Reddit mentions: The best folk & world keyboards

Woot! Did it without adding anything new to my wishlists/linking to nonwishlisted items :D


1.) Something that is grey.


2.) Something reminiscent of rain.


3.) Something food related that is unusual.


4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself.
Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!): It's for my roommate because I can't cook to save my life >_<


5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! That or anything else my Elizibeth Hand- she is amazing. I also highly recommend her wonderful novel on mental illness, Generation Loss


6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! $1.35 was the best I could do


7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...)


8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Both needlessly fancy brads and a coloring book (as if I weren't about to start the semester full time in a couple days. Heh. Leisure time. LOL, that's so cute.)


9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? I didn't add any movies onto my wishlist because I have Netflix and I never watch the DVD's I have. But everyone should watch Fight Club, The Daparted, Memento, Requiem for a Dream, Night of the Living Dead, and- most importantly, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. Go watch it now! To fulfill the scavenger part of the contest somehow, here is a tchotchke from my favorite TV show ever, which has spawned 12 movies, most of which you should see.

So I could be all cheesy and pick a movie that most people have for the most points, like Avatar, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc, but you know what's more important than winning contests? Revelling in the cinematic beauty that is The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra! Los Skeleton is literally the funniest movie I've ever seen. I remember my abs hurt so bad afterwards from laughing so hard for so long. My friends and I got all these inside jokes that we still use today, ten years later, that still crack us up.
Well, now that I've played it up to a standard that no movie could ever live up to (I'm sorry, I meant no movie except The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra!) so that you'll surely be underwhelmed by it, regardless of the cinematic masterpiece that it is, all I can say is, "Enjoy!"


10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack.

Explain.

Because destroy the brain, kill the ghoul, of course.


11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.. There were a couple of items I could have put here instead: a die cutting machine, an accordion (want. SO. bad!!), a Chromebook, but I think what would really bestow the greatest impact on my life and help further my goals would be a serger. My birthday was a week ago and someone asked me what I wanted to happen this new year for me. I ended up writing a journal page about it, and one of the things was to improve my costuming skills and to finally take them to a professional level that I can be proud of distributing.



12.) One of those pesky Add-On items. So pesky that I made an entire wishlist just for add-ons


13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? I love the accordion and I've wanted one for years. I can't explain why. Or Jason Webley is why. Whichever answer you prefer.


14.) Something bigger than a bread box. Hello!


15.) Something smaller than a golf ball.


16.) Something that smells wonderful. I love this stuff!


17.) A (SFW) toy. I apparently have a bunch and they're all in Hebrew. I don't even speak Hebrew O_o


18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.


19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.. Mixing two of my obsessions and one love all together: scrapbooking, washi tape, and steampunk. Yes.

20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand.


I don't know if the grandness of Cthulhu slippers needs to be explained. It's Cthulhu...but slippers! :D


Your Name Is Bonus: How about some super good-for-you Melissa supplements?

Oregon Bonus: "harvested in the waters right off the Oregon Coast."


fear cuts deeper than swords. I live you contest idea- this was really fun to do. Thanks! :D

Welcome to the sub! I'm sure you'll really enjoy yourself here! Everybody is so nice.

As for the contest, I like to sew, doodle, and find other crafty things to try when I feel creative. I even took a lost wax casting class and made some pendants and rings! I have been doing these things since I was a kid and it helps to unwind me. I made a silly monster for my dad for Christmas and this lovey bear for my grandma just because I had been wanting to make her something.

I do like to do other creative things like sing, play music, and make up fun stories.

If I were to be chosen, I would love to have a copy of My Neighbor Totoro to inspire creativity in drawing and story creation

or a Klingon translation ring to inspire secret messages between friends

or a Kalimba to inspire musical fun!

(If I could choose a favorite, it would be Totoro.)

Thank you very much for the contest and I hope you have fun browsing the forum and making new friends!

Thanks! Srsly synths are fun but we should all drop $50-100 on some sweet and under appreciated acoustic instruments. They really help to improve musicianship by sort of cross training, and are also often more fun to use on the porch with some friends.

