midiplus EK490 as a starter?

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Hi, I want to learn a little bit of music as a hobby. I currently have zero knowledge in music theory. I am planning to get one of the "music ace" software and a midi keyboard to go along with it. I saw this keyboard called midiplus EK490 on amazon with pretty good reviews (but only 4 of them) and wonder if this is what i should buy as a starter (sorry I am not allowed to post links yet). At this moment I am looking for something about $100 or so that I can learn to operate on and maybe jam along some songs for fun (I am really interested in knowing how do you look at a song notations and come up with the music to go along with it- sorry I don't really know the correct term for it).

I guess my best bet is try to get a keyboard that many people are familiar with in case I need some supports for it? Can you give me some pointers at all? Thank you very much!
 

happyrat1

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Those no name Chinese knockoffs are REALLY poor quality.

I'd suggest getting at least a Casio CTK-2200 or better.

http://www.amazon.com/CASIO-Electric-Keyboard-CTK-2200-Japan/dp/B005FI7ZU0

If $80 is too rich for your blood I'd suggest finding another hobby :)

Also take a look at your local craigslist and see what's available used.

You can find pro quality gear for half of the retail price once daddy's pride and joy bails on his piano lessons :)

And as for learning music theory here's a bunch of useful links you can use free of charge.

https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/good-tutorial-links.24556/

Particularly pay attention to Pianobooster and Synthesia. These are great programs for beginners.

Gary ;)
 
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thank you so much for your reply. No, it seems like a great price for a keyboard. Also I took your advice and looked at craiglist and saw a Casio-CTK-571 for about the same price. I think it is a discontinued model though. Do you have any ideas about this model and do you think it is also a good starter? Many thanks!
 

happyrat1

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Even if the price is the same for the CTK-571, the CTK-2200 offers superior value for the money.

It has 400 tones and 150 rhythms compared to the 571's 128 tones and 100 rhythms.

Unless you could negotiate the 571 down to about $35 I wouldn't bother with it.

$80 for a new 2200 with full warranty is a no brainer.

Gary ;)
 

happyrat1

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BTW, I just took another look at that 2200 I listed. It ships from Japan and all the buttons and menus are in Japanese.

That's why it's so cheap.

Instead I'd recommend spending a little more and shopping around for a CTK-3200. It also has touch response which the 2200 does not.

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-CTK-3200-Sensitive-Personal-Keyboard/dp/B007T8HVLW

Realistically $100-$150 is a typical price for a decent starter keyboard.

Gary ;)
 

Fred Coulter

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I concur with the CTK-3200. My minimum requirements for a starter keyboard are (a) full size keys, (b) five+ octaves, and (c) velocity sensitivity. This meets all three requirements. (Basically, I don't want you to outgrow it too quickly.) While the polyphony of the CTK-3200 isn't very high, it shouldn't be an issue for a while.
 
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Thanks to you both. While looking at the CTK-3200, I saw CTK-4200 and 4400 for a little more money. Are they also good choices (or are they too advanced for beginner?). Thank you again!
 

happyrat1

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Not at all too advanced.

It's usually a good idea to max out your budget on a first keyboard since otherwise if you buy something too cheap you will end up outgrowing it too quickly.

These are the next steps up in keyboards from Casio and offer a lot more voices and features and effects for the money so they will take a lot longer before you outgrow them.

The CTK-4400 at $149 USD is an excellent deal from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-CTK4400-Sensitive-Personal-Keyboard/dp/B00LYJG0JQ

Gary ;)
 

Fred Coulter

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No such thing as too advanced a keyboard for a beginner. Even if you don't use 90% of the capabilities, you should still have no problem using it to learn as long as it's got reasonable polyphony, etc. The issue isn't with how advanced the keyboard is but whether you'll stick with it long enough to justify the cost.

A Kronos 88 would be a wonderful first (or last, or whatever) keyboard. But at a cost of between $3K and $4K, if you decide that keyboards are not the way to go, you've spent a lot on something you're not going to use.

One of the reasons I like the DGX-6xx series from Yamaha is that, while they have a lot of bells and whistles for the more advanced player, they boot up as a straight piano. And if somehow you manage to screw it up you can always just push the piano button. (They're a little out of your price range right now, so unless you find a used one dirt cheap I wouldn't bother looking for one.)
 
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Thanks! The other question that I have is from reading the reviews, people often mention how the keyboards "feel" or not feel like piano keys (I guess that's why people shell out big bucks for weighted keys and things like that). Does that matter to people like me who never played the piano before and therefore have no ideas how a piano "feels" anyway?
 

happyrat1

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It depends entirely on your personal goals.

If your main interest is learning piano style songs and playing then a hammer action weighted keyboard is a must. Any piano teacher who takes on a new student will always recommend getting a true electronic piano.

Then again if your interest is organ style or synth style music, then unweighted keys actually have a faster action and are preferable.

It's always possible to make the jump from unweighted to weighted keys later in life but it becomes more difficult and annoying than starting out with hammer action keys in the first place.

Realistically though, a lot of people start out on unweighted keys because the price difference is like night and day.

Whatever your goals and whatever the budget, you learn to make the best of what you can afford.

Gary ;)
 

Fred Coulter

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Realistically though, a lot of people start out on unweighted keys because the price difference is like night and day.

Gary ;)

People's definitions of night and day vary a great deal. A quick search on a music retailer's site lists Casio's with 88 weighted keys starting around $500. I'd call this dusk and avoid the whole issue.

Is this cheap or expensive? Ever price a bassoon?

I did. Luckily my daughter's bassoon playing was pretty limited, and we were able to use the school's bassoon.
 

happyrat1

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Comparatively speaking that $500 Casio piano is still more than triple the price of the CTK-4400 at $150, so yeah, I think my night and day analogy stands up to scrutiny here.

Same pretty much applies to most instruments.

You can pay literally $50 for a no name Chinese made Boehm flute but compared to a $2000 silver Armstrong it is almost unplayable.

But we are talking keyboards here so, apples and oranges.

Gary ;)
 
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thanks everybody. I just got a used CTK4400 off from ebay. Got 14 days to try it out. What should I try to ensure that it is working properly? Just that all the keys work?
 

happyrat1

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Mainly check that all the switches and knobs and keys work as expected.

Also make sure there are no leaking batteries in the battery compartment.

Gary ;)
 
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thanks. I just got the keyboard today. There are 5 adjacent keys (3 white and 2 black) in about the middle of the keyboard that do not produce any sound. I tried to follow the instruction to factory reset this keyboard that states "While holding down (SONG BANK) and the [1] 10-key key at the same time, press 1" and I have no ideas what is the [1] 10-key they are talking about.

Should I try to open up the keyboard to maybe clean up dust to see if it works? It looks beautiful. Really hope that it can work. Many thanks!
 
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figured out about the reset thing. but the 5 keys still do not work. I am surprised that it is the exact set of keys. I figure I have to try to see if I can open up the keyboard. I was wishing for some instructions online about the disassembly of ct 4400 but no luck.
 

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