The Truth About Keyboard Workstations in 2025

Keyboard workstations such as the Korg M1, Roland XP-60, Yamaha Motif, Roland Fantom and the Korg Triton helped to shape a large part of the sound of music during the 90s and 2000s. At one point, it felt like you couldn't go to any recording studio without seeing atleast one of the "Big 3" keyboards in the studio. Times have changed and Keyboard workstations no longer seem to have the dominance that they once had for the studio producer. What happened? In this stream we will be discussing the current state of keyboard workstations in 2025, the good, the bad and the ugly. Can workstations make a return to dominance for the studio? We would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment and let us know what the best keyboard workstation is in 2025. If you receive value from this video, here are additional ways you can support this channel: Celebrate Black Music Month with 10% off any Black Music Month travel mug or T-Shirt, use code BMMICONS10 at checkout: https://altruwest.com/ Valid through June 30. Donations: Cash App: https://cash.app/$Altruwest Paypal: https://www.paypal.biz/Altruwest Memberships: Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @altruwest   Book a Consultation: https://altruwest.com/product-categor... Purchase the Sound Mind E-Book https://altruwest.com/product/the-sou... Affiliate Links: Use our affiliate links below to purchase the tools we use to produce these videos (We receive a commission from purchases made via the links below) Looking to purchase a new audio interface for your studio? Get 15% off MAP on RME Audio interfaces: https://www.rme-usa.com Use the discount code: Altruwest Video Main Camera: Sony A6100 https://amzn.to/4ikNCqv Lense: Sigma 16mm E-Mount https://amzn.to/41IVriy Secondary Camera: Sony ZV E10 2 https://amzn.to/4bMSKkL Video Capture Card: Elgato Cam Link 4k https://amzn.to/4hqzfiX Lighting: Neewer FS150B LED https://amzn.to/41IC7SE Softbox: Neewer 35.4 Octagonal https://amzn.to/4iMJb7H Elgato Stream Deck Mk2 https://amzn.to/4hv7VQK Audio Mixer: Rodecaster Pro 2 https://amzn.to/4j2l9Wr Microphone: Shure SM7B https://amzn.to/4bMTer5 Headphones: DT770 https://amzn.to/4iICEei Audiotechnica M20x https://amzn.to/3QSAKvx Trackball: Kensington Expert Pro https://amzn.to/3FMo0EA Chapters: Introduction and Welcome (00:00) • Audience Check-in and Greetings (02:04) • The State of Keyboard Workstations in 2025 (05:32) • The Decline of "The Big Three" and Shift to Live Music (10:25) • Issue: Legacy Presets and Lack of Innovation (12:27) • Issue: Lack of Power for Sample Playback Compared to Computers (14:02) • Issue: Price-Performance Ratio of Hardware Workstations (16:02) • Issue: Polyphony Limitations (17:11) • Issue: Limitations and Quality of Onboard Effects (19:29) • Issue: Recall Challenges and Workflow Bottlenecks (23:40) • Issue: Unrealistic Sound Quality (27:42) • Issue: Difficulty in Tracking Out Beats (30:16) • Discussion: Benefits of Hardware Workstations in the Studio Today (35:14) • The Gap in the Workstation Market and Future Outlook (46:12) • Audience Q&A: Would You Buy a New Workstation Today? (49:23) • Discussion: The Challenge of Music Visibility and Social Media (54:09) • Discussion: Akai MPC Key 61 as a Workstation (01:01:12) • Discussion: Music Consumption Today (Shorts, TikTok, Physical Media) (01:06:09) • Speaker's Go-To Workstation and Concluding Remarks (01:19:07)