Keytars

[Jwarmen]

HOT or NOT?

discuss.

I find them hecka cool

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/metalisforever/thumbnails/Henrik%20Klingenberg%20a001%20-%2026A.jpg

I ordered this controller :smile: Can't wait. Any tips?

http://www.iaindunnet.com/photos/Ax1.GIF

[aibohphobia]

Cool as a quick gimmick, not for the whole show. Bring it out and take center stage for your hottest solo in the show, otherwise, it's cooler to be on the keyboard rig.

[tuggy]

i like keytars, they do look cool. Also, even Chick Corea plays one :)

[Staccato]

I´m gonna buy one later on.. not for a whole show.. just for maybe one particular moment.. think it will be fun both for me and the audience.

[EloHiR ElEnDIl]

I want one!I have always desire one!BUt I have other thing to buy right now..I'd have the money I'd buy one..

[stealth]

I'd love to have a Keytar - they add an awesome dynamic on stage IMO.. plus some of the newer Keytars actually have some pretty advanced features as far as its feasability as a midi controller, like this one from roland:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Keyboards/Midi/MIDI/Controllers?sku=700203

It's got an assignable rotary encoder, a ribbon, a d-beam, and a bend-bar as well as 2 zones. You could easily hook it into a high end midi rig and get a decent level of control.

[Omega Monkey]

i like keytars, they do look cool. Also, even Chick Corea plays one :)

Yeah, but Chick could be out there on stage with a Casio Rapmaster duct taped to his pants and he would still look and sound cool!

For me, like any tool, they are only as good as what they are used for.

[jayswami]

I use the roland AX-7 to control my Korg Ms2000 and Karma on stage. I mainly use it on songs where I am mainly playing chord support kinda parts (pads,strings) plus extended solos. I havent been able to figure out a way to use it when I have to play Piano,Bell,Mallet kind of riffs, where i need both hands to do justice to the riffs.

The AX 7 keytar makes playing certain kinds of leads, like ones with arabic or indian touch more natural and easier, at least thats been my personal experience. Also if there are some parts where you need both hands on the keys, sometimes doing that on the keytar makes them look cooler.. the riff looks visually more complicated, hence cooler :) ->> http://wakinghour.com/images/13sa.jpg

here is an example of one of my keytar leads: (low quality bootleg webcam audio)
http://vorlon.case.edu/~jayen/jjjjj-mp3/hollow.mp3

[Asho]

Keytars add a great stage element, but i think theyre a litte impractical for most situations.

If i had money, (and also co-ordination) i would run round like mad with one, but i have neither so im sticking to behind my rig.

[ImaX]

In general they're quiet cool I think, but I'd like to find one that looks a bit "cooler"... perhaps a metal case, not just a plastic keyboard that might look like a toy, you know?

[AmoenA-Anders]

I'm defininetly getting one when I get enough cash. It looks cool to be mobile on stage when playing keys. But a problem is that you can't play double handed piano things.

[jayswami]

^^ regarding 2 handed playing: in some situtations you can use the keytar as an excuse to push your right handed playing to the limit and improve it tremendously, which kinda enables to do more complex things when you have both hands at your service.
the second factor is that the combination of your posture,the natural inverted placement
of your left fingers over the touch ribbon strip controller,and the angle atg which the right hand fingers hit the keytar keys somehow change your mindset when playing it, you are almost always in the "lead" mode..

and also i had mentioned in my prev post, u can use 2 hands on the keytar in some situations.. it not only enhances velecity (in arpegio kinds riffs) but also looks cool.

[Luca_Capozzi]

about keytars.. check out that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZEGHnAxEpo&search=synthesizer ;)

Luca

[Jwarmen]

about keytars.. check out that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZEGHnAxEpo&search=synthesizer ;)

Luca


whut? whut?

hun?

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6379/tfr189yc.gif

[Omega Monkey]

That was awesome!

Ok, not the music so much, but for the fact that they had like every synth available on stage at once (including what looks like the entire Oberheim product line of 1984!). I noticed a Fairlight, Stevie looked to be playing a Kurz 250(?), I think Dolby was playing some kind of Roland thing. Too bad the video wasnt better quality so we could get a good look at everything thats there.

