Hello, my name is Craig and i'm looking to buy a new keyboard. I used to play the piano around ten years ago and got upto grade 5 before quitting. I am now looking forward to getting back into music and quite like the idea of getting a keyboard. What i would like from my keyboard:- Touch Sensitive keys 60-75 keys Variety of sounds/tones/effects/rhythms USB/MIDI/SD slot Line outputs for connecting to an amp/speaker Arranger I will be to play mainly modern covers like The Killers, The Verve, Oasis, Kasabian etc. Once i have got to a good enough standard i wish play within a band. Can anyone help on what kind of keyboard they suggest i could buy? I have a price limit of £350. I am interested in the Casio WK500 and the Roland E09, any thoughts on these two keyboards also? Thanks for your help. Craig
Of the two you've picked out, I'd go with the Roland simply because it's a Roland. It'll be better quality all round - better sounds, better feel, better build quality. If wouldn't write the Casio off completely though - I don't know this board very well but it looks a lot better than standard Casio fare (not saying much admittedly...). It seems they're starting to get their act together a bit more recently. My advice as always is to try them out in shop(s) if possible and go with whichever you feel suits you better. I'm sure my colleagues will be able to suggest more (Yamaha) models for you to have a look at!
' I looked at your options here, and the key quote from the reviews I saw here is 'entry level' £350 is not a lot to play with I admit, but if you're looking for anything above 'average' sounds & playabilty, why not get on ebay, for example, and you could put that money to a lot better use. I have no direct knowledge of either of these keyboards, but if past experience is anything to go by, dismiss Casio straight away. If you were to listen to/play a keyboard that's, say, £500/£600 new, you would surely see the difference in quality - and you should be able to acquire a good one, nearly new, for about the money you have available. Hope this helps? .
Okay thanks for the help guys, i may have to save some more money. I would rather buy a keyboard i loved which will last me, than a keyboard i thought was okay!
' If you explain exactly your requirements / what you're looking for, I'm sure you'd get some more advice! .
Touch Sensitive keys 65 keys min. Variety of sounds/tones/effects/rhythms USB/MIDI/SD slot Line outputs for connecting to an amp/speaker Arranger Nothing Over Complicated but not really simple (if that makes sense) High Quality Sounds Recording Facilities
Ok, I admit that I'm a total KORG 'convert' , so my personal recommendation would be Korg X50, for that sort of price range. However you could also look at Yamaha MM series - there's a lot to be said about those too.
Cheers mate, i'll have a look at those and see if i can get to a store to try them out. My local shop Pooles in Grimsby have stopped selling Roland keyboards!
