Re: Digest Number 459

Because I have foregone the right to a grand piano in my office in the
music department at Cornell, I have been given the opportunity to purchase
a synthesizer keyboard of my choice. I'd like to get one that has the 88
touch sensitive keys (so I can still play theory exercises), midi export, a
nice range of timbres or places for (say, Alesis) cards, etc.,

AND the following: the capacity to vary the pitches of individual keys in,
say the middle two octaves, so that I can produce my own tuning system. OK,
it needn't be all 24 keys in the two octaves, but that would be nice. It
would also be nice if the LCD on the face of the keyboard had a setting
that showed the CPS of the fundamental I'm playing when I play a single
key. I really don't need any more than, say, 10 keys-at-a-time playing
capabilities. (A nice durable, easily-repairable machine would be good,
too.) The limit is $3000. I'm interested in this because I want to
approximate the fundamental frequencies of the fixed-pitch instruments in
various gamelans I have the measurements for.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Marty Hatch

Marty Hatch
Department of Music
Lincoln Hall (now in White Hall 316)
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14850, U.S.A.
607-2555049
fax: 607-2542877

[Marty Hatch wrote...]
>Because I have foregone the right to a grand piano in my office in the
>music department at Cornell, I have been given the opportunity to purchase
>a synthesizer keyboard of my choice. I'd like to get one that has the 88
>touch sensitive keys (so I can still play theory exercises), midi export, a
>nice range of timbres or places for (say, Alesis) cards, etc.,

Marty,

Are you aware of the microtonal synthesis page?
http://home.att.net/~microtonal/

I can't recommend Alesis keyboards, and I'm pretty sure they are not tuning
capable.

If you're willing to put up with 61 keys, there's a great deal right now on
one of the coolest synths ever made, the Kurzweil K2000VP...

http://www.intersolutions.net/sam-ash/displayprod.cfm?id=3298&r=0.63157515

Otherwise, the new Korg Triton is a great piece of gear, and you should be
able to get an 88-key version for just under $3000. Be sure to get the
MOSS upgrade card for the physical modeling synthesis, and presumably the
microtonal capabilities, of the Trinity series (double-check the tuning
capabilities of the Triton w/MOSS before you buy it).

If portability is less of an issue, and the most flexible tuning options
are a priority, then the best way to go would be a seperate midi controller
and rackmount synth.

The best midi controllers are by FATAR (I recommed the "semi-weighted"
action, which is what Kurzweil puts in its K2500 and K2600 flagship
instruments)...

http://www.musicindustries.com/fatar-menu.htm

Then, teem it up with a K2000VPR or an Emu Proteus 2000. This setup would
probably give you the best of everything and the lowest price. The
K2000VPR is only $1500 at Sam Ash...

http://www.intersolutions.net/sam-ash/displayprod.cfm?id=2460&r=0.84631079

And the Proteus 2000 is only $800!

http://www.intersolutions.net/sam-ash/displayprod.cfm?id=1946&r=0.38018959

Here are links to manufacturer's pages...

http://www.korg.com/triton.htm
http://www.youngchang.com/kurzweil/html/k2000vp.html
http://www.emu.com/products/proteus2k/proteus2k.html\

I hope this is of some help,

-Carl