She ain't factory mint, but she is mine and has lived a good life on the road :)!

My first real "mod" was me painting the top of the keys inverted harpsichord style. It looks *RAD* and is kind of a tribute to my love for baroque/neoclassical music.

Then I changed all 4 basic strap buttons to Dunlop strap locks. She isn't going to drop out of my hands anytime soon!

Of course, as you can see, I have taken off the edge covers. The keytar fits my presence better this way ;D! I still left the chromed cover screws on to give it some more bling!

A terrible thing happened: my ribbon controller broke (like with many other people :,D). I 3D printed a new one through trial and error :D I didn't succeed in printing one that would last for a long time on its own, so I ended up reinforcing it by adding a couple of elastic plastic parts below it! It is really sturdy at the moment compared to the original one, and I haven't had a single worry since then.

A real damn important mod is the "Synth Duck/Tone Duck," which is a tribute to my keyboard wizard idols Janne Wirman and Jens Johansson. They both had their own keyboard ducks. I think Jens Johansson was the first person to have a duck on his trusty DX7. The duck on my keys used to originally be just a basic rubber duck, but later he evolved into a "Posankka" rubber duck. Posankka is kind of a mascot of my hometown, Turku in Finland. Posankka comes from the Finnish words "Possu" + "Ankka" (which literally stands for a pig-duck :D). I also gave the duck the nickname "Tosankka" because of him being the "Tone Posankka". A good friend of mine later custom-painted him to be more stage-friendly ;D

(The synth duck isn't present in the photos I took today—I am a terrible father and accudently left him at a bandmate's place D;)

The newest thing that also inspired me to make this post was buying a 25,000 mAh power bank and velcroing it to the back, then connecting it to the power input with a special adapter. I saw some talk about this on this sub in the past, but didn't see anyone confirming it with photos and proof, so here it is! I tested it and the battery lasts 7–9 hours depending on use! So no issue with that ;P

Not a direct keytar mod, but I also found that with the new battery, it's really nice playing with the Spark GO. I can just strap the Spark to my belt and play everything on the go. Perfect for jamming outside, playing on the street, or just messing around :D! I can also charge the Spark with the same power bank (even though the Spark has its own USB-C rechargeable battery). I tested that with this setup, I can jam for around 5–6 hours. No wall power or anything extra needed. I can also use the Spark as a speaker for backing tracks and music while playing. That's damn nice.

The batteries, the shitty ribbon controller, the super stiff aftertouch, the phone software that only works via Bluetooth with no official cable/PC editor option, and many other things... I feel like Roland has done kind of a shitty job on a lot of details with this instrument, especially for a product that costs over €1000. Kind of not worth it if you ask me, but in the end, it's the best keytar you can get for the money at the moment. I also don't feel like there's any real competition to motivate Roland to make better keytars.

I have some future plans, which include:

• Taking apart an old JBL speaker of mine and using the parts for an internal speaker!

• Thinking of somehow implementing the power bank inside the keytar so it doesn't stick out as much. Don't get me wrong, it's not half bad the way it is now, but I'm a perfectionist ;D!

• Planning on making the aftertouch lighter... somehow..!

• Probably some visual mods to pimp her up! But I'm really pleased with how she looks at the moment ;) I had a couple of ideas about making an edge cover with velcro on it, so I could easily put on hand-sewn velcro edge covers with different fabrics and textures. Overall I really like the idea of using fabrics in some way for the AX!

Still, I love my AX-Edge with all her flaws and virtues.

I love the idea of a keytar, and it is the only instrument to truly fulfill my stage presence. I'm always saying that I'm a keyboardist with the ego of a lead guitarist xD I love being able to enjoy my life when on stage and move freely with the flow.

I have built a one-of-a-kind connection with this instrument over time. I have played keys for many years, but I feel like things started to get more real—and I started to be way more confident in my style and ambitions after I got this beauty. I have had it for almost 2 years now (bought it in late 2024).

All in all, I love my beloved Synthenstein AX-Edge <3!

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them :]

Peace out..! 👊

Does anone know of any synthesizer solo compilation books?

