Choosing a keyboard. Advice needed!

[Aealweard]

Hey, guys!

My first post here. Hope I haven't broken any of the local rules or something.

 

Okay, let me give you some background. I learned to play keyboards myself, play by ear and have no music education. My skills are pretty decent and there's nothing I can be proud about. I play with a church band and at the moment I use Korg PA-50 as my main and the only instrument. It's been 6 years already since I bought it.

 

Recently I made a discovery: when it comes to fully-graded keyboard (happened few times), I'm unable to play 80% of the things I play on my light-weighted PA50. Sad life

 

So now I'm looking for a good keyboard, which will satisfy next requirements:

1) Fully-weighted keyboard (graded hammer action, 88 keys) to learn and improve my technique and skills;

2) Good quality of the on-board sounds (not just a piano alone);

3) Decent price (my budget is limited to 1,5k USD at the moment);

 

So... I'm kinda lost, actually. Currently I see Kurzweil SP5-8 as the best viable option.

Although there's option #2: Studiologic Numa Piano + some good audio interface + Macbook Pro ('MainStage' software). Yes, it'll cost more than 1,5k USD but I can buy keyboard first, then the rest of the stuff and have much more possibilities in the end, compared to SP5-8... I guess.

 

Generally my logic is next: I buy keyboards, learn and practice -> I buy the rest (if needed) and begin to use my new keyboards live.

 

Bad thing is there's no musical stores around, where I could actually play keyboards I'm interested in

 

Sorry, if my post is too long and messy but I hope you got the idea Thank you in advance.

 

Edit #1

 

I'm also interested in Kurzweil Artis, Yamaha MOX and Korg Krome (their 88 key versions). Any feedbacks about these keyboards will be highly appreciated

[stillplaying]

Hello over there from up here in Scotland. Welcome to the forum.

 

Yes to the Kurzweil if it's for gigging out (and no to the Macbook option).

 

I'd get that or the new Casio PX-5S.

 

I'm only 2000 miles over from you - the US crew will be up and about soon. Still early for them.

[Aealweard]

Thank you, stillgigging

 

Why 'no' to the Macbook? I've never used midi, so I'm curious.

[stillplaying]

A hardware keyboard with sounds built in is faster to set up and more reliable for gigging.

 

The VSTs that are available now do sound great though.

 

I'm still busy gigging regularly - I'm back to hardware.

[Joe Muscara]

Church gigs are probably not nearly as bad for computer-based rigs. Probably. But at this early stage in your playing career, it will likely be easier for you to stay with hardware for now.

 

I would also recommend the Casio PX-5S, but I'm biased.

 

I learned to play keyboards myself, play by ear and have no music education. My skills are pretty decent and there's nothing I can be proud about. I play with a church band

Maybe you miswrote something, but it sounds like you have plenty to be proud of. Good job!

[nickd]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

 

Kurzweil SP5-8 is good, and the SP4-8 is also worth considering (and cheaper). I have the SP4-7 and I'm very happy with it (others' opinions may differ, but it's got particularly good Hammond organ sounds for a piano-type keyboard, which may or may not be important to you).

 

Definitely find out more about the Casio PX-5S, and there is also the PX-350 which is less expensive (but has fewer sounds and features).

 

It's too early for many opinions about the Kurzweil Artis, but there's lots about the Yamaha MOX8 and Korg Krome on this forum - try searching for other threads. And of course there's plenty of demo videos on YouTube.

 

Then the new Yamaha MOXF and CP40 may also be of interest to you.

[Markay]

If you decide to stay with hardware make sure whatever you select has full midi support including expression, which the PX5S doesn't have.

 

Then if you want to supplement the built in sounds with VST's running in MainStage or similar you will not have to buy another controller.

[AnotherScott]

Pretty much all the good candidates have been mentioned. I'll also toss in the possibilities of a Korg SV-1 and a Roland FP-50, just for completeness' sake.

 

Since action quality seems to be the priority, I would lean toward the Casio PX-5S, everyone seems to agree that they have the best action I this price range. Other choices may beat it in sound and/or functionality, but I think you'll find it to be fine for your purposes, and you can always add the macbook option in the future, at least for your in-home work if you're uncertain about gigging that way.

 

[Tusker]

Count on changing things up a bit while you are finding your voice and preferences. You might consider buying your first 88 used. That way any mistakes are not as expensive.

 

Everything is a compromise. You haven't mentioned which sounds are important to you (piano? rhodes? B3? strings? pads? brass? synth leads?) and which ones you are willing to live without. You will make a better decision if you are pretty clear about what you don't need immediately.

 

I am using a mac+mainstage as a complement to a barebones digital piano for certain gigs ... I wouldn't recommend the strategy to someone starting out... for the reasons others have mentioned.

 

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on teaching yourself.

[CEB]

Depends on how you rank the various strengths.

 

If controller features are important then a Kawai MP-6

 

If controller features are not so important Yamaha MOX8 or MOXF8. Especially if you value performance synth features. The MOX8 may go down in price a little more as it goes through the close out phase.

