Expert: Cleggsan - 7/10/2009

Question
Hi:

I would like to buy a musical keyboard that has 88 keys and relies purely on digital FM synthesis [not sample playback or analog synthesis] to generate tones. I would like it to have a headphone jack. In addition, it should be able to somehow record songs digitally so I can directly transfer them into a PC and burn the songs into CDs that I play on the keyboard and then burn them into a CD. It would probably require an internal HDD.

It should be the highest audio quality digital FM keyboard that has the above characteristics.

I plan to make karaoke tracks using this keyboard and then burn the karaoke songs into CDs.

The reason I prefer FM over sample-playback, is because the former has better synth-pad quality than the latter. I also want the FM synth to be digital. To me, analog sounds are rather stale.

What keyboard should I buy?

I've done a lot of research on my own but still am not successful.


Thanks a bunch,

Green

Answer
Three suggestions:

ONE:  Google shopping at

http://www.google.com/products?q=FM+keyboard&hl=en&aq=f

TWO:  Music store such as Sam Ash; they are very good for questions such as yours.

THREE:  Look at eBay and do searching for sellers. Also, craigslist is a good place for used musical instruments.

Hope this helps.
C

PS: Editorial comment:  FM synthesis is sort of disappearing from the marketplace as most experts feel it is not as realistic sounding as the newer computer based design concepts.  Many feel FM is dead. Thus, finding used keyboards may be the solution for your hunt.  Here is a comment from the Midi organization for your interest:

http://www.midi.org/newsviews/fm.shtml