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So yeah, I am looking at a digital piano/keyboard, my price range is 500-700 dollars. Any brands and models people can recommend?

I have a Yamaha keyboard that I've owned for... I'm not sure how many years (it was their first 88-note portable keyboard and it was in a time when floppy disks where the only sort of storage around.)

Anyway, I love it and recommend it, and I think most of their models fit within that price range.
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical- ... uct_lineup

I've also seen this...Which is the only one that isn't actually used...That I can find

P-35

I'm not sure, since it has only 1 review...Though Amazon, upon looking, has more reviews, and it seems solid..Thoughts?

Edit: Or should I go with the P-105? Both are in my price range.

P-105

I would recommend Yamaha or Roland. Both have good mid-range options. If you're just learning you might look at something a little cheaper, in case you decide you don't really like playing (here's one on sale today! YPG-235). If you're determined, then either of those you linked to would be a good choice.

I kind of know I'll stick with it, simply because my intrigue with a piano is the same as what I had with my guitar. I've always been fascinated with both, and even though I've been playing my guitar for a while, it still surprises me, and myself.

I did a little more research, and the P-105 seems to be what I'm after, it's only 150 more, and since I'm getting this with my tax return, it'll be covered completely.

Thanks, both of you! I always like to have opinions of those more seasoned with this stuff!

Well, I can't recommend any specific models, but be sure to try before you buy! Keyboards have widely varying action and features, some of which will work for certain people, and not for others. It's very subjective, even moreso than a guitar, and it really comes down to what YOU feel most comfortable with. For that, you've got to just sit down at a bunch of keyboards and screw around until one "clicks". As you get better, you'll get a feel for what you're looking for. And like others have said, you may want to start even cheaper than your current price range; a couple hundred dollars will get you a perfectly functional keyboard, and if it manages to hold your interest, you can always upgrade! (hell, I don't even have a nice keyboard right now, and I play a lot! Mine is a thrift store beater, but I'm eyeing a $2000 digital piano, assuming my art grant clears)

You might also want to look into a DAW or software synth, to help augment whatever keyboard you pick out. These things are really cool, and they can give you all the functionality of a sexy Korg or Roland (assuming you've got a moderately decent computer). I use Reason, which is AWESOME, but there are dozens of good software synths available, all of which can be controlled from just about any electronic keyed instrument. My beater's currently routed through a Roland Fantom soundbank, which makes it audially identical to a $2500 keyboard, and when I get bored of that, I can switch to any of a hundred different modules I own.

I sadly can't sit down and try some out, what music instrument stores we have close to me, have horrid stock. I don't even think I've seen a piano ever at one. We have good ones that are easily an hour-and-a-half away, not ideal.

I won't lie, still looking at the P-105...Now though, it's clear I should look around a bit more before making it solid.

Have you ever played before? If so, what kind of action are you into ("action" is the feel of the keys - do you like them weighted like a piano, "springy" like a computer keyboard, or somewhere in between)? Also, what are you looking to do with this keyboard? Will you be playing it like a traditional piano, do you want to play stuff with lots of electronic beats and layers, are you going to want to perform in public etc etc Basically, what do you picture yourself doing with this keyboard once you get it?

Yeah, once or twice, before I knew any music theory, which is no longer the case. When it comes to what I'm familiar with with action, I like it generally low (On the guitar), so I can hit notes quicker and more efficiently..Probably in the middle then? As for how I plan on playing it, I want to play it traditionally, but also to be able to experiment with how I will use it, to layer the music I make. I do hear parts in some songs I've made, where a digital piano, being able to replicate organs and such, would be greatly beneficial.

Also, yes, I do see myself playing live, in a constant fashion with a piano though...Maybe not. Depends on what I'm making, and what I hear.

Edit: I hope I'm not being difficult.

Hmmm... yeah, either of those choices you listed could fill your needs, I guess. There are really two types of "midrange" keyboards - ones with semi-sophisticated soundbanks, and ones with semi-sophisticated action. These seem to be the later, although I'm not quite sure what "authentic piano touch that's suitable for the beginner pianist" means (I've got this horrible feeling that they'll have clunky weights that make you feel like you're hitting plastic hammers) They've both got pedal attachments (which is critically important if you want to go the "piano" route, BUY A DAMPER) and the P-105 is touch sensitive, which is also important. I'm not sure about the P-35; one might assume they're touch sensitive, too, but it would help to double check. Neither one appears to support MIDI Out, which is a shame, but USB is almost as good. The biggest issue would be the sound processing itself; it's probably going to be fairly crap on both those models, but that's where a DAW would come in handy. (seriously, don't forget the softsynth!)

Musicman's suggestion isn't bad - getting a cheaper keyboard is certainly one way to go. The one he's posted covers most of the bases you'll need - it's got a pitch bender, too, which the more expensive models you're looking at lack (that's more of a toy than anything else, but it's good to have if you're planning on metal-solo'ing and/or playing things that require heavy modulation, like dubstep). You might even prefer the action on a cheaper Yamaha, if what I suspect about the "Graded Hammer Standard" is true. Still, if you haven't played a lot, you've not built up any habits, and since you've said you can't really test drive any of these options, might as well just say [&@%!] it and flip a coin!

Which one would you personally go with?

Also, I keep seeing polyphony mentioned. What is that?

Well, I'd go with an even MORE expensive one, but that's cuz I've been playing for awhile!

