Helping getting a keyboard

[Penguin Lord]

Hi all. Hoping I can get some guidance/advice from all you experts here as to what keyboard to pull the trigger on.

 

I've played piano for upwards of 12 years, so I'm looking to invest in a real quality keyboard to have and keep for years and years. I will set it up in my apartment, and never be moving it. I'm NOT looking for anything with billions of pre-set sounds, I most likely will be using plain vanilla piano sounds 90% of the time. I don't need/care about midi capability. I really just want a quality keyboard that plays beautiful piano sounds. I grew up classically trained, and playing on real pianos all my life, so this is a new market for me.

 

Things I care about:

- Price

- Key action - the more authentic the better

- Look/style

- Durability

 

Things I don't care about

- Having a screen on the keyboard. In fact I'd rather not have this, as I wouldn't ever use it

- Millions of sounds/effects

- Super techy ability. I wouldn't even be able to use this - I just want to plug it in and play. I can buy an amp if necessary

 

 

My brother is a performer, and has been using the Korg SV-1 for years. I know this is very old, but I will say I love this keyboard. However, I'm only seeing it out there for $2000, which seems steep for a 10 year-old keyboard. Does anybody have experience with the SV-1?

 

Any other suggestions, based on these criteria? I apologize in advance for how little I know! I just am hoping to utilize the expert knowledge here to help a desperate musician!

[Dave Bryce]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Sound is an pretty important consideration. Do you think you'd prefer something with speakers built in? Getting an amp that will make you happy with piano sounds may not be easy, depending on yourt ears and the space where you'll be playing/listening.

 

Also, would you like something that looks more like a piano, furniture-wise? If not, what do you have in mind as far as a stand?

 

dB

[Penguin Lord]

Speakers built in vs external, I don't care too much about. I could be wrong, but I am under the understanding that generally the sound qualify is sacrificed a little bit if it is the internal speakers of a keyboard. That said, I'm not looking to drop hundreds and hundreds of additional dollars to get an amp if not necessary. If I could get one for around $100 that would compliment a keyboard I would do it, but again price is a factor here.

 

As far as visually fitting in furniture-wise, that isn't too much of a concern. I'm getting it for the music and for the joy of playing, so while yes I want it to look nice, it's no deal breaker. I have a desk and several places I could place it, but I assume that I will be getting a piano stand in the near future, once I decide on what I'm getting for the actual piano.

 

Thank you for your response!

[stillearning]

I am much like you, having studied classical piano for many years, but that was long ago and I have been playing on keyboards for several decades vs on an acoustic piano. The keyboard action I have played on that"s closest to an actual piano that"s reasonably priced (I haven"t played them all) is Kawai. They make them across a wide price range, and I haven"t played them all. Sweetwater carries a wide selection. Now is probably not the best time to audition keyboard actions 'hands on" in a retail store, if they"re even open.

 

Obviously this will be subjective, and I feel certain others will be chiming in here on this.

[Dave Bryce]

You'd be surprised at the quality of the sound system built into some of these instruments. They're better than they should be.

 

Given your requirements and your fondness for the SV1, I might be inclined to suggest trying Casio's PX-S1000.

 

FWIW, I completely agree that the Kawai instruments have outstanding keyboard feel...but they're typically not inexpensive.

 

dB

[stillearning]

Speakers built in vs external, I don't care too much about. I could be wrong, but I am under the understanding that generally the sound qualify is sacrificed a little bit if it is the internal speakers of a keyboard. That said, I'm not looking to drop hundreds and hundreds of additional dollars to get an amp if not necessary. If I could get one for around $100 that would compliment a keyboard I would do it, but again price is a factor here.

Most built in speakers would sound better than anything you would likely find in an external amp/speaker at that price point. Some built ins can sound quite good as they"re designed specifically for piano sound in a specific application.

[stillearning]

The best action and overall sound on a keyboard that I"ve played on, on an inexpensive keyboard with built in speakers is the Kawai ES110. But again, it"s not like I"ve played them all.

[Docbop]

Korg released the new version of the SV at NAMM this year, check out the Korg SV2 and it's about $2000 and same look, but more features. They have a 73 and 88 key versions and with and without builtin speakers.

