need keyboard advice

[shannon]

My cover band does a mix of rock, metal, pop & rap. I'm willing to incoporate a keyboard so the parts can be performed live rather than using a sequencer. I'm looking for a small keyboard for under 1K that has a variety of popular sounds. Also, we play everything down a 1/2 step in Eb. Are there keyboards out there that allow you drop the entire thing down a 1/2 step in their global parameters?

[caughtinamosh]

I can't recommend a specific model, but I do know that even basic keyboards have transpose functions.

[caughtinamosh]

Double post.

[keithb]

Something like the Korg Triton is probably going to have the most 'out of the box' recognizable sounds, since it's been used on every pop record released since 2000

As CiaM noted, any half-decent modern keyboard will let you transpose.

[Ambrosius]

A smaller version of the Triton (smaller as in it has no sampler and not quite the same polyphony but 90% of the same sounds) is the Korg TR. I had the 61 key version but they make it up to 88 as well. You can probably find a used one for about 5 or 600 bones.

Korg TR-61 Music Keyboard Workstation Hands-On Review at Musician's Friend | Musician's Friend

[SplinteredDave]

I have a Triton Extreme that I use in covers bands, the sounds are great and you can pick them up secondhand for not too much cash. Its not too user-friendly though, takes a while to get your head around the menus. It can definitely transpose all patches down a semitone though, and has some quality effects/EQ built in. For a covers band, the standard Triton or the stripped down Triton LE would be perfectly adequate and much cheaper

[shannon]

Besides the ones mentioned, does korg make a 37-key version of these? I know the microkorgs are that small, but if I can get something like the X, TR & triton series in a compact package, I'm even more interested.

[keithb]

Music Synthesizer | Synth | Korg microX perhaps? 25 keys.

[8string]

hmmm, used nordlead 2 or3?

[Ambrosius]

I wouldn't go smaller than 50 something personally. I'm a terrible pianist and mediocre keyboardist, but even with the simplest of keyboard backings, having both bass and treble notes going is advisable. Unless of course you want to sound like a one handed Europe.