# What digital piano to get?



## Taggart

OK We have now decided to get a keyboard. We are looking for a reasonably priced full size (88 key) one with a good piano action - weighted keys etc. The thing should also have at least a sustain pedal.

We are also looking for some effects - harpsichord, church organ at a minimum. The beast should be portable and reasonably rugged.

Anybody got any good recommendations or ones to avoid?

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Sonata

Portable + rugged, probably a stage piano would be a good way to go. But don't ask me which one, I have no idea


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## Marisol

Depends a lot on the budget. It also depends if you need it to look like a piano. 

If it is low budget and is does not need to look like a piano I would recommend buying a second hand Kurzweil K2500X/ K2600X. You should be able to buy it below 600 pounds. I would avoid those silly look alike digital pianos.


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## Mesa

I cracked out a bit of Satie on an £1800 Yamaha 'lookalikey' Grand yesterday, and while the action was nice and sound most agreeable, i'd rather have a £200 Fatar midi keyboard with very similar action and a cheap 'n' cheerful yamaha piano sound module/sample set for £1400 less.


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## hreichgott

Go to a store and play a bunch of them. As with an acoustic piano, your own personal sense of the sound and whether it's right for you will make all the difference.

In 2002 I bought my Yamaha P60 for just over US $700. It required a major repair within the year; however, since then it's still going strong with no more repairs, and has been taken to several gigs, carried through the rain and dropped. My understanding is that 10 years is about normal lifespan for a digital piano so I don't know that I expect to have it for much longer! Mine has all the traits you're looking for except that the keys are only touch-sensitive, not weighted. Between 2002 and 2008 I changed residences quite frequently and at times I was forced to use the Yamaha as my primary practice instrument. I did notice that at those times I lost muscle since the keys are much easier to press down than real piano keys (or weighted keys) and had to adjust back again, carefully so as not to aggravate old injuries, when returning to an acoustic. Weighted keys do have disadvantages as well: fragility and of course weight, making them less portable and less rugged than non-weighted.

Two things that can artificially inflate the cost of digital pianos are furniture and computer. The more cabinetry and whatnot is attached, the more expensive. And if there's a built-in computer sequencer or anything that says "DJ" in the advertising copy, you'll be paying for electronic capabilities that you will probably never use.

You will most certainly have a harpsichord and organ sound built in. I don't know that I've ever seen a digital piano without those!

Brand-wise, everyone I know with a Yamaha or Kawai has been happy. Roland is decent too although they concentrate more on the DJ/computerized end of things. Avoid Casio.


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## Taggart

Thanks. That confirms what I've been hearing on the web.


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## PetrB

Yamaha, Kawai: 88 key, weighted "graded" touch sensitive. The studio models (unless you want portability) are most like sitting at a real piano, three fully functioning pedals. The studio models have a cross piece at the bottom with the pedals fixed in it, don't rock 'n' roll when you're really going at it, and you don't have the odd pedal device connected with a cable which you inevitably have to tape down to the floor. This is an upright, taking that footprint as far as space goes.

The less on-board sounds, other midi "work station" items, the better -- the more byte space is fully dedicated to piano sample. The least will still have a Church organ stop (monotonous, no changing ranks) and a harpsichord stop (also monotonous) - a string pad which is usually a joke.

Where you are from, people hang on to goods and maintain them much longer. In the states, my niece just picked up last year's Yamaha studio model, still listing discounted to $1500 from its former $2000, for $900, bench and manual included, via a Craigslist ad. It had been purchased for a promising high schooler, who did follow through, but her interest waned. Dad was selling it because she was off to college and would not continue with the piano 

Any and all of them will have a midi connection (usb) which hooks up to a computer, then, if you wish, to a destop recorder / playback / editor. Any digital keyboard with midi can also be used as the 'controller' to play off of other sound samples through those desktop recording softwares.

P.s. Virtually every classical oriented player I've met who will even accept a digital piano has named Yamaha, consistently. The tone, sound, are more like what is expected. I have not heard the recent Kawais, and the Roland is totally geared, by sound quality, to pop music, the tone very hard and bright, which is ideal for cutting through a pop mix, and imo, not desirable for classical, whether older rep or contemporary.


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## aleazk

One single word: *Yamaha*!

I have a Yamaha P90 I bought in 2006. Good sound, minimalistic interface (i.e., only a few buttons!), only a few extra sounds (just the standard: piano, harpsichord, organ,..., Rhodes piano sound, lol, I must confess sometimes I use it for fun, improvising some jazz, etc.).
The pedal has various degrees of sensitivity, i.e., it makes a difference between the pedal half pressed or fully pressed, etc.
Also the usual tools, e.g., midi interface, etc.


