Greetings from Ireland

[slane4]

Hello to all from this new member in Ireland. I've been a pianist and organist for many years, mainly classical, church and light music. I'm now thinking of adding a good quality keyboard (not sure yet which one) so I expect I'll soon be asking questions.
Greg.

 

[jpscoey]

Hello from Manchester, Greg.
If it's opinions you're looking for, you're in the right place!

 

[slane4]

Thanks for your prompt response. I'm interested in your opinion of what might be a suitable short list. Requirements as follows: something that works out of the box with a good range of voices - built-in amplifier/speakers - preferably 6 octaves (I imagine 61 note keyboards are restricting) - good touch-sensitive feel etc - mainly home use but ability to use in church via external amplifier. If this makes sense as a rough spec, what do you suggest I look at? I prefer to narrow the search before I go shopping.

 

[jpscoey]

If you could say roughly what your budget is? Just so we know what 'area' we're looking in.

 

[slane4]

Thanks again and sorry that was an obvious omission. Let's say under £1,000.

 

[jpscoey]

Ok - £1,000 can get you a lot of keyboard, so let's try & narrow it down a little.

A sticking point could be the built-in speaker issue.
Most 'professional' standard keyboards do not have built-in speakers - these type of instruments are mainly targeted at the 'home keyboard' market.
You could, for example, buy a really good keyboard & a small 'practice' amp & still get change from your £1,000.

So, are built-in speakers an absolute neccessity?

 

[slane4]

Now I'm learning, thanks to you. I don't HAVE to have built-in speakers if that means I'll have an inferior instrument.

 

[jpscoey]

We're getting somewhere now!
Next up - you mentioned touch sensitive keys & I note that you play both piano and organ.
Out of the two, you should decide which type of 'feel' you are most comfortable with... the 'springy' touch of the organ, or the 'weighted' touch of the piano?

 

[slane4]

Piano

 

[jpscoey]

In that case you are looking at an 88-note ie: 7 1/4 octave keyboard.
The trade-off here is that although you get the 'quality' feel you'd like, the unit as a whole is inevitably going to weigh more. (still perfectly transportable in most cases though)

Next question - how complicated do you want the keyboard to be?
With a £1,000 budget you can get something that will virtually clean the house for you while you're out!

Or you could go for a high-quality piano (most of the instruments in this bracket will also contain sound banks with voices such as strings, organ, brass & so-on)

 

[slane4]

It appears I may not need to spend the full £1000 to get a nice instrument. I certainly want a good range of voices - after all I already have a good acoustic piano. Perhaps I shouldn't rule out something that feels more like an organ to play if it would be more compact, 72 or so keys. I'm closing down for the evening as I have an early start tomorrow. I really appreciate your help and look forward to seeing your recommendatons.
Greg.

 

[jpscoey]

I'll post you a reply to read tomorrow then ok?

 

[jpscoey]

Just a quick final thought - take a look at korg sp250... around £600.
Follow this link - www.korg.com/Product.aspx?pd=134

 

[slane4]

Will do.

 

[jpscoey]

I added link to above reply

 

[jpscoey]

Hi Greg, here are one or two more options for you to consider...

1. Yamaha MM8 (88-note) - this is the "baby brother" of the acclaimed Motif range (MM = mini-motif). Yamaha are widely regarded as having some of the best piano sounds available, and although this is not in their top line of products, it is still a very versatile keyboard. It would cost in the region of £750 /£800. It's fairly light-weight too @ 34lbs / 15.6kg.

2. Roland EP880 - this is a fairly uncomplicated piano + a few extra voices.
Again Roland have a good reputation for quality pianos, but they tend to be fairly expensive. This is one of their more affordable models. (I don't have the specs for this). Cost?... about £700.

3. Korg TR76 or 88. These are excellent keyboards with a host of features.
The 76-note doesn't have weighted keys & as a result weighs only 20lbs / 9 kilos, but the keys are both velocity sensitive & have aftertouch - can be very useful, that.
The 88-note version does have weighted piano-style keys & therefore weighs 53lbs / 24 kilos.
This range has now been superceded (along with it's big brother - Triton) by the brand new M50, so can be acquired at a very tempting price - around £700 for the 76 & £1000 for the 88.

Of course if you look at the second-hand market you could find a higher spec instrument for the same money - but then things could become even more confusing!

Have a look at these suggestions & let me know your thoughts?

I might be barking up the wrong tree!

 

[kanthos]

I'd consider the MO6/MO8 over the MM6/MM8; if I recall correctly, the MO series is a bit newer and/or better. Certainly, it's priced a bit higher in stores right now which typically means it's better.

 

[jpscoey]

Fair point Kanthos, but I get the impression that Greg doesn't neccessarily want to go too far down the route of complicated layers, sequencing etc.

In my job I've met many people who have a piano at home, but want a compact, portable instrument with a variety of other sounds thrown in - good voices & simplicity are their main requirements.

There is no doubt that the Mo-series is a step up from the MM, but why spend the extra money for added features that are never going to be used?

I baulked at suggesting the TR, really - but it's such a fine instrument that I felt obliged to mention it!

 

[kanthos]

I don't know; my philosophy is that if you're getting a lot more features and, importantly, better quality or more sounds for a very small price difference, paying the extra is worth it. You don't *have* to use all the extra features if you don't want to anyway. I haven't yet used sampling or the sequencer mode on my TR, and I can do everything I need so far without using those, but they're there if and when I want them. I wouldn't recommend a Motif XS for someone looking at the MM series, but going up to the MO series is a much more reasonable upgrade, I think.

 

[meisenhower]

Just a quick note about the differences between the MM8 and the MO8, and they are more than subtle.

Polyphony: 32 MM8 vs. 64 MO8 - Huge difference when playing piano and I'd consider 64 the bare minimum (and 128 is preferable) these days.

Sound:
MM8 uses "original" Motif sounds, while the MO8 takes its sound set from the Motif ES.

Action: The MM8 has "Graded Hammer Standard" while the MO8 has "Balanced or Graded Hammer Effect Action". Both actions are good but the GHE has greater sensitivity and authenticity than GHS action. If you're NOT a hard core pianist, you might not care about this difference.

Waveforms: MM8 has 70 MB , while the MO8 has 175MB.

Effects: The MM8 has an adequate but far more limited choice of reverbs, delays, chorus's but also how they can be applied is different than the MO8.

Sequencing: MO8 has it, MM8 doesn't. Even if you don't think you'll need it, it's more valuable on the resale market.

Given the relatively small difference in price ($400 USD street price, not MSRP), I'd likely take the MO8 over the MM8 on the ES soundset and additional polyphony alone. I'd consider the sequencing and other workstation features as a freebie!

Your mileage may vary.