Time to grow up from the DJX

[Kilo Allan]

I hadn't messed with my music equipment until quarantine, when I started making videos again after years of not doing that. I upgraded my camera, got a mic, started working on some projects I'd had on the back burner, upgraded my music software (Sony Acid, Sound Forge, and Vegas to the modern versions now managed by Magix), and dragged my DJX out of the closet and started farting around with it. I sing, I play drums, and I played piano as a kid, but didn't really continue with piano once I moved out of my parents' house 35 years ago.

I got the DJX when I was DJing in the late 90s and happened to pick up the floor model from Guitar Center one time when I went in to buy some lights for my mobile setup. I think I had gotten a pretty big tip the week before and wanted to splurge. I loved that thing and had fun with it for a while then moved or something, got a boring job, whatever, just kinda wandered away from that scene and had more or less forgotten about it until I got bored during quarantine and rekindled my interest in making electronica again.

Okay, this is going to be a thing now, as I have rediscovered all the fun that I used to have playing around and want to make some royalty-free music libraries in addition to synthwave and scoring my videos. (Is this my midlife crisis? I hope so.) Magix Acid is now a full DAW and I have been enjoying what they have done with it.

I am looking at a Yamaha P-125 digital piano (it sounds so nice) and a Yamaha PSR-I500 (the Indian music version of the DJX). I am most likely going to get the latter, since I have so much fun playing with the DJX, and it's no sin to have toys like that. But I'm not sure if the P-125 is the right thing. Is it versatile enough? Can it be used with VST plugins easily? Or is there a better tool out there for composing? I love the grand piano voice on it, the heavy weighted keys, and that it has a full 88 keys, but I don't find myself "playing piano" as much as poking notes and making fun noises that sound like spaceships or 80s music.

I've been away from this field for too long and am really unfamiliar with the enormous amount of options out there. I've tried to make some choices but the more I look the more overwhelming it is. I would be very grateful if someone could point me in the right direction.

I would like something that's likely to hold up over time, has versatility, will play well with my vintage synth and the new I500, and has good bass tones (unlike the DJX which is disappointing in that regard). In my pipe dreams I would like it to have an integrated drum machine like the 808/909 where you can just tap buttons to make a beat loop. There's probably nothing like that but hey, doesn't hurt to ask.

I would prefer to spend $1200 or less but it really depends on the machine. I'm not a person who seeks to impress others with a fancy expensive toy. I wouldn't know what's "cool" or "high status" anyway.

I do like twisty knobs and slidey slides, ribbon controller, pitch bender, physical dealiebobs that allow easy control, more than mouse clicks or digital toggles.

Thank you for your help.

[meatballfulton]

I'm not sure if the P-125 is the right thing. Is it versatile enough? Can it be used with VST plugins easily? Or is there a better tool out there for composing? I love the grand piano voice on it, the heavy weighted keys, and that it has a full 88 keys, but I don't find myself "playing piano" as much as poking notes and making fun noises that sound like spaceships or 80s music.

If in fact you don't need an actual piano, you could either use the PSR as the master keyboard or you could buy something else entirely. Does the $1200 have to cover both boards or just the P-125 alternative?

[TMon]

If you must have 88 weighted keys and good electric grand piano sounds at a decent price point, go for a Yamaha DGX-660. If you don't mind synth action keys and don't have to have 88 and your budget is tight, go for a Yamaha PSR-EW410. Of course, you could also go for PSR-SX600, PSR-SX700 or PSR-SX900, but they would blow your whole wad whereas the DGX660 or PSR-EW410 would not. All these arranger-workstations share the same lineage as the DJX and should give you much of the fun, familiarity and functionality as you had with the DJX. I have a DJX too, by the way, along with a couple of other PSRs.