is keylab 88 right for me?

[shawnsBrain66]

So I'm an old-timer (I'm 50). I was a professional, touring musician for many years in the 80's and 90's, then left to raise my family. The kids are old enough that I can now start to play live music again, so I'm looking at updating some gear.

What I want is a piano-like keybed on a midi controller, so I can have 1 or 2 keyboards on stage and others off stage controlled via midi.  I want to be able to pre-program virtual patches, so when I choose "patch 1" on my controller, all the keyboards in my midi chain respond accordingly.  I want to be able to split the keyboard (e.g.: piano sounds on top 44, strings on the bottom 44 from 2 different keyboards). Lastly, the push of everything towards USB concerns me. Will I be forced to have a laptop on stage?

Thanks for your input.

[Eric Barker]

The Keylab can do all that, and has a great keybed. It has dedicated MIDI IN/OUTs, so you don't need to use USB, so you can tie it in with rack gear or other synths. Obviously the bulk of users are using it with a computer (as am I), but you don't need to, and it's perfectly capable of going without.

As for patch changes, you'll probably want to do that at the source (rack mount?), but you can customize the Kaylabs buttons to send patch changes too. This would pretty much be true with any controller you buy.

[ClydeLyman]

What I want to do is this:
1. primarily live performance, which means does the bundled Analog Lab 2 operate in standalone mode?
2. After the fashion of the Tyros 5 or Korg PA 4x, meaning styles or drum patterns
4. DAW

Now here's the deal. I have a Lenovo Edge 15.6 Core i7 Haswell, 8 gb Ram, touchscreen, Win 10 Home,  plus a Spark DVD that I got with the Spark Hardware i bought to work with the V collection 3, that DVD has never been used. I Got the Traction 5 when it went free and I have a collection of free VST instruments, Including Plogue Sforzando and the VOS and Vlag G freeware VST plugins. KONTAKT v Player. and gobs of samples want to use the Keylab. 88/Analog Lab 2. In short, I want to create a balls-to-the-wall arranger workstation/live performance system and Keylab 88 and Analog Lab 2 looks like the perfect core to build around if I understand it right This would set back my acquisition of the full V collection for my Surface Pro 4

[ClydeLyman]

Here's the laptop

http://www.ebay.com/itm/232281691576?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[ClydeLyman]

I am proceeding apace. The laptop is on the way

I have a problem. I have Collection 3 on my desktop, where it does my no good. I want to put it on my audio-video-graphics oriented Surface Pro 4 and on the upcoming Arranger laptop. How many machines am I allowed to put it on?

For the vocal processor, I am planning to use Izotope Polyvox: weighing in at $200 USD

I have a number of freeware synths; a CZ, Korg Poly 800 and a boatload of others along with severy 70's KB emulators and ths Sfrozando sfz player and a boatload of samples and samplers. I would like to do the whole V collection but that's not feasible for now, I would like to pick up the Farfisa V and Piano V for now. I also have savvihost which can be used to convert DLL plugins to EXE for live use

I have a tone of effects:; Especially the Vlad G and VOS plugins, FreEQ and Terry West's CS-54

Now as for drums and styles. In the professional world you can get drum tracks. I have a Latin beatbox and a couple of others. I would like to use my Spark as a plugin, but there seems to be a fies problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW1Keb9BQgI

I hope these are either liminted to Logic or have been cleared up as following Song pointers is kind of vital and Spark is otherwise primo for my ends

Finally In keeping with the Arranger pattern I will need hosts, I have prepared Traction 5, LMMS and another. I am consdiering adding REAPER as my primary host/recorder

Then see if I can add a 512 gb or 1 tb disk to the existing 512 SSD on the Dell

i conclude that for under $2,000 USD over time, I can bring in a challenger to the tyros 5 and Korg PA 4x with an 88 not keyboard with very good live play characteristics through decent Bluetooth speakers

Since most of the key components of this are Arturia. I'm Cosidering 3 names Camelot Rising, Lancelot or Guinivere

[ClydeLyman]

People talk about a black edition keylab, How about a steampunk version of the Keylab 88. a pebbled brass or teak finish with brass accents, Brass finish knobs and switches and the fader handles are brass filigree tiara style with the pads having brass finish surrounds, The keys would be mahogany or ebony naturals and walnut or brass sharps/flats

[ClydeLyman]

Well, my laptop/tablet cane in. I hope the music stand will hold 6 lbs US. Now all I have to do is build my cash reserves back up during which time I install the tons of software I have and it a  few months, when I get the 88, it's "Tyros 5 and Korg PA 4x; eat your hearts out!" I'll have over 10,000 sounds, three DAWs, including Traction 5 and REAPER, and several dozen effects and processors (EQ's Compressors, Channel Strips, suaturators and reverbs) and a very good vocal processor: Izotope Pollyvox. AND I'll have brought it in for under $2,000 USD