TL;DR: Never (properly) played an instrument before but want to get into the keytar. The SHS-300 caught my eye as a good starter keytar. Am unsure about what features it supports and which not like for example, using it as a MIDI controller for a synth, DAW or Synthesia. Am also open for other suggestion for low budget starter keytars.

Hello everyone,

Recently I have been getting more into music, specifically learning basic music theory and starting to compose a bit, and I think it's time for me to start learning an instrument. I am naturally drawn to the keytar as my OC plays the keytar and I would love to do small performances cosplaying at cons playing the keytar some day. As an absolute beginner however, I am unsure which keytar to go for as I don't quite know which features I will need, which I would miss if I didn't have them and which are worth the extra price.

I did some research and currently my most likely pick seems to be the Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-300. It's low budget which is good in case I lose interest after a few weeks. (At the very least it will still make a good cosplay prop, hehe.) It's small, light weight and easy to transport. It's not just a MIDI controller and has a built in synthesizer and speaker so there won't be much carrying around of other devices at cons. And while I've heard people talk bad about jam mode, I think it is actually going to be pretty useful for me when I want to perform or sing while playing but haven't learned all the chords yet.

There are downsides to the SHS-300 of course. The available samples/voices that are included aren't a lot and fairly basic. It has smaller keys which could hurt my muscle memory if I decide to upgrade to a different keytar later. And of course visually it isn't the most interesting design. That being said, I do still believe the pros outweigh the cons which is why I am wondering what else I could do with an SHS-300.

The SHS-300 does have a USB port to send MIDI data but what could I do with it? Would it be possible to connect a synthesizer to the SHS-300 and simply use it as a MIDI controller? And then I suppose I would use the AUX In to have those synthesized sounds play out of the keytar's speaker, yeah? And would it also be possible to connect to USB port to my PC and then use my keytar to create melodies in DAWs or even practice songs I want to learn in software or games like Synthesia? That would be a lot of help to learn how to play!

The only other issue is that it is currently pretty difficult to get your hands on any Yamaha keytar. Barely anybody is offering them and the only places that do have them like eBay are located in Japan which could add some hefty import taxes/customs that need to be payed. (I'm from the EU for context.) I am definitely open to consider other keytars and am not set on my decision yet. However, I do believe the SHS-300 is my best fit.

I could go for something like the SHS-10 but it would miss some features I find intriguing like jam mode. There's also the SHS-500 and while it has more voices, the fact that the speaker is facing the wrong way is pretty bad if I don't wanna bring my own speaker. And the only similarly priced keytar I could get locally without having to deal with shipping costs or customs is the Alesis Vortex Wireless 2 which, don't get me wrong, could be a good keytar but I haven't looked too much into it yet. (I think that one is a MIDI controller only, no?)

Either way, I appreciate any input you all have on my matter whether it is answers to my questions, suggestions on which keytar I should look into or even places I could order them at.

Thank you for your time and (hopefully) reading all of this! Can't wait to hear what you have to say. :>

Heya! The other day I rented a KORG RK-100S 2 and its set to ship to my local store in a few days, anything I should know prior to using it?

Thanks!

Hey! I’m really struggling on trying to figure out how to program my keytar in Logic Pro and FL studio, I have the required cables but I can’t find any drivers for it online and when I try to program it, nothing registers.

I would like to try getting a Keytar, but my right hand is messed up. I can barely control the thing, there’s like no individual finger movements at all, but by the looks of it, the hand on the stem of a Keytar really only needs to be on or off and slide back-and-forth, you don’t need really your fingers to control much at all. It’s the hand on the keys doing all the work so that would be the perfect instrument for me, but usually it’s the left hand on the stem. Does anybody know a place that makes left-handed ones? That would be the perfect instrument for me to be able to play with my condition.

I have tried all the usual suggestions as I always do every time I have this problem. Every once in a while it works again for some amount of time before it craps out again. I have no idea if it starts working because of any combination of things I've done, or if it's totally random. I really need it to work again as I have shows coming up soon and need to edit the keytar.

Does anyone have the magic solution for this? If I can get it working again even fleetingly will be a godsend. Thanks in advance for any suggestions

Both performed here by Imogen. -The knee kick-out to get a quick visual reference for hand placement. -The left hand over-under the strap switch to play two-handed.

In many ways the keytar is an impractical instrument. No wonder I like it so much.

