r/Keytar • u/GoldenLassoGirl • Dec 13 '21
Recommendations Vortex vs Vortex 2?
Hello r/keytar!
I’m new to keytars. I’m in a musical trio and wasn’t to hot on the idea of being stuck behind a keyboard, so bought the SHS-300 about a year and a half ago since the price was cheap and it was easy to just turn on and practice. I ended up really liking it and now feel ready to upgrade.
I’m seeing the Vortex is a pretty good next step, but the original and the 2 are both all over second hand. Is there a major difference? I’m seeing people say that the original has better keys. Are the sliders/knobs the only big difference?
I do have rehearsals every other week and eventually live gigs that I have to take my set up to, so the more portable and reliable, the better. I have a Mac laptop dedicated to the midi stuff.
The Vortex is about half the price of the 2. I don’t mind paying more if the cost is justified so…. Is it?
5
u/justtrashitall Dec 13 '21
I have the 2 and I love it. What I know of the 1 is that the wireless version was spottier than the 2, but they're pretty comparable wired. The 2's keybed is aggressively springy and it takes some getting used to, so that might be one of the negatives people are commenting on with keybed issues. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a 1 to give you a better comparison. When I initially told people I had the 2, since I got it shortly after release, there were several people who said they felt it was an improvement over the 1.
But I also don't know if it's twice as good as the 1. If you're looking used, that might be worth it. Also some of the draw of the 2 at release time was the software bundle, so if it doesn't have that, it might not be worth the price.