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keyboard shopping :B
[EDIT] I live in San Francisco, CA. Talking about US dollars. Will travel for a good deal so long as it's in CA, and I'm looking for something new.
Alright, so, I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I'm making a trip to Guitar Center in a week or two to test out a few of these models, but I thought I'd ask the folks here first for their opinions.
First, my needs and specs:
1. I've been playing for about twelve or thirteen years and have a strong intermediate knowledge of piano
2. I have rarely played on keyboards - I have always played regular pianos, and the two my family has had were an old upright, and then our current one is a Yamaha baby grand (that I love very much!).
3. I'm moving to a new house in the summer and am looking for a new piano, and I'm considering a keyboard because I live in a very cozy urban area, and I live with other people, and would like to be able to plug in with headphones if I want to practice but don't want to bother others.
4. I *need* 88 keys, for sure
5. I am very heavy handed and love slamming away on our baby grand - consequently, I'm looking for a really sturdy keyboard
6. I'm currently finishing an undergrad degree and I'm poor poor poor. I'm willing to save up for one but honestly, I don't see myself spending any more than 500-700 bucks on a keyboard. I have to eat too! I know it's important and that what you spend is what you get, but this really ought to be enough to get me a pretty darn nice keyboard, at least as far as nonprofessional, student-quality goes.
7. I have only ever played weighted pianos and I'm anxious about trying unweighted keyboards.
SO! Here we are. The current keyboard I've been eying is the Yamaha YPG 535. The package with the seat and books and software costs something like 550 at guitar center. Looks good, but as it says, the keys are not weighted - I'm not sure how sensitive the "sensitive touch" is and I was wondering if anyone on here who also plays on regular pianos have any preferences for keyboards...
There's also the Casio PX-120. I've seen a few anti-Casio remarks on here but I'm trying to be open minded about what would work best for my needs. The price for the package is about the same as the YPG 535, the only difference being a few whistles and bells, and it has weighted keys.
Also, from listening to the sound samples, I actually like the standard grand-piano tone on the Casio better than the one on the Yamaha. It seems to sound a little less electronic to me and I think would fit better with the classical pieces that I play. The tones on the Yamaha seem kind of 80's - I kept imagining Yanni busting in and joining in on the samples I was listening to. I mean, those are just samples, but the sound of the piano tone itself on the Casio appealed to me more.
Here are some samples I was comparing besides the ones on the website. I even found the same piece being played on both...! (some are loud! prepare yourself)
YAMAHA YPG 535
"Eyes on Me"
"Forrest Gump"
"Hello"
CASIO PX-120
"Eyes on Me" (with intro)
Sound Sample/Test
Chopin Nocturne
I had previously been leaning toward the Yamaha simply because I've enjoyed our Yamaha baby grand very very much, and I know they make great products. But keyboards are a new world for me, and I want to get the best one that suits *me personally*.
I chose these two packages because of the samples I've heard, the prices, and the availability at my local stores - but I'm open to any advice whatsoever on brands and models. I have several months to decide and I refuse to invest in anything that isn't a perfect fit.
Thanks in advance to anyone who checks out this thread, any thoughts are appreciated.
-Kelly
[EDIT] I live in San Francisco, CA. Talking about US dollars. Will travel for a good deal so long as it's in CA, and I'm looking for something new.
Alright, so, I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I'm making a trip to Guitar Center in a week or two to test out a few of these models, but I thought I'd ask the folks here first for their opinions.
First, my needs and specs:
1. I've been playing for about twelve or thirteen years and have a strong intermediate knowledge of piano
2. I have rarely played on keyboards - I have always played regular pianos, and the two my family has had were an old upright, and then our current one is a Yamaha baby grand (that I love very much!).
3. I'm moving to a new house in the summer and am looking for a new piano, and I'm considering a keyboard because I live in a very cozy urban area, and I live with other people, and would like to be able to plug in with headphones if I want to practice but don't want to bother others.
4. I *need* 88 keys, for sure
5. I am very heavy handed and love slamming away on our baby grand - consequently, I'm looking for a really sturdy keyboard
6. I'm currently finishing an undergrad degree and I'm poor poor poor. I'm willing to save up for one but honestly, I don't see myself spending any more than 500-700 bucks on a keyboard. I have to eat too! I know it's important and that what you spend is what you get, but this really ought to be enough to get me a pretty darn nice keyboard, at least as far as nonprofessional, student-quality goes.
7. I have only ever played weighted pianos and I'm anxious about trying unweighted keyboards.
SO! Here we are. The current keyboard I've been eying is the Yamaha YPG 535. The package with the seat and books and software costs something like 550 at guitar center. Looks good, but as it says, the keys are not weighted - I'm not sure how sensitive the "sensitive touch" is and I was wondering if anyone on here who also plays on regular pianos have any preferences for keyboards...
There's also the Casio PX-120. I've seen a few anti-Casio remarks on here but I'm trying to be open minded about what would work best for my needs. The price for the package is about the same as the YPG 535, the only difference being a few whistles and bells, and it has weighted keys.
Also, from listening to the sound samples, I actually like the standard grand-piano tone on the Casio better than the one on the Yamaha. It seems to sound a little less electronic to me and I think would fit better with the classical pieces that I play. The tones on the Yamaha seem kind of 80's - I kept imagining Yanni busting in and joining in on the samples I was listening to. I mean, those are just samples, but the sound of the piano tone itself on the Casio appealed to me more.
Here are some samples I was comparing besides the ones on the website. I even found the same piece being played on both...! (some are loud! prepare yourself)
YAMAHA YPG 535
CASIO PX-120
I had previously been leaning toward the Yamaha simply because I've enjoyed our Yamaha baby grand very very much, and I know they make great products. But keyboards are a new world for me, and I want to get the best one that suits *me personally*.
I chose these two packages because of the samples I've heard, the prices, and the availability at my local stores - but I'm open to any advice whatsoever on brands and models. I have several months to decide and I refuse to invest in anything that isn't a perfect fit.
Thanks in advance to anyone who checks out this thread, any thoughts are appreciated.
-Kelly