BeerCan Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 I would like to buy my daughter a keyboard for use while she is at school. She lives in an actual apartment not the dorm but space is still limited. She would like 88 keys weighted if possible and pretty much just uses real piano sounds. I would be willing to spend up to 1k but less would be preferable. Thanks Information doesn't kill you... --FZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I'd suggest either the Casio Privia PX-150 or the Yamaha P35B for something like this. Both are around $499 which is an amazing price for a weighted action anything. They have built in speakers and headphone jacks and the sounds are more than decent for her playing enjoyment. I believe the Casio also comes in white if it goes better with her dorm or apartment decor. She'll want a seat, a stand, and if she's a reader a music stand and a clip on light. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maarkr Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 or the Casio PX-350... Gene Maarkr PX-5S, FA-06, XW-P1, Juno G, Lucina http://genemaarkr.bandcamp.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DulceLabs.com Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 ^^ This - what Gene said ^^^ The PX-150 is a great DP - but if you want to go for "father of the year' I would also check out the Casio PX-350 (also available in white). It has a better speaker systems and some other features over the PX-150 and it costs about $200 more. The one that she may enjoy the most on the PX-350 is the ability to record her playing directly onto a USB drive and upload to the Facebook or the Web to share with her friends (and Daddy!) or put on her iPhone/mp3 player. I really love this feature on my PX-5S. I just put in any USB drive, play some tunes, put the USB drive in my computer and upload to wherever I want.. Facebook, email, SoundCloud, etc. In just a few minutes I my song is shared with whoever I want to have it. Both the 150 and 350 are about 25 pounds so she can bring move them around if she needs to. Honestly, they are both great - but the PX-350 offers a lot more fun for the buck. This review does a good job at breaking down the two models: http://azpianonews.blogspot.com/2012/07/review-casio-px350-px150-privia-digital.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 She is a pianist, correct? Then not a PX-5s. Casio does makes other options. Good options are a Kawai ES100 with the stand and F350 pedals. http://www.kraftmusic.com/kawai-es100-portable-digital-piano-complete-home-bundle.html If you want to check out Casios look at the PX-750 or PX-850. Depending on her repertoire she may need a sostenuto pedal and a soft pedal would be nice. Ask her about pedals. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DulceLabs.com Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 She is a pianist, correct? Then not a PX-5s. Casio does makes other options. If you want to check out Casios look at the PX-750 or PX-850. Re-read what I wrote, Ed. I never suggested the PX-5S. I suggested the 350 as an step-up from the 150 as it has the same USB recording capabilities my PX-5S has, which I find very useful. The PX-750 and 850 are also excellent DPs. Of the two, I would pick the 850 as it has the USB recorder which, again, is super handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny. Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Yup, the Casio PX-150 and PX-350 are the best two options. The best thing about them is that they actually make you feel like you're playing a real acoustic piano - whether you're wearing headphones, or just using the built-in speakers. She like most pianists I've shown the Casio line to will be very impressed with the realism in the feel and sound of the instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I like Yamaha as a line but anything priced less than a P-255 ($1500 with the pedal stand) gets spanked the ES100 or PX850. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny. Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I like Yamaha as a line but anything priced less than a P-255 ($1500 with the pedal stand) gets spanked the ES100 or PX850. Woah, woah, woah, woah... Hold on a second... Did you just promote or even maybe recommend a CASIO product? This is a big day for you indeed, Ed. You should be proud of yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 space is still limited. She would like 88 keys weighted if possible and pretty much just uses real piano sounds. I would be willing to spend up to 1k but less would be preferable. If all she really cares about is piano, at under $1k, my choice would be the Kawai ES100. If she wants a wide range of other capabilities and doesn't need internal speakers (headphones sufficient?), I'd look at the Casio PX5S. For low cost alternatives, look at the Casio PX150 and Yamaha P35. Personally, I think the Casio has better action and the Yamaha has better sound, but if she can connect her computer to the Casio, she could trigger a higher quality piano when desired (a lot of people like Pianoteq, which is not expensive). 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. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I like Yamaha as a line but anything priced less than a P-255 ($1500 with the pedal stand) gets spanked the ES100 or PX850. Woah, woah, woah, woah... Hold on a second... Did you just promote or even maybe recommend a CASIO product? This is a big day for you indeed, Ed. You should be proud of yourself. Uhhhh.... I was playing Casio Proline before you were born. I have real friends I know in the flesh that bought the PX-5s at my recomendation. Sometimes with it weaknesses it is the best choice. One of those I posted for sale in the For sale forum. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 She like most pianists I've shown the Casio line to will be very impressed with the realism in the feel and sound of the instrument. Not sure how you can be certain of this. Fact is, you've got a 50% chance of being right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 If all she really cares about is piano, at under $1k, my choice would be the Kawai ES100. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scales Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I'm in the same boat. Has anyone tried the Korg SP-280? I was actually impressed with the main piano sound on the SP-170. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Yes I have. I thought is was nice for the price. The local store has one for $700. The actions is not fast but it feel good to dig into. It gets heavy in the bass. $700 you could do a lot worse. I prefer a Yamaha P-255 but that is $1300. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerCan Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Thank you everyone for all the great recommendations, I really appreciate them. FWIW I think most of the time she will be using headphones. She likes to practice late and has roommates that would like to sleep Information doesn't kill you... --FZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I haven't tried the SP-280 but own an SV1. If you like the sound on the SP-170, the SP-280 has better speakers. Whether you like the action or need more pedals is up to you. Personally for acoustic piano Korg doesn't exactly top my list. But whether it suits you, try it out at a music store. Most Sam Ash have them if there is one near you. That said for EP sounds and inspiring finger to ear connection, nothing I have owned compares to my SV1. Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Looking on Sweetwater I noticed Casio also has sheet music stand, legs and pedal system for the models mentioned above as does the Kawai ES-100. The Casio set up is cheaper. But I agree the ES-100 is nice too. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Yup, the Casio PX-150 and PX-350 are the best two options. The best thing about them is that they actually make you feel like you're playing a real acoustic piano - whether you're wearing headphones, or just using the built-in speakers. She like most pianists I've shown the Casio line to will be very impressed with the realism in the feel and sound of the instrument. This. Absolutely. I have had my 350 for about a year now and it still amazes me how lifelike it is. It is the first electronic keyboard that I have ever owned that allows me to forget I'm playing an emulation of the real thing. It plays like a friggin' piano. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 PX-150 and some headphones "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerCan Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thank you everyone. I had it down between the ES100 and the PX-350 but the Casio wins by default. I cannot find the Kawai in stock anywhere in my area, at least the 4 or so places I called. I am sure she will be thrilled. Again, Thanks! Information doesn't kill you... --FZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DulceLabs.com Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 She will love it, esp. the ability to record to a USB drive and upload it wherever. It's a very useful feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny. Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thank you everyone. I had it down between the ES100 and the PX-350 but the Casio wins by default. I cannot find the Kawai in stock anywhere in my area, at least the 4 or so places I called. I am sure she will be thrilled. Again, Thanks! Great to hear from you again! Really hope your daughter enjoys it. Just a heads up - if you aren't planning on getting the built-in stand/pedals model, you'll likely want to buy an external sustain pedal for it (M-Audio SP-2 is a great $20 option). The pedal that comes with the stand-less version is really only a "switch pedal" and won't feel realistic to a piano player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Well done, guys. Another happy kid because of music and a thoughtful dad. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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