Keyboards

audiobliss · July 2004

Hey all,
I'm looking for an electric music keyboard. I've been playing piano for about 7 or 8 years, and I just recently stopped taking lessons. I've decided that a keyboard would allow me to 1) obviously do more things, 2) play more often (not bother other w/ headhpones) 3) record my songs. Anyways, I was wondering if anybody here has a keyboard they'd recommend or just some general advice on them. I'd say I'm lookin' at (my parents

) spendin' about $500-$700.

I'm really looking for something that really feels like a piano. I also want a really realistic piano (and other) sound. As I look at the different keyboards, I find myself more and more wanting the ability to record in layers and play in different voices and have accompaniments. Though, none of that's a real biggie.

I'm sure I won't get a lot of help on this, but if you have any comments, they would really be appreciated.

BTW, I'm really looking at this or this

Thanks!!

audiobliss · July 2004

Thanks. I've been trying to look at some used stuff, but I'm just sorta gettin' sucked in to the many, many, many, many,...different models. Too much!! How about Kurzweil? Thus far Yamaha, Kurzweil, and Korg are the only brands I've found that I might be interested in.

I guess I'd just look in the classifieds for a used one?

Thanks!

Edit: I've tried to look up your keyboard on the net, but I haven't been able to find it. Also, I'm sure I'd be buying new; I'd almost bet not used. That kinda narrows my selection a little bit.

dorokusai · July 2004

The classifieds would probably be a great place to look. Take a pic of what you buy and post it here

reeltrouble1 · July 2004

Mid to high level keyboards that duplicate the feel of the piano and have a full keyboard and are worth their salt are going to run from 5-10 thousand new, so I would suggest doing the research on which ones you think will fit your needs, you have to pay alot for the gizmos like recording and background etc. seems you are in the used market, check some of your local music shops for both new and used to see which features you cannot live without. You mentioned several decent brands its the same as audio you get what you pay for.

If you cant get the top models because of budget then I would still go for a yammie or korg, just playing you are going to learn more, keep your ear sharp, etc.

Are you studying music theory? Lots to learn out there!!

Good Luck.

audiobliss · July 2004

Originally posted by audiobliss
Also, I'm sure I'd be buying new; I'd almost bet not used. That kinda narrows my selection a little bit.

Despite that, I think I will look at the used stuff. I'm going to Mauss Piano tomorrow in Raleigh, so I'll check out all the stuff they've got.

Considering those prices, maybe I don't really want a *good* piano feel and a *good* piano sound; maybe not bad will be fine.

Thanks for the info! I guess I'm lookin' now..

madmax · July 2004

Forget that new crap. You can tripple your choices with used and afer about a week you wont care anymore other than you will be happier with something that sold for 2 or 3 times as much. Check out the 88 key korgs with weighted keys. You can't do much better. I have a yamaha PSR 8000 which went for $2K new. I got mine in brand new shape several years ago for about 1/3 that much. Keys are not weighted though. Cannot play anything anyone but me would want to hear either.

madmax

audiobliss · July 2004

If any of (all

) y'all know of any good sites I could refer to that would tell me about different keyboards, give me prices, etc, etc, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

brettw22 · July 2004

Hey.....what's the price on that DGX-500 model that you posted?

audiobliss · July 2004

ATCVenom, I've been playin' for about 8 years (takin' lessons) and all my teachers have had me play classical. It's really amazing to play and learn the theory and all, but I really don't enjoy classical that much. So, I just stopped my lessons, and I'm currently playing from a fake book I have. Mostly I like oldies stuff (Just My Imagination, My Girl, Dream Lover, ...) and some other stuff I don't know what it it is (Ships, Sometimes When We Touch, Hero, Stranger on the Shore, Daniel, Candle in the Wind, Circle of Life, Can You Feel the Love,...). I also bought some sheet music recently: Can't Stop Loving You - Phil Collins, 100 Years - Five for Fighting, Walking in Memphis - Lonestar, You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban, and Tiny Dancer - Elton John. What kind of music do you play? I'd hafta say that I'd play a lot, it's just findin' the music. And, I can't play by ear at all.

brettw22, Sams Club is sellin' the DGX 500 for just under $600.

I'm kinda surprised; it seems we have some piano players here. That's great!!:D

Thanks!!

brettw22 · July 2004

The $600 is a good price......I was gonna tell you that I could get it for $540, but then with shipping from Phoenix to NC it would be a wash......

brettw22 · July 2004

The $600 is a good price......I was gonna tell you that I could get it for $540, but then with shipping from Phoenix to NC it would be a wash......

audiobliss · August 2004

Well, I went by Mauss Piano in Raleigh Saturday. Sorry it has taken so long for me to get back to y'all. I played on a lot of their keyboards, but they really had more of the nice, stationary keyboards. The cheapest thing was a Yamaha P60 for about $830. I've waited so long now to put together my thoughts that I can't truly remember exactly what I thought about each one. Anyhoo, I'll try to remember.