"Polyphony" is a fancy term for "a bunch of notes". In keyboard speak, it generally refers to how many separate sounds can be going on at one time; example: if you've got a keyboard that says it has "128 note polyphony", that means it's internal sound processor can handle a maximum of 128 individual musical sounds at any one time. This usually isn't such a big deal unless you start trying to record multiple layered voices with tons of reverb and chorus effects (and you really shouldn't be doing this on your keyboard's internal hardware anyway, if you're going to record, again, this is the 21st century, and DAW is the way to go). For most people, polyphony is an irrelevant detail that keyboard manufacturers like to throw in there to make their product sound fancier. In my experience, the really important things are the action, the number of keys (88 is full-sized), whether it's touch sensitive (this allows you to control the loudness, and sometimes even timbre, of notes), whether it has support for pedals, whether it can hook up any external hardware you might want to use (like amps or computers), and any extra buttons, such as programmable knobs and bending wheels. Voices are a big concern IF you're not going to use a software synth (who wants a keyboard that sounds like [&@%!]?), but this is a total stab in the dark unless you can find some audio samples of what you're buying. The midrangers are probably going to sound better than the cheap one; the cheap one has a much wider range of voices, but that probably means it's running some crap MIDI generator. The midrangers have very few voices, which will limit your options to stuff like Piano, Piano 2, Harpsichord, Organ 1, and Electric Piano, but they may be sampled and will probably sound a little nicer than comparable ones found on Musicman's cheap-o-rama. Probably.

Of those, I'd probably go for the cheaper one and route it through a digital audio suite, saving my money for a real asskicker later on down the road. But if you're not planning to get a DAW, and you've got the money spare, by all means go for one of the midrangers.

I have my answer! You've been a great help, Doros.

So, I'll work towards a Digital Audio Suite later, but get the mid-ranger now. Money isn't a concern, since I'm using my return to buy this (Come February). And I've always been wary of things that tend to focus more on the effects, amps that do this tend to be meh, though not always with high-end.

Well, you know, you can find DAWs at some very steep discounts, if you know the right vendors... ahem.

Anyway, good hunting! And enjoy the keyboard; don't be surprised if you forget all about your guitar.

Do you mean, torrent them, good sir? Also, which one do you think is good?

As for my guitar, we'll see...There is a different feeling with bending strings and striking keys...Both feel good, for different reasons.

Torrent? Oh no, heavens no, perish the thought, torrenting is ever so naughty! I mean, I guess if I didn't know about it, I wouldn't be able to stop you, and no one would be able to blame me for it. Ah, ahem.


I use Propellorhead's Reason. It's a rack-mount simulator that lets you mix and match banks of synths, samplers, and effects processors - if you've never worked with racks before, a close analogue is routing your guitar through an effects pedal and into a high-end end amp, then mixing it. Only you've got your choice of hundreds of guitars, scores of effects pedals, and any amp on the market. It's all very intuitive and familiar if you've got a background in fiddling with electric guitar hardware, Reason's Thor synthesizer is now one of my favorite synths (I find it produces some amazingly clear, harmonically pleasing waveforms) and the whole thing is geared towards professional music production, including composing, recording, and live performances. Another cool thing is that it can handle drums in a number of different ways (looped, sequenced, or even played manually), so if you're not a drummer, you can still make a "complete" song! (you can actually do this with just about any digital music software, but Reason's got the extra bells and whistles I like)

There's a lot of other good ones, too. A professional DJ friend of mine loves Ableton, one of my metal-playing friends uses this orchestral software for doing black metal layers, lot of people like FruityLoops, although I think that one's geared more towards sequencing than actual keyboard playing. Try out a few, see what you like!




I used to play guitar, and the whole plucking thing was nice. But as you'll soon discover, keys are VASTLY superior instruments. You can play more notes at once, and it's a snap to play any chord you like, unlike the guitar, where you're typically limited to a six-note polyphony and many chords are impractical in certain positions due to finger patterns. Once you get to know theory, it's much easier to translate and visualize on a keyboard. And, of course, there's the sheer range of options available to you, thanks to electronic music generation - my guitar sounds like a guitar. My keyboard can be anything - it can be a piano, an organ, another guitar, a roaring dragon, a dubstep wub, a vintage Wurlitzer with a scratchy record overlay and a muted waaaa effect that makes it sound like an old jazz recording, a dulcimer and bagpipe split with the Star Trek theme pad in the bass. And when you get REALLY good, you can even buy a keytar, and then you're pretty much the coolest thing ever!

Personally, just get a cheap one with 60/88 keys. The ones with only one "instrument", such as a basic piano are cheaper. Maybe it's just because I play Rock and Roll/Jazz on the piano I don't use all those crazy effects.

I'll keep that in mind down the road, sounds very nice though!

And as for my guitar...I guess we'll see, either way, I'm excited to start on learning piano.

Make SURE you get one with a sustain pedal! Other than that, try not to get something too expensive. Because if you really practice then your skill will surpass your piano quite quickly. Then things like weighted keys, and a full set of keys become absolutely necessary. Until then I wold save up for something like a Celviano.

You can actually buy sustain pedals. But keep in mind that they tend to be only used in very slow songs.

Change your budget to A LOT$ and then get a Hammond B-3

I looked that up, hahahahaha....Not yet. = P

Also, sustain pedals? Sheesh, everything seems to require them. Will look into one after I make my purchase (Jan 1st at the latest).

QFT. I usually practice on a Celviano at work; it's really good, which is surprising, because I normally associate CASIO with WalMart crap.

Hammonds aren't really worth it unless you're a collector or you really, really need a perfectly authentic vintage sound. I've got a number of full sample sets from nearly a dozen different vintage Hammonds; that works well enough for me, and it was expensive as free, instead of the $30-$40k it would have cost to buy all that vintage gear on E-bay. And sustain pedals are totally necessary; as I said above, make sure whatever keyboard you pick out is pedal-compatible. Most of them will be, but if you buy one that isn't, you're going to be seriously limited in what you can do, not just with the piano but with other virtual instruments as well.