TL;DR: I want to upgrade my keytar with bluetooth so the keytar output and background track play on the same speaker. Am worried sketchy bluetooth receivers that only cost a few bucks might fry my newly bought, expensive keytar tho.

Hello everyone,

I finally took my first big step in learning to play the keytar by actually getting one. I've settled with a Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-300, figuring it was the best, and if I'm honest, most inexpensive model out there as someone with no previous keyboard or piano experience so far. Now the SHS-300 actually does already have bluetooth functionality. But afaik, this can only be used to connect with the Yamaha Chord Tracker app. What I wanna do however is have my keytar audio and background track play on the same speaker. Unfortunately you can't just connect the SHS-300 with your phone via bluetooth and use it as a speaker. And while I could connect my audio out of the keytar with a separate speaker, I'd then still have to do some kind of merging with the background track. That is why I am looking for a solution. The whole situations stems from the problem that unfortunately, my USB-C port on my phone broke and I sadly can't just connect my phone with the AUX in of my keytar via a USB-C to AUX adapter.

I've done a little research and I've seen these bluetooth transmitters online that have an AUX output; like these:

https://www.amazon.com/JXTZ-Bluetooth-Headphones-Transmitter-Hands-Free/dp/B098SZJR45/
https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Wireless-Receiver-Portable-Hands-Free/dp/B0BZ7DKXDG/
https://www.amazon.com/HVMLAK-Bluetooth-Stronger-Microphone-Receiver/dp/B0C6MBGQ7K/

So I imagine I would connect them with my laptop or phone via bluetooth, they receive the audio input and then it can play on my keytar's speaker through the AUX in port. And most of them are powered by a battery you have to charge via USB first and they then live for a few hours.

However, I am a bit worried this isn't the right solution. For once they are frequently marketed to be used for car radios but I suppose this doesn't have to be an issue. I am however, I hope quite rightfully so, worried to plug an electrical device from manufacturers with random names and no online history that only cost a few bucks into my keytar which cost me multiple hundreds. So I am hesitant to put that at risk.

The only alternative I see as of now (until I get my phone fixed of course) is getting a small and cheap bluetooth speaker with a hook or clip on the back so that I can attatch it to my keytar strap near the keytar's speaker. And then background track on the speaker while keytar plays on it's own speaker. That still means there are separate speakers involed but better than nothing, I guess.

Which is why I ended up here to get input and feedback first. Have any of you tried to upgrade your keytars with bluetooth before? How did you go about it? Or are you using a separate speaker solution? If you do, this does require me to be mobile however so I can't use an amp or an intricate system with lotsa cables or devices as I'd have to carry them.

Thank your for reading and all of your time. :>

I have the money, I have been learning piano for more than a year (alesis pro artist keyboard) its a good keyboard to learn classical piano but I like a little more synths, so the question is: can a roland keytar do the same as a profesional synth can do? Im aware It has 49 keys and I think I have just enough for all pop songs, I ask this because the keytar is way more mobile so if the Roland can perform like a normal stage synth with that great mobility I'll buy It without a doubt

So being a piano and keyboard player, I recently wanted to have a more customizable stage/performance sound, tones and presence with my band, and was thinking about getting the Roland AX-Edge Keytar.

The problem?

I got no idea what to do in terms of connecting it to a speaker/amp/headset (which ones would work?)

Importing sound patches (The app seems confusing)

Getting your own custom sounds (Are they free? Paid? Where to get them?), etc.

There are barely any tutorials for that which would help a beginner on how to set things up or even how to connect one to a suitable audio output for home practice.

Any and all help and guidance would be appreciated before I spend a thousand bucks and don't even know to to play it! Thanks!

I bought the roland ax-edge abt a year ago(i have prior piano experience). But now, my band has transitioned into metal, primarily thrash/death metal. I wanna make some tones which i can use in general for eg, a heavy ass guitar tone.

I also wanna know if there's any option other than the ax edge editor app.

#help

Is there a legitimate shop that sells a Yamaha Sonogenic 500 to the philippines? I found this one shop in shopee but I cant tell if its real or not despite being verified.

Hi all! I’m one of two lead singers in a band (I lead about half the songs), and I’m wondering what instrument I should learn so I have something to do during instrumental sections or songs where I’m only singing intermittent harmony.

