Which next - keyboard or monitors?

[Donna]

I'd like opinions from any who've heard Last Train: should I next get: a keyboard? Or monitors? All's we need to do is for me to decide, then go to the store! The reason I ask opinions from ppl who've heard my mp3 is that they'd have some idea of how much I'm hurting re: mixing - like do they think it's crucial I get monitors first? I do want them - but I'm dang bored writing on just guitar - I want to do keyboard songs again.

Been thinking about this whole thing in conjunction w/ an artist page where it asks "description of music". For the life of me, I've no idea on how to answer that. Seems to me, I'm at least two different writers (or players??). The keyboard songs to me sound quite different than the guitar-written ones - the recordings anyway. I get bored VERY easily, it is one thing I cannot stand re: sounds and recordings of songs.

Y'all haven't heard the keyboard songs, but there's a fair amt in the archives. It lets one orchestrate even they cannot play keys. Anyway - I really miss doing keyboard songs, it's been 10 years and I was doing alright writing/recording-wise on that instrument. So there's my bias.

I appreciate your thoughts.

[Donna]

Plus, I LOVE basslines, they make me swoon. I wish a had an upright, like I used to play as a child - German bow, the whole thing. With the keyboard, I can have bass which sounds like bass, and play it better than basslines-on-guitar, unless I stand the axe upright.

Shutting up now...

[Nightwolf]

Sounds like you're already sold on the keyboard. I'd say Music first, mixing second. You can always remix your songs once you do get monitors.

[john]

I guess for me the decision would be about which one I thought I would get the most benefit from, and secondly the purchase I would enjoy the most.

[Donna]

That's right, John Nightwolf - music first.

It's keyboard I'm pretty sure , john, on both respects. But it is a bit trickier, when we must think about engineering as well.

I guess I'll need a stand then, too.

[hariossa]

you'll need them all!!!

you need the monitors to mix and master your music, but first you need music to record, and that music will come from your instruments!

my choice in your position would be a bass, then the keyboard and at last the monitors.

you can always get some bass lines from a keyboard, but it's not the same you know...

Edited January 13, 2006 by hariossa

[ATom2]

First off, I'm kind of partial in this discussion. I am of course a long time keyboard player. I bought the following keyboard a few years back for $1400. It is a very good keyboard and now it is also cheap.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=key/...ase_pid/705536/

It is a sturdy board with a large selection of sounds.

As far as I'm concerned, you can always waork around the monitor area, but keys are a must.

Tom

[Guest voclizr]

Donna;

I'd go for the keyboard first. As you said yourself. you can add so much more with the orchestration a good keyboard can provide. You can even add your bass sound with it. I monitor through AKG monitor headphones (Yes, I KNOW that's a no no, but right now it's all I have). I have a cheapo pair of Radio Shack monitor speakers, but they were "eaten up" by dust B4 I got my new 8 track. But yeah, I'd say keyboard! You have alot of talent, Donna. A keyboard can help you expand your horizons. Whichever you go with, good luck!

John B.

[Donna]

Hari, spoken like a true guitarist Maybe also you saw somewhere else I'd been thinking lately how great it'd be to have a bass (and electric guitar)? What has happened! I used to have ALL of them.

Atom, I'm going to that link as soon as I shut up! Johnny B. thanks for your opinion. I know you guys are right.

Hey - I'm touched at all the feedback + it helps.

[Prometheus]

That's right, John Nightwolf - music first.

It's keyboard I'm pretty sure , john, on both respects. But it is a bit trickier, when we must think about engineering as well.

I guess I'll need a stand then, too.

To be honest, while monitors are very important, after hearing Last Train I'm not worried about the system your using to listen to your mix on... Last Train sounded great frequency wise over my reference monitors...

I found the best thing to do was just buy the gear a piece at a time as I could afford it, and keep a close eye on the second hand market... A desk with a lot of routing potential and a patchbay or two make life so much easier... You end up finding that you can route stuff up and try things out in ways that aren't necessarily orthodox, like a hacker does with a computer. For example, On the last project I worked on, we managed to squeeze over three hundred tracks out of a thirty tow track studio. Admittedly, the end result was a bit of a failure and the notion was utter lunacy in the first place, but I learned a lot about acoustic awareness while doing it...

[Donna]

ROTFL! You'd make a great cartoon strip, Prometheus.

Plus I knew you'd chime in - thanks for that. btw, someone in the Christmas Song Thread (songwriting baord) wants to know what it is you're holding in your pic.

Atom, I'd love that Alesis - but this time I'll be settling for less.

[ATom2]

Atom, I'd love that Alesis - but this time I'll be settling for less.

I realize cost is a big thing, but for great sound for the cost, you may want to rethink. Less is often...less.

[Prometheus]

ROTFL! You'd make a great cartoon strip, Prometheus.

Plus I knew you'd chime in - thanks for that. btw, someone in the Christmas Song Thread (songwriting baord) wants to know what it is you're holding in your pic.

Atom, I'd love that Alesis - but this time I'll be settling for less.

Oh right, I'll go there and let them know...

[Donna]

I picked up a Yamaha. I did look at the Alesis (no QS8.2 tho) and even some kind of sound box or something like that, w/ keyboard bought separately to be able to get one's own sounds - big bucko's for that situation.

This sounds crazy, but my biggest bumout is where to keep it. The little ones can't be expected to not be little. I think for now, I shall have to tear down and stash it every time.

With my old synth, I only needed like 5 good sounds. I've already found five on this one which has over 400. The bass sounds are pretty bad, but a couple guitar sounds are alright. I'm sure I can work w/ it via eq. and/or doubling. Also some reverb/chorus built in and manipulatable.

The canned beats sound good but don't swing. However, I may use the keyboard to make my own, at least on some tunes. It'd be great to have the recording feature on the keys take care of everything but vocals, so I can stretch out w/ 3 tracks of harmonies (I have a horror of bouncing suddenly on the 4 track).

All in all, Woo-hoo!

[Nightwolf]

Congrats