Will these new lightweight keyboards last?

[Bif_]

My Motif ES is around 10 years old. Everything works perfect on it. It is built like a tank.

 

Like many of you, I am VERY interested in lighter gear, but am smart enough to know that this is being accomplished by using more plastic and less metal components.

 

I wonder how this will affect the longevity of these new, lighter keyboards? Has anyone gigged steadily with an instrument like this for more than 5 years?

 

Greg

[AnotherScott]

If something is going to give out prematurely, I'd rather it was my gear than my back. ;-)

[theGman]

^^^dittos. Well said !

 

[Josh Paxton]

One word: plastics.

[Bif_]

True.

 

Also, big price difference too, so the cheaper (and lighter) board wouldn't have to last as long if comparing cost over time.

[TommyS]

I'm ok with the weight of my Nord EX in an ATA case. Reliability is my main concern.

[Dave Ferris]

I think everyone will be happy with the build quality on the new CP4. My first impression was--this thing is pretty darn solid for a 38 lb. keyboard. Also no wall wart.

 

I'm pretty picky about build quality coming from buying electronic keyboards for over 40 years. I appreciate manufacturers listening to older guys like me with regard to weight/schlep factor. Still I'd rather pay a premium (like I did with my Nord) and have the good quality then trickle down products built off flagship models.

[bloodyMary]

It all depends on quality of engineering. I trust Yamaha with making long lasting gear.

 

My very light Yamaha S03 is built very, very well. It will go on forever.

 

It's all plastic, but the electronic inside are fixed on a bent metal frame, so there is no flexing or something.

[Outkaster]

No.

[WesG]

I have a Yamaha DGX 620 that is only 7 years old that has a glitch in the key bed....that's the Yamaha GHS keybed, the latest version which is found in the P105, DGX 650, and MOX-8. And I can't fix it. Which sucks, because I'm very fond of it.

 

My Hammonds, on the other hand, are heavy as hell but either work right or can be made to work right...I'm about to start restoring my 1937 model BC.

[nickd]

Also if we're looking at ROMpler type boards, I'm not sure there will be much demand for today's boards in 10 or 20 years time.

 

Synths and anything quirky - sure. But I can't imagine a Motif XF will command much of a resale price in 2028.

[wmp]

Will it last? You'll probably have to wait to find out if you don't know your plastics. I wish I knew more about plastics. Some plastic flanges and jacks used in '50s and '60s vintage pianos turned brittle and crumbled to dust inside of ten years. The plastic keys and rocker switches on my B3 are definitely made of different plastic. The plastic body panels on my vehicle take hits and bounce back. The plastic dash board is as good as new after seven years of roasting in the sun.

 

If I'm still alive ten years from now and the forum is still here, I'll let you know how the PX-5S did.

[BigJPatton]

Absolutely, there is simply no reason to lug around any gear that weighs a ton these days, keyboards, cases, amps... all should be the newest, lightest stuff if that's important to you, they will last forever IMO.

 

That being said I'm not recommending less than quality playing/sounding gear à la the VR-09 or a Casio XW just to save weight, but there is plenty of good, light stuff out there.

[HammondDave]

 

That being said I'm not recommending less than quality playing/sounding gear à la the VR-09...

 

Don't wake The Kraken!!!

[HAMEGZ]

Absolutely, there is simply no reason to lug around any gear that weighs a ton these days, keyboards, cases, amps... all should be the newest, lightest stuff if that's important to you, they will last forever IMO.

 

That being said I'm not recommending less than quality playing/sounding gear à la the VR-09 or a Casio XW just to save weight, but there is plenty of good, light stuff out there.

 

 

It actually took 12 responses to get the VR mentioned, I had bet it would have popped up sooner.....

[marino]

I have a piano technique that's mainly based on arm weight control. If I have to lift/move heavy equipment before playing, my playing could suffer, or at least, it would take a bigger effort than necessary. Now, if I'm playing in a rock band or something, I don't always require that kind of control, but I prefer to feel relaxed onstage anyway, without any danger of having stiff forearms. (Yes, I use wheeled carts and everything)

 

I have brought very heavy instruments onstage in the past: Rhodes piano, Rhodes Chroma, Roland RD300s, Fatar Studio 2001.... Now that I have a bad back *because* of that, I can't afford to lug around heavy stuff. So I applaud Casio for having started the "weight race" in the digital/stage piano field, forcing everybody else to follow. 11/12 kgs for Privias is quite reasonable.