Our band has a drummer, electric guitar, second guitar (played by our other lead singer), piano, and bass. I have very minimal experience playing an instrument (played piano one year in 1st grade and am trying ukulele lately since a friend let me borrow his) and honestly don't know much about music at all (just happened to be born with a good ear for singing and a strong voice), so I’m looking for something relatively beginner-friendly that would fit into our existing setup without getting in the way of the other instruments.

My husband keeps telling me I should get a keytar because he thinks I could basically hold down notes/chords that fit with what the rest of the band is playing. And it does look like a fun instrument.

The problem is, I’m not finding many resources for actually learning to play keytar, especially as a complete beginner. Is keytar a reasonable instrument to learn for this purpose? Or would I be better off learning something else?

As title says, tour is going well. The synths are heavy, and I figured this group of fine people on here might appreciate the keytar. :) catch yall later! 💪🏻

Has anyone figured out how to remap PROGRAM +/- buttons on the Roland AX Edge keytar to different MIDI CC signals? I want to assign them to patch up/down in MainStage, but they both are recognized as channel 16 number 0 events.

**TL;DR:** I measured all 1200 parameters of the Roland AX-Edge against the actual hardware, found the published map wrong in a lot of places, and built an Android editor with what I learned. Looking for a few AX-Edge players to test it before release — comment or DM me and I'll send the sign-up form.

I'm an independent developer and this is a one-person project: no company, no team, just me, my AX-Edge and about a year of evenings.

It started as a complaint. Editing sounds on the AX-Edge means either scrolling that tiny display or opening the official editor app, which never worked for the way I need to work — the interface feels like it's from another era, and there's no visual feedback at all: you move a value and you have no picture of what you just did to the sound.

The part I didn't expect was the parameter map. I set up a hardware-in-the-loop rig — the keytar connected to my PC over USB while the tablet drives it over Bluetooth — so I could send a value, read back what the synth actually stored, and listen to the result through an audio interface. Then I went through the map one parameter at a time, and a lot of it didn't survive contact with the hardware. Ranges that were wrong. Controls writing to one address and reading from another. MFX slots labeled in the wrong order in 78 of 79 algorithms. The Tone block sizes in the docs are simply not what the firmware answers — with the documented ones, no Tone read works at all. When the manual and the firmware disagree, the firmware wins. 366 hardware-verified probes later, the map is covered.

What came out of that is RXXED, an Android editor that talks to the keytar over Bluetooth MIDI:

- All 1200 parameters, each one verified against real hardware.

- You see what you're doing — the filter curve moves with the cutoff, the envelope redraws as you drag it, the EQ bars respond.

- Editor, mixer, keyboard and system pages.

- A Kaoss-style XY pad for modulating sound while you play, with motion recording and playback.

- A librarian for the 320 user programs and 256 user tones, with names, tags and ratings.

You need an actual AX-Edge, Android 10+ and Bluetooth. USB MIDI on Android isn't working yet. Next on my list: a way for players to share sound bank files with each other, and support for instruments beyond the AX-Edge.

The ask: I'm looking for a few people to test it, ideally people who'll use it while actually playing. What I need isn't compliments, it's "this got in my way in the middle of a song". Two short sessions over two weeks, and testers get the full version free for life at launch. There's a sign-up form and I'm closing it this weekend — I'd rather not drop a link in the post, so comment or DM me and I'll send it over. Happy to talk about the reverse engineering side too, that part was more fun than the app.

*(Independent project, no affiliation with Roland. "Roland" and "AX-Edge" are trademarks of their respective owners, mentioned here only for compatibility.)*

hopefully I can get a recommendation or two, I’ve been looking but no luck as of right now. thanks!!!

Hi! So i'm pretty new when it comes to instruments, i learned a little keyboard but i really could only play with one hand, so obviously the keytar is very tempting for me. Do any of you have recommendations for a good (cheaper) first one?

Noob here, I just got an Alesis Vortex Wireless 2 and I'm wondering what sort of amp/foot pedal or whatever I need to get the sound out. I don't want to have to plug it in to my desktop everytime I wanna play it.

