I'm gonna buy a digital piano, or a midi-controller, but I don't know which.

Alt. 1: A smaller cheaper Midi-controller with semi-weighed keys. Cheaper, and may help me decide if I want to keep playing piano and buy a bigger "real" one.

Alt. 2: A MIDI-controller with hammer action, like M-Audio Oxygen 88, or some of Fatars Studiologic VKM series.

Alt. 3: A digital piano. Either go with the cheaper Yamaha P35, or pay more for a P105, or a Casio PX-150. The Casio is said to have really good action. But definitly a lot more expensive than alt 1 or 2.

I'm a beginner at piano, but I'm intrested in learning to play more, and use my piano for song writing and connecting it to my DAW, Logic Pro.

Will I notice a big difference between Yamaha P35, and P105 or the Casio? Will I grow out the P35 fast, or can I use for a long time?

I'm not looking to become some sort of piano genious, but I will at least try and see if I like playing. That's why it seem pretty drastic to go for a expensive one, but in long run that may be better.

Anyone?

Of the boards that you are considering, which one 'feels' the most realistic?

Cheers,
James
x

This is one of those "If you specify your needs better, you'll get better advice" questions.

If you want something that "plays like a piano", it needs 88 fully-weighted keys.

The Casio PX-150/PX-350 and Yamaha P105 are (IMHO) good "low-end" (under $1000) choices.

If you want a keyboard for composing pop stuff and jazz, and _don't_ care much about "acoustic piano sound", and "acoustic piano feel", you can make do with any 61-key _velocity-sensitive_ synth. There are lots of them.

If you're willing to use a PC and "virtual instrument" software, you can get any sound you want. But the keyboard "feel" is still a mechanical issue, and good MIDI keyboards -- 88 weighted keys -- aren't cheap. It might be that the P105 and PX-150 are good choices for MIDI keyboards, even if you don't use their internal sound generators.

. Charles

Bias - I own a Casio PX-350.

Based on your description, I'd also say Casio, but play one to see if you like the textured keys. Yamaha also makes some good less-expensive boards. As a practicing beginner, I'd defer a MIDI controller as a specialized choice. It's more expensive to get a controller with as good of action as say the lower end Casios.