Category: Jam Session
Hi all,
I suppose I could have posted this in the original toic I created about accessible synthes but I decided to create a new one. I appreciate all the feedback everyone gave me on that. But a new question has just occurred to me and I thought I'd post it. I just finished listening to a podcast that was done for Blind Cool Tech, a podcast on the Yamaha Mini Motif synthesizer. From what I heard about it it seems fairly accessible. I know, a lot of you people suggested Sonar with software synthes but I haven't been able to determine whether Sonar would work with Window-Eyes and anyway I'd much rather have physical controls under my fingertips if possible. So I'm curious if anyone in the US might have some suggestions about where I could get the Mini Motif or a similar fairly accessible keyboard for a decent price. The Mini Motif sounds like it has most of what I would need for the type of music I'm considering as well as some other options if I decided to incorporate different styles. About all it seems to lack would be the ability to create atmospheric sound effects since I'm talking about music in the style of folks like Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis here. So I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions on where I might check. I already checked Musiciansfriend.com and they didn't seem to have what I was looking for. Of course one place I could start with is the music store where I got the patch cord for my therimin. I could see what they have there and maybe next month try taking a cab over there and demoing a few to see if any would suit my purpose and be accessible enough that I could use them with as little sighted help as possible. But I'll close this for now. Thanks for any tips you guys can give me.
Hmmm. Here in the east, there is a chain of stores called Music-Go-Round. I've been in a couple, and they sell primarilly used gear. That might be a place to start. Sometimes, the smaller stores can give you the kind of customer service we need. Also, Yamaha makes a good bit of their documentation accessible in text only files you can download, which is a good start.
Good luck,
Lou
Thanks. I was really intrigued by the Mini Motif as I said, but so far I haven't been able to find any one that sells one except peraps Yamaha itself. And their web site seemed, well not necessarily inaccessible but certainly rather confusing. So I'm curious to see what Yamaha synthes we blind folks could use successfully. I realize the chances are slim that we'd be able to use absolutely every feature but as long as the important ones would be at least learnable that's all I would really ask for. Of corse I do't know if the guy who did that podcast was blind or partially sighted. He did give out his Email though so maybe I'll talk to him. And in the meantime maybe I'll call Dunkley Music, one of the stores we have here in Twin Falls ad ask if they carry any of those keyboards or, failing that, might know where I could get one at a decent price. The first order of business though would be to find a way to demo as many different models as I can and see wich ones might be worth trying to save up for.
You might try a search on youtube and see if you like what you hear. I was goofing around on that site after you mentioned the Alesis synths. Unrelated to your topic, I have an old QS7 that I like, frankly because it is lighter weight.
Lou
It'd be really cool if I could get my hands on a few of the synthes that Jean Michel Jarre used on his Oxygene album, but I doubt those are even made anymore and they're probably hard to find. Those were some pretty neat synthes, especially the EMS Synthi AKS, which he used for the sound effects.
Ok, first off, the synth you are refering to is not called the Mini Motif, as far as model designation. It is called the MM6. MM stands for mini motif, but nobody will know what you're talking about if you refer to it in that fashion. As for atmospheric sounds, I think you may be in luck with it, but it would be helpful for you to go out and audition the sounds on it yourself to make sure. You can also get modules and hook them up via midi, and use the MM6 as a controler for them. I've had a lot of success with Yamaha's accessibility, although I play a Kawai stage piano right now, and have sold my Yamaha stuff.
Well thanks for that little bit of clarification on the model designation. With that i mind I was able to find one. I found an MM8 on Musiciansfriend.com. I don't know if this is the same oe that was emoed for BCT but it sounds like it from the description. Now I just have to see if I can find it slightly cheaper than what they offer on MF.com.
Are you lookin for 88 keys? If not, you could get the 61-key version for considerably less.
Actually I'm thinking of maybe getting the new, well not so new motif SX 88 or 76 key but not sure. the keyboard has to transpose in to what ever key as I have trouble playing on the black keys sometimes also nonwrapping menues would be nice and usb so I can record it in to a sound editor and medi capability or what ever so I can use SFZ and sound fonts with it. Is there such a beast out there that is not in the tens of thousands? I like Yamaha. Thanks
I have to agree with Jesse about the 61-key option. Also, if you play out anywhere, hauling them is way easier. I prefer the 76 key arrangement myself, but in the case of some synths, moving up and down an octave is a breeze. I don't have the XS, but I do have the ES, and love it. I haven't gotten into any of the editing and sequencing capabilities. I'm afraid I'd give up eating and sleeping and working if I did. *smile*.
Lou
See, the problem with me is, I'm a piano player, and you know how picky we are about action. My Kawai weighs 78 pounds, because it has a full wooden action, so responds very much like a grand piano. It's a beast to carry, but the reward comes when it's set up.
Well yes I would want a synthe that would be relatively easy to transport. That's one reason I chose the particular model of therimin that I bought. I'm curious thoug if the number of keys on the keyboard really makes all that much of a difference. I mean yeah I would want to get the most that I could out of any synthesizer I purchased. Right now I'm more concerned with usability.
Like Jessie, piano was my first serious instrument of study. I have hand issues, so find a fully weighted action hard on my hands after an hour or so of playing. The number of keys depends on a couple of things, in my opinion. The style of music you're playing may not need all 88 keys. Also, if the instrument isn't to hard to switch octaves as I said earlier. The down side of a smaller keyboard is that if the patch you are using is "zoned" so that different sounds are in different parts of the keyboard, you may be making a sacrifice there. I know some guys who have symbol crashes and such at the low a and b-flat. All depends on your style, and what you want/need.
Lou
I'm a person who plays easily on about 76 keys but it has to be waited as that's what I'm used to. I cann't play wirth crap on an unwated keyboard. I've tried.
Is a weighted keyboard the same as one with veloscity sensitive keys? Or can they be both?
well, the answers are yes and yes. Yes, weighted keys are velocity sensitive. The serious and more accurate answer to your next question is that there are semi-weighted actions, which I prefer. They can be a bit "muddy" in that if one is used to a fully weighted action as in a piano, they can feel somewhat spongy to the touch.
Cool. I never quite understood that. Then again the piano was never really an interesting instrument for me except maybe when I was little. THen my brother got into guitar lessons and the piano sort of went out the window. And now I'm looking into synthesizers. Well if things work out like I hope they will I'm goig to take a trip to a local music store and try to demo some keyboards and see which models might be worth saving up for.