Hey Sup Forums, rather ask this here than in Sup Forums. What's a good piano keyboard that I can purchase...

Hey Sup Forums, rather ask this here than in Sup Forums. What's a good piano keyboard that I can purchase? My budget is 2k max, and I'm looking for 88keys unless there is better with less keys.

Other urls found in this thread:

nordkeyboards.com/sound-libraries/nord-piano-library
youtube.com/watch?v=9NmvtXWuMx8
youtube.com/watch?v=-USNIurZ0pM
youtube.com/watch?v=4G_cAZv6ccE
native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/keyboards/komplete-kontrol-s-series/
amzn.com/B0019H8G3Q
twitter.com/AnonBabble

Kawai vpc1

>keyboard for $2,000
Fuck off

What should my price range be then?

What are you using it for? Midi controller? Piano? DAW controller? Subtractive synthesis? Jazz organ?


I will help you as best I can but I Need details man. These things matter.

Pretty much a standard piano but of course I want to hook it up to my computer as well. user above said VPC1 but I'd prefer to also use it without having to be plugged into my computer all the time.
My budget could go higher than 2k but most likely not by much.
If it sounds nice on it's own without being plugged into my computer, feels good to play and offers enough for its price, then I'll be happy.
Anything else you need to know?

Okay, it sounds like you're a piano player rather than a synth or organ player, so you want 88 keys and hammer action and a good built in sound engine.

Are there any other features or sounds you *must* have on-board? Or are you content to let everything else be computer-based?

Do you require built-in speakers? Personally I like to use stage-pianos rather than home pianos and plug them into monitors or a PA system. Saves weight if you need to move it to gigs.

If your budget is 2 grand there's *lots* of stuff you can get.

88 keys aren't a must but would be nice
I really prefer to have some sounds and features on-board but it's also not a must (No sounds or features in particular).
I don't have a speaker system so built-in speakers would be pretty much a necessity unless I can bundle a good speaker system with it for not much extra money.
I'd definitely be using the piano only at home and not at any gigs.

Okay. So you want a typical home digital piano with focus on the piano sound and action with a couple non-mandatory extras.

Current stuff in your price range is stuff like the Roland FP-80, Yamaha Airus 181, Kawai ES8, etc.


You should be aware of something about this kind of Digital piano however....


the value depreciates.


Piano modelling gets better every year, and old models typically drop in price.

So sometimes for similar or less money to what today's middle-of-the-road digital piano goes for new, you can get yesterday's top-of-the-line used.


Something to think about.


Typically with this kind of digital piano you get what you pay for when buying new, so if the price point and feature set works for you, pull the trigger.

Just make sure you physically try it out to make sure you like the feel of the keys, and don't get any features you know you won't use.


Even if you buy a specialized 'piano sounds and feel only' device, you can still get other synth or midi gear later... there's nothing stopping you.

Oh and one more point.

If you like rock organ and electric piano type sounds

(stuff like hammonds, vox continentals, fender rhodes, wurlitzers etc)

The Korg SV line does these really well and is also a pretty great piano sound and feel.

I don't know what kind of music you'll be playing...

jazz players love that kind of shit, but classical types have no use for it.

Get yourself a Nord Piano 2 or Nord Stage 2.

Large collection/library on Pianos and Samples (for the Stage 2) and it properly simulates piano action.

nordkeyboards.com/sound-libraries/nord-piano-library

>Nord Piano 2 or Nord Stage 2.


This would basically be my recommendation of "yesterday's top of the line = today's midrange"


The only reason I hesistated to actually recommend those is that OP said home only, so I gravitated towards ones that had a good built-in speaker system.

You gain weight, but it goes a long way to making it feel more 'real' in the room you're sitting in.

Correction, seems the Nord Piano 2 also has the ability to use the sample libraries. The 88 Hammer Action costs around 2k.

Let's be honest though, you're better off using a proper set of headphones or reference speakers than the built-in speakers of a digital if you're going in the 2k range.

Casio Celviano. Check that shit out. It has a REAL hammer action on the fucker.

youtube.com/watch?v=9NmvtXWuMx8

>Casio Celviano
>Casio

Any reason you can't just get some sampling piano from the 80\90's from Craigslist or Facebook

Check the reviews. They put a lot of effort into this one. I first laughed when I heard the name Casio. But this is some high end shit. They made the hammer system using a respected and well known piano manufacturer.

youtube.com/watch?v=-USNIurZ0pM
youtube.com/watch?v=4G_cAZv6ccE

Because sampling does seem to have improved in 20+ years, Jim.

Unless you crave those funky ultra quality piano sounds from your 512kb wavetable memory bank.

Since we're on the subject of MIDI Controllers, what's everyone's opinion on the AKAI line, especially the AKAI MPK249?

Casio will suprise you sometimes. The P5x is a hell of a lot of piano for it's price, and has a pretty detailed synth engine under the hood as well.

Sampling and DSP technology has come a long way since then.

If I were looking at a 90's ROM-pler I'd go for a kurzweil or something.

Not because it actually sounds or feels like a piano (it's a dated 90's approximation)

but because it let's you under the hood to process and fuck around with all the sample ROMS any which way you want.


