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Hi All,I have just bought a Kawai MP5 stage piano, while i was in the shop i was given a demo on an expensive digital piano , and whilst he was playing the piano he had other rythms playing along, like there was a continuous beat , some guitar and other sounds, and he was playing the piano along with these tracks. My question is what do i need to have that i can attach to my piano so i can play piano along with these different instrument sounds. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FIGURED I NEED A SOUND MODULE , BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE SOUND MODULE when attached to the piano and for example is set to drums then the key strokes give out drum sounds , what i want is the piano to play piano sounds and also have another track playing drums etc alongwith the piano. I dont know if i am coming across clearly. If someone knows what i mean could you please tell me what i need to buy to attach to my piano to get these other instruments playing along.
cheers

http://www.nextag.com/roland-bk7m/stores-html

Now I remember why I like my Roland KR7 - all this is built in.

Glenn

Hi , thanx for the replies guys, is it called a backing module, is that what i should search for``backing modules``?The one recommended by you is bloody expensive , after paying 600 euros for my piano i am not left with much to spend, any cheap options? i dont mind if there are not too many bells and whistles just some basic percussion , guitars etc will do,i dont plan on becoming a rockstar.
cheers

I was unaware of that Roland BK-7m and Googled it. It sells for $999 in the US.

For that kind of money I would look to a software solution. I use Band In A Box which does an adequate job for my use.

I'd keep looking for more solutions.

Or maybe something like an Alesis SR16 Drum Machine?

You can get very cheap iPhone/iPad/Android apps that make accompaniment based on chord progressions that you input.

EasyBand (Android only, I think) is good for pop/rock, very easy to input new chord changes, etc. I'm sure there's something simliar for iOS.

iReal b is for both platforms. It's primarily for jazz, but the iOS version supports other genres. You can download 1200 jazz standards. Editing and creating new songs is a slower process than with EasyBand, though.

There's also a version of iReal b for the Mac, Band-in-a-Box for Windows, etc.

Excuse my ignorance, but isn't the function Swamiji described found on the basic 'home keyboard' of which Casio and Yamaha make many, many models costing around 100 dollars or so? And indeed some of them, for around 200 or 300 dollars/ euro, would do a pretty good job of it, too.

I mean, is it really necessary to go to the kind of expense of the BK7m if you just want nice quality backing percussion and band/ orchestral instruments to accompany your playing?

Or, if you want to build the track up yourself with total control, just use a computer with a bit of midi sequencing and sound source software in it. Cost: zero.

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm a newb. What's the diff b/t what you're describing above and my Roland FP-7F's Session Partner feature (which I'm not advanced enough to use...yet!)?

Yes the cheaper unweighted keyboards have accompaniment, but you want something that will follow you as you play your digital paino. Your best bet is probably Band in a Box, or One Man Band. There is the iRealB app for the iPhone, iPad, iPod and an app for the android phones that I am not familiar with. The Roland BK-7M is nice but overpriced and will only work with an instrument with midi in/out jacks I think.

I have Band-in-a-Box and I am not familiar with how to get it to follow me as I play my digital piano. As far as I can tell, it just plays at whatever speed you set it and you just have to keep up.

I don't own this software but if you can't get it to follow you as you play, it would seem rather useless.

The software that is built into keyboards that 'follows' you, follows you at a price. You more or less trade your left hand for a full accompaniment.

With Band In A Box you follow it (both hands intact), but then you've created in advance what you will follow.

I've never liked the built in programs that follow the player, but that's just me.

This doesn't seem to imply that Swamiji wants a user tracking function. What he wants, by this description, is a selection of backing rhythms and arrangements - perhaps with user programmability. In other words, the function found on all home keyboards.

But maybe I got hold of the wrong end of the stick.

I don't think the session partner is available on the mp5.

Hi All, Thanx for your responses,I am fairly computer savvy but my girlfriend also uses or lets say mostly uses our piano and she has a serious aversion towards computers and so a software solution is good for me , but i am indeed looking for some hardware , wherein i can just play the backing track or tracks. Judging from what you guys have written a module that will follow what i am playing is going to cost an arm and a leg , so i guess just something that will play some preset drum beat or guitar track , and i can just play along on the piano I just dont know what this sort of hardware is called and that makes it difficult to search for what i need.Someone suggested Alesis drum beat , but isnt that also something that will just play a beat when i press a key on my piano , or does it play preset continuous backing tracks?
cheers

The Alesis is a drum machine - which means it has a sequencer in it which holds drum patterns, and you can also program your own drum patterns. But like any other drum machine or drum sound source, you can play the sounds from the keyboard if you want, via MIDI (usually channel 10).

swam, let me add my 3 cents here. I’ve done this in days gone by, and will do it again shortly.

And let me add I’ve been out of this hobby for 20 years or so, and have no idea what’s out there technology wise.

What I have:

1. Yamaha P95.
2. Eurorack UB802 board.
3. Brand X DVD player from Wally World.
4. Yamaha dual cassette player – been packed in storage for a few years.

What I need to buy:

1. Nothing fancy drum machine.

The plan:

1. Build drum track, and play into board.
2. Accompany drum track with P95, guitar, etc.
3. Record to tape player.

Result:

1. Instant backing track to practice with.

Hi Thanx again for your responses, i was hoping to get something that had a few basic instruments like drums , guitar etc that can be played along with my piano or through it . Is there no such module which has preset backing tracks on various instruments , if yes then what is it called, if i knew then i could do a search accordingly.
cheers