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And you can put different springs in the NP-30, as one of the forum contributors has done a few months ago, to make the touch a little firmer. Of course that voids the warranty.

Martin,

I remember a friend of mine putting new springs in his Roland RD-1000. It used a "stretched spring" approach, rather than a "compression spring" design, which appeared on later RD models, like the RD-300S/250S, the "S" signifying the new action. As you can imagine, the stretched springs eventually lost their return strength, and the action became rather flimsy feeling.

He did a great job, although my mind's picture of him chasing around several springs on the shop floor, still makes me chuckle.

I was very impressed at the Yamaha NP-30's sound...and features like transpose, layering (and a lovely strings ensemble patch with which to do so), and actual dedicated MIDI ports make it a steal, and very useful for those basic controller jobs, where weighted action isn't a necessary requirement...the NP-30's velocity response was very good; easily as good as some semi-weighted actioned instruments costing three or four times as much.

Apparently, a lot of NP-30 are sold to beginner piano students, so the action can't be that abhorrent to many teachers...plus, I don't think the transition from semi-weighted 76 to an actual weighted 88 note hammer action would be as traumatic as coming from a 61-note zero resistance portable keyboard.

I'm having trouble resisting buying the Avant Grand before Christmas...and considering I'm my own Santa, I'm wearing him down more and more with each passing day.

I think he's about to give in.

Snazzy

Yes, the sound is great (same as on the P-85), and you can run the NP-30 on batteries. And it's lightweight. Perhaps they should not have placed the speakers at the sides, which would have made the instrument even smaller. But other than that, I think it really fills a niche.



Not to mention 61 keys are too limiting, especially if one is interested in the Classical repertoire. 76 keys is a decent compromise between size and musical versatility. Still, for a beginner, something with weights instead of springs is probably better. I see the NP-30 more as an instrument for somebody who can already play piano and simply wants something more lightweight.



Somehow I don't think there will be a price drop or anything on the AvantGrand after Christmas, so you might just as well buy it now. And as opposed to the V-Piano, the AvantGrand seems to be a mature product without any obvious areas for improvement, so I suppose there's little reason to wait for the next product version.

Wow thanks for telling me theres a newer version of the CDP out now I can take a look at that. Im still saving up to buy it so ill have alittle more time to decide but so far the CDP is having my win.

Edit: Just looked up the CDP-200R and it is ten times better then the CDP-100 I just have to figure out where I can buy it. Ill give you more information as I find it. If anyone else has any info on it i would love to hear it, especially about the sound quality if it changed much from the 100.

yeah I've never given the NP30 a shot, so I can't say one way or another. I've heard good things about it though!

I will probably end up with the NP30 since it is closer to my budget and the casio is no longer on sale.

You know something Lhowatt?

I just sold myself on the NP-30 and just got off the phone from talking to my local music store owner.

He put one aside for me.

I just thought of a buddy of mine who is using an NP-30 on batteries, with a wireless MIDI system that is linked to a Kurzweil rack-mount synth. He works in a Celtic group, and moves the piano to different areas of the stage during the show.

At 12 lbs, it is lighter than a lot of electric guitars...and it manages to look pretty cool as well...slim and sleek.

I'll have mine sometime tomorrow.

Snazzy

Lol hopefully i can join the NP30 owners club :P

Does anyone know of any good deals on the NP30?

Martin, Snazzy, Lhowatt,

Fresh air for me to see a few posts that don't totally pan the NP 30. I'm the guy who took mine apart to make the three middle octaves as "heavy", shall we say, as the first full octave. I bought mine "opened box, free shipping" for $260 about 18 months ago, so by the time I took it apart it was out of warranty, not that would have stopped me.

The key feel of the NP 30 is VERY LIGHT compared to a DP or acoustic instrument, but what sets it apart from most of the keyboards and midi controllers out there is, in MHO, the soft rubber material that is the "spring" and triggering device under each key. There is a higher resistance at the top of the key travel as you strike, this simulates the initial resistance of a weighted action, and makes the NP 30 more tactile, piano-like than the keybeds with metal springs that feel so......nothing. I think this is what Yamaha calls "graded soft touch".

Two friends who play both organ and piano have told me they really like the feel of the NP 30--I guess it does fit quite well between synth and piano actions. I don't like the built-in speakers, and also wish they were on top, rather than sides, which would mean the 76 key instrument could be 43, instead of 49 inches wide!

It is easier for me to adjust between the NP 30 and our acoustic console than between the console and the two grand pianos I can put my hands on. I would much rather go to the NP 30 than to a keyboard or controller, though I do use a 49 key M-Audio unit when traveling.

I use the NP 30 about an hour a day, the console less, out of respect for my wife's ears. If I didn't have the console however, I would be ordering a PX 330. A lot of bang for the buck there.

Watermen are known to say "a man can never have too many boats"............

Hi Bob,

I can't imagine panning the NP-30.

It is so honest about what it is.

I think the action is super...not a piano, not organ-like, not even like the semi-weighted keybeds on my TOTL arrangers...it is closer to my recently acquired PSR-S910 (except the latter is not graded).

All my instruments have different feeling actions...I'm like a guitar player that has a bunch of guitars; some acoustic, some electric, Strats, Les Pauls etc.

You adjust to a new feeling action relatively quickly....or at least I do.

I was interested in the PX-330, but it's arranger section is not so hot, and I'd rather use my P-85 which has a terrific action as well...another honest keyboard.

For it's inexpensive price, ruggedness and very nice feeling keyboard(not to mention great sounds and MIDI) the NP-30 is somewhat of a terrific bargain.

I actually don't mind the speaker placement...it also makes it look a little more substantial, and rather cool, in my humble opinion....it doesn't look cheap.

Several friends of mine use them as lower manuals for a two manual arranger set-up, and even the silver color matches their Tyros keyboards.

I feel the Yamaha P-85 is a similar bargain (I bought two of them)...and it's only 25 lbs...when I tell someone that's trying it out, what it costs, they are always shocked at the low price.

My wife said to me one time, "Snazzy, it's me or the keyboards!"

I do miss her now and again. ...or as my buddy says, "I miss my wife a lot, but my aim is improving."

Thanks for the great post, Bob.

Snazzy