Which digital piano for a beginner

[Trev]

Dear all
Could people offer their recommendations for purchase of a 1st digital piano. My circumstances/musical goals are as follows:
- would like an authentic piano sound
- 88 keys/weighted
- I'm interested in playing rock/blues styles
- interested in mainly chordal playing
- computer connection useful
- have been guitar for 20 yrs but don't read music

Thanks to anyone who replies.
Trev

 

[happyrat1]

What's your budget?

What's your venue? Personal enjoyment or Live on stage?

Gary

 

[Marten Richens]

Hi Trev

If you are after a good first digital piano, you can't go far wrong with a Roland FP-30. It has Roland's SuperNatural sound engine and is excellent. It has proper weighted keys and a simulated ivory feel (a lot of it's peers have very plasticky keys). I have not regretted buying mine. The only drawback some people may state is that it doesn't have a dedicated line out. But I play it through the 1/4" jack socket into my bass amp (Ashdown After 8 30 Watt) and it sounds great. It does have midi connectivity and I use it in FL Studio without any problems.

It actually ticks all of your requests. But to answer them in turn

Authentic Piano Sound - Yes. it has 3 different Grand pianos and what it refers to as a Ragtime Piano, which is more of an upright sound.

88 Key Weighted - Yes on both counts. It feels just like acoustic pianos I have played.

Rock and Blues - me too and yes it does. It also has a Rhodes voice as well (think Riders on the Storm).

Chord playing sounds great and you'll be fine with that.

It has Midi output via USB

You don't need to read music to play the piano. Once you know where the keys are, your guitar theory will come in to it's own a lot. I found doing a few guitar theory lessons was getting a bit confusing, but when laying it out on a piano keyboard, it all made much more sense.

I hope this helps, and if you haven't got somewhere locally here's a link to one with GAK (based in Brighton). I would recommend getting one with the stand and pedal board if you can stretch to it.

Oh and welcome to the forum from Exeter.

 

[Trev]

What's your budget?

What's your venue? Personal enjoyment or Live on stage?

Gary

Hi Gary. I would be playing at home for personal enjoyment but sometimes like to take the keyboard to Sch so would extension cab facility.

 

[happyrat1]

Hi Gary. I would be playing at home for personal enjoyment but sometimes like to take the keyboard to Sch so would extension cab facility.

So is your budget unlimited or do you have a number in mind?

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

BTW, while there's no doubt that the FP-30 is a great stage piano Casio has some offerings for the budget minded that are just as good if not better when it comes to additional features for less or equal money.

The Privia PX-360 is a very capable instrument with excellent piano feel and sounds and professional features plus the ability to offer enough voices, polyphony and accompaniment to keep even the most jaded piano student from becoming bored with his instrument.

Gary

 

[Fred Coulter]

Ditto on the Casio suggestion.

I can't speak about what's currently available, but when my eldest daughter was going to be a vocal performance major, my father (composer and classical pianist) went to Sam Ash to find a piano for her for college. He found a Casio that he approved of for hundreds of dollars.

My eldest daughter gave it to my younger daughter when she changed majors (she graduated Political Science and Mathematics), who found that she could just tuck it under her arm when she needed it in class. She also found that connecting it to a computer via MIDI made certain homework assignments much easier.

The bad news is that you'll also need a stand (or table, or something) and that it may suffer from pedal creep. But it will sound and feel decent for little money.

 

[Marten Richens]

BTW, while there's no doubt that the FP-30 is a great stage piano Casio has some offerings for the budget minded that are just as good if not better when it comes to additional features for less or equal money.

The Privia PX-360 is a very capable instrument with excellent piano feel and sounds and professional features plus the ability to offer enough voices, polyphony and accompaniment to keep even the most jaded piano student from becoming bored with his instrument.

Gary

I'm sure the Casio is a great piano, but it is more expensive than the Roland, well it is in the UK and that is where the OP is based. Your post does suggest that the PX-360 is in the budget range you allude to.

 

[Fred Coulter]

Just went to the Sweetwater site, the cheapest 88 note electronic piano is the Yamaha P-45 at $449.99. There's a bunch at $499.99.

