I'm looking to buy a small keyboard for my 12yr old daughter. She started music in highschool. I don't know much about keyboard. I'm more of a guitar man but I remember in my days Yamaha used to be tops. I want to buy quality and something that will last so what would you guys recommend? Thanks.
Hard to go past Roland or Yamaha. I bought my daughter a Roland when she started High school and she still uses it and works as a music teacher. 11 years old and it hasn't missed a beat.
I teach piano, and we use the Casio X30 range, we have retired our Yamahas.
If you want your daughter to be able to play a real piano, the hammer action on the Casio CXP 130, 330, 730 etc is the best at the price.
The keyboard action feels like a real piano, down to the higher pitched keys feeling slightly lighter than the low pitch ones.
All of the X30 range have the exact same keyboard action and mechanics, the difference between them is the quality of the speakers, and the options (midi, line-outs, voices, recording capability and so on.)
You can get the 330 on ebay for $889 and can pick it up from the music store in Sydney, or they will post it for I think $69. It really is a great deal and has a 5 year warranty.
They hold their value too, if in 6 months your daughter doesn't stick with it, then you could sell it without losing much on it.
In fact, I'll buy it off you before Christmas if you don't like it, I'm getting my daughter her own one for Chrissy this year.
The Yamahas and Rolands are great, but you spend considerably more money to get as good a hammer action and sounds, at the same price-point as the casio the Yamahas and Rolands are considerably worse.
I gig with the 330, it is an excellent piece of gear and has stood up to many knocks and pub environments, and sounds like a real piano.
If you want to save some money, then get the 130, the on-board speakers aren't as good, but through an amp or powered speakers it will sound the same as the other X30s, but the keyboard is identical in feel.
If money is no object, go straight to the Roland V-Piano, it is a fantastic piece of kit, but very pricey.
I purchased a Casio keyboard for my son some years ago and it was very good. Their range goes above and below the one in the link.
Just make sure it has a Headphone socket!!!!
Good luck
Michael
Thanks Michael. That looks within my price range. As for noise I had 2 x triple decks 130amp Tubes Marshalls in my bedroom as a teen. I'd be an hypocrit if I made my daughter wear headphones
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hagar
Hard to go past Roland or Yamaha. I bought my daughter a Roland when she started High school and she still uses it and works as a music teacher. 11 years old and it hasn't missed a beat.
Yeah Roland/Yamaha is the real deal. Just checked the pricelist though. Gonna have to sell some scopes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poita
I teach piano, and we use the Casio X30 range, we have retired our Yamahas.
If you want your daughter to be able to play a real piano, the hammer action on the Casio CXP 130, 330, 730 etc is the best at the price.
The keyboard action feels like a real piano, down to the higher pitched keys feeling slightly lighter than the low pitch ones.
All of the X30 range have the exact same keyboard action and mechanics, the difference between them is the quality of the speakers, and the options (midi, line-outs, voices, recording capability and so on.)
You can get the 330 on ebay for $889 and can pick it up from the music store in Sydney, or they will post it for I think $69. It really is a great deal and has a 5 year warranty.
They hold their value too, if in 6 months your daughter doesn't stick with it, then you could sell it without losing much on it.
In fact, I'll buy it off you before Christmas if you don't like it, I'm getting my daughter her own one for Chrissy this year.
The Yamahas and Rolands are great, but you spend considerably more money to get as good a hammer action and sounds, at the same price-point as the casio the Yamahas and Rolands are considerably worse.
I gig with the 330, it is an excellent piece of gear and has stood up to many knocks and pub environments, and sounds like a real piano.
If you want to save some money, then get the 130, the on-board speakers aren't as good, but through an amp or powered speakers it will sound the same as the other X30s, but the keyboard is identical in feel.
If money is no object, go straight to the Roland V-Piano, it is a fantastic piece of kit, but very pricey.
Thanks mate for all the feedback. I've checked one on eBay going for the $900.00 ball park. Is that similar to what you recommend?
Marc - is your daughter ever going to be too far away from a computer? Why not consider a good 61-key MIDI surface and a decent software synth? That way she can record and never be restricted by hardware-bound features.
Marc - is your daughter ever going to be too far away from a computer? Why not consider a good 61-key MIDI surface and a decent software synth? That way she can record and never be restricted by hardware-bound features.
At the moment from Bavas - $220 plus your soft synth.
Thanks Chris - I hadn't thought about it this way. She does need a new laptop for school work as well so I might hit two birds with one stone. Food for thoughts - thanks.
You can connect it to a computer and use it as a full Synth that way, but even without a computer the 330 can record your daughter's performances to its built in SD card, and it can provide accompaniment when she plays using its built in instruments. It also has a metronome built in, enough polyphony to never be a problem, ability to split the keyboard into Duet mode so that a tutor and student can play at the same time, and a raft of other features that make it perfect for learning, but advanced enough that she would never outgrow it, as I said I use it for gigs as my goto keyboard.
There is some great software available too, as it has midi functionality.
