Kurzweil SP5-8 , Kawai mp6

The Kurzweil SP5-8 was announced though I can't find any stores that carry it yet.
http://kurzweil.com/product/sp5-8/overview/

What do you all think of this keyboard on paper?

and how does it par with Kawai?



Looking to buy a digital Piano:

First and foremost, I'd like:

- Great Piano Action with weighted keys

-Basic Midi features(be able to press play, stop, record on the keyboard and have Logic 9 register it) *the mp6 has this ability. sp5-8 only has one programmable button(according to their customer rep)

The sp5-8 also has aftertouch (they call it monopressure)


Ideas? suggestions. thank you

*also internal sounds aren't really important to me as I will mostly use this with my computer.

The Kurzweil SP5-8 and SPS4-8 have a new keyboard that is not the same as any other Kurz models, and AFAIK, neither of them has shipped yet, which means probably no one here has played either of them. So there won't be any opinions about how good an action it is until it's available.


I think you could do this with any of a number of add-on devices, like an inexpensive Korg NanoKontrol, which is small enough to just sit on many keyboards anyway. I understand it's nice to have everything built in, but this is such an easy and cheap thing to add to any rig, I don't think I'd want to make it a deciding factor in a choice of keyboard, it's not worth compromising elsewhere or restricting your choices over, IMO.


Aftertouch can be nicely expressive when playing some instruments. If you can't find an 88 you like that has it, you could consider adding a second synth-style (unweighted action) board for that, which also has the advantage of being more playable for organ, if you care about that.

If you like a heavy action, the Kawai MP-10 is very nice. If you like a light action, the Yamaha CP-5 and Roland FP-7F/RD-700NX are strong choices. If you're on a budget, the Casio PX-150/PX-350 are surprisingly good. None of these have aftertouch. Usually, you don't find aftertouch on a weighted board unless you look at a workstation design (Korg Kronos, Yamaha Motif XF, etc.).

Thank you for your great reply!

So now that namm has come and gone: I see a new contender , the Casio px-5s. Now to decide kurzweil(b&h is the first store to show it in stock for 1799 vs Casio rumored for 999

Kurzweil has after touch while the Casio has more controller functions.

Played it at NAMM. In the first few minutes I was liking it and thinking pretty cool (I was standing up playing) , but when someone found me a seat and I got a little more warmed up and started digging in a little more, I didn't care for the action. It just had a weird return feeling, not natural at all. I'd definitely take my Nord over it action wise. Too bad because the build quality and the piano sound were good on the Kurz...even though it's the old triple strike.

It's been some time since I played the MP6..but just going from memory, for straight piano I'd go with the Kawai. I think if you need all the extra sounds the Kurz is a no brainer in that area.

They both are about the same weight , 46 lbs or so..if that means anything

I dont know about the action,
But about the kurzweil tone- It's not super realistic piano, there is no string/sympathetic resonance or release samples .
But somehow, even with the old samples it sounds great, very even & pleasant.(IMHO)

I think the magic is VAST engine under-hood. I like to play it (sound module) more than the Yamaha pianos(DP).
If they are able to put the modern samples into the VAST, imagine what will happen

We'll that's a big 'if', right ?! Namm 2013 and (again) nothing new from Kurzweil. Except for repackaging the same old stuff again and again in a new box - we've seen enough of that by now I guess. I really hoped finally something interesting would be announced this namm at kurzweil, but no...

The only thing 'new' about the SP5-8 is that it has after touch on a stage controller and that it uses another brand of keybed instead of the Fatar's. As I understand from Dave Ferris this keybed is not even a big improvement , so they might as well have kept the TP40L with AT that you find in the pc3 88 controllers.

When, if ever , the really new stuff will arrive remains a mystery. I doubt that even the most die hard kurzweil fans still have a lot of faith in it (I was a Kurzweil fan for years, happily using all kinds of their boards and modules). Perhaps when singularity sets in , which is something around 2050 ?? Anyone wanting to hold of his next purchase for that long ?

The TP40L is more expensive (and probably would have made the board heavier). The SP line is lower cost. The SP5-8 is an alternative to the budget TP100 action in the SP4-8, rather than an alternative to the higher end TP-40L.

Yeah, that's a big "if", Kurz fans are still waiting, It seems like they want to bring something really innovative, or it will be the end.

I have been holding the workstation purchase for 2 years now. If they didn't bring anything this year (at least at Summer NAMM), I will just switch to whatever is available.

Kudos to korg, even though I dont like the kronos. It's them who changed the game. Else we would have seen another Motif with different paint and extra samples and may be the kurzweil without real innovation.

Korg Kronos(Again I'm not Korg fan ) forced Yamaha,Roland & Kurzweil to make the real next gen workstation than just putting add-ons.

Yeah I was could be more enthusiastic about the SP5-8's action but again I thought the Fatar on my NP2 was superior. As was the higher end PC3K8's action which was close by for instant comparison.

Again though, the sound was very good in addition to a solid build quality..

For people that love the Kurz sound and aren't super picky, from a pianist pov like me, this would be a great board imo.

Nothing too good to say about the sp5-8? is that why i cant find videos or reviews from Namm. isn't anything special and so I may just go with the Casio px-5s ( wish it had after touch though)

There is nothing special or new in SP5-8 from previous gen, so people dont bother making videos about the features or sound. Same with Yamaha YDP-162

Well; if you need aftertouch on a stage piano (not workstation) , the choice is limited and the SP5-8 may very well be the only real contender in this space. I don't know this new keybed, but I DO know the TP keybeds of the other Kurzweils and if the SP5 is values below these boards , then I think a current Casio may be better in that respect. But again: without AT...

Thanks for all the replies it is much appreciated.

I don't need a stage piano( ill probably use it mostly in the studio and jamming in the studio)they just seem to offer the features I would like. Priority going to full weighted 88 key with good feel and pitch bend. controller options and at are a bonus.

I'm all ears for any other suggestions. With a max cost of 2k

Casio PX5S
Korg Krome 88
Kurzweil SP5-8
Kurzweil PC3X (when still around somewhere)
Yamaha MOX8

to name a few within your budget, although I don't know the exact prices in your country

I would start with Casio and Korg, because they are most up-to-date , offer a lot and are lightweight.

Well it doesn't have that ....

Hello to everyone

Has anybodyelse tried the new LK40GH action on SPS4-8 or other Kurzweil instruments?

I am almost ready to buy the SPS4-8, but it is not possible to try it yet.

I have also been tented to Kawai es7, but I'm not sure if it is worth of the extra 400€...

Starting in terms of keybed and piano sound it's certainly worth the extra money. Lets say, € 200 for the piano sound and € 200 for the keybed , or any other division you may like ;-)

As always try before....

Edit: Unless you need specific features that only the kurzweil provides, like certain sound programs and setups. For pure piano playing with a few extra good sounds (ep's / organs), the Kawai is a big step up from the kurzweil , which is more like an all round board.

Thanks a lot.