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Entry level digi piano other than Casios?


To B3

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Hello, looking for an entry level NEW, not used, digital piano other than the Casios (that already are on my shortlist) that acomplish all or the majority of the following requirements:

 

- has 88 weighted or semi weighted keys and a decent basic acoustic piano sound (for my wife playing at home and teaching)

- has a good set of internal speakers (for the same reason)

- has conectivity with the ipad and electric piano/clavinet apps via the CCK, for me, for band use along with my NE2 for organ.

 

some pluses that would be interesting:

 

- one good sounding rhodes or wurly.

- a decent clav (i know, it's harder to find on that style of instrument) would be nice too.

- max 30 lbs of weight.

 

Some options we looked, to give you the price range/profile of the instruments:

 

- Yamaha P35

- Yamaha P105

- Korg SP170

 

For those that owned/experimented those pianos, do they accomplish those requirements properly in your opinion? I know that key fel and sound quality are subjective, but i'm loooking at your opinion to sum to ours when we can find those to play. What else, beside those and the Privias in that price range, should we look?

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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I think you've covered the possibilities pretty well. If you want to push the price and weight just a bit above those, you could also look at the Korg SP-280.

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. ;-)

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Anything from Roland? The SP280 and its predecessor, the SP250, worries me a little bit about their weight. What about the electric pianos, which one sounds the best on that level?

 

 

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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Stay away from that Williams stuff.

 

I played the Korg. It is felt fine. A little stiff for many folks but I like firm keys.... but it was Saturday morning and I was coming off about 4 hours sleep which means my hand strength was probably nil but it felt stiff.

"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

 

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The Yamaha P-105 is looking like the ticket for me, by the review, as along with ther requirements, it offers good internal EPs by what they say... Do anyone happen to have one or can say more about that?

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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Heard some YT demos... the APs sounded good as expected... liked the rhodes... but the wurly seems to have a fixed chorus effect... is it right? If it is, can it be taken off?

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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....some pluses that would be interesting:

 

- one good sounding rhodes or wurly....

 

Not having the tremelo option for the wurly would be a deal killer for me, but I'm kind of old school when it comes to EP sounds.

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Roland have nothing to compete in that price range. They used to have the "EP" line, the latest of which was the EP-880. It surprises me that Roland has nothing in this price range. The FP4/FP4f/FP50 is their cheapest slab style piano and all models are over £1000.

 

For me, the Yamaha models have the best touch and tone, the Casios have the best feature set and the Korgs lag a little behind.

 

The Yamaha P105 is excellent value in my opinion. It sounds and feels great and has proper audio outputs unlike most others in this price and weight range. However, crucially for me, it has no midi sockets.

Kurzweil PC3x

Technics SX-P50

Korg X3

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No MIDI on the P105, but MIDI on the P35? Why is that? What are the main differences on the two? Does it retain the good rhodes of the P105 at least?

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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Or you can still get a p105 with this device. Not cheap, but it will get the job done.

 

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb12/articles/kenton-midi-usb-host.htm

 

Thanks for the info but... Additional cost and a pain in the ass to set up. I'd rather buy a P35 and get someone to mod it to add audio outputs. Have done that before

Kurzweil PC3x

Technics SX-P50

Korg X3

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I am more partial to the P-35 than the P 105. I don't know, I just like the way it sounds. The action also seems a bit different.

 

Plus it has midi outs.

 

The Rhodes isn't that good on either of them, so I would save the 150 bucks and get the P-35.

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Camera Connection Kit is the CCK that i referred. No line out on the P35? Can you use the headphone out to do that?

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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No line out on the P35? Can you use the headphone out to do that?

 

Only a single headphone out, hardly ideal

 

But at least can be done that way? Funny, on the Kbd mag review, no mention on the lack of MIDI in/out on the P105... even won a key buy... what about the korg sp170, how does it compare on those two on those features??

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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Check out the Yamaha DGX-640. It's inexpensive and feels good. I have a 620 and really like the pianos (Grand and Bright), Rhodes and E.Clav on it.

 

(Also a big fan of Fargo, Sweet! Flute, Sweet! Trumpet and Growl Sax on that board)

 

The Rhodes is great, it's a multi-layer patch that really sounds like a Rhodes getting beaten when you beat on it hard. Try it. I REALLY like the Rhodes patch, #10 on the 620, should be around 12 or 14 on the 640. I think it's called "Electric Piano", but you can't mistake it for anything else.

 

Big drawback for the DGX series is that they only have USB MIDI, which sounds like it will be okay for you. One thing the clavs are missing is a Wah function, but you can phase/chorus them. It would be nice if the board had a jack for an FC5 so you could do "Cripple Creek" with it.

 

Yamaha usually does a combination line out/headphone jack. That's the case with the DGXs and likely P35.

 

Wes

Hammond: L111, M100, M3, BC, CV, Franken CV, A100, D152, C3, B3

Leslie: 710, 760, 51C, 147, 145, 122, 22H, 31H

Yamaha: CP4, DGX-620, DX7II-FD-E!, PF85, DX9

Roland: VR-09, RD-800

 

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WesG, biggest drawback of the DGX line is the bulk and weight... as my wife will need to move it for her classes on some times... and i will need it too when using for gigs... also, I prefer standard midi sockets on the unit... so... but good sugestions, as I heard one before and know that it sounds good.

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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No MIDI on the P105, but MIDI on the P35?

Standard 5-pin MIDI jacks on the P35, MIDI over USB on the P105, either can work with an iPad. But if you want to connect directly to another keyboard or a sound module, you would need the 5-pin connectors. And the Kenton piece e-keys mentioned probably won't help because most (all?) Yamahas are not class compliant, which the Kenton requires. The only product like that that I'm aware of that has been designed specifically to support Yamaha is iConnectMIDI.

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. ;-)

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Hello, looking for an entry level NEW, not used, digital piano other than the Casios (that already are on my shortlist) that acomplish all or the majority of the following requirements:

 

- has 88 weighted or semi weighted keys and a decent basic acoustic piano sound (for my wife playing at home and teaching)

- has a good set of internal speakers (for the same reason)

- has conectivity with the ipad and electric piano/clavinet apps via the CCK, for me, for band use along with my NE2 for organ.

 

some pluses that would be interesting:

 

- one good sounding rhodes or wurly.

- a decent clav (i know, it's harder to find on that style of instrument) would be nice too.

- max 30 lbs of weight.

 

Some options we looked, to give you the price range/profile of the instruments:

 

- Yamaha P35

- Yamaha P105

- Korg SP170

 

For those that owned/experimented those pianos, do they accomplish those requirements properly in your opinion? I know that key fel and sound quality are subjective, but i'm loooking at your opinion to sum to ours when we can find those to play. What else, beside those and the Privias in that price range, should we look?

 

I would highly recommend you contact Dave Weiser at his new website (KURZWEIL) , best equipment and guy in the business.

 

http://www.weisersound.com/

 

Brett.

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Kawai James, it's on the edge, but doable if it sounds good, has all the features listed and is priced right. What do you sugest?

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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To B3, if you intend to purchase straight away, I'd probably opt for a P105 or PX-150 - albeit sacrificing the MIDI connectors.

 

However, if you're willing to wait a little while, there might be something suitable from Kawai exhibited at the Australian Musician Association Convention (AMAC) in a couple of weeks.

 

No Clav though, I'm afraid...

 

By the way, have you ever tried a Kawai ES6, and if so, how did you rate the touch/sound?

 

Cheers,

James

x

Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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Kawai Australia to introduce the - until now US-only - Kawai EP3?

Well things do weigh a bit less closer to the equator... ;-)

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. ;-)

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