 

Will they last? Only time will tell. But I know that I won't buy another 35 kg stage piano. Period.

 

 

[Michael Wright]

Will they last? Only time will tell. But I know that I won't buy another 35 kg stage piano. Period.

I think most of us are at the point that the electronic instrument is merely a tool to be used as such for the duration of its lifespan. Vintage synths are fun (I have a couple) and real organs and pianos are the preference, just not practical in this day and age.

[Tonysounds]

I have to say, if theyre built as well as Nord products, theyll be around. I too wont buy another >50 keyboard.

[HammondDave]

Absolutely, there is simply no reason to lug around any gear that weighs a ton these days, keyboards, cases, amps... all should be the newest, lightest stuff if that's important to you, they will last forever IMO.

 

That being said I'm not recommending less than quality playing/sounding gear à la the VR-09 or a Casio XW just to save weight, but there is plenty of good, light stuff out there.

 

 

It actually took 12 responses to get the VR mentioned, I had bet it would have popped up sooner.....

 

Don't mention the war!

 

[video:youtube]

[Adan]

Almost nobody is playing 10-year old keyboards anymore, just like no one is using 10 year old computers. That said, I think the build quality is generally good. Roland stuff has ALWAYS been reliable and long-lasting, in my experience. It seems to be a core value for that company.

[marino]

Um, ALL my keyboards are at least 10-year old. I guess I am in the minority.

 

Edit: *Except* the Casio PX-135 (which is about to go anyway)

[Zydecat]

Um, ALL my keyboards are at least 10-year old. I guess I am in the minority.

 

+1. Disclaimer - the vent saves the XB2.

 

[Michael Wright]

Almost nobody is playing 10-year old keyboards anymore,

Well, I was using my O1w up until the point I replaced it with an SP4. I was just getting a little nervous relying on it, to the point that I was looking for a back-up.I love the sound of my old stuff, but to drag them around to gigs doesnt make sense for me. I do play them at home however.

 

[Craig MacDonald]

I think that you're all forgetting an obvious factor and that is $$$. As these keyboards get lighter, and are made of cheaper materials they are ALSO jam-packed with features AND they are extremely inexpensive.

 

As such, they can ALMOST be considered disposable.. and I mean that in all seriousness. My VR-09 is the cheapest keyboard I've ever purchased (most often I'm spending $2000 to $3500 for high quality drawbar organs or synth/workstations) and this thing is a basic all-in-one that only cost me $999. At that price (and it can be had for less than that), this is almost a "disposable" keyboard for me.. I really only use this thing as a backup (for my Kronos or my Mojo) and I leave it in my car when I'm playing, and I use it for really small gigs. If I can get 2-3 years out of it, my return on investment is fantastic..

 

I'm not expecting my $999 VR-09 to give me 10,000 hours of flawless useage and last for 20 years, I expect it to give me about 250-400 hours use per year.. At that rate it will probably last a long time. At the $500 to $1000 price point, these keyboards are starting to get into the range of disposable and that's how I think of mine.

 

All that said, my VR-09 worked perfectly out of the box. Roland has just provided a timely update that fixed most of the user issues, and based on feedback from my VR-09 Hints and Tips thread, there's only been one issue with all of the VR-09's that are in use by forum members and that is nothing more than a drawbar button falling off. Compare this to the initial problems with the first series of the more expensive SK1 keyboard.. my perspective is that despite having a higher build quality, it seems to have had numerous early life problems (the one I bought was defective and had to be returned). Heavier gauge switches, knobs and cases, do not necessarily ensure better reliability, and neither do light weight knobs and switches necessarily mean poorer reliability.

 

 

[Stokely]

I prefer heavier, metal chassis over many of the new ones. I've owned a Motif, Virus, and pc361 in recent years and chose those used over boards like the m50 simply because I didn't like the build AND the key action (probably more important), which seem to go hand in hand. The Nords do seems to be very well built but I don't like the key action on most of them.

 

Now, weighted boards there does come a point where it's simply dangerous to transport depending on age and physical condition! I'm using a 44 lb Studiologic controller and I'm not sure I want to gig with a cp5 (which I'm considering). That extra 11 pounds might be more than I want to deal with, plus I only have a (albeit sturdy) gigbag right now for an 88.

