Professional keyboard workstations are the most advanced music creation devices on the planet! The best part is, recent product releases have made these music production powerhouses available at just about any budget level. With the current crop of keyboard workstations delivering such a huge wealth of features including sampling, sample playback, sequencing, CD burning, MIDI controllers, screens that control parameters via touch, effects, processing, and much more, there's no reason why you can't take your music from first inspiration to finished production.

Keyboard workstations offer the finest contemporary voices, orchestral instruments, pianos, organs, and synth sounds, while providing expansion capability for other sound libraries and sound sources. All in all, the modern professional keyboard workstation is more like a whole studio than a keyboard. With the power to give voice to your songs, they're the all-in-one choice for making music!

What Is a Keyboard Workstation? A keyboard workstation is more than a synthesizer or digital piano. It offers a range of music-making functions to serve as a complete production device. Different models may vary, but most keyboard workstations include the following: Sound engine This is the "synthesizer" part of the workstation. Most instruments utilize some form of sample playback design with supporting architecture so you can edit the onboard sounds or create entirely new ones. A few workstations, such as Korg's OASYS, provide a number of different sound engines in one unit, each with unique timbral characteristics. Effects Applying effects to a MIDI or audio track can turn an ordinary sound into something special. All keyboard workstations include onboard effects processors. Some feature effects that can be applied to individual tracks (insert effects) as well as to the total mix (master effects). In addition, workstations that include audio recording capability usually provide important sound shaping tools such as EQ and dynamics processing. Drum machine All keyboard workstations include drum sounds as part of their presets, but many go farther to make creating beats easier. The Roland Fantom-X series includes velocity-sensitive pads and a grid-style pattern editor to provide an authentic drum-machine environment. Sequencer/recorder One of the most important elements that defines a keyboard workstation is the presence of an onboard MIDI sequencer. It's what allows you to record, edit, and play back your songs without having to shift back and forth between the instrument and a computer. Most workstations, including the value-priced Yamaha MO Series, feature 16-track MIDI recording with a capacity of up to 200,000 notes. Audio (sampling) This is one area in which available features are related to price. The high-end OASYS provides 16-track audio recording. The Alesis Fusion Series includes 8-track audio recording, as does the Roland Fantom-X Series, while the lower-priced Korg TR Series offers sampling as an optional upgrade.  The Yamaha MO Series does not offer sampling. The Extras Depending on the model, keyboard workstations offer even more to make composing and recording your music easier. Some include built-in CD burners so you can literally complete your session with a disc. Others include phantom-powered mic preamps to facilitate recording voices and acoustic instruments. For live performance, workstations provide real-time controllers for bending and shaping sounds.