Tips for Buying a Church Keyboard: Part 2

Video Transcript

"TOM SMITH: Hi. My name is Tom. This is for ExpertVillage.com. We're talking about how to play keyboards in a worship team at a church. We're talking about things to look for when you're getting a keyboard. Some of the other considerations that I have on my checklist is brand name. I'm not really into brands too much but at the end of the day, you don't want to have to service something--that is the company is no longer in business. So, there's about top four or five names in the business. You go in any music store; you'll see these names coming up. I'd stick to one of those. You want something that you can take and repair. I've got a keyboard that I really like. The company went out of business about five years ago. I can't service it. It's just impossible to service so when it breaks, it's gone. So, don't get in that boat. Durability is another thing. Make sure it has a good case; you're probably be lugging it around, packing it away, so make sure this thing is durable. Check the specifications with the manufacturer but make sure you've got something that's rugged. You don't want something that's very fragile. Again, with a number of people playing it at your church, it's got to be able to go the distance. On board effects is another thing. Some keyboards are dry which means there's no reverb, no echo, there's no vibrato or like chorus. These are different effects. Digital delay is another one that may or may not be part of your keyboard. If you've got a fancy sound system where your sound man can add in some of the effects, that's great. This particular model has built-in effects. The nice thing is, I plug this into the board at church and it's there, like this has got a little bit of echo built in. You just see it how it lingers. Or on the organ, this has got a--well, a simulated Leslie. It just colors it a little bit better and helps it fit in, so that's a consideration. And then finally the sounds; make you like the sounds on the keyboard and to round it out for eight, the last one is new versus old. There's a money consideration there and the warranty consideration you just need to think about when you're looking at second-hand instruments."