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Hey,
It seems as if the Korg sp170s are now available for trial in Sam Ash music stores (at least in California).

I've been in two stores lately and to my surprise they both had it. I had previously been searching for these (before I bought a Yamaha p85) and couldn't find them anywhere.

Anyways... I tried it finally Although I didn't think I would mind the 3 button action thing... I ended up finding it rather annoying.

Anyways, hope this heads up helps some people!

same here...i don't really get the 3-key action things for changing voices either.

i'm new to this forum, but so far, i haven't been able to find out whether SP170's NH action is better than the RH one in SP250 and LP350. has this been discussed before? would be grateful for any link to the topic.

I don't have a link, but from what I heard on this forum while researching DPs is that the NH is a cheaper version of the RH.

Some people have called it "spongey" because they feel that there is an unnatural (not hammer) resistance behind the keys. Also, the key action has been described as "heavy".
From what I have read, I think it would be safe to say there is a general concensus on this forum that the RH is better than the NH.

I think it's more accurate to say the NH keyboard is more a matter of taste than the RH3. It has a very different feel and it's undoubtedly cheaper to manufacture than the RH3. It has been described as spongey on this forum but I don't think that's a good word to describe it. There is a softness to the feel but it's in no way vague or uncontrollable. It doesn't have a conventional hammer feel either but I wouldn't describe it as unnatural. When I tried it there was an upright in the same shop that felt uncannily similar to the SP170. I liked the feel of the keyboard a lot and it certainly isn't heavy. There are lighter actions out there, like Yamaha's GHS but there's heavier too. I thought it was about right for me, very precise and comfortable!

On the other hand the three key editing method thing is absurd, I can't think why they decided to go with it, presumably just to save a few cents on some switches!

Hey, those few cents can add up - before you know it you've got enough for a liter of fuel in the corporate jet, then it's Bahamas time, baby!

But yes, why do they cut such glaringly obvious corners? It makes you wonder if the keyboard mechanism is made of cardboard or something.

I have had no trouble with the 3-key trick on my SP 170. The transpose and key-weight adjustments I normally use are second nature--I no longer think about it, anymore than I did holding down the "Voice" button on my NP 30 (the P 85 is the same) in order to select various functions or voices by pushing other unmarked keys. I wish learning two-octave scales in D or A was as easy.

The NH Keybed is fine, and definitely feels weighted compared to the NP 30 or my M-Audio travel instrument. There is much more difference in feel between the acoustic pianos I can put my hands on, than between the Casio, P85, or Korg low-cost DP's we try to compare up so critically.

The SP 170 has few features, you cannot even layer sounds, but I could not imagine being good enough to use layer/split for years, so stopped worrying about it. I kept the SP 170, rather than trading back to Sweetwater for a P 85, or CasioPX because I liked the piano voices better than those on the Casio, and the built-in speakers sound much better than the other entry DP's. Oh, and I like the matte finish black keys better than the shiny plastic looking ones on the other DP's--it looks "richer" to me.

Glad to hear you get on OK with it, I've heard others say the same, I guess once you live with it for a bit you get used to it. I don't actually mind the method so much as the fact they didn't mark any of the keys, so you have to remember where all the voices are, where the transpose functions etc are. I've even seen demos of the instrument where the player was constantly selecting the wrong voice because they'd forgotten where things were.

The system of buttons on my Korg SP200 (and the newer SP250) is simplicity itself to use you barely need a manual at all! Still for the price I think the Sp170 is a superb instrument and would be my choice for an entry level DP.

Our small-town community theater director is interested in purchasing a Korg SP250 for the theater's musical productions because of the reasonable cost for the brand name. I am the main accompanist for the theater and have used a Casio and a Yamaha YPG625 for productions in the past. Being able to transpose to a different key quickly between numbers is essential (difficult to do on the Yamaha). Would appreciate any comments regarding the suitability of the Korg SP250 for the needs described (i.e., key action, durability, good sound when connected to speakers, etc.). Nearest city having music store to try it out is a couple of hours away -- would like to have informed feedback in the meantime. Thanks.

The SP250 is a pretty good DP but getting old now and it's samples aren't up to the latest models. Even the cheaper SP170 sounds better. It's OK though and there's plenty of recordings on the web you can listen to to get an idea of how it sounds. Try Korg's website, youtube, Purgatorycreek.com

It has a decent action is well made comes with a good stand and pedal which attaches to the stand so it won't move about. Decent speakers, proper line outs etc. I believe the transposition function is the same as on my SP200. You hold down the transpose button and press a key equivalent to the change you want to make in reference to middle c. So suppose you want to play 2 tones sharp you'd press e above middle c, if you want to play 2 tones flat you'd press a flat below middle c.