Band Changes- Selecting a DP for top tier. - RD300?

[CEB]

The 10 piece band I played with that was originally a Santana tribute band ended it's summer season. We now have personnel changes and the band has been morphing overtime towards a R&B/Soul/Rock band that also does a lot of Santana. I love playing with these guys.

 

Changes - The leader and timbale player is stepping down after a 20 year run. He says is is tired. I pray it is not health reasons and he is not telling anyone. The trap kick drummer is stepping down because there is too much else going on in his life. The remainder of the crew is focused and ready to go. I hope my son the former star football center will play Bari and be my keyboard tech (ie. help me carry the KB rig.) We have drummers wanting to audition. The new material is going to be killer but the Santana deep cuts are going to go. it is going to be a straight up horn band though we will keep Oye, BMW and Smooth. We still have congas/bongos and our Latin percussionist may add some timbales to his Latin kit.

 

I want a separate 2nd rig for this band. I expect I can go 2 tier and will not need a synth. I used a synth for leads a a lot of the Coster stuff we did.

 

I'm thinking of doing something new for me. Use my 2 tier Monolith stand with the XK33c on the bottom. ( twin manual setup will only ride on the bottom) put the stage piano on the top. My spare stage piano right now is a Kawai MP-5. The action is a little heavish/ SLUGGISH. I'm thinking for a 2nd tier board I want something a little lighter(less firm) and quicker. My S90XS would work well but now we will be practicing in a basement and the S90 started getting heavy this years. .... I also don't want too spend much.

 

What is a Roland RD300NX like. Is it a lighter action. I tried the Yamaha P-105 but didn't like it. or should riding a DP higher than the normal playing plane make any difference? I think the Casio is out because it is pretty firm. Normal I like a firm action but I don't think it will be so good having it jacked up in the air.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks

[AnotherScott]

My spare stage piano right now is a Kawai MP-5. The action is a little heavish/ SLUGGISH. I'm thinking for a 2nd tier board I want something a little lighter(less firm) and quicker

...

What is a Roland RD300NX like

I think the RD300NX has the same action as the FP-4F, which was sluggish. Not heavy, but sluggish.

 

I don't know the Kawai MP5, but I really like the action on the MP7, lighter/quicker feeling than the MP6. Weighs about the same as your MP5, though.

 

I tired the Yamaha P-105 but didn't like it.

 

It's hard to find something with a light travel weight, a quick action, and a budget price. But in that range, I'd check out the Kawai ES100.

 

[burningbusch]

I would think having the heavy weighted action high could potentially give you problems with your arm/hand muscles and fatigue. Also if you're slanting the keyboard significantly I would expect it to be more sluggish as I would think weighted actions use gravity to some extent with the expectation that the keyboard is level.

 

Busch.

[Aussie_Chicago]

A MOXF8 sitting on top of the xk3c would work pretty well, light, somewhat of a decent action but not heavy, decent pianos, Rhodes, and tons of useable other sounds and not too expensive, you may even find one used now cheaper. And having the s90 you already know how to use a Yammie

[B. J. Love]

If you don't need all 88, how about a Roland Rd-64? Under 30 lbs, great pianos & eps, good action (? - subjective), fits on top of most anything. I thought they were over-priced, but I see Roland's doing a $100 rebate right now; brings the price to below $800. Seems pretty reasonable.

[Mike Martin]

I think the Casio is out because it is pretty firm. Normal I like a firm action but I don't think it will be so good having it jacked up in the air.

 

Thanks

 

Privia actions do not have springs. They're entirely based on the hammer movement under the keys. I've never heard of our action bring called too firm, regardless if you alter the angle of the keyboard you're going to alter the feel. I believe it may feel a little lighter if you have it at an angle.

[WesG]

I keep eyeing one of those RD-64s, but as a bottom board. They might be a good companion to the VR-09 for pick-up jams. If you put a 2x4 behind one, I think you could balance a VR-09 on top of it without blocking any controls. I don't like the feel of the fake ivory on them, though. But otherwise, I like the action.

 

I play regularly with a weighted 88 on top of a spinet organ. Weighted keys on top works well for me, because I like to stand to play piano, but need to sit playing organ so I can run the gas pedal properly.

 

Wes

[CEB]

I think the Casio is out because it is pretty firm. Normal I like a firm action but I don't think it will be so good having it jacked up in the air.

 

Thanks

 

Privia actions do not have springs. They're entirely based on the hammer movement under the keys. I've never heard of our action bring called too firm, regardless if you alter the angle of the keyboard you're going to alter the feel. I believe it may feel a little lighter if you have it at an angle.

 

I think the action is nice. It is firm but not slow. Gives you better control over quiet dynamics. I like a firm action a lot. I have a friend who bought a PX-5s at my recommendation who is selling it following a job loss.

[AnotherScott]

A MOXF8 sitting on top of the xk3c would work pretty well, light, somewhat of a decent action but not heavy, decent pianos, Rhodes, and tons of useable other sounds and not too expensive, you may even find one used now cheaper. And having the s90 you already know how to use a Yammie

That would be a nice option if he had liked the similar action on the P105! Still, it couldn't hurt to try it. Sometimes people find that an action that is ostensibly the same seems to play better on some models than others.

[CEB]

There is a used MP-7 within driving distance on CL for $1550 my MP-5 road case will fit it. I can give the MP-5 to my daughter's boyfriend. But I didn't want to buy some RIGHT now. I wanted to wait til after Xmas.

 

I just didn't connect with the P105. It felt cheap.... duh it is a $600 stage piano.

 

The MOXF8 I played in Nashville I thought was felt fine. I prefer the S90XS's balanced action for a synth/workstation/utility/stage piano role because the way I utilize splits. I looks like the control panel would be hard to read in the dark.... I'm blind as a bat.

 

I actually thought the Kross felt OKish. But The Krome 88 sucked which is weird.

 

Then there is the SP5-8. I have never played one of those either but it has 800+ sounds.

 

The MP-7 is nice.

[WesG]

If you considered the P105, you should audition a P-155. It's a better action than the P-105 (GH3 instead of GHS), more money, but a similar market. Real MIDI ports, not USB. It feels like a real stage piano.

 

I'm pretty sure my next weighted 88 will be a CP4. I almost pulled the trigger on a MOX8 last year, but then I tried one. The menus are more like playing a 1980s text adventure game than a piano. If the action on the CP4 is substantially like the CP5 (which I adore) I will definitely buy one in one or two years. Depends on $$ availability and how much longer I can convince my DGX-620 to hang on. I've worn the (GHS) action enough now that regulation is a minor problem. It's been my main board since Dec 2006.

 

EDIT: I see the P155 has been superceded by the P255.

 

Wes

[Bill H.]

or should riding a DP higher than the normal playing plane make any difference? I think the Casio is out because it is pretty firm. Normal I like a firm action but I don't think it will be so good having it jacked up in the air.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Any time you alter the normal downward motion of your hand and wrist, a weighted action is going to feel more firm. I sat in on a kit where the guy had an RD-600 way up on top once... ugh! I don't know how he did it. Guess you get used to anything after awhile...

 

Casio weighted actions are often accused of being firm, but that's mostly because at their default velocity settings you really have to lay into the keys to get forte and above. If you lighten up the velocity settings you might find it OK. I did, and the PX-5s is starting to show up used at very enticing prices for those looking for a bargain.