Bizarre gear question...

[Omega Monkey]

So today while driving in my car, with no chance of getting home to my beloved children (which all have alphanumeric names like "D-50", and "TG-77", and "JX-3p") I had this bassline going in my head. ANd it was REALLY damn good. Like killer stuff once I flesh everything out with it and do a nice recording.

Anyway, I was almost certain that by the time I got home I would forget it (guess what, I did!), but while I was still in the car (realizing the impending loss of vital data that would occur), I had the idea to get a small, inexpensive, battery powered (or something I could use a lighter adapter for) keyboard (preferrably with some sort of sequencer) to keep in the car for just such emergencies.

So my question to you fine people is...

Do any of you have any thoughts/opinions on what would be a good choice for something like that. It could be anything that is available online (ie musicians friend/ebay) or might be found locally at say, a best buy or radio shack. The budget Im looking at is maybe $0 to about $125 on the high end. Really I could take my CZ-1000, but that thing is big and clunky and I would need headphones (another thing is it needs built in speakers).

Im just looking for something I can keep in the front seat and pull over when I get an idea (or stopped at a light). Anyway, any info/thoughts/opionons/mailings of said items to my place of residence/etc... would be greatly appreciated.

[ImaX]

There are handy tools from Yamaha, QY-70 (the older one) or QY-100...

[Kurzweil88]

I think on the low end you could look into a tape or digital recorder and just sing the idea. This usually helps me.

[Omega Monkey]

Ok, so after a bit of ebay searching, I am really eyeing the Yamaha VSS-30. IT pretty much meets all of my criteria.

Battery powered
Sequencer
Small size
FRICKIN SAMPLER!!!!!

I am reading the harmony central reviews right now, and they are just confirming that this thing is exactly the kind of thing Im looking for. Any thoughts? Or other suggestions?

[John]

My vote would be for a tape recorder. Wouldn't cost much, plus not only could you sing/hum the idea, but you could add a little commentary also.

[Drusillus]

Hehehe what a cool little toy :) I might pick one of those up myself! Do you know anything about the Sequencer? Can you save songs in memory after you power off? Is it multitimbral? Can you somehow get a MIDI file out of it?

[WoofWoofX]

I ususally use the recorder on my mobile phone... and then when I get home I record the line before I say even hello ....

As for the bes thing that I tried on airplanes airports...cars and trains was the QY70...
and some times I've used it with to PC cable with my laptop... and it was really nice and easy to communicate ideas.

WoofWoofX

[merijn]

http://junior.apk.net/~tofu/pix/vss30.jpg

[Omega Monkey]

I really thought this thread would get more replies.

As far as some sort of recorder, the main problem is that I cant remember it because I never get it under my fingers. Once I've played something for a while, it gets harder to forget, adn I really dont want to hum into something and try to figure out what I was thinking from that.

But I am actually considering getting another MD recorder specifically for the car after I get the keyboard. Actually, Im looking preferrably for a MD recorder with both USB AND a mic input, so if anyone knows of any particular models, please let me know.

Anyway, I was rather impatient, and actually the day I started this thread I ended up bidding on a VSS-30. Looks like its in pretty good shape and comes with the original box and all that. I read enough user reviews to convince it me it was basically just what I needed (cue Cars music in background). I sent out the money order last monday (to IL from NY) so hopefully sometime this week I will have it in my hands. At that point I will probably hit up Radio Shack for one of those little universal cigarette lighter adapters, and also load this thing up with batteries (I think you lose all the samples and sequences when you turn it off, so I will probably try to leave it on at least until I can get home and record it).

I was telling my best friend about it on the phone yesterday (we went all through middle school and hs playing music together as well as off and on since then) and he just laughed at the whole idea (partly because of how ridiculous it is, and partly because of how "me" it is). But now if we're driving around he can jam out on the keyboard while I drive (and honk the horn rhythmically). We can re-enact that Geggy Tah video from the 90s!

"All I wanna do is to thank you,
even though I dont know who you are.
Cause you let me change lanes,
when I was driving in my car..."