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## Taggart

We finally jumped. I bought a Yamaha P105 from our local music store and just had it delivered. As a basic portable piano it's excellent. I'm going to have a good play and see what it does now.

Thanks for all the advice! :tiphat:


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## maestro57

Edit: GRR!! Didn't read your last post. Congratulations, anyway!!!! 

-----------------

Written earlier before I saw your last post:



I'm currently playing on a Yamaha P-155 that I picked up for CAD$1000 used.

It simulates the organ and harpsichord (and plenty more). The weighted keys/action are great (full 88) and you can set the sensitivity of the keys.

With Ingenue to help you, this thing is very portable (unscrew the screws from the L-bracket that hold the stand and keyboard together and you're good to go), while at the same time it is very sturdy/rugged.

The ONLY complaint I have is that the keys don't mimic the vibrations you'd feel on an acoustic piano when pressed. I guess it's not really a complaint, but more so a wish. If you want that feature, you'll have to fork out extra (extra!) amounts of money. The Yamaha N3, N1, and NU1 are examples of some digital keyboards with that vibration feature.

Good luck to you both with the hunt! Please let us know what you decide on.


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## treeza

I've got a Roland RD600 which I got for around US $500 secondhand. It's an old one but it's great and it's built to last! It's pretty heavy though. It has a beautiful sound to it and so many different piano settings. It also feels like a piano which is great.
Roland's got a really good name, but it's a good idea to check online first at the reviews and demos before you buy one. Don't be scared of buying one second hand either so long as the keyboard is durable it'll be fine.
Korg, Kawai and Yamaha have got some pretty decent ones too for your sort of budget.
I used to have a casio px100 but I didn't like it so much.


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## VinylEupho

Grats on your purchase. Yamaha is indeed a good brand. They were into music items before they got into motorcycles


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## KenOC

VinylEupho said:


> Grats on your purchase. Yamaha is indeed a good brand. They were into music items before they got into motorcycles


Yep. Look at the side of the gas tank on a Yamaha motorcycle and here's the logo you'll see. Guess what it depicts.


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## Guest

When I progress a bit more, I plan to buy a Yamaha CLP 545. It might be overkill for an amateur, but I think it's false economy to buy cheap then replace it. Of course, I'd prefer a nice acoustic upright piano, but we don't have the wall space for one, and the 545's footprint is no greater than my current Casio/stand in my office. (A digital piano needs open space for the sound, unlike an acoustic upright.)


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## Taggart

Great. It may be overkill, but so what. You're getting all the features of a nice acoustic upright piano at around half the price. Enjoy!


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## breakup

Kontrapunctus said:


> When I progress a bit more, I plan to buy a Yamaha CLP 545. It might be overkill for an amateur, but I think it's false economy to buy cheap then replace it. Of course, I'd prefer a nice acoustic upright piano, but we don't have the wall space for one, and the 545's footprint is no greater than my current Casio/stand in my office. (A digital piano needs open space for the sound, unlike an acoustic upright.)


We had the same problem in our new house, where we wanted to put a piano there was no wall space for an upright. It might seem an odd solution, but when I actually got a piano it was a Baldwin model R Grand, it didn't need wall space and I was careful to have it set just far enough out from the wall (windows) that you could get around it.

PS, my 5 year old granddaughter likes to crawl under it and use it as a hideout. Before we got the Baldwin we had a Sohmer model 57 and she had some of her toys under that one.


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## Oliver

Good choice, I recently got the P115 to take to and from university. Was tempted to get the P255 but it's too expensive.


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## pianississimo

I've played a few Yamahas in shops and like them.
I have a Casio Privea PX130 which I bought because it has 128 polyphony and good weighted keys. I didn't want to pay for a lot of special extra features. I wanted something that sounds like a piano and feels good to play.

I played a Kawai once too and was very impressed with the natural feel of the keys and the big rich sound. Sadly I didn't make a note of the model.

When mine eventually wears out I might splash out on something a bit more fancy. I bought this one as a complete beginner not knowing for sure that I'd stick to it. Now it's obvious that I am a total pianophile I would be tempted to splash out.
I'd love to get an acoustic piano but my neighbours are unlikely to enjoy scales practice at 5 in the morning quite as much as I do!!


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## DeepR

I have a Roland HP-505 and I'm quite happy with it. It serves its purpose and I'm not going to spend more money on a digital. 

Lately I've been listening to a lot of demos from many different software pianos and some of those sound really good. Check out the Garritan CFX Concert Grand. Probably one of the best sampled piano's available right now. 
There's also Pianoteq, a software modelled piano. It's impressive and they're getting better, but if you ask me it still sounds too "plastic" compared to the best sampled pianos.