The most important part is the fully weighted hammer keyboard action if she is learning to play, most midi controller keyboards don't have the real piano feel, and she will have to 'un-learn' a lot to transition to real piano.
The Casio on ebay feels very much like the Steinway I have as my main piano, very similar feel. (Anything without a fully weighted, graded hammer action is a waste of time for learning to play really.)
Good luck with the purchase and with the lessons! There is some great free software available too that can help with lessons at home to reinforce what she learns at school.
Quote:
Originally Posted by multiweb
Up to $1k. I was checking synthetizers. They're well over that ball park.
Thanks mate for all the feedback. I've checked one on eBay going for the $900.00 ball park. Is that similar to what you recommend?
Marc - is your daughter ever going to be too far away from a computer? Why not consider a good 61-key MIDI surface and a decent software synth? That way she can record and never be restricted by hardware-bound features.
At the moment from Bavas - $220 plus your soft synth.
I was going to suggest this as often a MIDI keyboard takes up less room that a full blown keyboard. Plus if you have iMac's in your home, GarageBand is a great starting point (I've used it with my Korg Triton a few times when mucking about).
Marc, my daughter uses my Korg Triton which is probably a bit too advanced but it does have semi-weighted keys (good for getting finger strength up if you don't have a full blown piano) and will last her a lot longer than some of the more cheaper (read < $200) types from Kmart. Try and find one that has nice strong keys, ones that are too light and plasticy can often make fingers lazy.
Thanks guys. I'm off to the music shop in Liverpool this Saturday to test a couple. Will keep in mind the hammer action and how the keys feel. Thanks for all the tips.
I was going to suggest this as often a MIDI keyboard takes up less room that a full blown keyboard. Plus if you have iMac's in your home, GarageBand is a great starting point (I've used it with my Korg Triton a few times when mucking about).
Marc, my daughter uses my Korg Triton which is probably a bit too advanced but it does have semi-weighted keys (good for getting finger strength up if you don't have a full blown piano) and will last her a lot longer than some of the more cheaper (read < $200) types from Kmart. Try and find one that has nice strong keys, ones that are too light and plasticy can often make fingers lazy.
Agreed Simon. Mac, 61-key semi-weighted k/b and GarageBand. Unbeatable. I used GBand for ages, but have moved on to Logic 9 Pro and would still recommend GBand for anyone who wants to have TONS of fun learning with the iTunes-delivered piano or guitar tutorials.
The two problems with a midi only keyboard and garage band is that you *have* to have the computer powered up, connected to the keyboard, software running etc. every time you want to play. With a proper electric piano you flick the switch and start playing. The 2nd problem is as I mentioned that the kids we have that learn on keyboards struggle with playing a real piano, muscle memory is such a big part, and once they get past 'learning the notes' they struggle with dynamics badly, as they can't practice properly at home.
I agree though that garage band is truly awesome, and the new version has lessons as well that are very good. The casio has USB midi so will also work with garage band. It is loads of fun.
Hi Marc
I would recomend the Roland Juno Di synth - you should be able to get it for under $1000. It has only basic sound editing, but has 100s of excellent synth sounds and reproductions of pianos, organs, orchestral, rock and jazz instruments and percussion. Has some great interactive features and a good built in sequencer. It is also compact and lightweight. Probably mopre of a synth workstation.
I still use original 1980s analogue synths for my live gigs (tragic) and have many classic analogue synths and a few 1980/1990s digital samplers still in operation too. I also have a fully digital studio with many types of digital synths and instruments - some amazing software reproductions of classic analog synths out there such as Arp and Moog. Laptop based live work can be great - many friends of mine do this - but I've also witnessed many live meltdowns with both PC & Mac lappie setups - painful.
guy
Wow Guy! I didn't realise that you're into analog synths! We have LOTS to talk about other than imaging and cameras then I guess that's you connection to both Zane and Mark S.
Here's today's purchase for my own (still small) studio:
I'm jealous Chris... You know, not to hijack the thread but I always wanted to get myself a Fairlight CMI (Series III) purely just to noodle about on it (no musical talent really but one likes to dream *grin*)... I could settle for the iPad version I suppose but it's not really the same.
I'm jealous Chris... You know, not to hijack the thread but I always wanted to get myself a Fairlight CMI (Series III) purely just to noodle about on it (no musical talent really but one likes to dream *grin*)... I could settle for the iPad version I suppose but it's not really the same.
I'm a Fairlight CMI fan from way, way back. Australian nous - good and proper.
iPad? The best two synths I've tried ar Korg's "iMS-20", the iPad version of their legendary MS-20 analog, and NLog Pro. Both utterly brilliant - and fully coreMIDI capable so they'll talk to a keyboard without issue I use the camera connection kit and an M_Audio "MidiSport UNO" USB-MIDI interface.
Gonna have to sell some scopes. 
..... No I dont, 130amp tubes sounds insane 
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I guess that's you connection to both Zane and Mark S. 