On Sam Ash, there are two cheaper pianos: The Artesia AM1 ($239.99) and AM3 ($329.99).

You can compare these prices to the PX-360 ($899.99) and the FP-30 ($699.00).

As a first piano, you may find that cheap is good. As you improve (and prove to yourself that you're actually going to play), you can always upgrade. (And give that first one to a family member.)

 

[Trev]

Hi Trev

If you are after a good first digital piano, you can't go far wrong with a Roland FP-30. It has Roland's SuperNatural sound engine and is excellent. It has proper weighted keys and a simulated ivory feel (a lot of it's peers have very plasticky keys). I have not regretted buying mine. The only drawback some people may state is that it doesn't have a dedicated line out. But I play it through the 1/4" jack socket into my bass amp (Ashdown After 8 30 Watt) and it sounds great. It does have midi connectivity and I use it in FL Studio without any problems.

It actually ticks all of your requests. But to answer them in turn

Authentic Piano Sound - Yes. it has 3 different Grand pianos and what it refers to as a Ragtime Piano, which is more of an upright sound.

88 Key Weighted - Yes on both counts. It feels just like acoustic pianos I have played.

Rock and Blues - me too and yes it does. It also has a Rhodes voice as well (think Riders on the Storm).

Chord playing sounds great and you'll be fine with that.

It has Midi output via USB

You don't need to read music to play the piano. Once you know where the keys are, your guitar theory will come in to it's own a lot. I found doing a few guitar theory lessons was getting a bit confusing, but when laying it out on a piano keyboard, it all made much more sense.

I hope this helps, and if you haven't got somewhere locally here's a link to one with GAK (based in Brighton). I would recommend getting one with the stand and pedal board if you can stretch to it.

Oh and welcome to the forum from Exeter.

Hi Marten
Thanks so very much for taking the time to reply to my question and sorry for the time it's taken me to respond.
You're information was invaluable and I'm really encouraged to go for the Roland model that you specified. Does the MIDI output via the USB port allow you to access MIDI through software on ones PC? Also, something which is of importance to me is the lack of Aux out facility However you claim its not a problem because the headphone socket allows you to get a good signal that can be pushed thru an amp. For this purpose could you use a regular guitar amp, or is a bass amp more preferable?

Kindest regards
Trevor

 

[Marten Richens]

Hi Trev

I use the Roland as a MIDI controller for FL Studio, so you can control any MIDI software with the device. It's great using it to control the Farfisa and Vox emulators I have. As for an amp, I recommend that you use a bass amp as I don't know if a guitar amp will have enough low end to really do a piano justice. That's just my opinion and I'm sure others will shoot me down on this one! But I use an Ashdown After Eight 30W Bass Amp and it sounds great going through the 1/4" socket. Some may say that you will really miss not having an Aux Out but as things stand at the moment, I really don't.

All the best

Marten

 

[Trev]

Hi Trev

I use the Roland as a MIDI controller for FL Studio, so you can control any MIDI software with the device. It's great using it to control the Farfisa and Vox emulators I have. As for an amp, I recommend that you use a bass amp as I don't know if a guitar amp will have enough low end to really do a piano justice. That's just my opinion and I'm sure others will shoot me down on this one! But I use an Ashdown After Eight 30W Bass Amp and it sounds great going through the 1/4" socket. Some may say that you will really miss not having an Aux Out but as things stand at the moment, I really don't.

All the best

Marten

Thanks for all of your time and help Marten.

 

[Marten Richens]

Thanks for all of your time and help Marten.

No sweat Trev. One thing I should probably point out is that you may be better off going for a pair of studio monitors instead of a bass amp; I only use the bass amp because I already have one. If buying from scratch the monitors could be a better idea (you may get more bang for your buck as well).

 

[Fred Coulter]

you may be better off going for a pair of studio monitors instead of a bass amp

Bass amps (and keyboard amps) are designed to toss into the back of the van. They're excessively rugged. If you're not playing out, getting powered speakers (or even a separate power amp and regular speakers) may make more sense. The signal will be cleaner, and you'll have a decent stereo sound.

But if you're planning on gigging, pay for the amp. (Unless you've got careful roadies.)