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i'm thinking of purchasing a 88-key keyboard with a reasonable piano-like touch and is somewhat portable. is there a consensus "best in class"?

if i were to remove the 88-key criterion, what then would be the "best in class"?

thanks!

Hi, Lingyis - I'm also looking. Have heard some good things about the Kawai MP6, and even better things about the Kawai MP10. But at 70 lbs, the MP10 seems a bit less than portable.

I'm still using an Ensoniq TS12 for outdoor gigs, but it is old (~1996) and heavy (55 lbs).

Best for portability is the Nord Piano 2 .... but the action is so so ...

Korg SV-1 73
Nord Pianos a pretty good too, but as mentioned above they use Fatar actions, witch are total crap really.

What are your approximate price and weight limits?

There's portable and there's portable. If you just want something two people can move across the room and aren't worried about the money you want an AvantGrand. If you plan to put it in your car and take it to a gig, that's a completely different question.

The fact that you even ask about 76 key keyboards tells me that you are interested in low end, very lightweight keyboards. There aren't any "piano-like" 76 key (or less) keyboards.

Anyway, you have to define "class" more carefully in terms of portability at least. The very best digitals either don't qualify as portable (like the AG and CA65/95) or hardly do (like the RD700NX, MP10, and V-Piano).

Nord Electro 3HP and Stage 2-76; Korg SV-1 and Kronos in their 73 versions; Yamaha S70XS.

i'm mainly considering keyboards that i can load into my car; basically, something i can carry around without too much hassel. if i need a friend to help me carry to my car, then it's probably too big.

i guess action-wise, Korg has a good reputation?

oh and price-wise... maybe < $1000? the korg sv 1 is $1500 is probably unnecessary for my purposes, since i do have an acoustic piano. i'm thinking it'll probably for traveling and perhaps performing at parties for fun, plus outputing digital formats to a computer when perhaps i want to record my improv or compose some music.

edit: googling around it seems like most of the pianos recommended here are >= $1500 so <$1000 might not be realistic :P

Have you tried the Casio PX130 and PX330?

Their actions are surprisingly good, and at less than 25 pounds, you won't find anything significantly lighter, and very little even close.

Errrr... no Korg has a poor reputation. I'd maybe look at the Casio PX-3 or the Kawai MP6

IMO, Korg's RH3 action is probably the best you can find in a light-weight portable. They did have problems with some of their keybeds lately though, here are some details.


That's a good one

hi guys--i managed to try out a korg ps 250 and actually really liked it. unfortunately it was their only korg. the store had many yamahas and i consistently did not like their actions. they also had nord 2 but i didn't like that either. they probably did have casios but i don't remember if px3 was available. a couple of rolands, on the "workstation end" i think. they didn't have any kawai's.

only thing about the ps 250 is that it appears attached to a frame so would be kind of heavy.

next time i'll make sure to look out for mp6 and px3 and px130.

edit: yeah, i learned that workstation models would be overkill for me, though very nice toys. workstations there are so many features for an "optimizer" like me it'll take a year to figure out which one to pick.

As I understand it, there are basically only two weighted actions from Korg... the lower end action in the SP170, and the RH3 action in everything else (SP250, SV1, weighted M50/M3/Kronos).


Yamaha has the lower end GHS action in the P95, MOX8, DGX640 and a heavier (more like RH3) action in the CP33, P155, CP300, CP50. They also have some other actions, like the one in the CP5 (and CP1).


It detaches from its stand, but its still 42 lbs which isn't so light.

I Recently got the Sp-170S. I returned it, bocz the keys were making clicking sounds. Very Annoying while playing forte phrases. Then i got the Sp-250. The RH3 action feels firm to play on. The sounds are also great, with a good metronome sound for practice.

But the SP-250 has some serious issues playing softer phrases. Btw some lower velocity range, it triggers a muted, staccato like piano sample & believe me for a pianist it is very ANNOYING. It's like you play a legato phrase & if you aren't hitting the keys hard enough, you are likely to hear some short length notes (like; theres is no decay or release on those notes).

I would really request to people who are buying the KORG SP-250 to play it for a while with Headphones & play @ different dynamics.
I checked this with LP-350 too, and it too has that issue.

I wish to return this and check the Yamaha P-155. If the exchange doesn't work out, then the only solution i have is to attach a sampler/laptop and use an external Piano LIbrary.

I would like to know if any other owners of SP-250 noticed this.

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