 

 

Korg SV2

[Biggles]

Some different priced DP"s for you to consider:-

 

Kawai MP11 $2800

 

Roland RD2000 $2600

 

Korg SV2 $2000

 

Yamaha 515 $1500

 

Roland RD88 $1200

 

Kawai ES110 $900

 

Casio S3000 $800

 

Roland FP30 $700

 

Yamaha P125 $650

[Penguin Lord]

What are the differences between Korg SV1 and 2? Also thank you everybody for these other specific suggestions! I'm looking at them all now

[Reezekeys]

From what I've seen, just about the only difference between the entry-level DPs (~$500 - $750) and the "mid-priced spreads" (~$1200 -$1500) are the bells & whistles â # of sounds, recording ability, etc. Their actions & basic piano sound are the same. The upper tier of DPs (>$1800-$2K) have different actions that may be considered superior â but they too can be long on the bells & whistles dept.

 

There are plenty of youtube videos where you can compare the sounds. The feel of the action and how the sounds respond to your playing dynamics are just as important if not more imo, and unfortunately you can't check those out without an in-person visit to a store that stocks them â and that may not be possible for a while.

 

I would probably go with either the Roland FP30 or Yam P125.

 

BTW there is a young kid named James Pavel Shawcross who has a lot of videos comparing and critiquing DPs. He does these in a recording studio, but instead of connecting the keyboard's stereo outputs directly to the video we hear them through a mono keyboard amp that's mice'd â for reasons I sure can't fathom. I would ignore those videos.

[Music Bird]

Maybe Roland FP30 or used FP10?

[Biggles]

Further to my previous.

 

I did play quite a few sub $1000 DP"s before I bought my 73 key Yamaha P121.

 

They all are limited in onboard sounds.

 

In this price band users seem to rate the Kawai ES110 very highly but the one I tried had a very, very noisy action but this maybe just a poor example, you would be best advised to only buy this after playing one.

 

Of the others in order of keybed feel I would place them:-

 

Roland FP

 

Yamaha P

 

Casio S

 

As for piano sounds, Yamaha then Roland.

 

Once this coronavirus is managed I would suggest a trip to a music store will help you decide.

[Penguin Lord]

I was hoping to have a piano to help get me through the quarantine But it's hard because the only one I have played is the SV1 my brother has. But I'm second guessing myself if I need to pay $2000 to get what I want, since I don't want much in the grand scheme of keyboards

[El Lobo]

I might be inclined to suggest trying Casio's PX-S1000.

I was going to say the same thing. Dave Bryce is admin and a pro, so his advice counts more than mine. The 1000 used to be priced at $600. I see the price has now gone up to $650. Still, it's a bargain for the quality of piano sound and keyboard action. Search this forum on Casio PX-S1000. I bought one for my grandson to learn piano on (and for his mom and dad who both play a little, and for his younger sister to noodle on). And I bought the S3000 for myself, to add to my collection of digital keyboards. The 3000 is fun to play, the piano sound is pretty damn good and so is the keyboard action.

[Mighty Motif Max]

The best I've ever played is the Kawai ES8; the MP7SE would have the same keybed and more "bells and whistles" but is actually cheaper.

 

On the mid-lower-end side, I'd say a Roland FP-30 or a Yamaha P-125 (or 115, the older version) would be fine. I've not played the Kawai ES-110 but it's well-liked around here. Make sure you research the Casio models; some are fine with them, others (like me) find the action hard on the wrists after playing for a decent amount of time.

 

The cheapest digital piano I can recommend is the Yamaha P-45. $499.99. Decent action (same as the P-125), and the speakers are good enough. Piano tone is good as well in my opinion.

 

The cheapest you will be able to go price-wise is probably around $499. Lower than that and there's a lot of garbage.

 

There are also some console-style digital pianos around the $800-1,099 price point, but they may or may not sound any better than the portable options that you're being recommended. I am not a fan of the low-end Arius Yamahas for what it's worth; the piano sound is quite lacking compared to their lower-end stage pianos (like the P-125). You're basically paying for the furniture aspect in my opinion.

 

 

For reference, here are the price points of the majority of digital pianos under $1000.

$499.99-599.99

Yamaha P45

Korg B2

Roland FP-10

Casio Privia PX-160

Kurzweil SP1 (needs external speakers)

 

$599.99-699.99

Yamaha P-125

Korg D1

Roland FP-30

Kawai ES-110

Casio PX-S1000

Korg LP-180

[stillearning]

Some different priced DP"s for you to consider:-

 

Kawai MP11 $2800

 

Roland RD2000 $2600

 

Korg SV2 $2000

 

Yamaha 515 $1500

 

Roland RD88 $1200

 

Kawai ES110 $900

 

Casio S3000 $800

 

Roland FP30 $700

 

Yamaha P125 $650

 

Sweetwater has the Kawai ES110 for $699. I"ve played it, I use one for teaching, and for that price it"s hard to beat. Probably the best sound and feel for the price.