In addition to recorders, did you know you can get an awesome melodica for around $20? Can get a pretty nice ukulele in that price bracket, also tambourines, harmonicas... you get the idea :)

Come to think of it, I should make a front page post about how every synth player should own a melodica. Gimme a bit and I may get around to it.

Aw!

Here's what I know:

The Hugh Tracey model is, I think, the best and most popular choice. I've never had one myself, but the tines are supposed to be soft and easy to pluck. It's got 15 tines, so that should allow for a pretty decent range of at least like 2 octaves. It also has an internal pickup, so I guess you could plug it into an interface and record it!

Here's the model I've had two of so far: the $40 Amazon model. Most people complain about how much harder the tines are to play than the Hugh Tracey's, but I think it plays just fine; the tines are kind of heavy so the tones on all tines are very full, except around the higher notes, where it gets kind of plink-y. The kalimba vibrato thing (when you stick your thumb in the hole and it makes this 'wah' sound) is still accessible in this model, but mostly just for the midrange notes – or at least that's what I've found. The tines are pretty hard to tune for this model, though. You have to use a coin or some kind of blunt metal object to nudge the tines back and forth, and it can get kind of frustrating.

Overall, I think the better choice would be the Hugh Tracey, but if you don't want to spend as much, the cheaper alternative is still a pretty solid kalimba.

For anyone that is interested in this accordion, and has somehow found their way to this post:

You might be like me. Interested in learning accordion, but not so interested that you're willing to throw down a thousand bucks on something you might lose interest in.
I'll type up a quick review of it here, because I know you're probably having a tough time finding more information about it (as I did).

I ended up getting it, the b-stock price of $300 was too good for me to pass up. There was the option of a refund if it was defective or terrible, so I didn't see much risk in it.

Anyway, it's solid enough. All the bass buttons and keys work as they're supposed to, the bellows breathe well and are easy to control.
The sound isn't the same beautiful heart stealing tones of its more expensive counterparts, but it still sounds like an accordion.

This is not your Excalibur.
This is not performance ready.
This is a physical manifestation of "okay".

This is the equivalent of that $100 electric guitar you bought in high school to jam along with your friends in his parent's basement. It's a good instrument to learn with and play for a few friends, but for the price, that's all you reasonably expect from it.

Here is a video of me playing it:
https://youtu.be/paXFGDCAHKw



By the way, it's a knock off of a Hohner product.


So, in case you want the real deal, here is the product gear4music is imitating:

Hohner 1305-RED Hohnica 72 Bass 34-Key Entry Level Piano Accordion Range G to E https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CG66KSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8wtGDbYKZQ4XD

I'm a big fan of the Performer 37. Mine was nicely in-tune, had great tone and volume, and was comfortable to play. And the included carrying case works great. I found the Performer 37 on Amazon for only $60, in case you're looking for the best possible price.

As a word of warning, If you get the Performer 37, don't be an idiot like me and expose it to a torrential downpour. Tons of water can mess up the case.

I personally own an airboard37 but if you don't want to shell out the 100$ for the fancy paint job and carying case(which I am so glad I did) you can get a performer 37 for 60$. I can vouch that the airboard has awesome action and the special mouthpiece it comes with is really convenient vs the normal tube style the performer 37 uses. I have my airboard 37 for festivals and camp jams and it's one of my favorite instruments. I'm going to subscribe to your youtube on the off chance you actually end up buying one.

That picture you linked is called a concertina. They are a little different than accordions in the way that they are played.

Now, depending on how portable you want, you have several options. If you want something you can fit in your pack, you can always get a toy accordion. However, your options musically with that one are pretty limited (only one scale and three basses). But it's definitely the smallest you are going to get. There's also an 8-bass model, though, again, it's pretty limited musically.

Concertinas are probably your next step up in terms of portability, and they are relatively inexpensive for low button models. A 20 button concertina is your cheapest version, and will give you some more options musically than the toy accordion. The next step up is 40 button, I believe, but it will cost more. A 40 button concertina is usually around the same price as a 48-bass accordion, if I remember correctly.

