The Piano Man

So, with no gigs on the go still, I decided to hook up my stage piano and connect a plethora of different piano sounds to test out: Technics P50 Roland SRX02 'dynamic grand' Gem RP-X Yamaha P50m patch no.5 Ravenscroft 275 iOS app I ran all through decent headphones first. Verdict: - Ravenscroft has the 'best' sound - Gem RP-X has the best overall playability in terms of sound to finger connection - Technics P50 was nice and decent - Yamaha P50m was suitably bright, if that"s your thing - Roland SRX was my least favourite I then imagined a gig scenario and ran each in mono, directly into a EV ZXa1 The Technics P50 was actually my favourite in this scenario. However, I imagine part of the reason is that this board is not a great controller for other gear. Anyway, I am a former Nord user but could never get a sound that liked live, even running decent Logic System ML8s in stereo. It always sounded good to the audience, but not to me. I also tried an RD2000 but couldn"t get something I was happy with. The old Technics in mono into an EV ZXa1 will do for me. Think I might midi it to the Ravenscroft and run that out of FOH for the audience. Anyway, need some gigs first! Your mileage may vary!

Kawai ES110 - perhaps a more mellow tone than the Yamaha - benefit of standard midi outs, if he wants to connect to sound modules Roland FP30 - different tonality again - slightly heavier action, which he may or may not prefer Korg D1 - no built in speakers. More a 'stage piano' - very nice keyboard action As always, the best advice would be to visit a store and try all of these, and others, out.

Considering a battery powered stage piano for quick setup at weddings, if and when these gigs return. Drawing up a shortlist of all options, minus any Casios, as I have tried these but really do not like them. I known any others disagree with me on this though! I really have tried as the feature set and price is good. I just cannot get on board with the sounds or keyboard actions. Have I missed any out? Roland Go 88 Roland Juno DS88 Roland Juno DS76 Roland VR730 Korg Kross 88 Korg Kross 2 88 Yamaha NP32 Would love to see the following models with an inbuilt battery solution: Yamaha P35/45/121/125 Roland FP10/30 Korg B2/B2n/D1 Thanks

Yes, I like their watches as well. Have tried a couple of their stage pianos but, ultimately, they didn"t work for me. I am happy to pay more for something more professional. Having said that, I know there are players far more capable than me who really like the Casios. Everyone is different in what works for them. I did quite like a home model I tried one time, badged 'Casio Bechstein' if I remember correctly.

Spec for the 150 https://www.casio-intl.com/sg/en/emi/products/cdps150/spec/

Have picked up a Korg X3 and a Roland XV5050. This gives me a decent soundset coupled with a very solid keyboard action. Total cost £375. And not an external power supply in sight! Already own an SRX02 (concert piano). Will need to pick up another SRX board to complete the package. Thanks all

Hi Greg, how does the keyboard action of the Krome compare to that on the XP30? I am hoping it is different from the one on the Korg Kross as I sold that board as the keyboard action was really not to my liking. Cheers!

Might just try and pick up a second hand XP30. Amazing that it is like 22 years old but still superior to the modern offerings if you want something compact, solid and playable for around the £600 mark.

Used to own one of these and looking to pick up a modern equivalent, if such a thing exists. Looking for - 61 keys with solid keyboard synth action - wise range of useable bread and butter sounds, especially pianos, EPs, organs, stings, pads, acoustic & electric basses - compact design - internal power supply - layering/multis with adjustable key range etc Budget - £600 (UK) I see Roland has the FA06 and Juno DS but both have external power supplies. I suppose I could live with this potentially. What is the keyboard action like? Any alternatives worth considering? Maybe I am expecting too much for the budget!

Thanks all. Based on a quick Google search, I found this: Battery Life Comparison: PX-s3000 - 2 hours approx PX/s1000 - 4 hours approx CDP-s100 - 10+ hours approx The CDP is looking like a potentially useful tool. No proper line outs but, then again, I would probably be using just the internal speakers or, if I needed a touch more volume, I could hook up a battery amp/speaker via the 3.5' headphone output

Maybe I will just pick up a Casio. I see the CDP-S100 has weighted keys and comes in at 10.5kg and £300. Can"t really go wrong at that price. Or the PX-S1000 adds proper outputs at £450.

Hit me with your top recommendations. Have I missed any out? Roland Juno DS88 - too bulky Korg Kross 88 - too bulky Roland Go Piano - keys not weighted Yamaha NP - keys not weighted Casio CDP/PX etc - personally, I cannot stand the Casio range. Owned and sold a PX5s. Borrowed a PX360. Just hate the action and sound. I have tried Yamaha P35, Kawai ES110 etc. and quite like both, but neither is battery powered. Have I missed anything out? (Short of buying a Rav power pack. Maybe that"s the best plan!)

That"s concerning to hear that new contacts didn"t solve the problem. I also have no idea if they would even fit the P50, I am just assuming they will, which is risky! Would love to get the issue fixed as I love the piano otherwise. Think it holds up really well in terms of the soundest and design.

