I got a Clubland 12 CD from my brother, £100 cash from my mum and dad, as well as smaller gifts from them as extras, some Top Gear DVD's, and some gift card vouchers.
The £100 is going towards a keyboard/piano I'm going to get in the next couple of weeks.
I did buy a CME uF80 (88 key hammer action) controller keyboard for synths, but I'm very dissapointed with the feel of it, and its going back. I picked it up for around £350:
http://www.houseofsound.ch/webshop/shop_images/articles/UF80.jpg
Instead, I'm either going to go for a real Digital Piano, that I played yesterday at a music store, and loved the feel of it, called the Yamaha P-70, also for around £350 depending on the store (retails for around 400 in most)
http://www.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/YAMAHA+P70.JPG
But thats very nice, and even comes with a real sounding piano to play along with when I'm not using synths. The feel of the keys is everything, and controller keyboards don't do it for me.
The only issue with that piano is of course, theres no pitch/modulation or after touch controls, but I could add that with a cheaper controller acting as a second keyboard.
Or, theres this, which I've found for £599:
The ALESIS FUSION 8HD, which is a real sequencer keyboard:
http://www.andertons.co.uk/acatalog/info_FUSION8HD.html?utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=Froogle
Oh yeah
, and I've played it, and its not bad for what you get you know for the price. It has nice feeling keys, though it doesn't have its own sound output, so needs external speakers (not really a problem)
http://fssound.fullspectrum.ca/catalog/images/AlesisFusion8HD.jpg
That would kill for computer use, as it has pitch/mod, and aftertouch, plus, has an ability to store sound tracks, etc. Probably has more than I need or could want, but its better having too much of something, than too little! I actually made a song almost straight away with the thing at the store, as the sounds filled me with inspiration.
Either way, I'll be a happy bunny
