I have the PX310, but I was interested in geting the NP30. I live in a city where you get around mostly by public transportation, and PX310 is a little to hefty to carry around to a bus or a train. I like the fact that NP30 is really light, and I really don't need 88 keys on stuff like wedding gigs.

Has anyone used NP30 for casual gigs? how is the action on the keyboard compared to the PX310? I read NP30 is semi-weighted..I am not sure what that meant exactly

I tried the NP30 today and the action on the NP30 is horrible, it feels like a cheap toy keyboard, seriously, its not hammer action, underneath the keys are rubber pads which help offer some resistance but theyre completely unweighted so the keys feel horribly cheap.

Etcetra,
It is not a weighted action by any stretch. If I play a Yamaha P85 for 5 minutes, and then go to the NP30, it seems to have no feel, like an inexpensive keyboard/controller. If I stay at the NP30 for 5 minutes, it starts to have a light, but very nice, seemingly weighted feel. I really wish the action was balanced, rather than graded, because I like the feel of the lowest octave, best.
It has no line out, and the built-in speakers are only suitable for a very small room. I use the headphone jack with a TRS patch cord to a Harmon-Kardon 3-piece (2.1 in today's computer speak) system with bass and treble controls, which works quite well. It is very easy to carry and throw around, but then adding the weight of the stand and amp.....a P85 is only 26 lbs, compared to the NP30's 12 lbs. I like the piano and vib voices equally on both instruments--can't tell a difference. Thank you Yamaha.

go with either Casio PX310 or Yamaha P85, and definitely not NP30 which doesn't have weighted action.

This might help showing which models have certain features and those that don't..

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/cda/flash/dp/videoplayer/dpvideoplayer.asp

Thanks, It's too bad to hear about the touch on NP30 .. I am happy with my PX310, its just a hassle to carry to a gig because 88keys don't fit well into a cab.

I'll definitely test it before i get it, but maybe I can use it for wedding and other non-serious gig. but from what I am hearing it won't be replacing my PX310.

Etcetra, I have the Casio PX-200 which is 128 polyphony and a newer sample for the acoustic piano. Are the samples the same on both keyboards? The 310 came out after the 200 I think

katt

nitekatt2008z ,

I am not sure about the sample.. does your keyboard have weighted action?

Im sure the 200 came out after the 310. The 200 has much better specs and I'm sure it has newer, better samples.

The PX320 is more in line with the PX200.

Hi Etcetra, yes the PX-200 is weighted 88. It weighs about 26 lbs I think. I use it all the time on gigs and have several MIDI sound mod racks for additional sounds

katt

How much of an improvement in sound quality do you notice when you have your NP-30 plugged into an external sound system? If I wanted to use a keyboard amp rather than speakers, would I need a stereo "Y" cable?

Thanks!

I Can't answer about sound quality, but, yes, you'd need a Y-cable to go from the stereo headphone jack to a regular (mono) keyboard amp or mixer.

I think the sound quality of the NP-30 is ok, except for the 1-level sample. But that springy organ keyboard is just unusable.

Actually I would be plugging either my P-85 or P-60 into the amp. I was considering an NP-30 for the computer room. I watch a lot of tutorials and other videos on Youtube and having a small portable close by would come in handy rather than running downstairs to my other pianos. Thanks, I'll buy the Y cable.

Auggiedoggy,
If you are going to plug in to your computer you have a lot of choices. Check out the CME M-Key 49 Key USB MIDI Controller at $99! (no internal instruments--find a free software piano if one is not bundled with it). It is advertised as having a "semi-Weighted" action, which is the same thing as offered in the NP-30.

The OP asked about using the NP-30 for outside "gigs". I had a PM from a player with a number of pianos, that used her NP-30 for that purpose, and found it satisfactory--no complaints as to the very light feel in relation to the other instruments.

I really like my NP-30, more since I took it apart and used the heavier-feeling elastic "springs" from the lowest octave, across four of the five full octaves. I have no trouble switching between it and and my acoustic piano.

You can't find any of them used on Craig's List or Ebay, so they must have found a niche.