The Yamaha P60 had a good feel and a good sound, it just didn't have enough voices, any accompinaments, or enough banks (or w/e you call 'em) for saving songs. It also came with a bench.

The Yamaha P120 was a bit nicer and looked it, too. It was for $1500. That included the stand and a bench. It pretty much had the same feel and sound, it just had a few more voices.

I also played a Kohler KD-20 that was sellin' for $1500. It had a really nice feel to it that I liked a lot. However, it still isn't what I'm lookin' for. I want more of a portable (though I don't plan on takin' it anywhere) keyboard with a lot of voices, different features, a good feel, and CHEAP!!

None of these keyboards meet those criteria, unfortunately. However, I also went by Sams Saturday evening and I saw the Yamaha DGX-500. It was sitting, laying down on the top of a shelf. It was practically impossible to play so I couldn't really tell what I thought. However, from what I could tell, the feel in the keys was pretty good, I really liked the sound of it, and it had a TON!!! of voices. It also had a bunch of accompinaments for different songs. Besides all that, it's portable and looks really nice. I think I might be sold on it. First, though, I'll have to go to the Sams in Winston-Salem; they have a keyboard set up where you can really play it.

So, I haven't really made a decision yet, but I'm really leaning toward the DGX-500. Maybe I can find the 505 somewhere, 'cause I might like some of the extra features it has.

Now, I have a question. One of the real reasons I really want a keyboard is so that I can save my music; not the notes or a file that I can play back on the keyboard, but a file that I can play back on my computer, that I can e-mail to someone and then they can play it on their computer without any special software, that I can maybe burn to a CD, etc. Is that going to be possible? Is there something else I'm going to have to do to be able to do that?

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated.

audiobliss · August 2004

ATCvenom, sounds like you really know a lot about chords and hwo they go together so that you can just improvise a lot. I really wish I could do that, it would make it so much easier and so much more fun. However, I'm pretty much lost if I don't have some music in fron of me (or memorised in my head). I may tro to expand and learn how to put chords together and stuff, as that really makes you more of a musician than a dummy who just plays people's music. I also could never create my own music; I'm not nearly that talented.

Sounds like you play a lot, though. I probably only get to play about an hour every two weeks. Proably not that much, actually. I hope that'll change when (if) I get a keyboard and can use headphones. For instance, I would've played for at least 30 minutes tonight, but everybody's asleep.

TheReaper · August 2004

Originally posted by audiobliss
Now, I have a question. One of the real reasons I really want a keyboard is so that I can save my music; not the notes or a file that I can play back on the keyboard, but a file that I can play back on my computer, that I can e-mail to someone and then they can play it on their computer without any special software, that I can maybe burn to a CD, etc. Is that going to be possible? Is there something else I'm going to have to do to be able to do that?

Midi (which that keyboard has) is good for making your own accompaniment, and for layering tracks for a final piece. Midi will playback on the keyboard, just as you played it. There are also programs that will convert it to sheet music. Other people will be able to play your midi files on their computer (if you use General Midi instruments), but the sounds of the instruments will be different.

To put the final results into a format like CD or MP3, so that other people hear it as you do. You need a stereo Line Out on the keyboard, or headphones out can also work but is a pain to get the volume correct (and sometimes you get distortion). Anyway, you connect the Line Out on the keyboard, to the Line In on your computer's sound card, and record it (in the highest definition possible, quality also depends on your sound card). You can then convert and burn the sound file to a CD, or convert it to an MP3 using any number of programs.

From the description at the Yamaha site, I can't tell whether the DGX500 has a stereo line out, or just the headphones out.

PS. If you want to hear two of my attempts (midi files):

http://home.att.net/~knockknockknock/johngood.mid
http://home.att.net/~knockknockknock/BITEDUST.mid

AsSiMiLaTeD · August 2004

I own the DGX-500...have been using it for over a year now.

It has REALLY good sound for that price. The feel overall is good also, but it does NOT have the hammer-action feel to the keys like a real piano would, not sure if you're looking for that or not.

It's a full 88, and key width and length is accurate, just no hammer-action.

Honestly, I don't think you can do better for the price.

Plus, as you noted, it has TONS of capabilities...

Here's a picture of mine...

wlrandall · August 2004

I bought the 500 for my wife the Christmas before last. Paid $500 at Guitar Center; everyone else wanted $600. Shop around, wait for a sale and you'll find it for the same.

Great sound for the money. Forget the built-in speakers. I ran the analog out to the old H/K AVR25 driving a pair of M4SIIs. Makes a world of difference.

The down side of it is the keys. Not weighted, very keyboard-like. That's to be expected for the price. The MIDI capabilities are cool. Ours is linked to the PC, real easy to compose and play.

Look also into Roland, they have some decent boards as well.

