| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: best first keyboard | |
| amoney -- 09/02/2004, 20:50:59 -- #6881 | |
| hello, i was just wondering what kind of keyboard would best suit a starting jazz player, i have 11 years classical piano experience and use an older acoustic, but i would like to practice more private without bothering my whole family. im looking for something with a price range of 1000 to 1500 dollars, but something that will also last me a long time. thanks | |
| Eighty-Eight -- 09/03/2004, 02:54:30 -- #6890 | |
| One student of mine bought a Casio PA-31. Stand-alone unit with 88 keys, weighted action (felt pretty good), built-in metronome, an onboard sequencer for recording your performance, music rack and a bench. I tried it...for $799.99, it sounded and felt good. Didn't have that "plastic" feel or cheesey sound. She bought it about a year ago at CostCo. Another student of mine recently bought a Casio PS-20. He paid $699.00 online at Kraft Music. I tried it at his house. Amazing what $700.00 will buy these days. Casio has certainly come a long way. Are they pianos? No. But it sounds like they'll do what you're looking for. | |
| signal11 -- 09/03/2004, 04:58:12 -- #6892 | |
| I don't know about the Casio, but you might also look into getting a full-blown synthesizer workstation like a Korg Triton or Yamaha Motif. These are going to be a bit more pricey, but they're solid instruments, sound great, and I think they're well worth it for someone who's serious about learning. For instance, I've spent a lot of time making sequencer tracks of tunes, modes, 2-5-1's, turnarounds, etc. You can easily transpose them into any key, slow them down, speed them up. You can record your playing and evaluate yourself. They're also pretty useful for experimenting with song ideas and arrangements if you're into that. I've even used a Triton to burn practice CD's for other guys in this band I'm in. I know that some people might argue that you could just use a computer for all of that, but when I'm practicing, I don't really like to be futzing around with a computer. It's nice to just have everything at your fingertips. | |
| Dr. Whack -- 09/03/2004, 08:16:13 -- #6895 | |
| Yamaha and Roland make some lower end weighted digtal piano keyboards in that price range...I can't remember model numbers but a student just got a Yamaha for $750 that feels and sounds great (P-60 or something like that)...I also played a Roland EP-6 or something like that for around $1400... There are some lower-priced Tritons but they don't have the weighted keys... | |
| Barry -- 09/03/2004, 09:26:33 -- #6899 | |
| The P60 would be the right model number. It's very portable and has internal monitor speakers and is a good buy at that price point. If portablity is not a problem then check out the 'F' range from Roland - the F50 and F100 are nice sounding entry level digital pianos. The SP range from Korg is also similarly priced and is worth checking out. Let us know what you end up with. Barry | |
| Nikos -- 09/03/2004, 14:46:11 -- #6904 | |
| I would take a closer look at the Yamaha P120, much better than the P60 IMO. The P90 is also good and a bit cheaper than the P120, but no internal speakers. Also look for an used Kawai MP9000, best keyboard out there! Nikos | |
| Barry -- 09/04/2004, 01:35:20 -- #6917 | |
| Yes the P120 is the next model up from the P60. It is better and this is reflected in the price, as you would expect. | |
| shiv -- 09/07/2004, 08:52:48 -- #6985 | |
| hey i kno this question does not belong here but i just wanted to kno how to correctly interface a yamaha psr-340 with my pc using a single midi cable..i just need out ffrom keyboard and in to the computer... i have cakewalk but it doesnt read my device... if no one can answer this cuz it dont belong here can u please gimme a link to a place where i can find an answer... | |
| 7 -- 09/07/2004, 09:16:25 -- #6987 | |
| If you've got the cable connected from your PC to your keyboard, you still need to tell Cakewalk how you're routing your midi. Navigate to Cakewalk's midi menu and choose "external" for both in and out. | |
| LarryC -- 09/07/2004, 14:43:42 -- #6992 | |
| If you don't need built in speakers and want more than just the 5 or so basic sounds, try a used Yamaha S80 or S90 | |
| terry111tj -- 09/12/2004, 10:13:29 -- #7120 | |
| I have used a Roland FP3 for quiet practice for a three years, and love the action. No on board speakers. They are discontinued now but could be had for about $1100 to $1200 new. Weigh about 40 lbs. Great grand piano sound on headphones. | |
| amoney -- 09/13/2004, 19:57:03 -- #7159 | |
| i want something with a genuine (i hate digital sounds) sound, which keyboards would be best? | |
| Dr. Whack -- 09/14/2004, 09:51:55 -- #7170 | |
| the digital ones :) Analogue synthesis does not make for very good piano sounds. Go to the store and try the one's suggested above. As you can see, every one will have an individual preference as to what sounds and feels "realistic" | |
| Monk42 -- 09/24/2004, 00:06:08 -- #7397 | |
| I just picked up an old Alesis QS 8.1 (cerca 1999), feels awesome (88 hammer action keys) and the piano sounds are near perfect (to my ear). Paid a little over $700 for her but she's more than worth it. Great organ and synth sounds too (something like 1180 stock sounds). IMHO the newer QS 8.2's are no where near as good, but they sell for around $1500; they have all the same sounds as the origionals, but less outputs and cheaper insides. Only drawbacks are no internal sequencer or track recording, but thats what computers are for right? ~M | |
| Copyright © 2005 by Scot Ranney. All rights reserved. | |
| Click Here for more information about performances and clinics. Click Here to sign up for Scot's music announcements. | |