[DaveMcM]

I second Mr. Bryce"s suggestion of trying the Casio PX-S1000. I recently purchased a Casio PX-560 and am quite happy with it. While at Sweetwater, I played every 88 note weighted action keyboard the had. Casio has really come a long way. I wanted the extras that the PX-560 offered but if piano was my main concern, the PX-1000 would probably have been my choice. BTW, the internal speakers sound very good.

[RandyFF]

I'm unclear what your max price point is. You said you'd want something basic but with really good sound and action that'd last you.

 

Buying keyboards can be a pricey lesson. It may take you several years and tries before you find something that suits you for the long run, simply 'cause there's a lot of keyboards to try out in the $500-$2,000 range for someone new to digital pianos. For example, in my experience, it can take a week or two of having a board in your home before you know what you're hearing, that is, how you like the available piano sounds, how you like the action after having a period to adjust to it, etc. And trying out several boards for extended periods like that if you have the cash flow.

 

If you've got a major retailer close by, you have the luxury of 30-45 day return periods, and if within easy driving distance, an easy and inexpensive way of returning a board if you don't like it. You can have it delivered to your doorstep, order two boards, and get to educating yourself by playing each until you can distinguish the differences between them and what you prefer.

 

Something that's discussed a lot on this forum is keyboard action. There is lots of talk about lighter and heavier actions, of slow and quick actions, of finger to key connection, etc etc etc. It takes time to figure out your individual preferences, which can only come from personal experience.

 

The built-in speakers on the boards over $1k can be really terrific. Perfectly placed to give you a wonderful stereo sound. You'd need to spend at least $200 for comparable external speakers (on the better boards), and the built-in ones take up no room, and you can always supplement the built-in speakers with external ones for an even fuller combined sound.

 

If you really are trying to accomplish AMAP your research on what board to buy by reading forum posts, I'd suggest doing searches for threads similar to this one. There's hundreds of reviews on this forum, and you'll learn lots and lots, there are a surprising number of really talented folks on this forum that love to share.

 

But I'm guessing you'd do well also on the Pianoworld forum. They're more classically oriented and much more about just the piano. Lots of helpful folks there as well.

[Dave Bryce]

I might be inclined to suggest trying Casio's PX-S1000.

I was going to say the same thing. Dave Bryce is admin and a pro, so his advice counts more than mine.

 

I appreciate the props, brother Wolf...but I have to respectfully disagree.

 

My admin status deeeefinitely shouldn't carry any weight as far as how much I like a keyboard's sound, action and interface...plus, we don't know whether the OP's personal tastes/playing style are closer to yours or mine...

 

...And what is a pro, anyway? Ain't nobody paying me to play keyboards at the moment...

 

dB

[AnotherScott]

Since you like the feel of the SV1, I'd look at the Korg D1 which similarly uses Korg's RH3 action, for $670. A lot of folks here play gigs, which makes Casio's super light travel weight a lot more desirable than Korg's 35+ lbs, but that's not an issue for you. Whether Casio's actions are better than the Korg's is subjective, but at least you already have a sense that you'd like the Korg (though it's not impossible that the D1 feels different from the SV1 despite having the same action design... maybe someone here who has played both could chime in on how similar they feel). The same model is available with speakers, as the Korg LP-380, but that's $1,150. For far less than the nearly $500 difference, I'd be inclined to get something like a pair of JBL 305P Mk II speakers. You can hear the D1's sounds in this video:

[video:youtube]

[stoken6]

Korg SV1 wouldn't be the first keyboard I pick for "Key action - the more authentic the better", but all that matters is that you like it.

 

You should be able to find one for less than $2000. Secondhand, maybe? Otherwise Scott's suggestion is spot-on.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[El Lobo]

...And what is a pro, anyway? Ain't nobody paying me to play keyboards at the moment...

Well, ain't very many of us being paid to play anything right now, especially here in Cali where we're all supposed to be sheltering in place and not going out except for essentials. Still, you've played with some much heavier cats than I ever will ...

 

But I do love my Casio PX-S3000.