[aibohphobia]

Keep in mind that this is a forum of keyboardists. I like keytars and think they're cool, but most of my friends think they're cheesey, with many finding them downright laughable.

I like them, but we all have a biased wish for a perfect world where the keyboardist can take centerstage.

[Grey Loki]

Definately HOT. Damn expensive if you really want the 'wow factor' - The keytar, perhaps a custom paintjob, plus a Kenton wireless MIDI interface..almost £800 worth of stuff, just to look cool. But damn, do you look cool. I use one regularly with a 10m MIDI lead, and I can go anywhere on stage, whenever I want.

[PsawniK]

Keytars are really fun. I use a Roland AX-7 in my band for cover songs and for one of our originals. The mobility is nice and the crowd really seems to like them (at least from what I've seen). Two-hand playing is possible, it's just a little uncomfortable. For example, I use mine to play Overture 1928; I just had to rewrite a couple of the parts because of the small range of the keytar.

[Bastardo Demono]

keytars are awesome if the player playing them is awesome. laughable when hacks do it just as a gimmick, but people will shut right up if a good player plays on em

[Jwarmen]

hehe...the replies show that we're dealing with keyboardists on this forum. A pianist forum would have yeilded opposite responses I guarantee it.

Well to be honest, what really got me to order one is seeing Sonata Arctica live.

I was never a keytar fanatic but it looked so damn cool in the hands of Henrik Klingenberg; I then tried the AX-7 at a local music store and I thought I looked really HOT..haha :tongue: . Had to save up and get one. :smile:

This obviously leads to the next question:

Jordan with a keytar? :biggrin:

[Piranha]

about keytars.. check out that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZEGHnAxEpo&search=synthesizer ;)

Luca

AAAH the cheeziness.

[TheMaz]

Yeah, it's cool ! :smile: I have the AX-7, and it gives me lots of midi control over my sound modules.

http://www.johnnymaz.ca/images/Vac%203.jpg

Johnny Maz
www.johnnymaz.ca

[Jwarmen]

^^^ awesome!

[Alkemist]

Jwarmen, -> http://www.invinciblemusic.com/new-age-music-9.htm.

Yup, Jordan with a keytar.

[Jwarmen]

Jwarmen, -> http://www.invinciblemusic.com/new-age-music-9.htm.

Yup, Jordan with a keytar.


LOL! Nice find. Just saved that one in my collection. :biggrin:

haha that suit is so so....*SPEECHLESS*....god the 80s were awesome; I'm born in '83, but I'm guessing there probably was no funner time then to have your teen years in the 80s.

[Staccato]

I saw Sonata Artica live yesterday and their keyboardist used a keytar almost the whole gig.. and I promise you.. it was cool! and he could really play as well!:D

[Analogkid]

Keytars can be cool, especially if they are a Moog Liberation

[Jwarmen]

Keytars can be cool, especially if they are a Moog Liberation

http://www.synrise.de/history/advertises/advert_006.jpg

[Mantarkus]

I remember seeing Jean Michel Jarre using some very cool (and weird) looking keytars. One of his bandmates had one with arabic sword shaped black keys. Better than having an ARP2600 hanging from your neck.

[Analogkid]

http://www.synrise.de/history/advertises/advert_006.jpg


Frikkin Schweet

[Luca_Capozzi]

I remember seeing Jean Michel Jarre using some very cool (and weird) looking keytars.

you mean the curve shaped one? It was made by Michel Geiss as well the matrix sequencer and other cool stuff :)
http://www.hyperionwebs.com/electronicshadows/archives/techtalk/synths_of_jarre2.htm

Luca

[Jwarmen]

you mean the curve shaped one? It was made by Michel Geiss as well the matrix sequencer and other cool stuff :)
http://www.hyperionwebs.com/electronicshadows/archives/techtalk/synths_of_jarre2.htm

Luca

lol whata fack?