Finally, we have your "actual" accordions. They start out at 12-bass and go up from there. 12-bass will give you some good beginner options, 48 will give you more, the size difference isn't all that huge, and they cost around the same amount. Another option would be to try and find a lady's accordion for 120-bass, which is what I use (but, admittedly, it bigger than both the previous option. It is still quite a bit smaller than a men's 120-bass, though).

My accordion (lady's 120) isn't super cumbersome in the way of transportation. If you're used to carrying a guitar case around, it won't be much different in terms of size. It might be heavier than what you're used to, but logistically it doesn't take up that much space. Probably 2x2.5x1 feet on the case (I think. This is a rough guess on my case size).

Overall, if you want a wide range of notes, and if you are really concerned about portability, I guess I would have to recommend the 48-button. It seems like it would be the best size to travel with (though I never have done it). Perhaps someone who owns a 48-bass could extrapolate on this...

Im OP's Brother and i had this proyect made for me, im goin to try and explain every detail of this. (gear list at the bottom)

the background of this proyect is a life full of cables and 4 trips to the car to get all my gear for my live sets (a real pain in the arss considering i needded to set up and set it down after i finished playing) not counting the roadtrips to gigs in other states.

i used to use 2 keyboard stands, 1 mic stand, 1 wood table to put on tom of one keystand and another spare table for my laptop then the gear on top of the wood now imagine all the cables 4 USBs (sometimes the cables not plugged at the correct USB slot, giving me problems 2 minutes before starting), 3 power cables and the audio master output.

2 times each night 2 or 3 times a week. for 2 years, i was starting to get really anoyed at the time someone asked me to play at a gig.

So I decided I nedded something to help me with this endlless carryng of things; after a lot of searching for flightcases and huge money prices i realized those cases would not fit my whole gear and started thinking and deciding what i needed, i got to a conclussion that it was a much bigger proyect for me to make DIY so a contacted a guy that specializes in carry cases, had multimple 1hour+ driving trip to his workshop and back until we got to a design that worked in real life.

i needed to have all my power plugs inside the case so y soldered a power conection (CPU like) with its own fuse to prevent electric blowups unto a 8 slot power multicontact, and had an Active USB HUB 3.0 so all my usb cables are pluged-in in one slot at my laptop (i choosed active hub because the data transfer limitation when the computer gives the electricity to the HUB.

everything is tight inside with hi quality velcro strips so y dont need to worry to desasemble my USB interface, laptop, etc..



Why I choose these gear and case?

As of Right now i have a 2 man band called The Twins MX, we play Live Looping Electro-House-Latin-Funk-ish.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTwinsMX/?fref=ts
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5qLkw7ooTNqARyUTQ7SaY8
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28yjL0MZoE1_JhIfVGj2JQ
Extra Vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJuQW9kGfsM

we base our shows in Live Looping and building our set up with Bass, Saxophone, drum and percussion Multichanel loops.


the way i have the midi routing is as follows

APC 40 - Channel 1-4 is for looping and controling the Bass
APC40 - Channel 5-8 is for looping and controling the Saxophone
Ableton Push - Channel 1-6 is for the Percucionand beats
1 Kick Drum
2 Snare Drum
3 Hi-hat or similar
4 Drums with effects
5 Shakers
6 Percution

Ableton Push - Chanel 7-8 for live-looping Piano and Synths

Launchey 49 MK2 - for playing piano and synth with effects racks form ableton
(i use the built in functions for ableton of the launchkey to control de 8 knob effects racks)



For the Audio Routing:

I use the NI Komplete audio 6 (works like a charm with the audio Buffering time)

IN - Channel 1 - Bass (tha bassist has his own station with Laptop, Audio Interface, midi controlers, he just sends me his master audio)

IN - Channel 2 - Saxophone

OUT - Master L R - The entire mix (having problem with this as the audio engeenir can not mix multichannel in the PA, im working on sending 2 more Mono channels through Output 3 and 4 of the audio interface).