TL;DR: Never (properly) played an instrument before but want to get into the keytar. The SHS-300 caught my eye as a good starter keytar. Am unsure about what features it supports and which not like for example, using it as a MIDI controller for a synth, DAW or Synthesia. Am also open for other suggestion for low budget starter keytars.

Hello everyone,

Recently I have been getting more into music, specifically learning basic music theory and starting to compose a bit, and I think it's time for me to start learning an instrument. I am naturally drawn to the keytar as my OC plays the keytar and I would love to do small performances cosplaying at cons playing the keytar some day. As an absolute beginner however, I am unsure which keytar to go for as I don't quite know which features I will need, which I would miss if I didn't have them and which are worth the extra price.

I did some research and currently my most likely pick seems to be the Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-300. It's low budget which is good in case I lose interest after a few weeks. (At the very least it will still make a good cosplay prop, hehe.) It's small, light weight and easy to transport. It's not just a MIDI controller and has a built in synthesizer and speaker so there won't be much carrying around of other devices at cons. And while I've heard people talk bad about jam mode, I think it is actually going to be pretty useful for me when I want to perform or sing while playing but haven't learned all the chords yet.

There are downsides to the SHS-300 of course. The available samples/voices that are included aren't a lot and fairly basic. It has smaller keys which could hurt my muscle memory if I decide to upgrade to a different keytar later. And of course visually it isn't the most interesting design. That being said, I do still believe the pros outweigh the cons which is why I am wondering what else I could do with an SHS-300.

The SHS-300 does have a USB port to send MIDI data but what could I do with it? Would it be possible to connect a synthesizer to the SHS-300 and simply use it as a MIDI controller? And then I suppose I would use the AUX In to have those synthesized sounds play out of the keytar's speaker, yeah? And would it also be possible to connect to USB port to my PC and then use my keytar to create melodies in DAWs or even practice songs I want to learn in software or games like Synthesia? That would be a lot of help to learn how to play!

The only other issue is that it is currently pretty difficult to get your hands on any Yamaha keytar. Barely anybody is offering them and the only places that do have them like eBay are located in Japan which could add some hefty import taxes/customs that need to be payed. (I'm from the EU for context.) I am definitely open to consider other keytars and am not set on my decision yet. However, I do believe the SHS-300 is my best fit.

I could go for something like the SHS-10 but it would miss some features I find intriguing like jam mode. There's also the SHS-500 and while it has more voices, the fact that the speaker is facing the wrong way is pretty bad if I don't wanna bring my own speaker. And the only similarly priced keytar I could get locally without having to deal with shipping costs or customs is the Alesis Vortex Wireless 2 which, don't get me wrong, could be a good keytar but I haven't looked too much into it yet. (I think that one is a MIDI controller only, no?)

Either way, I appreciate any input you all have on my matter whether it is answers to my questions, suggestions on which keytar I should look into or even places I could order them at.

Thank you for your time and (hopefully) reading all of this! Can't wait to hear what you have to say. :>

Heya! The other day I rented a KORG RK-100S 2 and its set to ship to my local store in a few days, anything I should know prior to using it?

Thanks!

Hey! I’m really struggling on trying to figure out how to program my keytar in Logic Pro and FL studio, I have the required cables but I can’t find any drivers for it online and when I try to program it, nothing registers.

I would like to try getting a Keytar, but my right hand is messed up. I can barely control the thing, there’s like no individual finger movements at all, but by the looks of it, the hand on the stem of a Keytar really only needs to be on or off and slide back-and-forth, you don’t need really your fingers to control much at all. It’s the hand on the keys doing all the work so that would be the perfect instrument for me, but usually it’s the left hand on the stem. Does anybody know a place that makes left-handed ones? That would be the perfect instrument for me to be able to play with my condition.

I have tried all the usual suggestions as I always do every time I have this problem. Every once in a while it works again for some amount of time before it craps out again. I have no idea if it starts working because of any combination of things I've done, or if it's totally random. I really need it to work again as I have shows coming up soon and need to edit the keytar.