I should add that the older Technics P30 doesn"t have this issue, so another possible option could be to try and swap in contacts from an older P30. Would be amazing if there was someone with knowledge of Technics stage pianos who might chime in. Cheers

Dear all, I own a Technics SX-P50, manufactured by Panasonic. As the Korg RH3 keybed is based on the old Technics action, my P50 has the common issue found on early Kronos models, whereby notes cut off abruptly when playing lightly and they sort of double trigger. I know Korg has since resolved these issues and the RH3 keybed is a fantastic one, with excellent reviews etc. I recall that, in the early days of the Kronos keybed issues, Korg issued blue contact strips which could be fitted to replace the original pink contact strips, thereby solving the keybed fault. I am therefore assuming that I could perform the same fix on my Technics SX-P50 if I could obtain the blue contact strips. Has anyone had any experience with this issue, either on a Korg or Technics model and do you have any advice? I suppose, given the age of the Technics, a better course of action might just be to buy a Korg D1! However, I like keeping older boards going if possible. Many thanks, Nick

Thanks Rudy!

Forgive the rudimentary questions, however... If I were to buy an audio interface such as a Focusrite... 1. What are the main differences between the Scarlett and Clarett range? Just a matter of quality of converters etc.? 2. How do you deal with panning? If I have my piano L and R outputs, running into channel 1 and 2 respectively, how do I pan them left and right? Do you do this on the Focusrite? On a Focusrite software program? Or in your recording software, such as GarageBand? Many thanks all!

Both. However, happy to hear your thoughts given my requirements

Hello all, I am looking for a compact mixer for recording. Would like - 6 to 8 channels - cleanest sound possible - quality built in headphone amp - usb audio (obviously) Ideally, would like - mutes on every channel - internal power supply - separate control for headphones and main out, so I can switch between both I did try an RCF 10xr but the headphone amp was weak and I needed to turn the gains and levels up beyond what I would expect to. Also, the headphone level was dependent on the master level. Finally, the sound quality was okay, for the price. Don"t mind paying more to get better quality. Any thoughts? What are you using and why? Thanks!

All TP40s I have owned have felt really quick. Not at all sluggish. I do find the TP100 sluggish but that only goes in the HP models. I know people speak about real variations in some keyboard actions... the Korg RH3 for example (which is based on an old Technics Action) I always thought the Fatar TP40 actions were pretty consistent. I would worry you have been given a dodgy one, which if true, seems incredibly unlucky for you. Others may help in specific relation to the Stage 3 88 as I have not played that one.

Credit due to Casio. They have come a long way. The marketing is pretty good. I hear very good things about Rich Formidoni, Mike Martin etc. I have owned PX5s and PX350. Ultimately, keyboard choice is a very personal thing, and I don"t currently own any Casios. However, I wouldn"t hesitate to recommend their stage pianos for someone wanting a decent action and sound in a lightweight package at a fair price. I really like the compact shape/design of their PX-S range and the fact they include proper outputs at that price and weight range, unlike some other brands. I would quite like to see Casio do a top end stage piano, above the Privia line, with features such as: - top heavyweight hammer action (Bechstein collab?) - internal power supply - xlr outs/individual outs etc - solid metal construction - high end controller features - all black design with just 'Casio' printed on the back (or even Bechstein/Casio - probably wishful thinking!) Obviously it wouldn"t weigh the same as the Privia line but it could perhaps still come in under 20kg Could be a great addition to their line.

Hi Have you seen this article about Type 2 display for the Studio Sets ? https://rolandus.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201973829-Integra-7-Selecting-Studio-Sets Trying it out as well as using forScore for Studio Set program changes. M Nice one! Thanks for this. Really appreciate your help

Wise words Harmonizer! I suppose the key thing is having a variety of tones for different scenarios. Thanks!

Hello all, Just a few issues I would appreciate your thoughts on regarding the Roland Integra. Pianos Any advice on getting a really good grand piano tone that cuts through? I am spoilt with the pianos on my Nord, and not expecting that level but still want something decent. I know it is subjective, but wondered how people have got on? I quite like some of the older samples on boards like RD600, FP4... pianos with a bit of bite to them but struggling to find anything on the Integra so far. I"ve loaded SRX11 and SRX02 and have tried a number of Supernatural tones. Personally, I am finding all piano samples to sound quite muffled. I can EQ things but wondered what anyone would advise? Or should I swap it for something like the Dexibell SX7? Levels The volume levels of different samples varies massively. It is a nightmare when switching sounds. The pianos, especially SN ones, are a lot quieter than, for example, the organs. Any way of standardising the volumes short of buying a midi volume meter? Switching setups Any quick way or doing this? At the moment, I find I have to hit MENU then STUDIO SET SELECT, then scroll, then hit ENTER. Surely there is a quicker way? Thanks all ps I have tried my best with the manual!

Agree. In fact, he"s probably the best online video reviewer of stage pianos.