Monitor Out ( i use this output channel for my headphones and have a metronome with all the mix so i dont get lost in reverberations or time delays of the venue)



The gear im using:
MIDI Keyboard: Launchkey 49 Mk2 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1140281-REG/novation_launchkey_49_mk2_usb_midi.html

MIDI Controler 1: Ableton Push 1 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/910791-REG/ableton_86889_push_software_controller.html

MIDI Controler 2: Akai APC 40 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/598797-REG/Akai_APC40_APC40_Ableton_Performance_Controller.html

USB Audio Interface: NI Komplete Audio 6 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/768774-REG/Native_Instruments_21066_KOMPLETE_AUDIO_6.html



The Gear the Bassist use:
6 String Bass (to use as bass and as guitar-ish sounds with effects)

Midi Controler: Guitar Wing: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029887-REG/livid_instruments_lvguitarwing01_guitar_wing.html

Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1251655-REG/focusrite_scarlett_2i2_2nd_gen_scarlett_2i2_usb_audio.html

Wind Instrument: Yamaha Pianica https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-P37D-37-Note-Keyboard-Instrument/dp/B002R7U6VM

Floor Pedal Board: Line 6 PODxt Live-Multi Effects https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/357143-REG/Line_6_99_060_0605_PODxt_Live.html


I Will be posting more info if you like just Ask!

Edit:spellingcheks

I love the melodica idea! Definitely this. I play lots and lots of instruments, and this is one of my favorites to just noodle around on - it's so easy to dismiss it as a toy, but it's really capable of a lot of expression, and even virtuosity if you work at it.

edit: This is the one I play: http://amzn.com/B000Y7LVES

They are actually fairly affordable There is a music shop that carries them in decatur. When I took care of my gramma and lived with her I would take my day off and walk to the music store, and play the instruments. Contrary to what was expeected, alot of people made decisions to buy an instrument that I was tinkering with, not becauseI was all that amazing, they just seemed to like the sound of it being tinkered with like a normal person would lol.

I want to learn how to play a melodica. I've seen so many people use and it fascinates me. I don't know anyone who plays it so it would be a great conversation starter.

Such as this one that can be found on my default WL.

If this is out of your budget don't hesitate to let me know :)

If you're looking at about 300, this. They're smaller accordions, with fewer bass notes, but it has enough bass notes to play most songs. Also they are a little farther apart than normal which makes it easier to learn and play on.

Good for beginners if you ask me.

I have a 37-key Hohner and I love it. Looks like it's about $25 more, but I like having more range and I'm really happy with the sound quality.

I have several Geckos and some other brands. We also own this one. Kalimba, Helesin 17 key Thumb Piano Solid Finger Piano with Locking system, Instruction and Tune Hammer Marímbula Mbira Wood Natural Keyboard Marimba(KOA wood) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHB61SS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_01SDDbJBK2SVZ This, to me, seems like the same metal as on the Muspor. It's okay. Adequate. But when they say "carbon steel", it doesn't say what the, idk, ratio(?) is? The tines that look like a softer metal with the rounded edges seem to be a different formula or something. It makes a difference, for sure.

Probably the same one you found but here you go

I shall continue looking for the other instruments you mentioned.

Edit: Ukuleles: one

two

three

There are a lot more. Those are just a few and admittedly I know nothing about ukuleles so I don't know if that's what you're looking for. Be back in a bit with harmonicas. I'm having fun!

Edit 2: Here are a few harmonicas that are not G key.

one

two

three

I hope this helps. The only instruments I'm knowledgeable about are pianos and guitars so take my recommendations with a grain of salt!

Welcome Ringo!

This is probably the coolest cheap(ish) thing in my wish list.

Of course, my view may be skewed by my love of playing music.

Thank you for the kind words! I bought it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B079JMMNXN/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It seems to be very good quality and well made, and it comes with a very nice case.

https://smile.amazon.com/Kalimba-Instruction-Portable-Kids-Adult-Beginners-Professional/dp/B07MQDXKTY/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=kalimba+17+key&qid=1565670882&s=gateway&sprefix=kalimba&sr=8-4

Kalimba 17 key thumb piano, I've seen some awesome videos with these.

