What do I buy With a budget of $1000 to $1500?

[Behrooz]

Hi,

 

I'm looking for a Keyboard (stage piano) with Scaled hammer(fully weighted)keyboard with a lot of sounds and a flexibility to edit these sounds(tones or programs) according to my needs. Also It needs to be durable and well-built for long practice hours. Any Suggestions are welcome.

 

Thank you

Behrooz

[clavjav]

Try the PX-5S, should do everything you need.

[TechEverlasting]

I would look for a used Yamaha S90-SX.

[churchkeybob]

The Kurzweil PC3 LE8 can be found new in this price range too. I picked one up a couple of weeks ago and I'm supprised how much I like it. ~BOB

[stillplaying]

Three brilliant suggestions above. Love this forum. @OP I'm off, looks like you're already in safe hands.

[AnotherScott]

The MOX8 is being closed out within this price range. Korg Kross could be another possibility.

[Bif_]

Behrooz,

 

If you can further define what you're wanting to do you'll get some better recommendations. For instance;

 

- Are you primarily interested in an acoustic piano experience?

- Are you interested in sequencing complete arrangements with this one board?

-What other sounds are you primarily interested in?

-Would you consider purchasing a used board?

 

Just trying to help. There are so many choices right now in that price range, both used and new gear but some will be better than others based upon some of the answers to these questions.

 

Greg

[JeffLearman]

I'm surprised anyone feels the need for graded (scaled) action. Hammer action, yes of course. But graded? If piano makers could make real pianos that weren't graded, they would.

 

If it's to better imitate a real piano, for practicing for concert-level performance, maybe ... but that would be far better on a digital with a real grand piano action (out of the price range here, though.)

 

Real pianos vary considerably. Whenever I sit at a real piano, it takes a moment to get my hands used to its action. Ditto for a digital, though they're more alike as a class than real pianos are. The difference between pianos are far more significant, to me, than the difference between bass and treble keys in a graded action.

 

To make things worse, most graded actions don't shift gradually, they have 3 to 5 zones with different keyweights, which makes two adjacent notes feel different, at the boundaries.

 

Finally, if you use zones to have different patches in different key ranges, the grading won't match the pitch. Nor is grading of much importance with sounds other than piano.

 

I don't get it. To me, it seems like something more useful for Marketing than for players.

 

In any case, most digitals these days are graded, so I don't think it rules any good candidates out. It probably only rules out some used keyboards.

[Bif_]

I'm surprised anyone feels the need for graded (scaled) action. Hammer action, yes of course. But graded? If piano makers could make real pianos that weren't graded, they would.

 

If it's to better imitate a real piano, for practicing for concert-level performance, maybe ... but that would be far better on a digital with a real grand piano action (out of the price range here, though.)

 

Real pianos vary considerably. Whenever I sit at a real piano, it takes a moment to get my hands used to its action. Ditto for a digital, though they're more alike as a class than real pianos are. The difference between pianos are far more significant, to me, than the difference between bass and treble keys in a graded action.

 

To make things worse, most graded actions don't shift gradually, they have 3 to 5 zones with different keyweights, which makes two adjacent notes feel different, at the boundaries.

 

Finally, if you use zones to have different patches in different key ranges, the grading won't match the pitch. Nor is grading of much importance with sounds other than piano.

 

I don't get it. To me, it seems like something more useful for Marketing than for players.

 

In any case, most digitals these days are graded, so I don't think it rules any good candidates out. It probably only rules out some used keyboards.

 

 

IMO this is a non-issue for someone that is just starting to learn.

[AnotherScott]

I agree, I find gradedness on a hammer action to be a non-issue. Even if you are among those who think it is important, there are so many more important things. The Yamaha CP1 wasn't graded, and was certainly a far better piano than many low cost graded models.

[JeffLearman]

In addition to Bif's questions above, do you need a lightweight piano for gigging? That's what we often imply when we say "stage piano", and some items that used to be considered stage pianos are too big and heavy.

