pomfret Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Hello! First post here, long time lurker. I'm thinking of adding a new companion to my Kurzweil SP4-7 which I've had for ten years and has served me well. After a lot of reading, researching, and youtubing (is that a word?), I think the best options for me are the Kurzweil SP-6 and the Yamaha MX-88. A friend has lent me a Roland RD-700GX. Great sounds, great keyboard, but I find it a little hard to play. I don't want a keybed as soft as the SP4-7, I want to play piano but my hands tell me this Roland is too much. Problem about the Kurzweil is I've read that the keys are noisy, anybody have experience with this? Kurzweil and Yamaha are brands I trust and these two keyboards seem perfect for what I want. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coker Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Are you looking for a semi weighted or weighted keybed? Quote CA93, MODX8, YC88, K8.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomfret Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 Weighted, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 I think the MX-88 sounds good. I DO NOT have frame of reference to discuss the SP-6. [video:youtube] Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 When you say "not as soft as SP4-7", do you mean not as light? I've not played the MX88, but played the same GHS action in other boards. I found it fine, not super-light - although I know some other forumites don't like it. There's also the usual caveat that different applications of the same GHS action reportedly feel different. Cheers, Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 The GHS is a little slow compared to the balanced action in the Montage, Motif and S90XS ... but it"s a lot cheaper. I find actions in that price range to be really similar. If you play it long enough it will be fine. The best action is usually eventually the one you play. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffincltnc Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 I am looking in this budget and since I really just need piano and very few other sounds, I'm hoping the Kawai ES520 is the right one in this price category. Quote Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffincltnc Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Which one do you think sounds better between the MX and the SP6? Quote Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coker Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 I think the keybed in the SP6 feels better than the one in the Yamaha. However, I sold my SP6 to buy a MODX8 because I couldn"t deal with its APs. They didn"t have enough dynamic range for the way I play. Quote CA93, MODX8, YC88, K8.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomfret Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 I think the MX-88 sounds good. I DO NOT have frame of reference to discuss the SP-6. [video:youtube] Hey, that sounds great! When you say "not as soft as SP4-7", do you mean not as light? Yes, sorry, I meant not as light (english is not my 1st language). The best action is usually eventually the one you play. That's right, I've been playing guitar for 40 years and there's no guitar better than the others, it is just what you're used to. I sold my SP6 to buy a MODX8 because I couldn"t deal with its APs. Good to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomfret Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 I'm almost decided to go for the Kurzweil SP-6, anyway more opinions and/or suggestions would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 Same as you I wanted a budget board for a short lived 80's project with old friends... I hated the music but loved the friends so I said yes.. .that was a mistake also...I could not take the music.. Anywho.... I picked up an MX88 for that.... bigum mistake Kimo Sabe... the keybed bottomed out and hurt my my hands and I was getting this 'sameness' from note to note with no real character from the AP patches... the piano responded like a rompler organ patch I swear with this sustain problem after the notes were struck w/0 using the damper and with it.... really really bad ...and I think would be for many others I sold the MX and bought an SP6, I tend to like Kurzweril's.... it is miles above the MX88 (well maybe not miles and miles) but a much much better board that is very workable and usable... the MX was not for me you made the right decision as far as I'm concerned do not hesitate not to buy the MX... I know it's a Yamaha... and I like a lot of their gear and their piano sounds ,,, but this one is not a good one.. the only thing interesting was their software and creating orchestral and other layers in there that you can't do from the from front panel....but I don't have a need to do that often...even then...the action feels like total crap and the AP's did not play or sound good at all on it... The Medeli action on the SP6, though not top shelf is much much MUCH better...the ugly ness factor was not an issue for me at all. I've been ugly most of my life in one form or another at times too but I'm workin on it Quote CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffincltnc Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 The SP6 has some nice (but reduced) samples of the Forte. I had a Forte for 3 years and I felt that the 9 foot grand was stunning in headphones, but I would take it to gigs and even with the Weiser sounds, it never really sounded right as a piano (I have had better luck with Rolands and Nords, even if the Kurzweil sounded equal with headphones on). I added tons of add on pianos to my Forte like sampled Kawai and Baldwins but you don't have the flash memory load in on the SP6. The Medelli action is probably better than the MX88, but I think a stage piano like the Roland FP30x, RD88 or the Kawai ES520 are better than the Medelli if you don't need the sonic territory of the Kurzweil. For me, I just need a portable piano for a restaurant type gig. The other thing I just can't get past with the SP6 -- it is one seriously UGLY looking keyboard. The paddle look on the back, the top control surface -- did they just set out to make the ugliest looking stage piano on the market? I love Kurzweil and VAST, but yuck on the look of their plastic stuff. Quote Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 sustain problem after the notes were struck w/0 using the damper and with it ...likely a sustain pedal that is either defective or has the wrong polarity (assuming that when you said w/o using the damper, the pedal was still physically plugged in). Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 sustain problem after the notes were struck w/0 using the damper and with it ...likely a sustain pedal that is either defective or has the wrong polarity (assuming that when you said w/o using the damper, the pedal was still physically plugged in). No..... it's a bit hard to put into words.... but of you have play one with it's piano patches to fully understand I could not play it like that long term, day by day it bugged me more more... very annoying.... Quote CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 sustain problem after the notes were struck w/0 using the damper and with it ...likely a sustain pedal that is either defective or has the wrong polarity (assuming that when you said w/o using the damper, the pedal was still physically plugged in). No..... it's a bit hard to put into words.... but you have play one with it's piano patches to fully understand ....I could not play it like that long term, day by day it bugged me more & more, very annoying.... I dig Yamaha's don't get me wrong... I think the instrument was designed with other strengths in mind beside it being a budget instrument, so. But I noticed Yamaha had really pumped up the piano and keybed in their sales pitches early on and I think they were covering up for it's weakness.... just my feeling about it. Hey even Steinway rolls out bad ones... .sometimes things just don't come together and we all know Yamaha has rolled out a lot of top notch winners....this wasn't one Quote CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Star_Guy Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 I'm almost decided to go for the Kurzweil SP-6, anyway more opinions and/or suggestions would be appreciated. Hi, and welcome to the forum! In this price range, I would look at & research the Kawai ES-520, the Roland FP-60X and the Roland RD-88 over either the MX-88 or SP-6. The FP-60X and ES-520 are triple sensor actions and have some excellent pianos with new updaated samples. I personally love the Kawai pianos and the sonic detail present because of their Harmonic Imaging system. They also tend to have excellent playability. If lots of voices & editability & stage/band use are important to you then the RD-88 deserves a closer look. What kinds of features are important to you? Quote ---------------------------------------------------------- Gig: Yamaha MODX7, NumaX 73 Piano Studio: Kawai ES-920; Hammond SK Pro 73; Yamaha Motif ES7 w/DX,VL,VH; Yamaha YC 73; Kawai MP-6; Numa Compact 2x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 In this price range, I would look at & research the Kawai ES-520, the Roland FP-60X and the Roland RD-88 over either the MX-88 or SP-6. He is looking for a hammer action with a feel that is on the lighter side, I think the Rolands are likely to feel too heavy. Kawai could be a possibility, depending on the model... I'm not sure about the action in the ES-520. If he wants to stick with boards in the same price range, same sub-30 Lb weight range, and similar pretty straight-forward operation compared to the two he mentioned, another possibility that comes to mind is Casio PX-560... except he is concerned about noisy actions, and I think that's probably the noisiest of the three. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Star_Guy Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 In this price range, I would look at & research the Kawai ES-520, the Roland FP-60X and the Roland RD-88 over either the MX-88 or SP-6. He is looking for a hammer action with a feel that is on the lighter side, I think the Rolands are likely to feel too heavy. Kawai could be a possibility, depending on the model... I'm not sure about the action in the ES-520. If he wants to stick with boards in the same price range, same sub-30 Lb weight range, and similar pretty straight-forward operation compared to the two he mentioned, another possibility that comes to mind is Casio PX-560... except he is concerned about noisy actions, and I think that's probably the noisiest of the three. I have not yet played either the FP-60x or the ES-520 (e.g. too new) but I have played the RD-88 and the PH-4 action on that model is a fairly light-to-middling hammer action that would qualify. Similarly, another great lightweight piano (both in keyboard weight and action playability) is the Kawai ES-110. That action is the lightest highly expressive hammer action that I have played. I haven't been crazy about any of the recent Casio actions as they seem to "bottom out" too easily for my tastes and also seem somewhat fatiguing to play for long periods. My personal experience. Quote ---------------------------------------------------------- Gig: Yamaha MODX7, NumaX 73 Piano Studio: Kawai ES-920; Hammond SK Pro 73; Yamaha Motif ES7 w/DX,VL,VH; Yamaha YC 73; Kawai MP-6; Numa Compact 2x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomfret Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 I'm looking for something like my Kurzweil SP4-7 but with updated (and better) sounds, lightweight, hammer action (not as light as the SP4-7, not as hard as the Roland RD 700GX), being the most important part the acoustic piano, electric piano (especially Wurli), hammond, and strings. I don't need rhythms, nor internal speakers, nor a workstation, just a stage piano with light action. I've taken a look at the Casios (my 1st stage piano was a Privia, great piano for the price), they look great but I don't know if a touch screen is a good idea, I'll be moving it a lot from home to rehearsal and to the stage (hopefully). And the noisy action is a problem for studying at night at low volume. The Roland and the Kawai look great, but they're same or more expensive than the Kurzweil and same or more heavy too. Maybe acoustic pianos are better, but I prefer to sacrifice a little in sound in favor of weight and price. I mean, the SP-6 doesn't sound bad, right? The review from Legatoboy about the Yamaha makes clear the decision. Thanks everybody for the suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfields Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 I've taken a look at the Casios (my 1st stage piano was a Privia, great piano for the price), they look great but I don't know if a touch screen is a good idea, I'll be moving it a lot from home to rehearsal and to the stage (hopefully). And the noisy action is a problem for studying at night at low volume. The Casio PX-560 has a touch screen, but the PX-5S is similar and does not, so you could look at that. You mean you're wondering about the durability of the touch screen? A lot of stage pianos seem to have them these days, and stage pianos are designed to be moved around a lot. I've never worried about it much. PX-560 and PX-5S have the same action, and I do find it noisy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomfret Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 Finally decided to buy the SP-6, and I'm very happy with it! The action is way lighter than the Roland RD 700 GX, not as light as the SP4-7 but close enough, exactly what I wanted. The sounds...Well, I'm very used to the Roland so I'm trying to duplicate them in the SP-6. It's not they're bad, not at all, they're great, but I need a little more time to get used to them. Thanks everybody again, happy as a pig in mud!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffincltnc Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 I think David Weiser has made some patches for the SP6 that you would want. He is a master at EQing and optimizing the tones of the Kurzweil 9-foot grand and 7-foot grand for gigging! Quote Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomfret Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 Great, good to know, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleer Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Congrats, pomfret, damn good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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