small and decent keyboard question

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 3:30 pm

Question for people who know about keys..

I want to bring in a small keyboard just to use a B3 type chord sound for a couple songs each night with the cover band. I want it to be fairly small but I want the make sure that the patches that it has sound decent (in a live band setting). I have no experience on this. I have a 88 key casio and a baby grand at home my wife plays (I do not), but want to pick up something small and giggable and start learning basic piano chords at a minimum (that I can do on my own easy enough)

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 8:50 pm

Most of the gigging guys around here use the Nord Electro models. They sound great and are pretty portable... but they're pretty expensive.

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:06 pm

yeah 2k+ is out of my range for something to use on 1-2 songs per set for just some background chords.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:28 pm

The Casio XW-P1 has a decent organ set... it's light and not TOO big, but it's not a mini. Kinda cheaply built, but it sounds good and offers a lot of tweaking.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:54 pm

I use the Yamaha NPV60. It's not that small, it's a 76-key keyboard that's reasonably priced (UKP255 or thereabouts). It has split and dual* and I use it for organ, piano, brass (ish) and marimba. I also use a rotary effect pedal. I tried a smaller keyboard and found it frustrating.

*I use the dual using Rock Organ + Rock Organ 1 octave up to give a fuller sound. I split that with marimba on the left hand for the Santana version of "She's Not There"
However; it's not a synth and the NP-V80 with arpeggiator is now only around Â£40 more.