 

For example, the S90-XS is at the very top (or over the top) of the weight and size range, at 50 lbs and 58" long. If you'll only be using it at home, then that's fine -- the size and weight helps to reduce the price on the aftermarket, so you get more for your money. But if you'll be gigging it, it might be more than you'll want to carry.

[Behrooz]

Behrooz,

 

If you can further define what you're wanting to do you'll get some better recommendations. For instance;

 

- Are you primarily interested in an acoustic piano experience?

- Are you interested in sequencing complete arrangements with this one board?

-What other sounds are you primarily interested in?

-Would you consider purchasing a used board?

 

Just trying to help. There are so many choices right now in that price range, both used and new gear but some will be better than others based upon some of the answers to these questions.

 

Greg

 

Thanks so much Greg for bringing up these questions: -

1. The piano experience is really important to me but I also require variety of E-pianos, organs sounds or rhodes with it.

2. I will mainly be using it for gigs and my daily practice.

3. I would like to purchase a new keyboard.

[Behrooz]

The weight is not a big issue for me.

[marino]

Jeff - while I *totally* agree with all your reasonings about graded hammer actions on electronic keyboards, I can also understand the designers' concerns: They think that most musicians who buy an instrument with hammer action are mainly pianists, and as such, they are just used to feel more resistance in the lower registers. So the manufacturers are afraid that those potential customers would play their instruments and feel too much resistance in the upper registers, or too little in the basses, and think, "something's not right - it doesn't feel much like a piano".

It's silly - for the several good reasons that you've posted - but from a marketing point of view it's understandable.

 

 

[rickzjamm]

Just like buying a car or any other large financial investment... do lot's & lot's of research, ask questions in the forums, even the seemingly silly ones.

I'm an older cat, but when I was younger (yikes, I do sound like my dad) you went to the music stores and talked & hung with friends, strangers (who became friends) and kept up with the latest news on other friends & new / vintage gear... it was a daily social ritual; man I miss those days. That's what this and other forums are, the "music store" hang that allows us to connect.I gotta move on, a sales guy just asked me if I was going to buy something or not.

[Bif_]

Behrooz,

 

The Casio PX5S or the PX350 are two good options. They have a different focus but one may be preferable over the other. The PX5S will have a broader palette of sounds and more programming flexibility.

 

The Korg Krome, Korg Kross and Yamaha MOXF8 are pretty much in your price range, but are more workstation focused than the two Casio's mentioned. The Kurzweil PC3LE8 would be another good choice but is a few hundred $$ more than the high end of your budget.

 

IMO this will be your short list that you could start with. As others have said, get out there and find these and play them.

 

The Kurzweil is a blast to play and has some wonderful orchestral sounds and best organ sounds of the instruments mentioned here.

 

I've spent some time on the PX350. It is a fine instrument but for my needs does not offer me anything better than what I have.

 

Good luck,

 

Greg

[AnotherScott]

I'm looking for a Keyboard...with a lot of sounds and a flexibility to edit these sounds(tones or programs)

The piano experience is really important to me but I also require variety of E-pianos, organs sounds or rhodes with it.

Those two posts would lead me to different recommendations.

 

For the first: PX5S, Kross, and MOX8 which is is your price range as a closeout as long as it lasts. (At just slightly higher budget, you could also include PC3LE8, Krome, MOXF8.)

 

But based on the second, you don't necessarily need lots of sounds, nor a lot of editability (pianos and EP sounds generally are not highly edited beyond effects and EQ; organs the same plus drawbar and other organ-specific settings like percussion, click, etc.). So now, I would look at Kurzweil SP5-8 and Kawai MP6.

 

I would also consider getting a pair of boards, since organ does not play well from piano-style weighted actions. Within your budget, you could get, for example, a Roland VR-09 and a Yamaha P-35, which could be set up as a very compact stack (and you could even use the 88 to play sounds that reside in the second keyboard).