That's fun in it's own way, but probably not what OP wants.


I'm labouring under the assumption that he wants the best 'real piano' experience he can get for his money.

The Kawaii VPC1 is OK if you don't need on board sound. But you need to factor in the soft piano's and using a laptop if performing outside your home environment. The good soft piano's require purchase of a separate dongle key too.

It's a good midi controller

Personally I would not touch an electric piano without a realistic hammer action. The Kawaii VPC1 (no on board sound) and the Casio Celviano are the only two I know of that use a real hammer action system.

>512kb wavetable memory bank
It's not just the quality of the samples, it's how it;s done.

Modern digital pianos use multisampling + different velocities + different note lengths as well as pretty sophisticated DSP processing and a bunch of other shit.

Early piano sampling was basically just a sample + modeled subtractive synthesis.

Like this user says
a shitty sample plus subtractive synthesis with ADSR filters is fuckign AWESOME to play with if you're after weird/fun noises.

But not really that great for piano

Also check this one out, a monsterous (and tad overpriced) contoller from native instruments:

native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/keyboards/komplete-kontrol-s-series/

>It's not just the quality of the samples, it's how it;s done.
>Modern digital pianos use multisampling + different velocities + different note lengths as well as pretty sophisticated DSP processing and a bunch of other shit.
>Early piano sampling was basically just a sample + modeled subtractive synthesis.

Well, can't disagree on that.

Here's a fun idea. Go on craigslist and try to find a Yamaha CP70 or CP80.


Late 70's era electric piano, but totally unlike the Rhodes or wurlitzer.

It has an actual piano soundboard and hammers and strings and individual electromagnetic pickups under every string (like an electric guitar)


Elton john used one of these on tour for years.


When you play it with the power off, it sounds like a tiny quiet piano.

Put it through monitors and it's magnificent.


It's also an aweome recording device because you get a simple plug that can go right into your recorder that sounds like a well-miked piano, and you can then add whatever processing or effects you want.

Therw is Kawai MP series (MP7/11) with build in sound. But they are far from being portable

OP did not state whether he required portable.

Interesting. Ugly as fuck, big and heavy looking though.

If you're just looking for great piano sound on a budget, get the Roland FP7.

Used to be in the worship band at my church years ago and they asked me to pick out a new piano when their old Yamaha upright grand was starting to fall apart and they began to modernize their sound system.
>this was back when it was $2000 brand new

some of the most gorgeous piano tones I've heard in an keyboard. It even has a decent selection of quality strings and acoustic instruments. Organ Drawbar options are pretty nice as well.
>I still sneak over there from time to time to get a chance to play it. (my dad is the minister and I have the keys)

can be found relatively cheap now preowned.

This is a listing for $800
amzn.com/B0019H8G3Q

of course, if you want to piss your money away the Roland V-Piano can always be had for ~$5000. This is THE highest quality piano you will get anywhere. but, fuck me it's expensive.

I went to a showroom with all kinds of electric piano's and I found the on board sounds very artificial sounding. But then they usually have shitty amps and speakers in them. I should probably take along my good Fidelio headphones to test.

I should also mention, the weighting is exquisite.

and idk if it was mentioned before but VISIT YOUR LOCAL SAM ASH OR GUITAR CENTER.

You will know immensly more about what you want after actually sitting down to play a few boards for yourself. I cannot stress this enough.

Never buy used unless you know it's a good piano and know its history.

Reasons to buy new here.

http : //azpianonews blogspot co uk / 2012/09 / used-digital-pianos-should-you-buy-one.html

Piano keyboard you fucking mongoloid, no one's buying Razer™ brand Browner-than-Loo Cherry Supreme switch memeboards for two grand, and digital pianos really are that expensive for the midrange professional ones

Different user who mostly plays guitar but would like to learn piano since I love music (baroque and classical-romantic symphonies in particular) and was coincidentally looking for an electrical piano to put on the wishlist the other day (isomorphic preferably because I'm a memetard), but I'm curious: How do I tell if the piano's the right "fit" for me? It took me weeks to get used to my mechanical keyboard, years to get "fluent" on the guitar, etc.

Do I just learn a few chords in different octaves and play them to see if I like the sound and if it feels the right size for my hand span?

>Do I just learn a few chords in different octaves and play them to see if I like the sound and if it feels the right size for my hand span?

Basically this.

Though at the end of the day, you probably shouldn't worry so much about the sound. You'll be using it as a MIDI controller for custom softsynths/soundbanks if you want a professional sound, the built-in stuff is just there as a demo.

I've got a Yamaha P-105. This is an 'electric piano' which has weighted keys, so you can't go quite as fast as on a synth but it feels like a regular piano. It has a few different tones on it, but I only ever use it as a MIDI controller and use software instruments. No need to spend a huge amount on a synth if you're using a laptop with it imo...

Yeah which is why I was wondering, since I thought the most important thing was to get a similar "play-feel" for lack of a less retarded vocabulary. I don't think I could get that proper key-action feel learned unless I had an actual piano to try out for a good, long while; if I had that I probably wouldn't need the digital piano in the first place.
Shit's way more expensive than I thought though, hah.