Digital Piano...Keyboard or Synth..?

M

Mikerphone

New member
I would like to buy my first keyboard but I'm not sure which will fit myneeds, that are;

1....learn to play piano
2....have prerecorded songs that I can play a sax along
with
3... home recording to a dgital 4 trac
4... import and export midi
5....$500.00 or less new price

I expect the list to grow as my skills do so this should be a consideration.
So are these capabilities found on a keyboard , synth. or a digital
piano?

Thanks
Mike
 
$500 is pretty cheap but it depends on the type of sound quality you want. If you really want to learn how to play "piano" you should get one with weighted keys. If you just want to learn enough to play chords and make arrangements then a regular synth keyboard will work.

I love the Kurzweil K series keyboards and any of the Korg workstations are great. You might be able to find some used ones for $500 but realistically you should expect to spend about a grand if you want a pro quality keyboard, especially if you decide you want weighted keys.
 
You need to specify a few things.
  1. How many keys at a minimum?
  2. Do you require weighted keys?
  3. Do you want built in speakers?
    [/list=1]

    At your price range your options are limited.

    Carl
 
Mikerphone said:
I would like to buy my first keyboard but I'm not sure which will fit myneeds, that are;

1....learn to play piano
2....have prerecorded songs that I can play a sax along
with
3... home recording to a dgital 4 trac
4... import and export midi
5....$500.00 or less new price

I expect the list to grow as my skills do so this should be a consideration.
So are these capabilities found on a keyboard , synth. or a digital
piano?

Thanks
Mike
Click to expand...

A good rule of thumb to follow - digital pianos (76 or 88 keys) will not go for less than $1000 new.

I helped a friend buy an instrument for Xmass and his budget was around $500. In terms of new gear, that will buy you a decent 61 or 76 key Yamaha PSR type keyboard but the keys will not be weighted like a real piano.

If you're starting off, I would reccomend a keyboard over a synth.
 
My opinion on PSR's with built in speakers.

These things are strictly for the Genie Magic Organ crowd and folks that want a peice of crap to take to the beach because they don't mind getting sand in it.

A rule of thumb is that if it has less than 88 keys AND built in speakers, don't buy it. It won't have a line out jack and that's the most important thing if you're going to record it.

I've said this before (as Brz will surely point out), get a good controller and shop for a decent module. For what you want to do, your cheapest route is to get something like the Studio Logic weighted action controller and a used Alesis Nano Piano module.

Of course I could possibly recommend something even better for you if I know more of what you are looking for.

Carl
 
Ugh!!

Krakit, did you miss the part about this being his first keyboard?

Try and think back to when you got your 1st set of keys. I started off with an el cheapo Casio MT-520. Anything more would have been too complicated and surely turned me off to the whole keyboard thing. Once you start to understand how this stuff works, you can move onto bigger and better things...

Baby steps Krakit, baby steps...
 
UNI-VOX Compac

My first keyboard was a sever peice of garbage.:D

No dynamics at all and only three available voices. "Piano", "Honky Tonk" and "Clavichord". Bleeech.

If the Studio Logic is too pricey, there are other non weighted boards to choose from. However, if I could have done it all over again, I wish I could have had something like the Studio Logic and Nano Piano.

Shouldn't cost him more than $700 all told. ;)

Carl
 
Mikerphone, I am currently a learner myself. Right now I'm playing on a Yamaha PSR-6 bought from a pawn shop. I know this keboard sucks. But it serves my purpose as a beginner. I can learn basic piano and come up with some of my own tunes too. brzilian is right about the baby steps. My mom's got some kind of Alesis Synth with I think 88 keys. It's nearly foreign to me and gives me the heebie jeebies every time I look at it. HeHe. Anyway,take your time, learn, and progress to bigger and better things:D.
 
Studio Logic and Kurzweil SP-76

Go to Sam Ash and Musician's friend.

I believe at http://www.samash.com

You will find the Kurzweil SP-76 semi-weighted 76 key Digital Piano for $499, and there is a Studio Logic for about the same price, though I think the Kurzweil has more sounds, but the Studio Logic is 88 key (don't remember if fully weighted)

I'm thinkin to go the weighted deal for myself with digital pianos cause it has a realler feel and I want to learn how to play piano.

Your cheaper with something like a casio if you are not tryin to get that deep with it.
 
Re: Studio Logic and Kurzweil SP-76

shortyc said:
though I think the Kurzweil has more sounds, but the Studio Logic is 88 key
Click to expand...

Probably. hehe. The studiologic stuff is all controllers and they got NO sounds... You need to get a module with it...
 
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