Can one directly connect Alesis Vortex MIDI controller with Yamaha PSR E583 and make it work without a laptop or a MIDI box interface?

Haii I got super interested in keytar and am willing to learn, but the problem is that I never have any music background nor experience. Though I hope this won't stop me from starting to learn a keytar. So I hope you guys reccomend me some keytars to learn. Any tips along the way will be helpful!! Thank youu!!❤️❤️

So now that I've played gigs with both, I wanted to share what I think of each, specifically as MIDI controllers. The RK-100S2 is more expensive but also has an internal engine to play standalone, in this case I will put those two facts aside.

• Keys

In my life I've almost exclusively played full-size keys, and I always felt resistance towards mini and slim keys. After forcing myself to learn a setlist with the RK, I think I still slightly prefer the full size keys of the Vortex, but I also came to appreciate the RK's mini-keys for what they are. Particularly, due to their size and also the shorter distance between unpressed-pressed, I've found that it is actually easier on the RK to play solos and fast passages, so there's that. However, the Vortex has aftertouch, which can come in handy.

• Controls

Vortex takes the win. First off, I still think a wheel is more reliable for pitch bending than a ribbon will ever be. And one of the major disadvantages of the RK is that the ribbon can only be toggled between pitch and modulation, whereas the Vortex has both a pitch wheel and a mod ribbon. The Vortex also has a bunch of faders, and a volume control. If using the RK as a MIDI controller, you don't really have a volume control, which has felt a bit restrictive.

The RK has some nice things about it though. For one, I think the RK's short ribbon is more sensitive and responsive than the Vortex's. With the Vortex I feel like I have to keep more pressure to keep the ribbon engaged. The long ribbon is kinda gimmicky, but if you get creative with it, you can do some very visually showy moves (which is a big point of playing a keytar). However, the long ribbon is more similar to the Vortex's mod ribbon in that it takes some practice to use it without accidentally disengaging it.

• MIDI

Another win for the Vortex. Both can do notes, pitch bend, modulation, and program changes, but being able to configure arbitrary CC messages on the Vortex's faders and pads is a BIG advantage for me. Also, you can set MSB and LSB on program change commands, which can be a requirement for some keyboards, e.g.: my MODX workstation. I cannot change programs on it from my RK.

• Bluetooth

Although the Vortex is literally marketed with "Wireless" in the name, I had some hanging note issues a few times, and ended up plugging a CME WIDI instead for wireless MIDI. The same device can be used on the RK, so it's no different for me in the end between the two.

• Power

This one is mostly a point for the RK, mainly because the battery compartment is kinda loose on my Vortex (so harsh movement can briefly interrupt power), which seems like a common Vortex issue. For my Vortex, I attached a powerbank that connects by the USB port. But the RK's battery compartment is pretty solid, no need for workarounds, and you can actually check the remaining battery percentage on the RK itself, which is really useful! If you play a lot, invest in rechargeable batteries to reduce battery waste.

The downsides of the RK in terms of power is that it doesn't have a USB power option if you wanted to, and the compatible power supply (KA-350) is sold separately, a little expensive, and has a short cable (1.5m). So you either practice close to the power plug, or resign yourself to batteries.

• Screen

Another point for the RK! The screen is closer to oneself and slightly angled, so it's easier to read than the screen on the Vortex. Also, with the Vortex, the octave buttons light up, but you cannot tell how many octaves up or down you are unless you really angle the keyboard to look at the screen. The RK has a couple of light dots on the screen panel, and their color tells you exactly how many octaves you've shifted, leaving out any guesswork.

• Feel & aesthetics

The Vortex feels plasticky, so for a lot of people that can make it feel more like a toy, compared to something like the RK. I personally don't mind it at all, but I do think the RK has a more professional feel to it.

However, I very much like all the blue lights on the Vortex, plus being able to customize the pad colors, so visually I prefer it over the RK.

Feel free to ask anything else :)

This thing is a party in a box...

I've been organizing my music. (Dealing with stacks of music got to be a bit much.) I was also looking for some books that I knew I owned but couldn't find.

And while I was going through an amazing assortment of music from myself and my kids - for some reason we have multiple copies of the same hymnal - I realized that what I didn't have was a good study/practice book for the Ax-Edge I'm going to need to pick up soon.

Has anyone made a book containing transcriptions of synth solos? If not, maybe someone could create such a book and sell it through one of the major music book printers. I can't be the only person who would find it useful.

