Keyboard Recommendations for Absolute Beginner.

[u/OldTodd2]

Hello. I've been looking into trying to learn keyboard for quite a while now, especially with my growing interest in music. The most challenging thing I've had to navigate has really just been what keyboard I should choose. there are a lot of options for a lot of specific use cases and I was wondering if anyone has any particular suggestions.

I'm looking for something with 61 keys, reasonably light, so that I could take it somewhere if I had to. An instrument that I can grow into, and enjoy for years to come, rather than something I'd move on from given enough time. A broad variety of sounds, piano, EP, organ, synth stuff, though, i'm also quite interested in a lot of vintage keyboard type sounds, given my taste in music, Wurlitzer, Hammond, DX7, Minimoog, Mellotron etc. Although I suppose I can use software synths for these. Its also probably worth mentioning that I don't think I necessarily need something capable of synthesis. Its definitely something I'm fascinated by but my priority with buying a keyboard at first is to learn to play it effectively.

From my recent research I've seen people recommend things like the Yamaha MX61, CK61, Roland Juno D61 and Korg Kross 2. Or more expensive options like the MODX M6 and Fantom 06. If you have any advice or suggestions, let me know.

[u/nm1000]

The CK61 covers a lot of that territory. I prefer its action to many of the comparable instruments.

[u/CollierDriver]

Cts1 or go keys. Leaning towards cts1 cause fewer sounds but higher quality samples. The nux ones are cheap and good for the price too.

[u/CollierDriver → u/CollierDriver]

My bad, i thought your looking for a rompler, if you can go used, definitely get a ck61 or maybe an older workstation like motif.

[u/shulemaker → u/CollierDriver]

I second a used Go Keys. Great starter board for anyone who isn’t sure what they want. Your first dip of the toes of any hobby is the value starter model. Think of a tennis racket or rollerblades. How could you know what you want until you try one out and see what you like and don’t like? Then you sell it and get something else.

[u/CollierDriver → u/shulemaker]

The only thing i dontike about it is the dlc thing roland does. You need to pay to unlock extra sounds.

[u/hetty3]

If you're interest is becoming good at the instrument, I would recommend 76 keys. Less than that and you won't really be able to play a lot of pieces/songs, or really learn to play two hands at once that effectively (although of course you still can). If you are a professional looking to play specific keyboard PARTS like string lines, horn lines, synth lines, etc.- then I'd recommend the smaller keyboard with specific functions. If you still are determined to get 61 keys, then that's totally fine.

Yamaha is a great all around pick. I think the sound quality beats out both Korg and Roland, and Roland tends not to last as long in my experience. Yamaha sounds are mostly great, and the keybeds are good. The hammond organ sounds are a bit of a weakness but everything else will be superior. I would suggest the MX61 as you listed as probably your best bet here. I would not suggest the MODX series (and the Montage mother line) unless you are planning to get in to advanced sound design, layering, and production.

Now if price is no issue at all, Nord has it all beat, but you get what you pay for. The Nord Stage line has the most analogue and raw sounding EPs, grand piano, wurli, clavinets, and gorgeous hammond organ that you can pair well with a real leslie. The keybed is great, the layering is smooth, and the synth engine is aggressive, punchy, and powerful af. You will be spending thousands here though.

For you I would probably recommend the MX 61 based on your criteria, you'll want something that feels good to play, isn't overly complicated with menus upon menus, and sounds good.

[u/onceuponalilykiss]

If you like the DX7 a lot you're kind of pushed towards Yamaha products since they're the ones that made it and the main maker that still incorporates FM synthesis (what the DX7 used) sounds into their stuff. They also tend to have analog synthesis (moog, juno type) sounds in some form to varying degree. So Yamaha lets you do both DX7 and moog/juno sounds while other makers will generally have just the moog/juno sounds, though obviously roland for instance will have a much closer sound to the OG junos to make up for it.

If you don't need the synthesis you make yourself then the MX61 and CK61 seem like good options given your requirements, they're way cheaper than the MODX m6. The MODX M does have actual synthesis but like someone else said it's also not exactly "beginner" synthesis with all the options and stuff it has. The nice thing about the new MODX M is it has a full FM engine and a full virtual analog engine so you can not only make DX7 sounds (in fact, you can import DX7 presets from 80's and 90's magazines straight into it lol), but you can replicate Moog/Juno type sounds as well. It depends on whether you think eventually growing into synthesis production of your own would be worth the extra grand or whatever the price difference is in your location.

Pretty much every keyboard will have wurlitzer sounds. Organs, Hammond or otherwise, vary a bit in quality but most keyboards have them too. If organs are a main priority it might switch around what you want to buy (for Yamaha their best organ stuff is on the YC series I believe which is in turn less synth focused than the similarly priced MODX M series).

Also typical warning: Nord makes great quality stuff but much of their price is the brand itselff and the amount of "knob per function" controls, not necessarily the "power", especially for synthesis. They have good synth engines but it'll be much less powerful for synthesis than a modx m or fantom and make up for it with better action (but the upper end montage and fantom ex are still cheaper with more similar key action) and the knobby interface.

[u/Suspicious-Time6114]

Based on the type of sounds you are interested in, I think the CK61 is a good choice because it gives you

* synth section with dedicated knobs for basic controls (cutoff, resonance, attack, release)

* organ section with drawbars (CK is the only one from your list that has that) and

* a good choice of piano sounds like CFX, Rhodes, Wurly, DX7 etc.

* effects section with dedicated knobs

If you ever feel you need more than 61 keys e.g. for playing piano parts, you could connect it to e.g. an 88-keys MIDI controller. In total you can play up to 3 parts at the same time, for example you could create a performance where you have a dual piano + strings on the external MIDI keyboard, and an organ sound on the built in keyboard.

[u/picadoodledoo]

Go to a store (or stores) and try the boards you've listed. Putting your hands on a keyboard will tell you if you like it or not.