I think I need a 61 note keyboard - Wavestate SE?

JCA2550 · October 29

I've been hankering after a proper keyboard for ages and I'm almost decided on a Korg Wavestate SE, but have also been considering the Korg Kross 2, Nord Electro 6 (D or HP), Yamaha MODX, Roland Junos etc...

I'm by no means a proper keyboardist or piano player, but have always fancied immersing myself and getting to an okay standard.

I want 61 notes, as I don't have the room for a fully weighted 88 keybed, with a decent feel, Velocity sensing, range of good useable sounds, for home studio and hopefully live work. Aftertouch would be nice.

I await the FB collective wisdom, thoughts please.

C

horse · October 29

I've not played one, but my impression is that the keyboard might feel nice to play synth type.parts on, but the synthesis engine might be quite a specific and deep beast to get to grips with if you're a beginner.

It all depends what type of sounds you want to make really, and how you might want to be using it live & recorded.

I'd say it would be an unusual first / only choice of proper keyboard.

octatonic · October 29

The Wavestate has one of the most complex sound engines.
Avoid unless you really know your stuff.

Honestly, get a dumb controller keyboard and use plugins until you figure out what you like.

monquixote · October 29

octatonic said:

The Wavestate has one of the most complex sound engines.
Avoid unless you really know your stuff.

Honestly, get a dumb controller keyboard and use plugins until you figure out what you like.

This is the way.

I have a Roland piano with the Zencore and Supernatural engines on it and the iPad sounds way better with a few cheap plugins.

JCA2550 · October 30

Thanks for the input everyone. That's fine for home studio but I don't really want the hassle of taking a laptop to gigs for soft synths. The reason I'm considering the Wavestate is the keybed gets a lit of praise vs others Yamaha Modx, Korg Kross 2 61 etc. Appreciate its a sledgehammer to crack a walnut but the feel will be important to me.

octatonic · October 30

JCA2550 said:

Thanks for the input everyone. That's fine for home studio but I don't really want the hassle of taking a laptop to gigs for soft synths. The reason I'm considering the Wavestate is the keybed gets a lit of praise vs others Yamaha Modx, Korg Kross 2 61 etc. Appreciate its a sledgehammer to crack a walnut but the feel will be important to me.

It isn't a sledgehammer to crack a walnut, it is using a fighter jet to go to the shops.
You won't know how to drive/steer it, it isn't really going to do the job you need.

It isn't a 'general purpose' synth.
You have 4000 modulation possibilities and you are trying to layer up 4 sounds on a teeny tiny screen.

I had the Wavestate (the small keyboard version) and frankly it was a total pain in the ass to edit on the device.
It is OK to do using the Korg app but Korg are weird about how they design things.
Even installing the app is a PITA.

When they released the plugin version I never turned on the Wavestate, so eventually I sold it.
I love the plugin- it kills.
I use it a lot.

This is the problem with a lot of these modern, very capable synths with small screens, plugins are easier to use to create sounds. By far.

Seriously, unless you have years under your belt using pretty advanced synths I strongly suggest you don't get this as your first synth.
There are dozens of better options.
And if you aren't a 'proper piano player' I do not think you will care about the synth action as much as you think you do.
I worry more about the feel of the knobs than I do the keybed.
Because you don't play a synth like a piano- you tend to hold notes and affect tonal changes over time with filters, envelopes etc.

If you are looking at the Wavestate and a Nord Electro and a Modx and a Juno then it is clear you do not yet know what you want from a synth (which is fine, if you've not done it.. how would you?)

That is like saying I want a guitar, should I get a LP or a super strat, or a Tele or a banjo? They are all quite different, some more different than others.

The Wavestate, by way of comparison, is like a fanfret 8 string headless guitar.
And you are considering that or a Telecaster (Nord Electro).
I would figure out what synth you want first.

The Wavestate doesn't do any of the things the Electro does and vice versa.
If you want a traditional set of sounds the Electro is a great device but I've never been able to substitute it for a Juno, let alone a Wavestate.

The best way to start with a synth is to get a simple subtractive synth, 2-3 oscillators, a filter, a couple of modulation points and an envelope. The Moog Sub37 is brilliant (there are other options though). Once you can make a subtractive synth do what you want (6 months to 2 years of messing about depending on how much you work at it, then branch out into additive, FM, wave sequencing etc.

Just my 2c.

horse · October 30

Agree with Oct.

Fantom 06 would be a more versatile option than the wavestate, with a keybed you might well prefer to the modx.

I currently gig with an old electro 5D and a modx7. I use the electro mainly for its organ, and the keybed is far better than the modx. The modx expands the pallet I have available and I can cope with the keybed action in that context.

JCA2550 · October 30

Hmmm! no doubt wise words. I'll have a hard think.

Winny_Pooh · October 30

Synth
or
Piano/Rhodes/organ substitute?

If the latter then look at Nord Electro, Korg SV2 73 or Yamaha yc73

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I think I need a 61 note keyboard - Wavestate SE?

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