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[jellyjim]

Hello

I’m thinking about replacing this setup:

* Roland FP30 digital piano (main piano sound and master keyboard)
* Akai S5000 (with a large library of natural/traditional instruments)
* Akai MPC2000 (I use this just for sequencing)

With a workstation. Because:

* It’s a cumbersome pile of gear that takes up a lot of space
* The Akai libraries are sounding very tired
* The FP30 is very limited as a controller (no pitch or mod wheels etc)

What I like about what I have is:

* The FP30’s piano sound (some incarnation of Roland’s SuperNATURAL stuff iirc)
* The immediacy and intuitiveness of the sequencing workflow with the MPC (though I do acknowledge its limitations)

What I must have in a replacement:

* 88 key weighted keybed comparable to the FP30 (the FP30’s a budget instrument so no doubt there are plenty as good or better)
* Great acoustic and electric pianos, acoustic and electric basses, tone wheel and transistor organs and great orchestral strings (but really don’t need electric kazoo, space ocarina, bird whistles and all the other random shiz they stick in sound modules!)
* Multi-timbral
* Pitch/mod wheel
* A sequencer

Nice to haves:
* The sequencer have at least some of the MPC DNA. Not exclusively linear for example. A performance element to it, track muting on the fly, pattern switching etc
* Some other control elements beside pitch/mod wheel

I have various drum machines and synthesisers covering all things electronic, analogue, synthesised not natural, monosynth etc so don’t worry about all that shiz

Am I correct in thinking the current workstations from the big 3 are:

* Roland, Fantom FA only
* Korg, Krome (budget) or Kronos
* Yamaha … I’m a bit confused by Yamaha’s product lineup!

Thoughts/recommendations?

I see the MOXF8 has dropped radically in price at some retailers, presumably to make way for the MODX's. A bit long in the tooth or still a corker?

[jellyjim]

Oh ... not sure of budget ... close to or under £1k preferably. Maybe more if it really covers all bases

[Dave B]

Sadly, you aren't going to get a Kronos for under a grand. They are really good at holding their value s/h so that's out.

You could just about blag a Krome 88 for that, but there's no sampling. If that's cool then the Krome fits nicely.

TBH, you could pick up a s/h Roland Fantom X8 or G8 for that kind of money. Roland 88 note keyboards depreciate faster than Ferraris...

Another option that might fit is a s/h Kurzweil PC3x / PC3K8 (the latter if you want sample ram). They do pop up around that price s/h and they are great boards.

[jellyjim]

Thanks. Any love for the MOFX8?

[jellyjim]

Thanks. Any love for the MOFX8?

whoops! aka 'MOXF8'