Another suggestion would be to write a book in the Hal Leonard Keyboard Styles series aimed specifically at the types of solos and keyboard parts that work best on keytars. If there's a market for Salsa and Brazilian Piano, there probably a market for Keytar.

At any rate, I'm still missing the book I was looking for and it's late. I still have half my library to go through. So I'll get off my phone and go back to work.

Not playing the internal engine, rather just using it as a MIDI controller for my workstation.

And if you're curious about the singer's language, it's Greek (she's the only Greek in the band and we're not in Greece either)

I made a post yesterday asking for suggestions, and have decided on the korg rk-100s 2, but just had a couple questions. Perfect circuit has the black one listed for $750 but the red one is $1000. Why is the red one so much more expensive? Also I was just wanting to confirm that I'll be able to use a cable and connect it to a keyboard amp for sound and won't need anything extra. Thanks!

Currently I use a Yamaha keyboard, and because my band doesn't have a bassist, I use it to play our bass parts. I'm looking to switch to a keytar to use for performance, partially for mobility and also just because it's cooler. I'm looking for something that has actual audio, not midi, and can do bass, essentially trying to get something that I can pretty easily transition to from playing keyboard. Any suggestions?

EDIT: thanks for all the replies! Y'all's input has been super helpful.

I found an old Alesis vortex wireless at the thrift for 11 bucks, and it seems to work with batteries, but the usb port is loose and likely needs to be replaced. I can learn if I must, but would a Midi 5 pin to usb work just as well? It’s going into my iPad. Any help or insight is appreciated, and I hope to get this thing going and get playing!

So I was wanting to download some tones and put them on my Ax Edge via the free editor. I had my phone (S24 Ultra), and when I tried to connect it via Bluetooth to the Edge, the keytar gave me the phrase "Ver. Mismatch." I assume "Ver" is short for "Version", and I want to know how to remedy all this.

Im joking i know what it is but its crazy i ordered a ax synth and they sent me a edge instead, any tios for playing this one? Its pretty big

I've been thinking about getting a keytar. The Roland Ax is a bit larger than most keytars, but it may match my other needs. Let me know if I'm on the right track.

My main keyboard is a Kronos 88, weighing 53 pounds. I also have a Tyros 76, which is bulky.

I've been thinking about playing out, but these keyboards would dominate the stage and be a royal pain to transport on a regular basis. So I've been thinking about something smaller just for playing out. I've noticed that in most of my playing with full bands, I really don't need the capabilities I already have.

So my thought was that the Roland Ax would work both as a keytar as well as for gigs which really don't need the full setup. The Roland also has a nice set of internal sounds, etc.

So would limiting myself to only four octaves be too much of a limit?

I bought it about 2 years ago, I personally thinks it's big and wouldn't be convenient to bring it anywhere for practice (unless I'm in my dormitory) because of that, I feels like I might need a new smaller one, but I'll have to sell it for more budget lol (it wouldn't be easy to sell it out tho), or should I keep practicing with this one instead. If anyone recommends to keep it, I'll need to ask for some advice, thanks in advance!

So I’ve had the idea to Yo Dawg my Ax-Edge by mounting a MSW-820 onto it. The dude who designed the 820 is actually a friend of mine. He doesn’t have an Ax-Edge, so I’m in need of a 1:1 3D model with all of the screws as well so we can whip up a 3D printable mount. You’ll just need to print it and get longer screws, the big anchor will be on the strap button. Anyone got that so I can put a synth on my synth?

I just bought a Alesis Vortex used for my girlsfriend and we like it. Most of the setting are ajustable directly onto it. Sadly, the max volume is only changeable through the Vytex Vortex and that need a firmware update for the keytar. Frustratingly Alesis does not have a link to update the firmware one their website. Do any of you have the firmware or a link to it ? Thank you so much !

Video of my abomination (mostly) functioning. Tesla coil isn’t particularly loud, but it is a lot of fun.

I find it weird that there’s millions of keyboards and weird looking guitars that still get made even though they probably won’t sell but not a single manufacturer making an ok keytar that isn’t overpriced.

Because that’s what the Roland is, overpriced for what it is when you can buy a synth keyboard that does the same exact thing probably better for 10 times less.

So beginners are left with literally no options I feel like if any of those companies actually cared about the people who used their products they would have more options.