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Author Topic: Electric/Digital piano  (Read 758 times)

Aptus

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Electric/Digital piano
« on: September 30, 2014, 03:17:39 pm »

Been on the lookout for an affordable electric/digital piano since I got in the mood to learn how to play while still not being a douche to my neighbours making them listen to what will only be described in the annals of history as an eldritch cacaphony of unspeakable terror nearly bringing the foundation of time and space to it's proverbial knees.

Just how much should I be looking to spend to have a decent experience? I mean it is a lot more fun to learn how to play something if it doesn't sound like crap even when you play it right :p

At the moment I am looking at a Roland F-50 being sold for ~700USD but I really have no idea if it is worth it, I only know it is an older model that is not sold new anymore in my country so I can't just compare the price that way. It feels a bit expensive to me though.
Most of the reviews I have read are generally positive about it though but I don't know.

EDIT: Shit, this thread was supposed to go in Life Advice.
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LordBucket

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Re: Electric/Digital piano
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2014, 04:27:23 pm »

First couple google links I click...I can't even find a keyboard over $600. Most are the in $70 to $200 range, with only a few over $500. $700 seems very high. Looking up the Roland F-50...oh. It includes the cabinet. You don't really need that. Get a portable and put it on a table. I recommend you go somewhere that sells keyboards and try a couple. You might find a $100-$150 model that does everything you want.

Aptus

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Re: Electric/Digital piano
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2014, 04:47:55 pm »

First couple google links I click...I can't even find a keyboard over $600. Most are the in $70 to $200 range, with only a few over $500. $700 seems very high. Looking up the Roland F-50...oh. It includes the cabinet. You don't really need that. Get a portable and put it on a table. I recommend you go somewhere that sells keyboards and try a couple. You might find a $100-$150 model that does everything you want.

Thanks for the reply.
Reason why I am not looking for a "normal" keyboard and instead for a digital piano is that I want to get "closer" to the feel of an acoustic piano, weighted keys and stuff like that. I know I could get a normal keyboard for way less but that's not what I am looking for. I do agree though that 700 bucks seems a bit expensive.

[EDIT] Yeah it was a bit expensive, finally found a bloody store near me that had a website and they had newer models of the same piano for roughly the same price as this used one.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2014, 05:00:45 pm by Aptus »
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i2amroy

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Re: Electric/Digital piano
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2014, 11:11:37 pm »

It's totally possible to find keyboards out there with weighted keys that are still portable (Example), which, while not dirt cheap, are still both cheaper and more portable than the mounted ones you were looking at.
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Aptus

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Re: Electric/Digital piano
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2014, 02:39:01 am »

It's totally possible to find keyboards out there with weighted keys that are still portable (Example), which, while not dirt cheap, are still both cheaper and more portable than the mounted ones you were looking at.

Probably, but for example looking at those, I would gladly spend a bit extra for the cabinet as well. Being portable is not important to me, I have literally no storage space (I live in a one-room apartment with no storage.) So the piano will be a permanent part of the furniture basically, I see no scenario where I will be lugging it around and even if it was portable, I would still need somewhere to put it when I AM using it so it's a +-0 deal anyways :p

Seeing though that for some reason, used pianos around here are priced way too expensively (compared to new ones) I am now looking more and more at just buying new. For example a
http://www.casio.com/products/Digital_Pianos_%26_Keyboards/Privia_Digital_Pianos/PX-150WE/ with a cabinet that I can get for the same price as the used one I was looking at earlier.

Thanks guys for pointing out that yeah, it was way too expensive, so I actually digged and found a music store around here with a website to compare prices to :p

EDIT: Think I have managed to squeeze the price down to 550 usd while still having the most important things. (Oh no, no "authentic" ebony and ivory feel to the keys...)
The thing I am looking at now is another Casio by the name of CDP-120 with a cabinet all all those bells and whistles. Once again the reviews are good except some complaints about the sustain which I doubt I will even notice as a noob.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2014, 04:09:04 am by Aptus »
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scrdest

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Re: Electric/Digital piano
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2014, 06:25:23 am »

You could go for EXTREMELY portable, at the expense of being able to play across several octaves apart at once with one of those tiny laptop controllers. I have an Akai LPK, it's about the width of my laptop keyboard and about the height of my smartphone, so it's easily something you could carry in your bag.

It's sensitive to velocity, too, so it can be played louder or softer depending on how hard you strike the keys.

But, as I said, it's only two octaves wide, and requires to be plugged to your computer (and have some sorta software like the free version of Renoise), thought that allows it to be quite versatile with sounds - you don't like the default piano, you can find a better one for free on the internet.

And if you have a laptop, you can literally practice anywhere.
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Parsely

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Re: Electric/Digital piano
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2014, 10:09:14 am »

Piano player here~

Just wanted to say that non-weighted keys piss me off.

That's all. :S
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