Digital Pianos?
April 28th, 2007 - 12:34 am
How does one select a digital piano/synth/electronic keyboard? I’m totally out of my element. Even after a few hours today of reading and trying to figure out what it is I even want, I am no more enlightened than I was before.
Here’s what I think I want:
I would like there to be as many actual keys as possible. 88 would be wonderful, but I might be convinced to settle for a few fewer octaves, but not too few.
I want the piano to sound like a piano, but I also want to be able to play a multitude of “voices” like strings, drums, and whatnot.
I would like to be able to program it to play multiple voices at the same time so I could, say, have a drum track and maybe a strings track playing while I play a piano lead. Is this even possible?
I would like to be able to plug it into my computer, though I am not yet 100% certain I know what benefits that brings. This is where I really don’t understand what the articles I have been reading are talking about. I am out of my element, but this seems to be a feature that many others insist on. Maybe I should too? 
It needs to be a playable instrument without being plugged into my computer. Some aren’t, and I am not 100% clear on what the differences are. Yes, call me stupid. Can I do composing on the computer and then transfer it to the keyboard for later performance away from the computer? That would be cool.
It needs to not weigh a ton. I have to be able to carry it. A few of the ones I have seen weigh as much as our TV, which means they weigh almost as much as I do.
It needs to not cost a zillion dollars. I’m thinking of spending something in the range of $500 (or less — less is always better).
And maybe there are things I would like to have or should have but don’t even know about.
Basically, I need a keyboard that will allow one person with a keyboard (and computer) and one person with a guitar to play music that is potentially stage presentable. You know, full, rich, vibrant and not dinky, I don’t know, cheap sounding. This has nothing to do with abilities, because I am going to suck at it for a long time, not having played piano in ages, but when I play a C chord, I want it to sound good. Does that make sense? Maybe not. 
Anyone out there with a clue? Help? Please?
I think I know someone I could email to ask these stupid, stupid questions, but we haven’t talked in ages, and I know he’s probably super busy with his musical career. I’d prefer to at least have something of a clue before I start bothering people with emails full of silly questions. I also want to ask at the local Guitar Center, but I don’t know that they have sales people who are knowledgeable enough to help (though they might) since I don’t know what the hell I am talking about yet. I mean, I’m sure if I walked in with a list of things I want in a keyboard, they’d be able to point me at the ones that fill my needs, but right now, I don’t even know what my needs are. Boy, do I feel dumb! 
And now I have something of a headache from reading a bunch of lingo and technical stuff I don’t really understand. Time for some aspirin and maybe bed. 
2 Responses to “Digital Pianos?”
Oaky, the cab-sav is called Kelly’s Revenge, so excuse the typos…
Gotta have pedals!
Gotta have good key travel, with good acceleration detection to now how hard you are hitting the key and to respond like a piano.
Face it, you’ve got to play it at the shop, to know if it’s you.
After a few of these ventures, I can say, start at the top and move down to your price range as opposed the bottom and moving up. It’s reverse Kenno buying process, but if you are not happy with it in six months, you’ve wasted more money than if you bought something you love and use. A creative tool is not like a computer, well, and you know how a bad computer makes you feel.
The midi port is okay if you want to upload other instruments and program back drops off your computer, Apple is noted for these, so think two yars ahead when you are really having fun. Some allow you to connect a guitar to sync to beat and key (it’s a bit beyond me).
Most important, the speakers are crap, so make sure you can outport to your home sound system or at least the guitar’s amp.
Personally, I find the drum machines included to be crap and prefer to add a dedicated unit on top afterwards for much better performance.
No, no more, I can’t think, the wine, the smell of slow cooked ribs in Texas Chipotle Salsa, “if you are reading this, I would die for you, you know I would.” Some good shit this cab-sav. OOOORRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrBBBBBBBbbbbbbbooooooooo! HAve a great W/E!
Thanks for the advice. I’m probably going to drag Lin to some stores on Sunday. I poked at a few keyboards the last time we were out looking at guitars, but I didn’t really pay attention to any of them. What I did notice was that keys that feel like real piano keys are available on really lower priced models now, which wasn’t the case the last time I went keyboard shopping ages ago.