Jrock444 Posted March 8, 2001 Share Posted March 8, 2001 Hi I'm trying to get some opinions on what make and model of keyboard I should buy. I don't want a synth with 150 different sounds, I just want something that sounds as close to an acoustic piano as I can get. I need something I can use headphones on (I live in an apartment) and 88 wieghted keys. I've checked out some full size digital pianos by Yamaha and Casio, and they sounded and played pretty good, but were about a grand apiece. Does anyone know of anything in the 300 - 600 price range that sounds good? Or maybe a place where I could buy a used digital piano. So far it seems like nothing compares to an old upright 200 dollar piano, but I can't be bangin' away on it in my apartment like I could one with headphones and volume control. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B3GOD Posted March 9, 2001 Share Posted March 9, 2001 88 keys for 300 to 600 bucks? You're dreaming... The only way you'll find them for that is to check out used Yamaha Clavinovas and some older Roland digital pianos....Not far over the $1000 mark is Generalmusic, which is distributed through Peavey....Cheap, user-friendly, and a fantastic piano sound....If you want 88 keys, you usually end up paying at least $1000 just for that... Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidCharlemagne Posted March 9, 2001 Share Posted March 9, 2001 the b3deity speaks the truth. it costs what it costs. less than high 900s is just not doable for what you want. i recommend the yamaha series, put down 600 and finance the rest. do a credit card transfer and pay it off in three months interest free. live on macaroni for three months and enjoy for years. and what are you talking about, $200 upright piano? what are ye, deeef? jk. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman1ovation.net Posted March 10, 2001 Share Posted March 10, 2001 I've seen the Yamaha P-80 for $889.00. It's over $600.00, but a really quite nice and very much fits your requirements. It doesn't have built-in speakers, but you can use stereo (if it has inputs), guitar amp, or headphones. The action and sounds are VERY nice for the price... even for much more. Few sounds, no bells, no whistles... but it's the real deal. They've also got the P-200 for QUITE a bit more, but I think the P-80 gives it a run for its money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve44 Posted March 11, 2001 Share Posted March 11, 2001 Your price range is a bit low for new units. Your best bet is the Roland EP90C - it comes with speakers and a stand, sounds great and is something like $700. Its keys are pretty light, but it's a great unit, you can even plug other stuff into its sound system. There's also the Korg SP-100 which goes for about 700 but has no stand, and the Kurzweil SP series: the SP88 is about $750 and the SP88X (with hammer action) can be found for $8-900. The Kurzweils sound great once you lose the reverb, but like the Korg doesn't come with a stand or speakers. In the range of around $1000 there's the SP88X, the Roland RD100, RD150 and the new RS-9 which does have tons of sounds but it's got 88 keys and it's cheap. There's also the Yamaha P80 and YDP101. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted March 13, 2001 Share Posted March 13, 2001 Another thought is to go with a 76 key machine...realistically , the five semitones on the top and the seven semitones on the bottom that you're missing are kinda easy to live without in many applications - plus, you can transpose up or down if you really need to get to them. The reason that I mention this is because last time I looked, the Kurzweil SP76 was in the price range that you specified, and it will do the job nicely if you can live without those 12 keys. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good morning Posted March 13, 2001 Share Posted March 13, 2001 KidCharlemagne speaks a sad truth. Good piano sounds cost. In time your ears will hear better and you'll likely get dismayed over the cheaper sounds of a new $900 keyboard. Shaving keys will save some money, but the best piano sounds are on 88-key machines. Plus, there are times I hit some notes all the way at the bottom with my left hand, and I'd really miss not being able to do that. The growl down there is fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good morning Posted March 13, 2001 Share Posted March 13, 2001 Sorry about that. B3god said the sad truth, but Kidcharlemagne found a solution. Jrock, there IS hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimtheswede Posted March 14, 2001 Share Posted March 14, 2001 I just bought a Kurzweil SP76 and really like it for what it is, and for what it cost ($500). Good sound (strings sound nice also), good action (semi-weighted), great portability, decent basic midi controller, and excellent value. I just wanted a basic board (or module) to replace the weak QS6 piano sound and I found just what I needed in the SP76. It is a fun keyboard to play, seems built with quality construction, and perfectly suits the need I had. The 88 key fully-weighted is more expensive ($900), and I don't see paying the extra $$ for it. PC3X, PC1se, NE2 61, DSI P08, ARP Odyssey MkII 2810, ARP Little Brother, Moog Slim Phatty, Doepfer Dark Energy, Arturia MiniBrute, Microkorg, Motion Sound KP200S, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrock444 Posted March 15, 2001 Author Share Posted March 15, 2001 Hey people. Thanks for the feedback. Well, after a little shopping around, it looks like I'm gonna have to drop around a grand for what I want. I could skimp and get something that would work for now, but wouldn't last more than a year or two. Soooo I might as well buy quality and have it last. I've seen some cheaper 76 key models, but that leaves a lot to be desired for someone that plays that low, so I'll stick with the 88's. The best I've played so far has been a technics px-251 on closeout for $1999. Beautiful sound sampled from a steinway grand and played great. Also a Kurzweil sp88 for $1200 which sounded pretty good. However, I saw a used Technics px-201 online for $990 dollars in mint condition. Is this a good price for that model? I think its about 5 years old, but Technics are supposed to be solid pianos from what I've heard. Coincidentally, the seller only lives about 10 minutes from me so I could go check it out. Once again thanks for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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