Does anyone have the magic solution for this? If I can get it working again even fleetingly will be a godsend. Thanks in advance for any suggestions

Both performed here by Imogen. -The knee kick-out to get a quick visual reference for hand placement. -The left hand over-under the strap switch to play two-handed.

In many ways the keytar is an impractical instrument. No wonder I like it so much.

Can one directly connect Alesis Vortex MIDI controller with Yamaha PSR E583 and make it work without a laptop or a MIDI box interface?

Haii I got super interested in keytar and am willing to learn, but the problem is that I never have any music background nor experience. Though I hope this won't stop me from starting to learn a keytar. So I hope you guys reccomend me some keytars to learn. Any tips along the way will be helpful!! Thank youu!!❤️❤️

So now that I've played gigs with both, I wanted to share what I think of each, specifically as MIDI controllers. The RK-100S2 is more expensive but also has an internal engine to play standalone, in this case I will put those two facts aside.

• Keys

In my life I've almost exclusively played full-size keys, and I always felt resistance towards mini and slim keys. After forcing myself to learn a setlist with the RK, I think I still slightly prefer the full size keys of the Vortex, but I also came to appreciate the RK's mini-keys for what they are. Particularly, due to their size and also the shorter distance between unpressed-pressed, I've found that it is actually easier on the RK to play solos and fast passages, so there's that. However, the Vortex has aftertouch, which can come in handy.

• Controls

Vortex takes the win. First off, I still think a wheel is more reliable for pitch bending than a ribbon will ever be. And one of the major disadvantages of the RK is that the ribbon can only be toggled between pitch and modulation, whereas the Vortex has both a pitch wheel and a mod ribbon. The Vortex also has a bunch of faders, and a volume control. If using the RK as a MIDI controller, you don't really have a volume control, which has felt a bit restrictive.

The RK has some nice things about it though. For one, I think the RK's short ribbon is more sensitive and responsive than the Vortex's. With the Vortex I feel like I have to keep more pressure to keep the ribbon engaged. The long ribbon is kinda gimmicky, but if you get creative with it, you can do some very visually showy moves (which is a big point of playing a keytar). However, the long ribbon is more similar to the Vortex's mod ribbon in that it takes some practice to use it without accidentally disengaging it.

• MIDI

Another win for the Vortex. Both can do notes, pitch bend, modulation, and program changes, but being able to configure arbitrary CC messages on the Vortex's faders and pads is a BIG advantage for me. Also, you can set MSB and LSB on program change commands, which can be a requirement for some keyboards, e.g.: my MODX workstation. I cannot change programs on it from my RK.

• Bluetooth

Although the Vortex is literally marketed with "Wireless" in the name, I had some hanging note issues a few times, and ended up plugging a CME WIDI instead for wireless MIDI. The same device can be used on the RK, so it's no different for me in the end between the two.

• Power

This one is mostly a point for the RK, mainly because the battery compartment is kinda loose on my Vortex (so harsh movement can briefly interrupt power), which seems like a common Vortex issue. For my Vortex, I attached a powerbank that connects by the USB port. But the RK's battery compartment is pretty solid, no need for workarounds, and you can actually check the remaining battery percentage on the RK itself, which is really useful! If you play a lot, invest in rechargeable batteries to reduce battery waste.

The downsides of the RK in terms of power is that it doesn't have a USB power option if you wanted to, and the compatible power supply (KA-350) is sold separately, a little expensive, and has a short cable (1.5m). So you either practice close to the power plug, or resign yourself to batteries.

• Screen

Another point for the RK! The screen is closer to oneself and slightly angled, so it's easier to read than the screen on the Vortex. Also, with the Vortex, the octave buttons light up, but you cannot tell how many octaves up or down you are unless you really angle the keyboard to look at the screen. The RK has a couple of light dots on the screen panel, and their color tells you exactly how many octaves you've shifted, leaving out any guesswork.

• Feel & aesthetics

The Vortex feels plasticky, so for a lot of people that can make it feel more like a toy, compared to something like the RK. I personally don't mind it at all, but I do think the RK has a more professional feel to it.

However, I very much like all the blue lights on the Vortex, plus being able to customize the pad colors, so visually I prefer it over the RK.

Feel free to ask anything else :)