Piano for $600

  • Thread starter Thread starter pdadda
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pdadda

pdadda

Captain Sea Boots
Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Great piano sound
2. 88 weighted keys

Here's what I have: $600

I can go new or used. It would be great if there were some good organ sounds as well, but the piano sound and the keys are the main things I'm after. What would you suggest?
 
How bout... a piano?


edit: sorry, lame post, but it seems like you're looking for a keyboard, while $600 will get you an ok second hand piano. Only issue is space. And you won't get any organ sounds...
 
Are you software based?

You could get a good fatar 88 key midi controller & software instead. You wont get anymore flexability than that.
 
Here are a few options:
- Casio Privia PX-400CS Digital Piano - $600
- Yamaha P70 88-Key Digital Piano - $600
- Casio Celviano AP-24 Digital Piano - $600
- M-Audio ProKeys 88 Stage Piano/MIDI Controller -$600
- Casio PX-110 88-Key Privia Digital Piano -$500

I've used the Casio Privia PX-400CS and M-Audio ProKeys 88,
they both have quality sound and M-Audio has good midi options.
These all have hammer action, weighted keys.
 
In regards to the real piano and MIDI controller comments, I want this to be portable and non-software-based.
 
In that price range you'll be able to get a keyboard. But not the one you described. It won't be great sounding, and the weighting will probably be pretty crummy.

If your able to spend just a little bit more, about 1000 there will be quite a step up in quality. Yamaha has a couple of units in that range.
 
Unfortunately, that is the max I can spend. So I just want to get the best that I can for the money.
 
Perfect piano for you

Now I see you want portable and non software based so I would go with a Korg SP-250 or SP-300 off ebay. They retail for a little more than you are looking to spend but by far the best piano in that price range. :) :)
 
There is a 250 on ebay right now for 700...
 
I'd check out the m-audio prokeys 88. Does exactly what you want for the amount you specified.

or you could buy the midi controller and a module seperately, that may be the way to go. Roland makes a good module called the mks-20. It's worth looking up, but buy the time you get the 88 hammer weighted keys to go with it, you may be spending more than $600.

So I think the prokeys would be a solid choice.
 
pdadda said:
I noticed that the Yamaha P70 doesn't have audio outs. Can you use the headphone out to connect to a PA?
Click to expand...
yes. Its also stereo so you can use an insert cable (Y cable) to split the signals that go the mixer. $600 will not get you what you want unless you come across a once in a life time deal or some one holding a garage sale and doesn’t know the value of the piano. At that price your looking at a 61 key none weighted. About $1000 can get you a Yamaha 88 key. I believe it’s the SO9 or 8 I think. Also you will want a hard shell case for your investment if your taking it on the road. That’s another $300 or so.
 
I know people think cheese (or calculator watch) when they hear the name Casio, but in your pricerange, the Privias are actually really decent. Weighted (though not true hammer-action) keys, and a nice piano sound. Check them out if you can and compare them to the others.
 
scrubs said:
I know people think cheese (or calculator watch) when they hear the name Casio, but in your pricerange, the Privias are actually really decent. Weighted (though not true hammer-action) keys, and a nice piano sound. Check them out if you can and compare them to the others.
Click to expand...
I second that. I own one of the Privias (which is real hammer action) but use it for midi only. they feel very close to a real piano and many piano players who have come into my studio have said the same.
 
I recently purchased a Privia 310. I looked at Korg, Roland, Yamaha and the M-Audio and for the price the Privia really stood out.

I am less than thrilled with the MIDI applications - it recceives on all 16 MIDI channels and there are no on board controls to select a multi mode (which makes the set of GM sounds rather useless).

But for a light weight, low cost, weighted feel 88 key piano, it does a very decent job. I would suggest the Yamaha P70, the M-Audio Pro 88 and the Privia 310 are all very close in head to head - but for me the Privia felt the best.
 
I use SampleTank and Ivory 1.5 for piano sounds do Midi sounds aren't a problem with my privia.
 
I have a Yamaha P60 and must say that it has a very very good keyboard feeling. It feels like a Yamaha piano.

The sound is very good as far as a keyboard is concerned, it's not a real piano for sure but still sound very good. No bells and whistles, just a keyboard and it's piano sound (+a few gimmick extra). Ideal for piano playing.

Don't know if 600$ is enough though, I had it for 1000 canadian$, so maybe. It's the lowest priced keyboard I found for a real (good) piano touch.
 
Thanks for all the input so far. Here's a few more details. This is actually mostly for my wife. She grew up playing piano, hasn't played for years, but wants to get back into it. I play synths, so hammer keys mean nothing to me. I want a good sounding piano, but it doesn't have to be spectacular. I am not looking for bells and whistles here. We don't want a piano because we will be moving soon, and I might take this to some gigs as well. As for the organ sounds, I am hoping to get a rhodes down the road, so I would rather not waste money on imitation rhodes sounds that are crap. I really like the simplicity of the yamaha. So I am going to go try out the yamaha and the casio privias at the music store. I'll probably give the M-audio a try too. I have their keystation49e as a MIDI controller, and I love it.
 
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