looking for a decent piano keyboard for less than $250 (with weighted (or semi-weighted) keys)

Anything about hardware musical instruments.
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Getting it for a teen to learn piano, so the closer it is to the action of a real piano, the better.
Would prefer sounds built into keyboard but will consider Midi controller keyboard with piano keys also...

Thanks for any recommendations!

Greg K.

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It’s going to be tough to find anything in that price range with hammer action and 88 keys. You might want to try craigslist and haggling. If you must buy new about all that’s in the price range is https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... kers-black
Feel free to call me Brian.

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I think it'd be more inspiring and rewarding to learn with a shorter semi-weighted and great sounds rather than true piano action with 88 keys and poor sounds. Does your budget have to cover both keyboard and sounds?

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bmrzycki wrote:It’s going to be tough to find anything in that price range with hammer action and 88 keys. You might want to try craigslist and haggling. If you must buy new about all that’s in the price range is https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... kers-black
Thank you! Looks pretty nice!

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Richard deHove wrote:I think it'd be more inspiring and rewarding to learn with a shorter semi-weighted and great sounds rather than true piano action with 88 keys and poor sounds. Does your budget have to cover both keyboard and sounds?
Thank you Richard. No, not necessarily. Could just be a MIDI keyboard I could use with a sampler. Yeh, I like your idea. That sounds like it would be suitable for what I'm thinking! I haven't felt semi-weighted but I bet it would work fine. Shorter would be fine too. Maybe 61 key would work.
Last edited by killmaster on Wed Jun 20, 2018 4:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

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killmaster wrote:I saw this and wondered about it
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DZ ... PDKIKX0DER
Haven't played that one, but have tried a couple of others similar when I was on the hunt for a new controller. I absolutely loved the weighted action and the price was excellent - much like your link. I thought I'd stumbled on an amazing bargain - until I discovered it didn't have MIDI. Real shame as I loved the action. Adding MIDI must really push the up for some reason.

I ended up with a M-Audio Keystation 88MkII which many people on KvR seem to strongly dislike. