Looking for a DP again. Owned Roland DP before

Hello all,

I haven't participated in the forum for a while but I think I have to bite the bullet and buy a DP again because I want keep improving and I need to practice more, especially when I'm home. I'm still a piano beginner having just started learning it about 15 months ago.

I owned the RD-700NX for a while but returned it due to the ringing sound that drove me nuts. Another thing that I didn't like was how hard it felt when the keys depressed fully. Other than these 2 things, I like the Roland a lot but I don't know if I want to buy a Roland DP again.

So here are the things I'm looking for:

- Budget: up to $2500. Preferably less.
- Brand: any brand, but Roland would probably be my last choice.
- Stage or Console style: No preference.
- Pedals: sustain and soft required.
- Piano sample quality: anything decent as long there isn't a lot of ringing noises.
- Keyboard requirements: Any weight is fine but I'm not looking for really light keys. I prefer graded action as well. Finally, I'd like keys that feel soft (not mushy) when they bottom out.
- Warranty: home repair preferred but not absolutely required.

What piano(s) would you all recommend?

Many thanks in advance!!

Cheers,

Nicolas

If you're not in a rush hold on until Thursday & Friday. You might see some new options announced that fit your $2,500 budget nicely.

If you're in a rush, don't like Roland, and have $2500, I would consider Kawai MP10.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboards-midi/kawai-mp10-professional-stage-piano

But just wait until tomorrow and see what's announced at NAMM.

Also, keep and eye on this thread: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2011642/Kawai%20VPC.html#Post2011642

You simply need to go shopping. Since you didn't specify console or slab, are you listening solely through headphones, or your own separate monitors? I'm not sure what the ringing was that you heard, but that only reinforces that you need to go play several. If you are using headphones exclusively, bring your own to help reduce variables.

Also, the last item on your list, in-home service, is only offered on a few models in your price range. All of them are consoles, and most with in-home warranty are above $2500. If I focus on that requirement, it would include Yamaha CLP-430 & probably 440, probably all of Kawai's CN models, and Roland consoles (F120, RP-301, DP-90).

That's a good list anyway, but they are the only ones that hit every requirement.

If you revisit Roland, I would be curious if you still hear the ringing in other models or through the console speakers. We received a Roland recently with something off in the piano sample of just that instrument. I heard it and my customer heard it, but the repair tech and another pianist in our store couldn't zero in on it. Ears are funny that way. What was obvious and very bothersome to me was too subtle for some but clearly not found in the replacement or in our floor model or in any others that I know of. I've had that happen several times on acoustic pianos, too.

Thanks for the advice Sam. I think for me the best pianos are FP-7F or the RD-700NX. They have great piano sounds, have plenty of features, and have excellent actions. There are just a few things about them that bother me and I guess the ringing could depend on the specific unit and probably won't be as noticeable after a while but the keys do bottom out quite hard.

I don't think I'm ready to spend more than $2500 right now because $2500 is already a lot of money. Therefore I should rule out the Clavinovas. What I do want to try out is the Casio AP-650.

I think the best thing right now is to come by your store because I live pretty close to Duluth and play what's available there. Do you mind my trying out your digital pianos for a couple of hours?

Cheers,

Nicolas

We'd love to have you. If a couple of hours helps, that's no problem. We'll have AP-650 to try also as soon as they ship. Maybe I'll get to say hello to Mike tomorrow or Friday as I'm out at NAMM right now. Someone at the booth will give us a timeline for those new models to arrive.

If you send me your info in a PM, I'll make sure to let you know when they arrive and are on display.