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## Guest

If I stay with the piano, I plan to buy a Yamaha CLP 545. I don't have enough wall space for it to be placed against a wall, so would it sound OK if it's the center of the room?


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## breakup

Kontrapunctus said:


> If I stay with the piano, I plan to buy a Yamaha CLP 545. I don't have enough wall space for it to be placed against a wall, so would it sound OK if it's the center of the room?


Since it's a digital piano the sound comes through speakers rather than a sound board, so where it sits in the room isn't going to make a lot of difference. With an acoustic piano the wall enters into the equation of sound, but a digital doesn't depend on the wall to effect the sound.


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## Guest

That's what I figured--thanks!


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## Guest

Actually, I think my wife and I have figured out a place for it in the living room, so an acoustic piano is in the works. I'm aiming for a new Yamaha B3 or a used Yamaha U3. (I don't want to buy a cheapie then replace in a year or two.)


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## CindyBraver

I think Yamaha DGX650B Digital Piano is one of the best digital piano on the market . You can easily connect your music device to this piano with the use of the auxiliary input port and the sound will come out of the digital piano's speakers. This is great for when you want to play along to a pre-recorded track at the same volume as the piano.

You can enjoy the unrivalled performance as this digital piano offers 128-note polyphony. This offers enough power for the sound not to cut out, even when you are playing with two hands and laying multiple voices over one another.

An acoustic piano would give a heavier touch for the lower notes and for the higher notes, you'll need a lighter touch. This digital piano is very similar to an acoustic in that respect as it is the same case for the Yamaha DGX650B Digital Piano.


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## LarryShone

For the money you can do a lot better than that DGX which doesn't appear to have a pedal and only has 128 note polyphony-most have 256 or higher now. Better off with one of Yamaha's P series or even a Casio CDP130, which does have a pedal. Not sure if it supports half pedalling though, but my Casio Celviano does.


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## bachmanity

I have the entry level Yamaha P45. All this stuff has high tariffs where I live, so it's the same price here as the next model up in the States.

I can definitely see myself upgrading at some point, but for now it's doing the trick, especially with a cat running around the house and the possibility of kids and dogs in the near future. I'd really like to upgrade to an upright piano, but I also want to perform. There are low-pressure opportunities to perform in my town (restaurants and stuff), but I'd definitely need to bring my own gear.


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## Captainnumber36

I love my P85, it was great when I was in bands since I could carry it myself. My first keyboard was a p200 which had great sound, but I always needed someone to help me move it. The p200 is what I used in most of my band days. Now that I play solo, and perform primarily in nursing homes, they usually have a piano to perform on already so I don't need my keyboard.


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## Captainnumber36

As far as pianos go, I love my upright Baldwin piano. I've had it since I was about 3 and it still plays great.


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## bennydelrio

If you are looking digital piano in the marketing? Yamahas Arius is known as piano synthesizer, portable piano, weighted keyboard or is a modern electronic musical instrument.

In this piano, three basic categories of keyboard instruments available. The largest and most expensive, and also the best when it comes to developing piano skills, are the acoustic pianos. There are also many good digital pianos, which are smaller, less expensive, and do a decent job of mimicking the sound and feel of an acoustic instrument. A third category, the electronic keyboard, is the least expensive option, but an electronic keyboard may not have the right touch to develop hand strength for a beginning pianist, or enough keys to play a wide range of music.

To purchase this piano, it is available in affordable prices in the market.


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## Rossiniano

A while back I went with the Kawai CL 35 as offering much more options and offering better sound when compared to more expensive Yamaha Clavinovas. It has since been replaced with the CN 37, which while looking a bit more stylish, has poorer ergonomics and did not sound as natural to my ears... at least the piano selections did not. The harpsichord sounded a bit mellower and was a slight improvement, but I still preferred the 35 overall. As mentioned, for some reason I was not overly impressed with what the Yamaha offered when price was figured into the equation. However, if actively looking today I would more carefully explore the differences regarding what models both brands offer in my price category (the only brands conveniently available in my area) given that I was not overly impressed with the newest version of the Kawai.


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## honeyku41

So many digital piano are avialble in the market. Yamaha p105 is the best for the beginner... Yamaha also has so many other digital piano like yamaha dgx 650 and many more ..


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## honeyku41

yamaha p105 is the best for the beginners. You may choose another brands if your budget allows like grand piano


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## honeyku41

*Which one is the best digital piano*

yamaha p105 is the best for the beginners. You may choose another brands if your budget allows like grand piano or any other brand like casio or roland


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## honeyku41

*Which one is the best digital piano*

yamaha p105 is the best for the beginners .You may choose another brands if your budget allows like grand piano or any other brand like casio or roland


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