Help on buying a keyboard!

[DimoChan]

I've recently started learning piano and therefore, I would like to buy a keyboard for home practice.

I was thinking of getting something like my school's one. Its a digital keyboard connected to a computer and it uses the programme Cubase to play.

However, I would like to state that Im new to piano and even newer to digital keyboards.

Therefore, I would like to ask you what you would suggest for me.
The keyboard doesnt need to have those all-time-cool features. I just need it for practice at home

Please state the name/model of the keyboard, brand and where I can find it eg. name of shops. Because I really dont have a clue on them.

I forgot to add that I have a budget of $1000 only. Yeah so.. cheap and good ones?
All help is appreciated Thanks !

EDIT :
I just told my mum that the P85 at the authorised dealer would be about 700 - 850 instead of the 900 one at the official yamaha website and she said it would be ok ! Should be going down to the showroom this Saturday. Shall let you guys know if Im successful or not

 

[Snikrs]

Hi Dimo,

Well, since you are learning piano now, I would recommend getting a keyboard with Hammer-Action keys, meaning it emulates the real piano keys... Standard keyboards would do too, but they don't have that piano feel. Either way, I'd recommend starting with keyboards with lesser features. IMHO, those advanced ones may be overkill, though others may disagree.

 

[pf]

Hi, I think if you go thru this thread, you will know more about the different types of keyboards there are and then you can decide what you want.

http://soft.com.sg/forum/gear-keybo...oard-questions-aspiring-rock-keyboardist.html

 

[DimoChan]

Thanks for the help guys, I thought no one would reply lol T_T

And at Snikrs, hmm I'll consider those.
How much do they roughly cost? O_O

EDIT : @ above, I didnt have the slightest clue on what the thread was talking about 8_8

 

[Cheez]

If you are learning to play the piano, you should get a piano. A 2nd-hand piano would do. Any other keyboards will never give you the touch of a real piano.

If there are any other reason you cannot get a piano (hopefully these reasons are justified reasons...), then you'll need a hammer-action, which also means you'll most likely blow your budget. You can get one slightly more than $1000 but not easy to find one below that - unless 2nd hand.

For hammer/weighted keys, the closest you get to the real thing is the Yamaha P series (also adding lower cost into the factor for consideration). Most of the P series would have built-in speakers and come with standard sounds you'll need. Don't need anything more, as Snikrs said.

But to learn a piano, ALWAYS (if possible) get a piano. Most people I know who wants to learn piano and argue otherwise already has some other personal agenda - most of the time being that he JUST want a keyboard, full-stop (the look of it, the idea of having one etc)!

 

[DimoChan]

There are reasons why Im unable to get a piano but I do not wish to disclose them as they are personal. Please understand me T_T

Hmm ok.
Then where are some Yamaha shops in Singapore? I do not know of any and will try to google this later.

Thanks a lot Cheez, it definitely helped.

EDIT : Ok I've found their website and the list of shops
And I've found another series of keyboards on their web which they call "Portable Keyboard".
It's much cheaper than the Digital Keyboards they have to offer.

In case you wanted to know, http://www.yamaha.com.sg/877.html is for the P series and http://www.yamaha.com.sg/777.html is for the portable keyboards.
Can anyone tell me the differences between these 2? Eg. sound quality? O_O

 

[pf]

The P series are piano focused. The other digital keyboards does not have the weighted hammer action keys which you need.

Don't go to Yamaha. They will sell you at the retail price. Check out the local authorised dealers of Yamaha products. Some do give a good deal.

A cheap and decent digital piano you might want to consider is the P85. Last time I checked (like ard 2 mths ago), a brand new P85 from one of the authorised dealer is only <$800.

EDIT: Or is it $800+...sorry, can't remember exactly. Definately lower than your budget.

 

[DimoChan]

Erm.. and how do I find their websites? I was wondering about that.

And.. what's the difference between a P85 and a P85s?

My dad says if I cant find their dealers then we would have to buy it from Yamaha T_T

 

[Cheez]

Dimochan, you have to ask yourself some very important question. You mentioned you want to learn piano, then mention "portable keyboards". They are worlds apart.

