At the risk of rehashing old discussions I'd like to ask... is there such a thing as a digital piano that:
1. Sounds like a piano
2. has weighted keys, yet portable
3.has ablility to play 3 octaves below middle C and two above-some keyboards have a button that shifts everything down an octave.
4.has internal speakers that don't distort when you crank it up
My Casio is acceptable in #1, lacks 2-4.Like to know if there is anything out there with these criteria. Any suggestions?
i've seen keyboards that have the weighted keyes, and sound pretty good. granted i've seen them in stores like Best Buy- i haven't cranked them up too high. i beleive that they are full sized as well.
Roland are excellent - (though possibly not portable!) and they only do piano (and possibly harpsichord) rather than 50 zillion rather unlikely sounding other instruments and/or percussion effects.
They also tend to look like pianos without a multitude of buttons, scrrens etc.
BTW Some pricier Casio models have a full keyboard, and make a better stab at faking the feel of weighted keys.
Yamaha professional model digital pianos -- 88 key keyboard, just like a real piano, weighted keys, 64+ simultaneous tones so that you get all the overtones etc. when playing multiple notes, sustain pedal and the digital sampling is based on one of their top end concert grands. Sound is amazingly like a real piano, even to the slightly funky quality of the very lowest and very highest notes. Has the capability to imitate a couple of different pianos and a few other instruments....but not the whole orchestra, and there's NO STINKIN' DRUMKIT!!!! There is a very adequate built in metronome, but it just clicks like a normal one, no backbeat to confuse beginners. It also has a transpose feature which I love when my husband and I are working out what key to play a song in. He can play it as written, and we move it up and down in 1/2 steps till it lies comfortably within our singing range. Other features we like are headphone jack and volume control (good in our small house). It also has MIDI capabilities which we've never explored. Ours cost us about $1,200 (USA) five years ago and we've been very happy with with it. Something to check out at any rate.
Yep. But they're expensive. And not always portable. They can sound and feel pretty convincing, and some of them even look like acoustic pianos. I've played on a few for church gigs and they were much better than most of the real church pianos I've played, which tended to be neglected. While I've encountered the occasional good, well cared for accoustic piano in a church, these days it's more likely that a church with the money to buy a good piano will buy a good electronic one that will never need tuning. Our local piano store usually has a few in stock, from smaller portable models to models that look and cost like baby grands. Can't remember brands other than Roland, however.
Both Roland and Yamaha do some good ones. Depends on what you mean by portable. My 120 bass accordion is "portable". My P A system is "portable". My drummer's kit is "portable". But only the fiddler will countenance travelling by bus!
Come on now, it depends on what you mean by "sounds like". It's semantics. You could hear a recording of Ashkenazy and say, "that's Vladimir Ashkenazy". But it's not him, it's a recording. You can hear a recording (sample) of a piano and say, "that's a piano". Semantics.
"Ceci n'est pas une pipe"
But, heaven forbid, it's even more complicated than that. What's the context?
Is it a blind test of a "real" piano and a digital piano plugged through really really expensive amps and speakers with a panel of blindfolded experts on the other side voting?
Or is it a noisy gig where we compare the "real" piano with a crap mike stuck in the top verses a top of the range Roland whatever?
Or is it practising in your pokey flat with the bairn asleep next door?
Its really hard to find a "hammer action" keyboard thats not got less than 88 keys. In my experience you dont need the notes at the top end (more than 2 1/2 octaves above middle C) for most music. Why can't they make a light wieght piano with less notes and so its more portable ?
If your a "proper" piano player only the hammer action albet artificial feel of a digital piano is worth having . .
I'll add my vote for the Yamaha - they've been making piano-weight digital keyboards since the mid 80's to very demanding specs.
With regard to your question, I'd advise that your best bet is to get into a decent music/piano/keyboard shop and give a few the full work-out. Portability is always going to be an issue with weighted keys - because of the weight ;) but you should be able to find a happy medium.
Mozle, there is no happy medium . . the choice you have is a heavy hammer action keyboard which has great playability, or a portable light semiweighted plastic keyboard without the "feel" of a real piano action.
Iv'e got the latter a Roland EP 760, nice sounding instrument, but I rarely play it because I don't like the feel of the keys. You live and learn I suppose.
Don't all the Rolands require an amp? Looking for onboard speakers. I also lug around other instruments so don't want the extra baggage if I don't have to.
Some Rolands require an amp but that one of mine has got sone good built in speakers, and the are plenty loud enough to cut through any noisy session . . .
I have a Yamaha P60 that meets all your requirements. It ran about $700 when I got it a few years ago. I don't think they make that model any more, but I'm sure it was replaced by something comparable.
I like the action on this one better than some keyboards I tried that cost twice what this one did.
We did a chamber orchestra concert in a church once with a Roland keyboard standing in as a harpsichord for a Bach concerto. In his sound tests the harpsichordist was very pleased with the sound coming out of the external speakers which were placed near the cello section. However, when it came to the rehearsal run-through with the orchestra we were baffled by the lack of sound coming out of the speakers. The usual checks were made for loose connections etc, and everything was in order, and the sound was fine when the harpsichord was playing on its own.
Someone in the orchestra who knew a bit of physics then spotted what was happening. The deep notes of the cellos were acting as an "anti-sound" system which was killing the vibrations from the speakers. The solution: to move the speakers well away from the bass instruments of the orchestra and the sound returned to normal.
Wouldn't have had that problem with a real harpsichord!
Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
At the risk of rehashing old discussions I'd like to ask... is there such a thing as a digital piano that:
1. Sounds like a piano
2. has weighted keys, yet portable
3.has ablility to play 3 octaves below middle C and two above-some keyboards have a button that shifts everything down an octave.
4.has internal speakers that don't distort when you crank it up
My Casio is acceptable in #1, lacks 2-4.Like to know if there is anything out there with these criteria. Any suggestions?
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by madabouttrad
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
i've seen keyboards that have the weighted keyes, and sound pretty good. granted i've seen them in stores like Best Buy- i haven't cranked them up too high. i beleive that they are full sized as well.
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by rob_handel
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Roland are excellent - (though possibly not portable!) and they only do piano (and possibly harpsichord) rather than 50 zillion rather unlikely sounding other instruments and/or percussion effects.
They also tend to look like pianos without a multitude of buttons, scrrens etc.
BTW Some pricier Casio models have a full keyboard, and make a better stab at faking the feel of weighted keys.
Chris
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by spindizzy
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
nope
(daft question)
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by ...
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Yamaha professional model digital pianos -- 88 key keyboard, just like a real piano, weighted keys, 64+ simultaneous tones so that you get all the overtones etc. when playing multiple notes, sustain pedal and the digital sampling is based on one of their top end concert grands. Sound is amazingly like a real piano, even to the slightly funky quality of the very lowest and very highest notes. Has the capability to imitate a couple of different pianos and a few other instruments....but not the whole orchestra, and there's NO STINKIN' DRUMKIT!!!! There is a very adequate built in metronome, but it just clicks like a normal one, no backbeat to confuse beginners. It also has a transpose feature which I love when my husband and I are working out what key to play a song in. He can play it as written, and we move it up and down in 1/2 steps till it lies comfortably within our singing range. Other features we like are headphone jack and volume control (good in our small house). It also has MIDI capabilities which we've never explored. Ours cost us about $1,200 (USA) five years ago and we've been very happy with with it. Something to check out at any rate.
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by KateG
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Yep. But they're expensive. And not always portable. They can sound and feel pretty convincing, and some of them even look like acoustic pianos. I've played on a few for church gigs and they were much better than most of the real church pianos I've played, which tended to be neglected. While I've encountered the occasional good, well cared for accoustic piano in a church, these days it's more likely that a church with the money to buy a good piano will buy a good electronic one that will never need tuning. Our local piano store usually has a few in stock, from smaller portable models to models that look and cost like baby grands. Can't remember brands other than Roland, however.