[Bastardo Demono]

I like how that moog liberation says "no heavier than a gibson les paul".. . which is one of the heaviest models of electric guitar!! then again, it had onboard sounds too I gather

I am seriously considering a roland ax7 for my next musical purchase, I just have to find a way to justify $500 for a small plasic midi controller... why are these things so expensive!!!

[Asho]

Now that Moog Liberation is hoooooooooooooooooooooot.

Where can i steal one of those :tongue: ?

[OctavarIan]

Keytars and portable keyboards like Henrik Klingenberg uses are awesome imo! I love the idea of being up with the guitarists and rocking out.
Sometime in the future I hope to buy one myself :)

[Grey Loki]

you mean the curve shaped one? It was made by Michel Geiss as well the matrix sequencer and other cool stuff :)
http://www.hyperionwebs.com/electronicshadows/archives/techtalk/synths_of_jarre2.htm

Luca

Laser Harps FTW!

[dsadsa]

Haha that pic of henkka is really old if you want some REAL ACTION and KEYTAR DESTRYING and Coolness and etcetc.


Watch this video you won't regret it (hopefully) there is henkka in full action.
(these might take some time to load and notice that this is YOUTUBE witch is safe at last to my knoledge)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uENIHgOX4lA&search=San%20sebastian%20sonata%20arctica

see the ending of that video and you are pleased. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIwV2shlf8&search=Victorias%20secret%20sonata%20arctica

more great soloing from henkka.
Here is henkka without keytar and even more great soloing :D.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WbWYvpNG2o&search=the%20cage%20sonata%20arctica%20tavastia


conclusion:
I want a kurz with the AX-7. : /

[Grey Loki]

Bleugh. Those solos sound like musical masturbation. The fact he's disgracing what is in reality a really cool controller by playing a solo like that on it, then smashing it, disgusts me.

[Bastardo Demono]

Bleugh. Those solos sound like musical masturbation. The fact he's disgracing what is in reality a really cool controller by playing a solo like that on it, then smashing it, disgusts me.

first of all, all of those solos are from the bands previous keyboard players, he is just playing them as they were written, and two of those were jens johansson keyboard solos so maybe think twice about that statement :) I think henrik has the most musically "tasteful"solo out of all of them if you listen to anything from their last cd that he actually wrote on.

and yes it was lame to smash the keytar, but apparently in an interview he just did it impulsively and said he wouldn't do it again. Besides, if you had money to do it, were playing in front of a decent sized crowd at the end of the tour, you might too.

Oh yeah, I just got an roland ax1 for $350... good enough deal for me! I need a midi cable before I can get any use of it... that is if I can figure out the cryptic manual

I am not too big a fan of the solid red color of it though (though I like it more than the white ax7). Any ideas of some ways to safely and cheapy decorate/paint the exterior a bit? I would paint it silver, but I have it feeling it would look like ass without the right kind of finish. Heh, I play in a pretty heavy metal band, so I need something less "gay" (I'm not bashing, I use it for lack of a better term). Any advise?

[Jwarmen]

first of all, all of those solos are from the bands previous keyboard players, he is just playing them as they were written, and two of those were jens johansson keyboard solos so maybe think twice about that statement :) I think henrik has the most musically "tasteful"solo out of all of them if you listen to anything from their last cd that he actually wrote on.

and yes it was lame to smash the keytar, but apparently in an interview he just did it impulsively and said he wouldn't do it again. Besides, if you had money to do it, were playing in front of a decent sized crowd at the end of the tour, you might too.

Oh yeah, I just got an roland ax1 for $350... good enough deal for me! I need a midi cable before I can get any use of it... that is if I can figure out the cryptic manual

I am not too big a fan of the solid red color of it though (though I like it more than the white ax7). Any ideas of some ways to safely and cheapy decorate/paint the exterior a bit? I would paint it silver, but I have it feeling it would look like ass without the right kind of finish. Heh, I play in a pretty heavy metal band, so I need something less "gay" (I'm not bashing, I use it for lack of a better term). Any advise?

lol I agree with what you've said.

but I just wanted to say that you can use the word "fruity" next time :tongue:

[Berrido]

Keytars and joystics have their place together in hell


(IMO)

[dr clave]

I know only AX7 Roland, are there many others ? :confused:

[dr clave]

excuse me, new models like ax7 not older models.:biggrin:

[Grey Loki]

No, the AX-1 and AX-7 are pretty much the only Keytars you can get hold of new these days, I think.

