Weighted Keyboard

[lemonstar]

THis forum is quiet so I guess I might not get much of a response.

I'm looking for a weighted keyboard (e.g. a master keyboard) that has an action/feel as close as possible to a real piano.

http://www.nordkeyboards.com have a hammer action keyboard (e.g. Stage EX) but Nord is a name I turned up in a search engine - I've not previsouly heard of them and don't know first hand what the keyboard is actually like to play. I'd like to get a short list of manufacturers and model names which I can then try and hunt down.

cheers

Neil

[Pianoman]

Hi Neil,

I use an Maudio KeystationPro88 and highly recommend it. Obviously there are no onboard sounds as it's a master/controler keyboard.

I still think the price of it is amazing, to say what you get for you money. It was £399 when I got mine, but I think you can get them for under £300 now!

PM

Duplication Station

[lemonstar]

Thanks for the reply - I checked out their website and the video on the site - I know M-Audio as a manufacturer of other music technology. I'm waiting for NAMM in a couple of weeks (Jan 15-18) to see if anything gets released to coincide with the show.

[Nightwolf]

X2 Yamahaha

[Nightwolf]

you lookin for a midi controller or a keyboard with it's own onboard sounds?

[john]

Hey

Different real pianos play differently. I have an old Roland EP7. It has a weighted piano action, but the sounds just don't cut it. That said it is ideal for me as i don't use the sounds at all and it is only really used in a studio setting. The good thing is you can pick one up second hand pretty cheap.

If the sound is important then you could look at Yamaha S90, or P-80/90/120 or Roland RD-700SX.

As Wolfie said why you need this is important. Do you need 88 weighted keys? Can it be a simple controller keyboard with no sounds or do you need a decent piano sound on board as well?

Cheers

John

[lemonstar]

I'm had the idea to marry up my requirements with those of my daughters (violinist and flautist) who need to learn piano. We have more than enough music in the house with all their practicing and as I have to work in the evenings I was thinking that an upright piano was really going to add to the noise problem. ATM I have an old Roland D-50 that they use but it's not a weighted keyboard so the first requirement is that we have a really good weighted 88-note keyboard - I think the keyboard could just be a midi-controller and then we can buy a seperate midi-sound source, soem kind of rack mounted device. The Nord keyboard caught my eye though and we're hoping to try that and compare it with some other weighted keyboards in the near future - a good set of sounds with the option of expanding them appeals to me but the kids will probably only need a fairly limited set of patches - so, so long as we can use the keyboard as a midi-controller one and it has a fairly good set of on-board sounds (ideally expandable), it should will do. I expect the keyboard will get a lot of use over the next 3-4 years as they both should be able to press on to grade 8 and beyond. So, I'm looking for a good weighted keyboard that feels and responds something like an upright and is robust enough to put up with a lot of use.

[john]

Hi

That being the case I'd look at the weighted controller keys as the better piano action keyboards tend to incorporate more and more expensive and unnecessary features by the time the decent piano action kickcs in You can get a top notch weighted keyboard pretty cheap by comparison....

Of course, it would alos be a nice addition to your studio..... *cough* *cough*

Cheers

John

[Nightwolf]

If you look at Donna's pics from her latest gig, you will see her standing by a Nord, as well and an old messed up Cheby??? . Try asking her about it (she's a drummer, but may have some insight into the device)