Problem is the beatsqueezer currently isn‘t available…the maker needs to consider making another batch, so if you go onto Facebook and register your interest on the beatsqueezer page, chances improve
As for the recommendations, don‘t quite understand your needs. Are you looking for a rompler (ie Kontakt as hardware) or are you looking for a synth that can also handle samples/wavetables (eg Blofeld) ?
The Deepmind is a great deal for what it is, I don‘t dig its sound 100%, but that’s a matter of taste. But to my knowledge the Deepmind doesn‘t handle samples at all.
As for a Rompler, I think that‘s actually not so easy. A proper keyboard + integrated decent sounds gets quite pricey quite quickly (eg a Roland RD2000…if you have 2000€ to spare :)), and when it comes to a module format, I can’t think of a device that goes under 500€ and does what I imagine you want it to do, bar the Beatsqueezer - but that one is not available at the moment.
At my “performance & improv” station in my studio, I run a Arturia Keystep into three synth modules + a Kawai MP11, which gives me beautiful piano sounds, electric piano sounds and silly string sounds right at my fingertips. But the MP11 is far from portable and costs 2000€ also. I’d love a portable solution for piano etc myself. Currently the best I can think of is to use my laptop as module for those sampled instruments via Kontakt and Omnisphere…not ideal at all.
One cheap solution with OK sounds could be a Roland JV1080 (or JV2080) used. These 90s racks have lots of sounds that are decent, paired with a midi keyboard of your choice.
If you are up for a little project, on the Modartt Pianoteq Forum there’s a detailed guide on how to install Pianoteq on a Rasberry Pi and effectively build a little module from that…will probably be the best sound you can get for that money and shouldn’t cost more than 200-300$ total (incl. Pianoteq).
I often consider to buy the CP and CS. Sound both great for the price and I like the clean and easy interface
The Rhodes sound on the CP seems very good, the effects as well
For what you are looking for, reface CP seems the best fit IMO
Other one could be a nord keyboard but those are big and above your budget
Realistic pianos, organs and EPs are still very much best ITB AFAIK
Now then, that all would change in an instant if someone made a rompler box that supported full kontakt patches…! Personally still waiting for such a thing to become available, preferably in 19" rack or desktop form factor.
Beetsqueezer looks awesome! But I have to visit (first register, sell my soul to) Facebook to get in touch with him…? Seriously? I guess I rather don’t want one then…