Perhaps the most important question to ask yourself is what you really want to do with the keyboard. What genre of music do you want to play?

If you just want to venture out to try out for fun, then any cheapo keyboard (PSR series that cost a few hundred dollars) will do. You can also do very limited things with them. All depends on your goal.

If piano is truly not your goal, then the P series may not even be what you want.

 

[Jazzfish]

you learning piano? where do u practice the piano? if u are learning piano properly but can't get a piano , get the P85. if you just wanna fiddle around with chords and maybe song ideas get the PSR550 or MM6. for your budget.

 

[DimoChan]

Erm, I dont really know the difference between a digital keyboard and a portable keyboard.

Like I said, Im really new to this.

The keyboard would be used for my daily practice if you wanted to know.
And I would like the keyboard to sound similar to a grand piano as much as possible.

I would need a good sound quality for practice :O

And thanks a lot for the help guys

 

[pf]

What are you practicing daily? If you can't describe to us what you're trying to achieve, then its very difficult to advise.

If you can't describe to us, then can you give us some youtube vids of the stuff you want to play?

 

[DimoChan]

Erm.. piano? Some songs from my teacher I guess.

I've just started recently and I told my parents that I would only be learning for this holiday and therefore I said just play for the fun of it since I do have a keen interest in piano.

Still, there's a possibility that I might carry on after school reopens which also means going for the grades.

So, Im still not really sure on which to get although I do know I would need a decent one for practice.
If the sound is different then I think it would be really strange lol.

I might not be able to reply posts all the way till wednesday since I've got a chalet on. ._.

 

[Cheez]

If you are going for grades, then you have to get a piano. No other way. Otherwise, P85 is a good suggestion.

The most important thing to a digital piano is not just the sound. It's the touch. Without a good touch (as real to a real piano as possible), there's no way you can learn playing like a piano.

For definition of a portable keyboard/digital piano etc, please take a look at the stickies in this section.

 

[DimoChan]

Alrighty. Then what if Im only playing for the fun of it?
Would you still recommend the P85? O_O

And thanks a lot of the help.
It has certainly cleared most of my doubts.

 

[pf]

Haha....fun ah? Depend on whats your definition of fun.

Some ppl have fun playing the proper way. Some ppl have fun by just anyhow wacking.

Practicing on the P85 might not allow you to pass graded classical exams on a real/accoustic piano. So, if you plan on exams, then P85 is not gonna help you.

 

[Jazzfish]

yes get the p85. if u wanna have a bit more fun with song ideas get the dgx630.

ok no more questions. go to yamaha try these 2 models and tell us what you think. please.

 

[velvetrevolver]

i own this model - PSR-E313. good keyboard, and cheap too. bought just for fun. u shld consider getting something like this first. and upgrade when u are serious and fully made up your mind. otherwise u will regret spending a thousand on a keyboard which is left to collect dust after a couple of yrs or so.

cheers!

 

[DimoChan]

Haha....fun ah? Depend on whats your definition of fun.

Some ppl have fun playing the proper way. Some ppl have fun by just anyhow wacking.

Practicing on the P85 might not allow you to pass graded classical exams on a real/accoustic piano. So, if you plan on exams, then P85 is not gonna help you.

Erm, if I can play a song well on the piano, that would be reallly fun to me. Even now when I play those basic songs with mistakes here and there, I find it quite fun

Erm.. why wont it allow me?

And I still cant decide on which -_-
I've been thinking like..
" Hmm Im going to need one for practice. The P85 might be a bit expensive to my dad. But if I dont take the P85 and choose a cheaper one, then the sound quality = louseh T_T "

Uh thats why I cant make up my mind. Because if the sound isnt all that good, then I might feel weird when I practice on it. Like.. huh? Is <inserts a note here> supposed to sound like this?

._.

 

[Jazzfish]

yes get the p85. if u wanna have a bit more fun with song ideas get the dgx630(88 weighted keys) or PSR550(61 unweighted keys)

It's not hard to sell these off at a small loss if you ever get sick but I doubt so.

ok no more questions. go to yamaha try these 3 models and tell us what you think. please.



please.