I'm looking to purchase a keyboard that I can play around with, and use to record some sounds into my songs. I'm looking for something that has a lot of voices already in it, but can also be used as a MIDI controller, and preferrably doesn't cost an insane amount of money. That's why I'm not going the synth route, I don't put enough into my music to shell out over a grand.

Is this something that would work for me?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=key/search/detail/base_pid/702210/

Or if you know of any others, by all means tell me.

And since I'm clueless on Keyboards, I assume they have standard 1/4 jacks to hook them up to amps and recording systems?

Thanks for any help.

Don't get it off the net, just go into a music store and try some shit out.

MIDI = good idea but you could even get a keyboard that's JUST a midi controller and run it through your computer. Then get some apps to do the synth etc.

Its actually a cheap way to go about it but get a decent sound card (audigy for PC or any mac will do).

I do all my recording through a Soundblaster Audigy 2 card, but I used to play the piano, so I want something I can just play by itself, with some sounds built into it, but can also be used as a MIDI controller. The reason I'm looking online is that we have very few music stores close to here, and none of them had a keyboard like I was wanting. It was either no MIDI, or in the 900 dollars and up price range.

if you dont want to spend too much yet then i think the controller is a good option with software... for now

My choice would be the Korg Triton, or the Yamaha Motif.
They have some awesome sounds, but the Korg is more user-friendly, and, hey, come on, it's Korg

I would go for the Korg Triton, this is an excellent keyboard, they are a bit expensive but what you get is good.

http://www.korg.co.uk/products/workstat ... ton_le.asp

This is the smaller triton.

preferrably doesn't cost an insane amount of money

That's the key word, or else I'd shell out a grand for a synth. I'm not even sure if these keyboards are going to end up in my music, I just want to experiement some with it. Spending a grand for something I'm not going to use isn't going to fly.

The Korg Triton is 900 euro's, which isn't really expensive for a good synth.

I would forget keyboards and get a cheap synth.

My advice would be a Roland RS-50 i think you can get them in the USA for less than $400. They are a great starting place and have massive tone banks. Start with a digital you'll loose yourself with analogue.

The first synth i got was yamaha cs1x which was excellent but some of the sounds are just plain aweful i'll bet you could find one of them second hand very very cheap.

Well, on the advice of people on this forum and on another forum I post on, I think I'll go with the Synthesizer. I'm going to a music store that's about an hour away this weekend to see if they have either the Roland or an Alexis I've seen on Musicians Friend.

You don't by chance know a site that has a tutorial for beginning digital synthesis, do you?