options. My main board is my Korg Kronos and compatibility is essential! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earbrass Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Would a Korg X50 be a possibilty?Looks like you could attach a strap to the end handle bits - might be a bit heavy. Or there's always http://www.rolandus.com/products/fr-3x/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Stylophone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allighatt0r Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 [quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1454063804' post='2965890'] Would a Korg X50 be a possibilty?Looks like you could attach a strap to the end handle bits - might be a bit heavy. Or there's always [url="http://www.rolandus.com/products/fr-3x/"]http://www.rolandus....products/fr-3x/[/url] [/quote] It's certainly been done before... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Alternatively , you could strap the bass back on , get a couple of synth type effects and do away with keyboard . Or, play bass & get a keyboardist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Anything but the Keytar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1454066123' post='2965947'] Alternatively , you could strap the bass back on , get a couple of synth type effects and do away with keyboard . Or, play bass & get a keyboardist [/quote] I've got a bassist, I'm actually a fair bit better on keys than I am bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1454067393' post='2965974'] Anything but the Keytar [/quote] They can be made to be a bit more acceptable but I'm not sure I could pull it off at this stage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) I'm undecided on the keytar... It's so uncool that it's not even cool in a hipster ironic way for being so uncool. ...but on the flip side of that anyone sporting a keytar in public is clearly so disinterested in conforming to fashion that they in a way are the very essence of cool. ... not that I would know anything about being cool and popular Edited January 29, 2016 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Kadabra? Zoom ARQ? Nah. Just use a keytar and be cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmzieCAIwxY . See that?That was a Yamaha breath controller! If even that didn't convince you, here's the ultimate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZVj2HVQ0Kc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 IMO the only decent sized keytar is the Yamaha KX-5. Everything else either looks totally ungainly unless you are over 6 foot in height and built accordingly, or is small and awkward to use like the CS1 in the clip above. How about one of those guitar-like MIDI controllers? Finally don't even bother with pitch to MIDI or putting a guitar or bass trough multiple effects in the attempt to make it sound like a synth. I spent the best part of a decade trying to convince myself that it was a worthwhile exercise. I reality it turns out that even with my ham-fisted keyboard skills, given a decent synth I can achieve the same effect but far more reliably and consistently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Misa make 2 products that may suit you, the Kitara http://misa-digital.myshopify.com/products/kitara & the Tri Bass http://misa-digital.myshopify.com/products/tri-bass There's also many RockBand controllers that have midi too, which could prove to be a very cheap alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 [quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1454065886' post='2965941'] It's certainly been done before... [/quote] Is that Jimmy Savile? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1454101723' post='2966555'] Is that Jimmy Savile? [/quote] Dunno if you're joking or not, or young or not, but it's Edgar Winter, brother of Johnny Winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Eigenharp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lh_qyoATZI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Or Artiphon instrument 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ihzhiJ1Ko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1454103182' post='2966570'] Dunno if you're joking or not, or young or not, but it's Edgar Winter, brother of Johnny Winter. [/quote] I didn't think it was actually Jimmy Saville, but there's an uncanny resemblance & his dress sense is just as bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Has anyone ever seen Edgar Winter and Jimmy Savile in the same room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 I must say ,that although there are some very helpful you pube clips here, they have almost put me off of keyboards. Sorry. They've done me a favour. Sorry charic, but if I were you, I'd just chill out at the back with the keys that yo have, and join another metal band. Maybe , you could put a whammy bar on your bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [quote name='charic' timestamp='1454060469' post='2965825'] My main board is my Korg Kronos and compatibility is essential! [/quote] Thinking about it, I was not longer sure I got this. The thread title says "alternatives TO keytars" (which I tried to answer, basically saying to just use a keytar anyway), but the OP in isolation may be read as "alternative keytars to Vortex". Could you tell what it is you're after? As to "compatibility", do you simply mean it must be a MIDI controller? Or maybe that it must be able to control more than just KEY ON / KEY OFF - - like velocity, aftertouch, mod wheels and the like? Alternatives to keytars include monophonic wind controllers like the cheap Casio DH-100 or the expensive Eigenharp or Akai EWI and similar offering, and there are loads of things that look like toys as well. Kadabra might do it. ARQ might do it. AlphaSphere might do it. Personally, amongst other gadgets, I've used the Casio DH-100 as monophonic MIDI controller on stage. It did the job, but it also needed the humour. However, it sends so few MIDI parameters that it also really needs either modding or other external MIDI signals and a MIDI mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Get a MIDI controller keyboard (they are usually pretty light) and attach (with Araldite?) it to a piece of hardboard cut to a shape that (1) allows a strap to be fitted, and (2) is suitable for posing. Job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1454106610' post='2966623'] I didn't think it was actually Jimmy Saville, but there's an uncanny resemblance & his dress sense is just as bad. [/quote] Aye. Before even seeing it really was Edgar, my own first thought was Savile too - despite even remembering that picture from like 40 years ago or something (this was before MIDI). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1454149840' post='2966903'] Thinking about it, I was not longer sure I got this. The thread title says "alternatives TO keytars" (which I tried to answer, basically saying to just use a keytar anyway), but the OP in isolation may be read as "alternative keytars to Vortex". Could you tell what it is you're after? As to "compatibility", do you simply mean it must be a MIDI controller? Or maybe that it must be able to control more than just KEY ON / KEY OFF - - like velocity, aftertouch, mod wheels and the like? Alternatives to keytars include monophonic wind controllers like the cheap Casio DH-100 or the expensive Eigenharp or Akai EWI and similar offering, and there are loads of things that look like toys as well. Kadabra might do it. ARQ might do it. AlphaSphere might do it. Personally, amongst other gadgets, I've used the Casio DH-100 as monophonic MIDI controller on stage. It did the job, but it also needed the humour. However, it sends so few MIDI parameters that it also really needs either modding or other external MIDI signals and a MIDI mixer. [/quote] I was looking for an alternative to a keytar for wandering about stage but being able to control my kronos. Preferably patch change and a few parameters. At the moment a keytar is still looking like the best option, I have no issue with looking a bit silly as I'm happy to have a laugb with the audience with it too. Just gotta hope my playing can back up the silliness! Haha!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Yeah, I've tried to check out some newer alternatives, and it seems that most of them either still lock you to one place, or are very gadgety. The Kadabra (if being able to be used as a pure MIDI controller) to me seems like to most viable non-keytar solution at the moment, but personally, I'd still go keytar. Here's a guy on a keytar, playbacking to a guitar solo. The comments are hilarious, for once. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGa5smz23WY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkandrew Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I used to have one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Yamaha-DX-100-/10000000001861750/g.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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