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by Tracie
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Both Roland and Yamaha do some good ones. Depends on what you mean by portable. My 120 bass accordion is "portable". My P A system is "portable". My drummer's kit is "portable". But only the fiddler will countenance travelling by bus!
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by kris
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Come on now, it depends on what you mean by "sounds like". It's semantics. You could hear a recording of Ashkenazy and say, "that's Vladimir Ashkenazy". But it's not him, it's a recording. You can hear a recording (sample) of a piano and say, "that's a piano". Semantics.
"Ceci n'est pas une pipe"
But, heaven forbid, it's even more complicated than that. What's the context?
Is it a blind test of a "real" piano and a digital piano plugged through really really expensive amps and speakers with a panel of blindfolded experts on the other side voting?
Or is it a noisy gig where we compare the "real" piano with a crap mike stuck in the top verses a top of the range Roland whatever?
Or is it practising in your pokey flat with the bairn asleep next door?
# Posted on October 9th 2006 by ...
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Its really hard to find a "hammer action" keyboard thats not got less than 88 keys. In my experience you dont need the notes at the top end (more than 2 1/2 octaves above middle C) for most music. Why can't they make a light wieght piano with less notes and so its more portable ?
If your a "proper" piano player only the hammer action albet artificial feel of a digital piano is worth having . .
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by Justintime
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
In my opinion . . that is . .
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by Justintime
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
I'll add my vote for the Yamaha - they've been making piano-weight digital keyboards since the mid 80's to very demanding specs.
With regard to your question, I'd advise that your best bet is to get into a decent music/piano/keyboard shop and give a few the full work-out. Portability is always going to be an issue with weighted keys - because of the weight ;) but you should be able to find a happy medium.
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by Mozle
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
echoing KAteG...I teach lessons on a Yamaha, and my mom uses it to play gigs. You;ll have to be spending a little more on it...
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by possumawesome
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Mozle, there is no happy medium . . the choice you have is a heavy hammer action keyboard which has great playability, or a portable light semiweighted plastic keyboard without the "feel" of a real piano action.
Iv'e got the latter a Roland EP 760, nice sounding instrument, but I rarely play it because I don't like the feel of the keys. You live and learn I suppose.
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by Justintime
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Don't all the Rolands require an amp? Looking for onboard speakers. I also lug around other instruments so don't want the extra baggage if I don't have to.
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by madabouttrad
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
Some Rolands require an amp but that one of mine has got sone good built in speakers, and the are plenty loud enough to cut through any noisy session . . .
# Posted on October 10th 2006 by Justintime
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
I have a Yamaha P60 that meets all your requirements. It ran about $700 when I got it a few years ago. I don't think they make that model any more, but I'm sure it was replaced by something comparable.
I like the action on this one better than some keyboards I tried that cost twice what this one did.
# Posted on October 11th 2006 by withak
Re: Digital pianos, is there such a thing as...
We did a chamber orchestra concert in a church once with a Roland keyboard standing in as a harpsichord for a Bach concerto. In his sound tests the harpsichordist was very pleased with the sound coming out of the external speakers which were placed near the cello section. However, when it came to the rehearsal run-through with the orchestra we were baffled by the lack of sound coming out of the speakers. The usual checks were made for loose connections etc, and everything was in order, and the sound was fine when the harpsichord was playing on its own.
Someone in the orchestra who knew a bit of physics then spotted what was happening. The deep notes of the cellos were acting as an "anti-sound" system which was killing the vibrations from the speakers. The solution: to move the speakers well away from the bass instruments of the orchestra and the sound returned to normal.
Wouldn't have had that problem with a real harpsichord!
# Posted on October 11th 2006 by Trevor Jennings