 

The only boards I've ever had issues with were both older ones: a Roland jx10 that had some key contacts go out, and a poly 800 that would randomly freak out and modulate a partial step up (I got good at quickly grabbing the joystick and finding the right spot until it calmed down )

 

I also like heavier boards because they stay on stands better. If someone backs into a heavy board it's less likely to fall off the stand. I use a heavy z-stand and put cork on the arms (no sliding at all) so it would take quite a jolt to tip anything off.

 

[opdigits]

I think most of us are at the point that the electronic instrument is merely a tool to be used as such for the duration of its lifespan. Vintage synths are fun (I have a couple) and real organs and pianos are the preference, just not practical in this day and age.

 

At the $500 to $1000 price point, these keyboards are starting to get into the range of disposable and that's how I think of mine.

Personally, I think the modern corporate mentality of designing and manufacturing 'disposable' instruments/products is merely a result of apathetical consumerism driven by forced corporate greed (the perceived need to constantly show overzealous increasing profits to shareholders at the expense of consumers).

 

I applaud the efforts of companies like Casio in offering low cost bang for the buck instruments/products, but I'd rather pay extra for the same feature sets that are contained in a higher build quality instrument/product. Keep pushing towards the lightness factor, and include the jam packed # of features, but build these instruments/products to LAST!

[Synthoid]

Um, ALL my keyboards are at least 10-year old. I guess I am in the minority.

 

I'll join that minority as well. Although I have newer boards, I'm still using my 12+ year old Triton every week in our worship band. Even had all the buttons replaced a few months ago... that's the only problem I've had with it.

 

 

[AnotherScott]

(the perceived need to constantly show overzealous increasing profits to shareholders at the expense of consumers).

That is a typical criticism of public companies in America, but I wonder if the Japanese or other overseas markets are as short-term fixated as we tend to be here. Also, I think that some of these companies don't have public shareholders at all. I think Korg is a private company, for example.

 

Though personally, I think that is a bit of a red herring regardless. I think the move to lighter, more capable, and less expensive boards is a result of the technology permitting them to do it and the consumer responding to it. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...

[jsuar99]

All that said, my VR-09 worked perfectly out of the box. Roland has just provided a timely update that fixed most of the user issues, and based on feedback from my VR-09 Hints and Tips thread, there's only been one issue with all of the VR-09's that are in use by forum members and that is nothing more than a drawbar button falling off. Compare this to the initial problems with the first series of the more expensive SK1 keyboard.. my perspective is that despite having a higher build quality, it seems to have had numerous early life problems (the one I bought was defective and had to be returned). Heavier gauge switches, knobs and cases, do not necessarily ensure better reliability, and neither do light weight knobs and switches necessarily mean poorer reliability.

 

 

I decided on getting an SK1... are these problems widespread?

[Craig MacDonald]

I completely disagree, corporate greed? BS.. If their strategy wasn't a good one they'd be out of business.. it is a good strategy, and its win win.. we get newer, better and less expensive products every year, and they get our money.

 

Why build them to last when next years product will be far better and less expensive. Seriously, this is absolutely true for these electronic keyboards, same as computers.. Buy from a reliable company, by all means, but your computer is going to be completely obsolete in two years. That doesn't mean that it might not be perfectly satisfactory for whatever applications you have for it, but you will be longing for the newest and greatest, especially when it's so inexpensive..

 

By all means, buy a high quality keyboard, if you need a high quality weighted action keybed, and don't buy one of these low end products.. all of these companies still have their high end models, so buy those! Just don't think for a moment that next years high end keyboard won't be better and less expensive too, because they probably will.. And next years entry level keyboard will have so much and cost so little that you'll buy two of them.. Look at the new price points set by a roland and Casio this year.. Wow.. I can't wait for the next round.

 

Edit: I should add here that I am really just trying to provide an opposite perspective here.. Like HammondDave and others on this list, I appreciate a high quality instrument (I love my Mojo for example), and I think that there is a place for both things.. the high quality, expensive instrument (which also hopefully continues to get better and cheaper), but I also appreciate manufactures drive to reduce weight and offer more in smaller/lighter packages. I think that both of these strategies need to exist to satisfy the full range of musicians.