That one keyboard, you can take anywhere.

[Arpangel]

That you bond with, know inside out, and can do anything with, studio, gigs, jams, anything.
I don’t have one, haven’t had one since I sold my DX7 15 years ago, that was the only keyboard I’ve owned that could fit all of the above.
I started to feel a bit edgy about this ages ago, not have a good all purpose keyboard, and it’s still bugging me.
I can’t seem to find anything to fit the bill, I’ve tried loads, even just see if they have potential, but zero.
The search is still on, and most things today I find are either uninspiring, too complex, too expensive, not versatile enough, big, heavy.
I get the feeling this isn’t going to happen, and I’ll still be where I am now, with loads of bits and pieces, that are unwieldy to use, especially for gigs, and jams.
I’m waiting to stumble across something, probably old, and probably unreliable, but can’t think of any other solution right now.

[David Glover]

Hi Arpangel, thinking along similar lines, I took a punt and bought the first generation of the Nord Electro over 20 years ago. A few years ago I upgraded to the Electro 5. I absolutely love these instruments. I get the main keyboard sounds I really care about (EPs, Hammond, Clav, Piano) and a load of great samples.
I have the 61 note waterfall keyboard model and a backpack case.
I can take it anywhere I want, and it always sounds great.
It does what you're describing for me (and I've owned, and still own, more than a few instruments!).
Hope this helps!
David

PS: If I didn't have this and I wanted a minimal/flexible/modest cost rig, I'd be loading up my iPad with some of the great instruments around and adding a controller keyboard...or two.

[Guido3]

I can identify with this.

When I was younger and had much less money to spend on kit, you had to learn a piece of equipment inside out as there was no other alternative. The older I get, the more disposable income I have, the less deep into a synth I tend to go. As a result, I have far too much kit (selling a lot of it - See ads ).

There is also so much choice around at the moment. Go back to the early/mid-80's and unless you had a big pile of cash, your choice was limited compared to today. New stuff was also not being released every 5 minutes either.

As regards a one synth for all occasions. It's out there right now but there will be something a little bit better just around the corner. So you'll end up buying both!!!!

[The Elf]

That would be my Hydrasynth, but I know you have something against that, so... dunno. Novation Summit would be a close second.

My 'throw in the car' keyboard is a humble Yamaha home keyboard with lighty-up keys. It's good enough for the uses I put it to.

The DX7 is a very heavy synth - hated dragging that around.

[tea for two]

I had a Yamaha DJX1 (not the pants in comparison DJX2) which was supposed to be a home keyboard synth but it was fun and versatile with some Synthy tweakability alongside some bread n butter sounds. Battery operated too.
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ya ... x-super-dj

Also something as MicroKorg with vocoder, Mininova with vocoder never had these, everytime I'm aboot to purchase one of these for some reason I don't, prolly because of ipad.

[BigRedX]

Nord Lead Mk1

[The Elf]

I had a Yamaha DJX1

Me too. It eventually gave up the ghost, but it was a great 'take anywhere' option up to it croaking.

[The Elf]

Lol! This just came up in my YT list. I agree with him! Made me smile as I was typing while it was playing.

https://youtu.be/kjBgrtVM2to?t=305

[Hugh Robjohns]

I'd second the Electro as a great all-rounder. Extremely versatile, covers all the bases, easy to move around.

But I'm with the Elf in choosing the Hydrasynth as my personal desert island synth.

[adamburgess]

I did second keys for a school show last week and took my trusty Korg i3 arranger (2020 version). Wasn't paying enough to program a MainStage concert or a Kronos… But, the i3 is surprisingly good and it weighs about half of what my Boss expression pedal did on that gig. Paid for itself in around 45 mins couple of years back.

I've also got an old Korg M50 61 that someone gave me. Sounds are fine. I've had Korgs since the Trinity/Triton days so know the interface well enough to get around quickly.

For quick n dirty gigs/jam nights/filling in the odd part in a musical… cannot fault either.

[John Egan]

I'm certainly no keyboard player, but I needed something for the simple parts in the stuff I do. I bought a Korg Triton, which suits me fine and gives me the range of sounds I need.
Regards, John

[ajay_m]

Hydrasynth deluxe with a module plunked on the right hand side which has a large flat area specifically for plunking things on. 73 poly aftertouch keys, a killer synth and then the module will do all the sample based stuff. And all those knobs and buttons on the hs can send (and receive) midi to control stuff.
Oh and there's a ribbon too.

[MarkOne]

All my live outings for the last couple of years have been with two controllers (Arturia Keylab 88 II and Novation Impulse 61) and my MacBook Pro 13" running MainStage.

I don't even think about patch changes any more, I have splits and layers all over the place and where I need them, my own sample sets on triggers.

I would really love a Nord Stage 4 73 for a single portable keyboard, but it's expensive and I can't see it on the near horizon any time soon.

[Arpangel]

PS: If I didn't have this and I wanted a minimal/flexible/modest cost rig, I'd be loading up my iPad with some of the great instruments around and adding a controller keyboard...or two.

Yeeeeeesssss!
I thought about that, but I never use it, I can’t get past the look and feel of an iPad, it’s difficult to explain. I think it’s still got something to do with the physical disconnection from sounds and keyboard, it hasn’t got that solid instant feel of an integrated board.
I’m looking at the Yamaha MX61 MK2, sounds good for the money, great Rhodes, and flexible synth section.
Maybe a secondhand Yamaha AN1X, I’ve got my eye on one, but could be trouble.
I’m vaguely looking at the latest Korg OP-6, but it looks complex, and heavy, plus expensive.