Joel · August 2004

Hey AudioBliss, i've been playing Piano since i was 7, which would be.. 12 years, lol had to think for a second. From my experiences it's near impossible to get the great sound out of a keyboard that you can get out of an actual piano. I play on a Baldwin grand, and i've wanted to get a keyboard because i'm leaving to go to music school, and i can't exactly fit a grand piano into an apartment, lol. IMO there isn't a keyboard out there for less that at least 8 grand that will sound anywhere near as good as a piano. Although, keyboards have their advantages with a more band oriented setting (which sounds like what your moving towards). As they can get many more sounds. Personally i can't stand the electronic sound of them, lol, but different strokes for different folks. Now this post is probly horribly organized, but i hope it makes sense, lol.

EDIT: lol all that and i forget my suggestions

, for the price your describing Yamaha is a great choice, they make a lot of lower priced keyboards that do a real nice job. If you change your mind and decide to spend more look into Roland and Alesis, both are very good but i've been told Alesis is one of the best out there right now for the price. It's all opinions, though, it's whether you like the sound or not i guess.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040803073556207086122162962274/g=key/search/detail/base_pid/705536/

There's a link to an 88 key Alesis, look around on musicians friend and read up on stuff to get an idea on all the different brands and good luck on your purchase, hope it does you well

wlrandall · August 2004

http://www.zzounds.com/prodsearch?form=prodsearch&q=dgx500

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040803080532012005248065976943/g=key/search/detail/base_pid/700826/

audiobliss · August 2004

Joel, I perfectly understand that post.....organized just how my mind is.

Thanks for the link on the Alesis keyboard; I had never heard of them.

I must admit, it sounds like if I can find a DGX-500/505 set up so I can play and it turns out to be as good as I think it is now, I guess that's what I'm gettin'.

Thanks for all the comments. I'll let y'all know what I think if I ever manage to play one.

audiobliss · August 2004

Originally posted by TheReaper

http://home.att.net/~knockknockknock/johngood.mid
http://home.att.net/~knockknockknock/BITEDUST.mid

So, how did you get these files? That's pretty much exactly what I want. I can listen to 'em just through WMP.

By the way, great job on the songs. Did you just figure out the chords an' such yourself? That's pretty awesome.

Also, can you somehow get a MIDI port for you computer and hook it up to the keyboard that way?

Thanks!!

TheReaper · August 2004

I made the files myself, you don't need much.

I have a PSR320 which has MIDI IN/OUT ports (the DGX-500 also has MIDI IN/OUT).

I hava MIDI cable (in/out) that connects to the joystick port on my computer (nowadays you can get MIDI cables that connect to a USB port). After installing and connecting the cables to the keyboard, in the sound setup on the computer, I can set my MIDI output to my keyboard, so any MIDI file played, plays on the keyboard. Also, MIDI programs can record what I play on the keyboard.

I have MUSIC@PASSPORT ( http://www.passportdesigns.com/ ), a simple MIDI program on my computer, that can record what I play and scores it. I can then edit the music, copy/paste, fix my goofs, change instruments, add more tracks (copy/paste from another file), etc. Besides saving the file in it's own format, the program can also save as a midi file (and import a midi file).

I am not very talented, but I can read music, and after practicing a song a lot, can play it okay. I have the music for those 2 songs I did, the melody and basic accompaniment. I then expanded on the accompaniment and added drums.

And like someone mentioned above, keyboards sound much better, connected to a stereo with better speakers.

audiobliss · August 2004

Man, that msut be some awesome software!! I'm thinkin', I'm gonna go to that link and download it and I'll be rockin'...man, that stuff has a price tag!!!!

But, you say it will take in a MIDI signal and save that AND convert it into score? That's the same thing as sheet music, right? That's pretty awesome. And do you mean that if you play a wrong note while playing on the keyboard you can correct it in the recorded version with this software? With the original voice?! That's pretty awesome!

Can I get this at a store?
can I get a bootleg copy? :P

Thanks for all the advice!!

TheReaper · August 2004

First off, I write software for a living, so I only steal source code

If you are going to buy midi software, I would find a good music forum, and find out which software is best. I bought the music@passport software because it was only $60 at the time, and I was just playing around to see what I could do.

As for recording, the music@passport software that I have, only records up to 2 voices at a time (split keyboard). But it handles up to 16 voices, multiple notes per voice. Basically it can have up to 16 staves per system, with a voice (instrument) assigned to each staff. Percussion is considered one voice, with each note/pitch being a different drum, cymbal etc. It does display the music as you play it, which looks cool, but is distracting if you look at it (it is always a note behind). As you are working with sheet music, you can edit the music. You can drag a note up and down to change it's pitch, change the duration of a note. Some of the operations are quirky and a little difficult (not quite as easy as a word processor). When coupled with the freebee midi recorder and mixer that came with my cables, I could do most things I wanted, one way or another.

audiobliss · August 2004

Thanks! What kind of software do you write? I imagine that would be a neat job.

I'll start looking at BB and CC at the music software they have; never knew you could do so much with it.

Thanks!!

Keyboards

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