 

If you need a case and accessories see what kind of bundle deals Kraft is doing. They will also let you swap items in the bundle deal. Like I didn't want the bench so they let me replace it with a spare set of tiers for my monolith stands.

[WesG]

I bet you will see $1300-$1400 MOX8's in the next few weeks. I passed on a rental return at $1100 two weeks ago.

 

I really like the MOX sounds. I mean REALLY like them. But I sat down at a MOX8 in the store and it took me 20 minutes to get a piano sound out of it. That made me worry that I might not be able to use it effectively on stage. I really dislike menu diving. And I dislike laptops even more.

 

Luckily I fixed the keybed in my DGX-620 so I can go back to that for a GHS action until I need something better or it gets completely worn out. The Yamaha GHS action (same as MOX8) is not the best, but it is certainly adequate and I have 7 years of pounding on this one already. I will certainly audition a Casio PX-5S at my next opportunity.

 

Wes

[churchkeybob]

Welcome. It sounded to me like your using a very light touch keyboard for practice and then trying to play maybe AP? If so, no digital keyboard will be the same as AP. Weighted is closer just not the same. That out of the way. I use a Kurz SP 4-8 at my church and I like it very much With the SP 5-8 on the market and the Artis on the way. The Sp 4-8 is comming down in price. I also play mostly by ear (God made me with a condition that changes up the order of writen words and music in my head). I chose the Kurzweils because I liked the sound the best of all the boards on the market a few years ago. From what I've read on this forum lately. The Casio could be a contender. Good luck ~BOB

[CEB]

From a technical standpoint, generally the firmer the action the more control you will have over your playing. Things like velocity curves, sensors and other techicnal specifications can come into play.

 

The downside is firmer the action more difficult your transition may be. So I guess a preferred action sort of depends on your ultimate goals.

[AnotherScott]

DIf controller features are important then a Kawai MP-6

 

If controller features are not so important Yamaha MOX8 or MOXF8.

Ah yes, I forgot the MP6, another nice possibility. Though I don't think it is any better a controller than the MOX/MOXF. And actually, as a controller, the PX-5S probably beats them both.

 

I really like the MOX sounds. I mean REALLY like them. But I sat down at a MOX8 in the store and it took me 20 minutes to get a piano sound out of it. That made me worry that I might not be able to use it effectively on stage. I really dislike menu diving.

The problem isn't that the MOX is hard to use live, it's that you have to spend a little time learning it. The reason it took you 20 minutes to get a piano sound was only because you didn't know your way around it. If you know how it is set up, at power-up out of the box, it's only 1 button to get a piano sound. If a previous player at the store left it in some unknown state, it would have been at most three buttons. Once you learn how to set up your own presets, you can pretty much get to any sound (or combination of sounds) you need for a gig in something between 1 and 3 button presses, with no menu diving, and no use of the scroll wheel.

[Aealweard]

I always treated Casio as a low-level, third-rate instruments. Perhaps times have changed? Description looks promising. Anyway, haven't found any shop with CASIO PRIVIA PX-5S yet. Same with Roland FP-50. Have to wait.

 

And it seems like Krome 88 has some problems with keybed. Found several negatives feedbacks on this issue. MOX/MOXF, MP-6, SV-1 are way too expensive for me.

 

Forgot to mention one criteria, which isn't crucial but is desirable: real-time sound control. I'd like to add or change shades of the sound I use 'on-flight' (say flanger or chorus). I like knobs and sliders

 

As for the sounds I'm using... 50% is piano, sometimes mixed with pads. 25% are EPs, 20% for organs (whatever they are, but they aren't Hammond or B3), 5% for pads (really few of them) and 0% for leads/clavinets and stuff like that.

 

And thank you for all your replies, guys!

[AnotherScott]

MOX/MOXF, MP-6, SV-1 are way too expensive for me.

That's the complication of "international" requests... in the U.S., those are all cheaper than either of the Kurzweils you mentioned!

 

20% for organs (whatever they are, but they aren't Hammond or B3)

Organs basically fall into three categories.. the Hammond B3-style tonewheel sound, church-style pipe organs, and 60s transistor organs, i.e. Farfisa, Vox, Gibson.

 

If you have an iPad, there are some cheap apps that do nicely with some of these sounds, which could supplement the sounds in your keyboard.

[stillplaying]

I always treated Casio as a low-level, third-rate instruments. Perhaps times have changed?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_CZ_synthesizers

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_FZ-1

 

Don't know how old you are. Either of the above links jog a memory? They've had stuff other than home keyboards before.

[DulceLabs.com]

If you decide to stay with hardware make sure whatever you select has full midi support including expression, which the PX5S doesn't have.

 

The PX-5S has full midi support including expression - it just lacks a dedicated 1/4" expression input. The Behringer FCB1010 or MIDI Solutions box is all that needed to control expression via a foot pedal....

[Aealweard]

Wow. I and FZ-1 were made the same year I didn't know Casio was making instruments back then. Ignorant me.

 

By the way, have anyone played Studiologic Numa Concert?