Hrm. When I said 'solos', I actually just meant the ones in the first clip :P Oh, the joys of surfing t'intarweb at half past one in the morning. Silly Loki :(

[dsadsa]

what the? you are the first person to say that their solos are bad I think the solos are great at last on the 2nd and 3rd clip I linked(probably one of the bests that I have heard)..

Anyway I have to agree that in the first clip where the keyboard gets smashed the lead sounds are totally lame. I think that is one of the K2600 (or 500 I don't know witch is it) Preset lead sounds.

[jkwheel]

While the AX-7 is very neat, be careful if you are a rough player. I broke mine twice while playing with it. Since I typically use a keytar sparingly, I use either my RK100 (my favorite) or a KX-5. The Rk100 is ancient but it is a battle axe.
I liked the features of the ax 7, but I have grown to love the Rk. I have played a keytar of some sort or another since they came out in the 80's. Shut up!

I like how that moog liberation says "no heavier than a gibson les paul".. . which is one of the heaviest models of electric guitar!! then again, it had onboard sounds too I gather

I am seriously considering a roland ax7 for my next musical purchase, I just have to find a way to justify $500 for a small plasic midi controller... why are these things so expensive!!!

[cooltothez]

i think they are awesome when being shredded on. but if someone was using it to control like a pad or something, i think my "what the hell? meter" would crack.
i can't stand the keytar that is advertised in like every issue of Keyboard magazine though. (http://www.keytarinc.com/) that thing looks like a piece of a sailboat or something, eww!

[FRETPICK]

Just weird

http://www.keytarinc.com/keytar-williams-keyboard-guitars.htm

Errr No..lol
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/fretpick/Err.jpg

Quick where 's my ironing board & a set of 9's.lol



AX7 looks fun though.:biggrin:

[Piranha]

O
...
M
...
G

[Grey Loki]

Haha - what's the point of something that size, if it's only a one octave controller?!

[Spacehog]

OK, so this is my first post in... er... 17 months (June 6th '05 was the last time I was here apparently). But I've been after a keytar for a while, but can't seem to find a Roland AX-7 in the UK (or even Europe) anymore. Does anybody know if they've been discontinued? They're not listed on the Roland UK site, but they still were on the US site last time I looked...

EDIT: Just heard back from the good folks at Thomann.de - they confirm the product has been discontinued and there is no direct replacement as of yet. I will be chasing up Roland about this stupid idea.

[amopae]

I don't remember where I read it, but it made me laugh and I think it has SOME true to it:

"A man who plays the keytar, is a man who's willing to perform fellatio on another man just for the sake of it"

[Grey Loki]

Spacehog - check www.gak.co.uk. That's where I got mine from, but I didn't know that Roland had discontinued the AX-7 - when I ordered, it was still in production.

[jambi1483]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/conclave06/keytar1.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/conclave06/keytar2.jpg
love my AX-1! I kinda like the black over the red personally, but both are really nice!

[dsadsa]

red black or plain white are all ugly you got to paint it and then find a good position for it to be played on.........


Anyway You can't get any AX-7's anymore in europe.... That is cause they used Pb in melting???(welding what is it called : /)

every this kind of product is banned from europe it is a new law...

[Spacehog]

Yes, Roland are really suffering at the moment for this... not helped by their customer service (in the UK at least) being absolutely useless and not responding to questions about it. I'm really keen to get an AX-7, and my bassist wants a set of PK-5 pedals, but we can't get either at the moment. Bloody EU laws - a bit of lead never did any harm, and you can't make decent solder without it (I worked in an electronics shop for 18 months, and the lead-free stuff drew so many complaints because it just didn't last).