digital piano, workstation, synthesizer?

[rockinchris]

I've been playing an upright for 15 years and now need to go into the world of keyboards (gigging, transposing, etc.). I look at the world of electronic devices that look like pianos and am extremely intimidated; I have no idea where to start! For me, the most important thing is that it feel and sound like a real piano; so weighted keys, touch sensitivity, 88 keys, and obviously a good piano patch. The other necessity is that it be able to transpose. After that, good patches are a bonus, as well as the ability to save something and have it loop or play back. I'm hoping to stick to under 1k (i'm fine with going 2nd hand) but hard max would be 2k. Can anyone give me some advice or suggestions?

Thanks a ton in advance
Chris

 

[Toddskins]

Kurzweil PC3X

Just wait, until you have the $3,000 needed to buy the very best.

Kurzweil PC3X is what you want.

If you go with a digital keyboard in the $1,000 to $2,000 range (i.e. Roland, Yamaha, Kawaii), well, then you forsake the great patches. Those others may have good sounding pianos, and even good feeling 88-key boards (though I, personally, do not think they are), but they lack the synthesis power and patches of a dedicated synth.


I just spoke today with Daniel Fisher at Sweetwater who has written lots of articles in Keyboard Magazine, regarding some operational questions on my K2500SX, but then I had time to ask him about the PC3X that just came out, and it's difficult to not rave about the PC3X.

One caveat - the Kuzweil PC3X does NOT have any sample RAM on it. So, you cannot import custom sounds into it. It is exclusively ROM samples. But neither can the other competitors. To import sounds, you must have RAM to do so. But there are a couple of expansion slots for additional future ROM cards Kurzweil will release someday.

This is why the K2600 still moves ahead in some capabilities (and price, too!) over the PC3X - because of the sampler, and sample RAM ability.


But still, given that you want a great keyboard for piano, 88 keys, AND synthesis ability, there's only one way to go. You cannot comprehend the power inside the Kurzweil PC3X. It has 128 voice polyphony, can layer 32 layers of the famous V.A.S.T synthesis engine, each feeding the next, for the most ridiculously powerful and complex sound imagineable (yes, 32 DSP layers linearly, or layered!), and the KDFX effects are way more powerful than the K2600! You have 12 busses for effects along with 2 auxiliaries for a total of 14 busses of the best sounding effects, and a most powerful onboard Sequencer, comes stock with 850 newly tweaked program "patches"... etc. etc. etc.!

It has the triple-strike piano patch on it that came with the K2600 but tweaked to sound better, I am told.

Oh, and don't forget the absolute, most smokin' B3 organ sounds, ever. The KB3 tone wheel emulation is dead-on to the real Hammond. I know. I have it on my K2500XS. It just doesn't get any better.


You can also get 0% APR for 12 months, if you qualify, at Sweetwater.

It is listed for $3,200, but you can get the price below that. Shoot for $2,600 and settle for $2,700.

That's what I would do.

And if you are really good with the new equipment, get more and better paying jobs so you can pay off the borrowed money, sooner!

 

[dementedchord]

Just wait, until you have the $3,000 needed to buy the very best.

Kurzweil PC3X is what you want.

damn man i love my pc88mx but come on... this is coming off like spam... which do you work for kurz or sweetwater???

to the OP... check around for used kurz... the roland 700 (now 750?) seems to be a fav for the piano patch... and the new action is getting favorable reviews... steer clear ofthe casios (imo)... the yamaha action feels sluggish to me... i've also liked the korgs for the most part... the insistance on a weighted action means that you're looking at only the top notch stuff and have to pay accordingly... i've seen good shape pc88's like mine for under $1k...

 

[JTC111]

I love how you tell people your price range and they just ignore it to push what they like rather than what you might actually buy.

That said, maybe a Yamaha S90 would work for you. The triple-strike piano patch is excellent and the other patches are from the Yamaha Motif series and they're pretty nice. It sells for about $2000 new but it's been out long enough that you can find them used without too much trouble. Also, it's no longer in production by Yamaha since they upgraded the S90 to the S90ES so if you wanted to buy new, you could probably find someone willing to give you a deal.

I've been playing an upright for 15 years and now need to go into the world of keyboards (gigging, transposing, etc.). I look at the world of electronic devices that look like pianos and am extremely intimidated; I have no idea where to start! For me, the most important thing is that it feel and sound like a real piano; so weighted keys, touch sensitivity, 88 keys, and obviously a good piano patch. The other necessity is that it be able to transpose. After that, good patches are a bonus, as well as the ability to save something and have it loop or play back. I'm hoping to stick to under 1k (i'm fine with going 2nd hand) but hard max would be 2k. Can anyone give me some advice or suggestions?

Thanks a ton in advance
Chris

 

[NL5]

I love how you tell people your price range and they just ignore it to push what they like rather than what you might actually buy.

That said, maybe a Yamaha S90 would work for you. The triple-strike piano patch is excellent and the other patches are from the Yamaha Motif series and they're pretty nice. It sells for about $2000 new but it's been out long enough that you can find them used without too much trouble. Also, it's no longer in production by Yamaha since they upgraded the S90 to the S90ES so if you wanted to buy new, you could probably find someone willing to give you a deal.

Does the S90 transpose or loop? (I don't know)

When I was looking for a keyboard, every piano player I talked to said Yamaha has the best "feel". The s90 and the Motifs have the same GREAT keybed. Both have a GREAT piano patch. You should be able to find an s90 for less than 1k, an s90es for 1200-1400, or a Motif ES (full blown workstation) for 1400-1600..........

 

[JTC111]

Does the S90 transpose or loop? (I don't know)

When I was looking for a keyboard, every piano player I talked to said Yamaha has the best "feel". The s90 and the Motifs have the same GREAT keybed. Both have a GREAT piano patch. You should be able to find an s90 for less than 1k, an s90es for 1200-1400, or a Motif ES (full blown workstation) for 1400-1600..........

I'm not sure if you can do loops with the S90. You can with the Motif though. I own a Motif 8... the original Motif line. I think they're on like the 3rd or 4th generation of Motif now, so he could probably pick up an older one on the cheap.

I don't know if the new Motifs have the triple-strike piano. I know mine doesn't but mine was in production before the S90 came out. The piano patches are very good but they're not as nice as the patch on the S90, IMO. If the new Motifs have the triple-strike like the S90, that might be the way for him to go.