[MarkOne]

PS: If I didn't have this and I wanted a minimal/flexible/modest cost rig, I'd be loading up my iPad with some of the great instruments around and adding a controller keyboard...or two.

Yeeeeeesssss!
I thought about that, but I never use it, I can’t get past the look and feel of an iPad, it’s difficult to explain. I think it’s still got something to do with the physical disconnection from sounds and keyboard, it hasn’t got that solid instant feel of an integrated board.
I’m looking at the Yamaha MX61 MK2, sounds good for the money, great Rhodes, and flexible synth section.
Maybe a secondhand Yamaha AN1X, I’ve got my eye on one, but could be trouble.
I’m vaguely looking at the latest Korg OP-6, but it looks complex, and heavy, plus expensive.

You know, it’s worth having a go with a controller and iPad and using the controller controls as your physical interface. You can even hide the iPad on a shelf so you can’t see it

[The Elf]

All my live outings for the last couple of years have been with two controllers (Arturia Keylab 88 II and Novation Impulse 61) and my MacBook Pro 13" running MainStage.

I don't even think about patch changes any more, I have splits and layers all over the place and where I need them, my own sample sets on triggers.

Similarly, I gig with a Windows laptop running Cantabile and a couple of light keyboards (Novation Launchkey 88 and, occasionally, Roland A-800Pro). Everything powered from the laptop and all of my sounds at my fingertips, similarly layered, split and with a few choice samples on the 'safe' end of the keyboard.

I can pack my entire rig, including stand, into one soft carry case and take the whole lot from car to stage.

The iPad idea is reasonable for many of us. I'm not far from being able to run my simplest shows with just a keyboard and an iPad.

But I don't think any these approaches would suit Arpy.

[tea for two]

I've always been into Physical Modelling Synths of acoustics instruments sounds, morphing them into sounds unheard of, since the Yammy VL-1, VP-1.
Although I never noodled on one.
Sound possibilities are vast.

Had a look to see whether there's a modern Physical Modelling Synth and this Anyma Phi popped up.
https://aodyo.com/anyma-phi/
Has utube vidz on the page including loopop
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=epIA-_LrWTA

Specs
"
*3 oscillator slots (more than 40 types, including wind/string physical models, modal resonators, virtual analog and digital algorithms)

*5 effect slots (more than 30 types, including resonators, granular processors, and FM operators) along 2 serial buses (Main, Aux) + 1 mono reverb

*16 modulator slots (more than 40 types, including envelope generators, LFO, curves, interpolators, slew limiters, sequencers, physical and algorithmic processes, etc.)"

I'm quite into checking it ooot as it isn't too out of reach at €499.

[Arpangel]

I've always been into Physical Modelling Synths of acoustics instruments sounds, morphing them into sounds unheard of, since the Yammy VL-1, VP-1.
Although I never noodled on one.
Sound possibilities are vast.

Had a look to see whether there's a modern Physical Modelling Synth and this Anyma Phi popped up.
https://aodyo.com/anyma-phi/
Has utube vidz on the page including loopop
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=epIA-_LrWTA

Specs
"
*3 oscillator slots (more than 40 types, including wind/string physical models, modal resonators, virtual analog and digital algorithms)

*5 effect slots (more than 30 types, including resonators, granular processors, and FM operators) along 2 serial buses (Main, Aux) + 1 mono reverb

*16 modulator slots (more than 40 types, including envelope generators, LFO, curves, interpolators, slew limiters, sequencers, physical and algorithmic processes, etc.)"

I'm quite into checking it ooot as it isn't too out of reach at €499.

I had a Korg Z1 for ages, it was so complex, I never got passed the presets, and they were terrible.

[tea for two]

I had a Korg Z1 for ages, it was so complex, I never got passed the presets, and they were terrible.

The complexity bit too much for me too on those Yammy VL-1, VP-1.
I just don't have the mindset nowadays to widdle through layers and whatnot to get to what I would want.
But this Anyma Phi is simpler.

[Arpangel]

Anyma Phi looks good, if only it was polyphonic.

[The Elf]

Expressive Osmose has vaguely similar capabilities, and is capable of similar sounds - and is polyphonic, and has a fantastic keyboard attached to it, but...

The editing system is an absolute nightmare.

And a take anywhere, anytime keyboard it ain't - too short, too fancy and too exposed to potential damage (think Odyssey Mk3).

[Eddy Deegan]

The venerable Yamaha SY85 is the piece of gear I know inside out and backwards but if I had to take one synth on the road at short notice I think it would be the Yamaha Motif ES7.

It's a rompler (with sample RAM) and as such isn't remarkable in terms of sound engines but it does what it does really well, covers the basics and then some (user definable per-voice step-sequencer LFO waveforms for example), has a useful length keybed and sounds wonderful.

It's also very much related to the SY85

[sonics]

For me it starts with the keyboard feel, and then depends on the type of music I would be making. Something like a Yamaha CP73 or Nord Stage and a laptop full of software would go a long way, and I'd throw a small MIDI controller into the bag, too.
I currently grab'n'go a Roland VR-09, but it has many shortcomings. I'm currently putting together a laptop rig to replace it.

[muzines]

Indeed - my MBP and anything with keys would be good enough for me...

[IAA]

I used an XP 50 for a while, great sounds, not too heavy. Not the easiest to program as I recall.

Now I’d say it’s my Kronos, but portable it is not!