Piano Keyboard Advice

[Purrrfect]

Thanks for the ideas.^^ I like the points about scoring an old piano for cheap that people just want to get rid of, but unfortunately space is a luxury I don't have just yet. Maybe in a couple years when I get to make the jump to buying a house I can look into that. ;;

[Yeargdribble]

While some would suggest the 61 keys for cost or whatever, I would only ever suggest a 61 key to someone who was just using it purely with their computer for entry into programs that can easily transpose octaves. Even then, if you want to work seriously with something I'd say 88.

Sounds like you're actually a musician (I play trumpet semi-professionally so thumbs-up to the trumpet dude) and if you want to start playing anything decent you'll kick yourself when you pick up a piece of sheet music and find that your 61 keys won't allow you to realistically play anything Chopin wrote or most of the stuff from the FF Piano Collections series for that matter.

I'm seeing a lot of people throwing out numbers sub-100 bucks, but if you're looking for new, 88 key, weighted that's probably a pipe dream even for just a MIDI controller. Buying used is definitely the way to go. There are too many idiots out there with more money than brain power that thought they could just buy a pimped out keyboard and learn it in a relatively short amount of time only to get frustrated when they could barely play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" after a week. Fine these people getting rid of their equipment.

Or if you can find that guitar guy who can play the intro to "Stairway to Heaven" and nothing else that thinks he's a "musician." That kinda guy might have a keyboard lying around.

[Woozie]

Get an 88 key, as others have suggested. Don't try to start out cheap because you're a beginner because you'll eventually have to upgrade anyways. Make sure you get something that has 88 keys and is weighted. You're looking more for realism than features, so go for a basic digital piano.

Digital pianos are like keyboards but designed for the purpose of emulating a real piano's look and sound as closely as possible. They typically have 88 weighted keys and high quality sampled sounds. If you aim for realism, get one of these. They're usually pretty realistic in sound, even for the lower priced ones. But there is a noticable difference in sound quality between a higher end and a lower end digital piano. Higher end digital pianos have extremely good quality sounds.

Keyboards are usually more about features buttons and gadgets. Depending on how much you pay, you may end up with horrible quality sounds or very high quality realistic sounds (as high quality as a high end digital piano if you get something really expensive). If you're looking more for features, get one of these.

The casio privia px120 is a pretty good budget digital piano. It's the best digital piano for it's price (you can get it for as low as 450 dollars) and one of the best for under 700~800.

http://www.priviapiano.com/

There are typically two types of digital pianos. One type is the digital stage piano. These types are the kind you can carry around easily. They're usually slender and sleek and can be put in a case and carried around with you if you travel with it. The privia is one of these types, but if you plan on actually doing gigs with your piano, I'd suggest getting a higher end type than the privia for better sound quality (some of the higher end privias have slightly better sounds, but if you're doing gigs, some of the $1000+ yamahas would be a better buy. Most people I know who do gigs use high-end keyboards instead of digital pianos though).

The other type of digital pianos are designed to look more like real pianos and typically aren't very manuverable. For most people, it really doesn't make a difference which kind you have except for aesthetics. I don't move my privia around ever, so if I had something that wasn't manuverable instead, it wouldn't make a difference. If you think you might be moving your piano around or carrying it around a lot then look for a digital stage piano.

Someone earlier posted a link to an Maudio keyboard with semi weighted keys. I've never used that specific one before, but I've used a 500 dollar version of an Maudio digital piano and hated it. The keys do not feel realistic and the sound isn't too great. From what I've read from other people who have reveiwed it, it breaks easily too. Maudio is good for midi controllers and other devices, but not so much for actual instruments.

If you have like $700+, yamaha makes some of the best digital pianos (and keyboards) for the higher price ranges. I've always liked the clavinova. Clavinovas and Yamaha's other brands of digital pianos will typically cost you $1,000 - $3,000 dollars.

Clavinova and MODUS Series Digital Pianos, by Yamaha, Makers of Digital Pianos

CLP320

Once you get to price ranges in the thousands, you also have the option of buying higher end keyboards with tons of sounds and features, like the Yamaha Motif or the Roland Fantom.

Be sure that when you do find a digital piano to make sure it has more than 16 note polyphony. I'd say go for at least 64 note polyphony. Polyphony is the amount of notes the instrument can play at one time. With 16 note polyphony, you'll notice notes droping out on fast passages that use the sustain pedal. With 32 it wont really happen unless you have notes layered (in which case your polyphony is essentially 16).

Most digital pianos come with pedals. If yours doesn't (make sure you ask or check the box) then buy a cheap Maudio sustain pedal (sustain pedal is essential for a piano. You can do without the other two pedals). If you get the privia, it comes with a horrible looking and feeling pedal. So if you get the privia, buy a pedal.

Like I said earlier, be sure your digital piano has 88 keys and is weighted. Don't settle for anything less.

[Silenka]

Wow, thank you Woozie. You are very knowledgeable on the subject, it seems. I posted the link to the m audio, I am very sorry to hear that you didn't like yours since I was really hoping to pick that one up since it was a good price and local, but now I think I'll refrain (money is tight around here anyway).
I'll keep an eye out for something like the brands you pointed out, and keep in mind there's a difference between a digital piano and a keyboard. :D
That's what I really wanted, is something that emulates the actual piano. I don't care about fancy synthesized sounds.

Maybe I should hitch a ride with my dad to work and come visit you to see what you play XD

[Woozie]

Right now I'm just using the privia px120. Since I had to pay for this completely on my own this time I wanted something under $600. I kinda wish I had gotten a Williams Overture instead though. I kinda want to get a clavinova, but since I do half of my playing on other peoples pianos anyways, I may as well keep the priva or something cheap at home instead of throwing 2k down on something better.