Portable keyboards

[Tony]

I know we, as a list, are predominantly guitar wielding but I have a keyboard question.  I want to find a small keyboard that I can use with the Micro BR.  My fantasy is a one and 1/2 octave keyboard that just produces one sound and has an audio line out. And preferably cheap. Instead all I can find are 5 octave monsters that are as portable as a portaloo. 

There are no shortage of midi controllers but they don't produce sounds and they generally are restricted to usb and midi line outs.

I do a lot of train travel and I dream about actually noodlng on the MBR and not reading another freaking crime novel. 

Alternatively, can anyone think of anything that would be good for inputting melodies in a genuinely portable fashion?  I'm not going to carry a strat on the train with me.

Anybody got any advice?

[64Guitars]

The Korg Kaossilator would probably do the job and be a lot of fun too. It's battery powered, smaller than any keyboard, sounds awesome, and is reasonably priced.

[Ferryman]

The Korg Kaossilator would probably do the job and be a lot of fun too. It's battery powered, smaller than any keyboard, sounds awesome, and is reasonably priced.

I'll second that - go here to hear it in action:

http://microrecorders.org/community/post-your-work/unicordia-first-serious-micro-br-recording-by-a-newbie/0/

The only downside is that it is quite hard to play if you want to play anything other than simple melody lines. But it has an amzing range of sounds.

If you want a small synth, how about this?

http://www.thomann.de/gb/novation_xiosynth25.htm

Cheers,

Nigel

[beleg]

I have seen a roll up piano in the SkyMall magizines

http://www.buyrolluppiano.com/

Never played one, so I dont know what it sounds like.

If you are looking for pockcet sized and don't mind playing with a pen, I would go with this  Stylophone ($20):


http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/musical-instruments/aa64/?cpg=froogle

[Blooby]

The Microkorg runs a little less that $400, but man, is it cool.  Every Pink Floyd/Dr. Who sound you can think of.  It can produce arpeggios, which can be set to tempo.  It's also a vocoder if you have a great desire to sound like the car from Knightrider.

I think it's four-voice, it's very small, and it can run on batteries.

http://www.korg.com/Product.aspx?pd=128

Just my two cents.

Blooby

[hewhoiscalledj]

I can see how making music would totally improve your train commute. You can probably get by just fine with an old Casio (the mini key kind w/ probably 3 octaves) Find one with a midi connection or just a decent line out and you are golden.

Or... try an Omnichord. It's like an 80s novelty noise maker / sequencer... pretty fun to mess around with. Here's an example from eBay:    http://cgi.ebay.com/Suzuki-Omnichord-system-two-OM-84_W0QQitemZ330312177473QQcmdZViewItemQQptZKeyboards_MIDI?hash=item330312177473&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[guitarron]

that roland juno is cheap-49 keys too many?

[Tony]

Thanks everyone.  I think I'm going to have to sit with this problem for a while.  Your suggestions are good but everything falls out the same way.  Those things that are small enough don't have the proper control and those those that do are too big.  It's time for someone to market a 1 and 1/2 octave keyboard with almost no surround frame that has audio out for the Micro BR.

Nat Cole used to compose on a melodica whilst on the road.  A melodica with a 1/8 inch audio out - that would be it.

Thanks for all the advice.  I got some good ideas from this.

[beleg]

adding a pick up to a melodica

http://www.thisisnotalabel.com/Attaching-a-Pickup-to-a-Melodica.php


or

http://www.melodicas.com/melodica_pickup.htm

[Tony]

Wow, beleg, thank you.  This is great, and very kind of you to find it.

[guitarron]

adding a pick up to a melodica

http://www.thisisnotalabel.com/Attaching-a-Pickup-to-a-Melodica.php


or

http://www.melodicas.com/melodica_pickup.htm

i'll take a midi version of that

[beleg]

Looks like there was a midi model made by Suzuki, but it is not made any more (if any of you find one and want to sell it, let me know)

So it looks like you will need make it your self, here is how:

How to make a MIDI Melodica:  (from: http://www.melodicas.com/melodica_is_a_wind_instrument_cr.htm)

There are two devices out on the market today allowing adventurous keyboard players the ability to hybrid your your favorite MIDI keyboard into a electric melodica. Aside from different sounds this also allows you an extended octave range. You will need a  YAMAHA BC Mouthpiece, a small device you blow into. Yamaha is currently selling the BC3, but the earlier model BC2 & BC1 will work also. Several Yamaha & Kurzweil synthesizers have input jacks supporting this device already built into the synthesizer. For the synthesizers that do not have this built in interface, the  BC Mouthpiece requires a Midi solutions Breath Controller, a small MIDI interface box  that converts voltage input to a MIDI output into your synthesizer. This controller is very powerful and allows one to program a variety of MIDI control messages. It can be used with most MIDI synthesizers. You can set it up as when you play keys on your synthesizer nothing happens till you blow into the mouthpiece controlling volume, like a melodica. Most  synthesizers can be set up like this giving you a great Electric MIDI Melodica.  I have sampled my Hohner melodica on my Yamaha EX5 and play it  with the breath controller. This gives me an extended range, allows me to use on board effects, use controllers and defeat the purpose of having a real melodica. Other devices that support the BC3 include the ancient YAMAHA MCS2 or some Kurzweil products.

[Tony]

This is just an update for those who offered suggestions earlier.  After hearing Nigel's version of Debussy on the Kaosillator this morning, I thought, 'Sod it, I'm going for one of those.'  I rang the shop and they had one in stock and a demo model.  I thought I would at least have a play.  Hopped on the train.  On the way to the shop I passed a pawn shop and popped in because, like all of us, one day I'm going to find an L series Strat in there for $50.  No strats today.  But they did have this:

http://www.synthman.com/roland/Html/Images/308600.jpg

Roland PMA-5: It's like a stylophone on steroids.  Backing tracks, midi, bells, whistles and it makes the sound, that is you don't have to connect to a computer for actual sound.  And it records what you play.  Baby, I'm in love.  30 minutes on the train travelling home and I already have tunes to mess with.  This is one serious unit and it cost about half the price of the Kaosillator.

If you see one of these, think carefully before you pass it by.  They are discontinued now but if I can find one then they won't be that rare.

[SenhorLampada]

You can probably get by just fine with an old Casio (the mini key kind w/ probably 3 octaves)

I'd agree with that
I have one of these oldies! Although not so portable (it's bigger than a melodica), it takes batteries... Mine is a Casio Mt-76, i guess, don't remember the exact model.

But once a friend who's a pro musician, and a hell of a piano player just took it and started playing a really nice jazz piece... I was in AWE!

[Ferryman]

Roland PMA-5: It's like a stylophone on steroids.  Backing tracks, midi, bells, whistles and it makes the sound, that is you don't have to connect to a computer for actual sound.  And it records what you play.  Baby, I'm in love.  30 minutes on the train travelling home and I already have tunes to mess with.  This is one serious unit and it cost about half the price of the Kaosillator.

If you see one of these, think carefully before you pass it by.  They are discontinued now but if I can find one then they won't be that rare.

Tony, thanks for this. It sounds really interesting and this one passed me by, I don't remember it in the mid 90s (but I wasn't playing much music then). I really like the sound of this (although I haven't actually heard one yet), so would love to hear something posted by you done on this.

I have been carefully preserving my Yamaha DX-100 form the 1980s, which is pretty small, but sadly when I tried to use it a few weeks back it was totally dead. So something like this could be really cool. The Kaossilator is great but playing tunes on it is quite hard and time consuming.

Watching e-bay now.....

Cheers,

Nigel