What about the CASIO CDP 200R? It got good reviews, altho I think it's 88 keys. The WK 500 might be good for gigs, I bought the WK 200 B stock for practicing. They action is inferior to my other DP, which itself is not the best Yamaha action, but for carrying around they might be ok.

Perhaps a controller keyboard would do the trick! I would want 76 keys as a minimum though. Also, I would probably need to upgrade my sound card in my PC. Thanks for the tip!

I'm a bit surprised that she was ok with the non-piano feeling keyboard of the NP-30. I've heard others state the same thing. For many, the "semi-weighted" action is a problem but others, including piano players, don't have a problem!

I've personally never heard the NP-30 via an external sound system. I would expect one would have to buy a top-quality keyboard amp to make any kind of difference in the output quality. Such an amp would cost double or triple the cost of the NP-30. Perhaps a good stereo sound system would work, i.e. I was looking at the Logitech Z-2300 2.1 speaker set with 8" subwoofer as a possible choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va9zSKt6vVE

Did she say what she used as an external sound system?

My current lightweight DP is a P-85 at 26 pounds but nothing rivals the NP-30 in that department. I also have a P-60 which is about 38 pounds and feels much like an acoustic.

Regards.

Rob

Auggiedoggy,

I'm sure the player I corresponded with plugged the NP-30 into the "live sound" set-up where she performed. The tiny, low-powered speakers wouldn't make it. This seems true for all of the portable DP's--everyone uses headphones at the very least for personal listening/practice.

The NP 30 sound is dramatically improved using a decent 2.1 "multi media" sound system. In my small listening space, a 33 watt Cambridge Soundworks set-up works great. I think that Yamaha boosts the low frequencies of the little amp in the NP 30 to compensate for the small speakers and poor enclosures, so I have to cut the 5" Sub woofer volume way back, or the lowest octave is way too loud (and if I connect a CD player, I have to turn the Sub volume back up). Because of this, I feel no need to connect the NP 30 to the 80 watt 2.1 system at my Imac--the bass is more than strong enough with the little system. I'd bet this would be true taking sound out of the headphone jack on most of these portable piano instruments.

http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=mul_spk_csw&item=1100001246

A caution on using a "Y cable/adapter" to connect a DP with stereo output into a mono keyboard amp or mixing board. Other posts suggest a degraded sound. This was my experience trying to connect a Roland FP-7 to a crowded mixing board at my church. Use a stereo adapter to separate R & L inputs to a mixing board or stereo sound system.

In defense of the NP 30, it does not feel like a weighted action instrument or it would not be only 12 lbs. But to my hands the non-metallic "springs" are far more pleasant and piano-like than any of the low-cost syths or keyboards I have tried. There is a little more resistance at the top of the key travel, which lightly simulates the inertia you feel in striking the key of a good DP or acoustic piano. I have no trouble switching between the NP 30 and our acoustic spinet.

Happy shopping!

You should petition Casio to make a 76 key version of the Privia. The Yamaha NP30 stinks on all levels except portability and even then it tries to stink. It'd be a good bit shorter if they put the speakers somewhere else other than the sides of the keyboard. But the sound is fourth rate and the action is synth like.

It is nowhere near the Casio Privias. But if your going to be huffing it and taking on public buses and that sort of the the diminutive NP30 would be your best bet. Sacrifice the sound and feel for portability.

But a 73 or 76 key Privia would be the ultimate in practicality.

Peace,
D.

The px200 has better polyphony and different samples. The 310 has registration memory which the 200 doesn't have. I lived with a 310 for a week and traded it for a 200 because I don't gig with it and liked the piano sound better. (note sustain in particular)

I can't remember if the 310 has a metronome built in or not, also.

310 does have the metronome

The reason I am thinking of getting the NP30 is because right now I live in a city where I am commuting mostly by bus or subway.. some of the gigs are actually walking distance from home. With the NP30 I can actually take with me on a bus, subway. P310 is pretty light, but it's still too heavy/bulky for that kind of traveling.

I am not really planning to use it for any serious gigs(most venues have a keyboard or piano already anyways), and I thought the NP30 would be great for wedding or casual gigs where I am playing standards/backing up a singer. I guess my biggest concern is whether I can live with the action or not..

and yea 76 key version of Privia would be awsome =)