They have different prices depending on the model and included accessories. Good luck!

Last time I had to do this, I threw in a cheap melodica. It's been tons of fun to mess around on it, and it doesn't sound too bad, either. Great choice if you like music.

This one or this one (or something like)? Frankly, I don't think it's likely to be much good.

A Concertina Connection (as mentioned by another poster in this thread) Rochelle is likely your best option - hunt around till you find a 2nd-hand example in your price range.

I had a cheap Anglo 50 years ago. It was so bad it put me off the concertina for 40 years!!!

The button layout on an Anglo is (very cunningly) designed so that if you press (or pull) any
2/3 adjacent buttons, you are (almost) guaranteed to get a decent sounding chord, so
it's (arguably) 'easier' to play. Players of English would probably disagree - quite rightly - 'different strokes for different folks'...

I wouldn't put much faith in reviews. In my experience, it's quite common to see 'good' reviews for 'bad' products, but very rare to see 'bad' reviews for 'good' products. I'm a 'glass half-empty' man, and generally go with the 'bad' reviews.

Edit: Corrected to make it clear that a Rochelle is a CC instrument - moral - don't post before that all-important 1st cup of coffee!

Yeah here it is on https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PPF7R5B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dhIKDbR7FE99T

I’m using the 17 key if that helps with anything. Greatly appreciated !

It is a question of quality. A melodica can be created as a toy, or as an instrument. Kind of like the difference between $.99 harmonica toys and actual instrument harmonicas.

An instrument melodica is actually harder to find than you'd think.
Look for well known brands of actual instrument companies.

Like this!

Not this.

Hey I just went through this whole process so hopefully my experience helps you out.

-From What I understand the Alto in the Key of G is going to have the most resources out there as far as song books and tutorials. However it looks to me that the 17 Key Kalimba in the key of C has a decent amount as well.

-The Hugh Tracey Alto is the High end "Martin" or "Taylor' of the Kalimba.

-There are a lot of 17 Key Kalimbas on Amazon, most of them being in the Key of C. (some come un-tunned though and you have to do all that yourself)

I wanted to go for the Hugh Tracey Alto but opted to Start with the 17 Key "high" end gecko https://www.amazon.com/Kalimba-Performance-Protection-Professional-models/dp/B079JMMNXN/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1537143542&sr=8-4&keywords=gecko+kalimba
Mostly due to the fact that I will probably get one in G and C so I figured I could go with the cheaper one first to make sure I know what I want.

Lots of things you can do with $25 on Amazon:

Behringer Ultra Vibrato UV300 pedal ($25)

Behringer Ultra Chorus UC200 pedal ($25)

Rock Band 25-key MIDI keytar ($24)

M-Audio SP-2 sustain pedal ($14)

Behringer Ultravoice XM8500 dynamic vocal mic ($20)

Auphonix 6" double mesh pop filter ($19)

Behringer Ultra-DI DI400P passive DI box ($20)

On-Stage single X keyboard stand ($22)

Andoer melodica ($20)

Andoer kalimba/mbira thumb piano ($12)

Big Thunder Tube ($30)

Small Thunder Tube ($8)

Angled Thunder Tube ($28)

Meinl Percussion 8" claves ($6)

Stylophone ($24)

Cables

Cable adapters

This thumb piano is kinda awesome.

100ish dollars

it's a melodica and not a keyboard btw haha

i did it for the portability

i've had piano lessons before but don't really know how to play wind instruments

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-P37D-37-Note-Keyboard-Instrument/dp/B002R7U6VM/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=yamaha+p37d&qid=1556589085&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Yeah, I was thinking of something along those lines :)

Thumb Piano, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009V9XBC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gcTLybKKN6S8N

After watching this video I immediately looked into buying a kalimba (this one), but I'm finding a lot of reviews saying it's crazy hard to tune. Has that been your experience?