First of all, it's going to be very difficult to find even a halfway decent keyboard for under $100. Your best bet is probably a Casio. They're not exactly regarded as professional quality gear, but if you just want something to plink around on at home then you should check out some Casio product. You can find them in 61, 73, and 88 key varieties. Many have built in speakers and ALL can be plugged into an amplifier. Their piano sounds have come a long way, and of course they usually have a wide variety of synthesized sounds, from acoustic and electric pianos to organs, strings, horns, and synthesizers, as well as MIDI capality. They also usually have selections of different types of drumbeats and accompaniments included. You could probably find some kind of Casio in the $100-$200 price range.


If you ever get to where you want something a little more professional, I'd recommend Roland. Right now I play a Roland RD-600 piano (cost me about $1700 new), which I use for all my acoustic and electric piano sounds, as well as synths and clavinets. It's full 88, weighted keys with "hammer action", and it feels and sounds great. I couple my RD 600 with a Roland VK-7 combo organ (also about $1700 when I bought it new).

Here's a couple clips of one of my bands.

quote Keebo

Dude, learn one instrument before you try to take on another.

Learning more than one instrument is actually a good thing, so long as you can manage to play them both regularly.

quote Arcaida

quote Keebo

Dude, learn one instrument before you try to take on another.

Learning more than one instrument is actually a good thing, so long as you can manage to play them both regularly.

QFT. In fact, I would recommend any musician should learn the piano, no matter what instrument you play. Since it's such a visual instrument, it can be very helpful to all musicians in understanding music theory.

For the record, he had a price range of £100 (UK Sterling) not $100.

^Good point, my mistake. I don't know what the exchange rate is, but I still bet Casio is closest to being in his price range.

quote m2caldwell

quote Arcaida

quote Keebo

Dude, learn one instrument before you try to take on another.

Learning more than one instrument is actually a good thing, so long as you can manage to play them both regularly.

QFT. In fact, I would recommend any musician should learn the piano, no matter what instrument you play. Since it's such a visual instrument, it can be very helpful to all musicians in understanding music theory.

Once you learn scales on guitar, you become so much more annoyed when transposing scales on the keyboard.

quote Toby

For the record, he had a price range of £100 (UK Sterling) not $100.

He said $100-$200 which is the same as £100 ($166).

does anybody know if it would be a better investment to get a microkorg or microkorg xl?