Your Thoughts Please

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Why you dirty rat. (Cagney sound)
Actually I turned the 'Puter off after my last
Anyway:
Roland FP-30 is no longer available.
I know...
I'll place an order for the Roland Fp-30x.
Its on back order, so... by the time it comes in maybe this madness will have left me. Mawahahaha...
Mawahahaha... I'm off to see the wizard....
 
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Another variation - - -
A Casio WK-7600 which has 76 keys, and a "workstation" / "arranger" feature set, may be a "fun" machine.
In addition to generic "styles" (rhythms) it has a small library of songs "music presets" (over 300) that are cryptically named to avoid copyright violations.
Under "Classical" it has 35 selections
Preset #C001 "Canon" sounds like Canon in D Major (Pachelbel)
Preset #C011 "Eine Kleine" sounds like Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
I suspect that there are sources for more presets (or MIDI files) to load and play your favorites.
- - - -
Features that I liked : sliders to simulate a draw bar organ; easy to trigger fills, intros, outros, etc., and easy connection to a host personal computer (notepad, laptop or desktop).

CASIO WK-7600 $450 Retail
MANUALS:
(Appendix file has the “rhythms” and “presets”)

Easy left hand
Split the keyboard - left for chords - right for melody
You have three “fingered” modes, then “Casio Chord”
Press one key - you get the major chord (ex: C)
Press two keys - you get the minor chord (ex: Cm)
Press three keys - you get the seventh chord (ex: C7)
Press four keys - you get the minor seventh chord (ex: Cm7)
. . . then you have the “full range chord” (no shortcuts)

You may find it discounted, as it appears that Casio may be launching a new version with its AiX sound engine.
(Currently on the CT-X5000 & CT-X3000)

(Discontinued, but you may find used ones $750+)
The scion of the MZ-2000, the MZ-X500, was their flagship arranger keyboard. It had "everything" - samples - drawbar organ - trigger pads - touch sensitive screen - 128 note polyphony - 20w+20w speakers - 1150 built in tones - 330 rhythms.

Of course, there is another "new kid" on the block
$699 Medeli AKX10 Arranger keyboard.
40w+40w speakers (loud!)
KEYBOARD: 61 keys (touch response)
DISPLAY: 7” touch screen
MAX POLYPHONY: 256
VOICE: 1100 + 256 GM2 + 512 users
STYLE: 280 + 512 users
MUSIC LIBRARY: 90 songs • Album (50 + 512 users)
+ Microphone input (vocoder, harmonizer)
+ Good I/O (MIDI in/out, USB to host, to device, audio in/out, bluetooth)
+ Audio-over-USB (no need for separate cables)
+ User adjustable lights
+ Styles, songs, 1+3 more layered sounds
+ VOICE: 1100 + 256 GM2 + 512 users
{oh my - pretty lights, too}
More info in this post:
 
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Nope-
Placed an order for the Yamaha P-125 instead.
$100 cheaper, and I'll get it sooner.
Don't need an ap in order to dial in a different tone.
Tony...
 
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Sorry for the concurrent posts.
This is relative to my first post.
Hate to leave things undone.
Biggles asked: come back to let us know what you think prior to comitting
Many apologies to biggles for jumping the gun.
In any case I did order the following.
Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course, Book 1
And:
Practical Method For Beginners, Czerny
I can change these if you guys don't approve.
Have to finish unpacking the keyboard.
Totally stoked. :D :D
Tony
 
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Sorry but the P45 gets very little love from me.

In one of my local music stores they had a Casio S1000, S3000, Yamaha P45, P121, P125 and a Roland FP30 all available to play, so I shuttled from one to the other. I then went to another store and tried the Korg D1 & B2, both soon were consigned to the bottom of the list.

The Casio menu system a nightmare on both models, good job I had my iPad with each of the manuals downloaded onto it so in store I had to look up how to do things.

Roland FP 30, best keybed action, sounds were very good, downside was that a key combination of presses including a note on the keybed was required to change tones.

Yamaha P45, good keybed, good acoustic piano sounds, downside was again the key combination needed to change the sounds.

Yamaha P121 (73keys) & P125 (88keys), good keybed second only to the Roland, best acoustic piano sounds. Major plus point in the instrument sounds were grouped in a series of push buttons with one button per category and another press of the category button changed the sound to the next one in the category, another push another different sound etc. LED lights showed which was selected. Polyphony at 192 was and is way better than the P45.

Do yourself a massive favour and go for a P125, it is well worth the extra cash over the P45.

EDIT
I was writing this as MarchHare was posting so a good couple of thumbs up for your choice, you have made the best choice imo that is.

Do note that Smart Pianist App works very well with the P125 and three moths free trial of Flowkey may well be available in the USA, it is included here in the UK

Good luck
 
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Biggles, I did get the P-125. Thank you.
I think that I will be happy with it.
My question was essentially about my first music book choices.
Also one more thing:
Surge Protector... Is it ok to use a surge protector in hook up with a digital keyboard.
I understand that some electronic devices do not play well with a surge protector.
Unfortunately in my area we get a lot of electrical storms.
Appreciate the advice.
Tony
 
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A good quality device with surge protection and filtration against transients is always a good practice.

I cannot recommend a device as I am in the UK and we do not get the same ones as you have available in the US.

EDIT
I just double checked what I am using, a Belkin with 8 integral power sockets and two 2.4A USB charging sockets
 
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happyrat1

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I've been using surge protectors on ALL of my music and electronic gear for for 30 years now.

Have not lost a piece of kit yet.

I strongly recommend Belkin as a brand, and if you want to move a step up, look at APC.

Gary ;)
 
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Thanks very much gentlemen.
Your advice is always appreciated.
I presently have both.
I have APC on my ageing, av equipment.
Belkin, on everything else.
Spent many years on the Florida gulf coast. Sometimes called the lightening capital of the world.
So, I have learned to be cautious with regard to electronics.
On this occasion, I ordered a Tripp Lite Super7B.
Had the best protection, warranty, etc. Also well known in the industry and has been around for a while.
Tony.
 
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And take heart. As a teen, Django Reinhardt was burned in a fire that caused two of his fingers to be fused together. A determined musician, he developed his own style of guitar playing and went on to be an internationally famous recording star. Other guitarists struggled to emulate him, and most people weren't even aware of his "disability".

django.jpg
 
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Many thanks Ander.
Wish I could borrow some of that determination.
I finally got a bench set up for the keyboard and everything "cat proofed".
Just started on my first lesson book today.
The Tripp Lite never shipped, so I went with the Belkin after all.
Tony...
 

happyrat1

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A couple more suggestions, just to complete the ensemble.

1) A good dust cover is a MUST HAVE. ESPECIALLY if you own cats.

I heartily recommend these guys for a good dust cover.


2) You'll need a good quality sustain pedal.

These are universal.


And you should invest in a decent controller pedal.

I use the recommended Roland EV-5 one. Works fine with the Juno.


Amazon even offers both pedals as a bundle.


After that, it's up to you to supply the talent :D :D :D

Have fun :D

Gary ;)
 
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A good dust cover is a MUST HAVE. ESPECIALLY if you own cats.
Agreed. Put together a fairly decent one.
The sustain pedal I got was the Yamaha FC3A with half damper control.
Cheers !
 

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