Another personal project

[Lionelsax]

Hi !

Someone in the big band wanted a keyboard for his daughter.
I had a cheap keyboard that was useless, I sold it the price he wanted it (very cheap).
Since I don't have a keyboard anymore I ordered a real one.
At work I play a lot of piano but I don't practice at home because I'm used to playing on greater keyboards so it was kind of frustrating.
That's really silly, I ordered a Studiologic Numa Compact X SE !
It's got semi-weighted keys, I wanted something between piano and organ : playing organ on weighted keys is very odd.
I also ordered two pedals : sustain and expression.
I might be crazy !

I ordered this keyboard because it hasn't got too many things on it, only the essential and the right midi connections (5 pin).

When I receive it I'll tell you if I dig it.

[Lionelsax]

A very cool instrument, more than I expected.
Organ sounds are phenomenal !

[Doctor Jeff]

Looks fun!

There are so many cool keyboards available now for not much $$. I wish I played. (I have played a tiny bit, but not in years.)

We have a Yamaha digital piano with Bosendorfer and Steinway samples. It sounds (to my dumb ear) phenomenal. And takes up way less real estate than the baby grand we had before. (My partner's instrument, not mine.)

[2bornot2bop]

Well, as a piano player, not to my liking. Even the $5k plus Nord doesn’t sound like authentic piano.

Let’s face it, digital piano leaves a lot to be desired. Only being honest.

My Yamaha S90ES, created around 2005, is still one of the best sounding electronic keyboards, and even it doesn’t emulate an actual piano.

For authentic sounding organ, or Rhoads sounds I’d not trade the Yamaha. And it’s available used for about $900.

But in the end, enjoy your purchase!

[Lionelsax]

Well, as a piano player, not to my liking. Even the $5k plus Nord doesn’t sound like authentic piano.

Let’s face it, digital piano leaves a lot to be desired. Only being honest.

My Yamaha S90ES, created around 2005, is still one of the best sounding electronic keyboards, and even it doesn’t emulate an actual piano.

For authentic sounding organ, or Rhoads sounds I’d not trade the Yamaha. And it’s available used for about $900.

But in the end, enjoy your purchase!

Yes it's true, I've played a lot of digital pianos, for acoustic sound Yamaha is the best then comes Roland, Casio is good too. The worst are Korg pianos.
On the keyboard I bought, acoustic piano sounds are better than Korg's but not as good as Yamaha's or Roland's.
The good thing is that you can can change a lot of parameters, at the end I'm quite happy.
About weighted keys, on digital pianos it is not so comfortable compared to real pianos.
Semi-weighted keys are better for me and it's more pleasant if I want to play some organ.
For what I play it's largely enough...

About sounds in general, what you exposed are all the issues that explain why MIDI exists.

I hope that someone won't say that the keys on Studiologic keyboards are not as good than other brands.
That's something I didn't know about Studiologic.
The feeling on the keys are the same than on a Nord I one day tried.
Sorry for my English... It sounds weird.

[2bornot2bop]

Weighted keys on the Yamaha aren’t bad. I’ve adjusted after years of playing grands and uprights.

[Lionelsax]

Weighted keys on the Yamaha aren’t bad. I’ve adjusted after years of playing grands and uprights.

No, they are really good but it's not so comfortable when you want to play some organ with. I like organ sound but it's not comfortable on weighted keys.
I figured out it when I tried a Nord and Vox (I think they don't make them anymore), it was more natural.
Like someone said one day : "weighted keys are not necessary the best."
I'm not a pianist even if some people think I am. I play piano but I'm not a pianist.
I wanted a good keyboard with all useful connections.
I was interested in the Roland Combo but I chose the Studiologic because of its internal speakers and its 88 keys (and I say I'm not a pianist, that's confusing !).

[Lionelsax]

[2bornot2bop]

It’s fascinating to see the engineering and technology that goes into their products. They have an extremely modern facility!

I have a Crumar Mojo Organ, add separately a Crumar Organ keyboard module. They’re exceptionally well made, and create a very authentic B3 style Organ. It’s just a pity that even with today’s technology manufacturers haven’t gotten closer to creating a piano sound without it sounding digital. I would have thought technology would have allowed them to nearly duplicate a piano. Perhaps in another 25 years?

[Doctor Jeff]

I don't disagree that digital pianos aren't exactly like a "real" piano, but real pianos are a pain in the rear. Always needing to be tuned, hard to move, often the mechanics go bad and need to be fixed. And they're not worth very much on the used market, unless they are high end.

My partner had an old piano that was quite beautiful--walnut, which had been professionally refinished at some point. She actually got it free from her sister, because it was included in a house that her sister had bought. It took up A LOT of space in the "sun room," AKA "music room," AKA the home of my guitars. She sold it a few years ago for $2500 and replaced it with a good Yamaha digital for about the same price.

Our piano tuner was crazy, I mean literally manic sometimes to the point of being extremely annoying. He also tuned a friend's piano, and just disappeared--wouldn't answer calls or texts. No one knows what happened to him or even if he's still among the living. We couldn't find another tuner, which is one reason we sold the piano.

IF I were a pro, of course I would want a baby grand or AT LEAST a very good upright. But since I'm not, digital is OK for me. It is my impression that Yamaha has the best simulations, though my piano partners play Rolands on stage, and they sound very good through the Bose soundsystem.

Speaking of B3s--Rick Wakeman has some amusing stories about maintaining his real B3s and Mimimoogs and Mellotrons when he was touring with Yes. It basically required a full-time tech to maintain and repair his instruments. He admits to being quite happy to have a decent digital Hammond to tour with when they came out. IIRC he doesn't even own a real Hammond right now.

But yes he does own a real piano. He's kind of obsessive about miking it--says it takes over a day to set it up for miking in the barn where he records. Can check out Rick Beato's interview with him for more details.

[Mulgrew Miller]

If the guy wants half digital piano half portable/B3 then let him have what he wants, sheesh. It isn't the 'wrong' decision. If you're a pianist, you're gonna want both - acoustic and digital. But if you just double on piano then digital is fine.

My preferences are I like Yamaha for digital because I think you get plenty of authentic sound and feel for not much $. For acoustic, I find anything decent is good as long as it's kept up. A lil ok upright that is tuned, voiced, and regulated will sound better than an out of tune expensive grand that never has its felts voiced and clanks around. Of course a nice grand that is kept up is awesome.

[Lionelsax]

It’s fascinating to see the engineering and technology that goes into their products. They have an extremely modern facility!

I have a Crumar Mojo Organ, add separately a Crumar Organ keyboard module. They’re exceptionally well made, and create a very authentic B3 style Organ. It’s just a pity that even with today’s technology manufacturers haven’t gotten closer to creating a piano sound without it sounding digital. I would have thought technology would have allowed them to nearly duplicate a piano. Perhaps in another 25 years?

Organ is like the first synthesizer even pipe organ, it's an additive synthesis so a synthesizer that emulates another proto synthesizer, it is not so surprising if sounds are so good, it's the same concept.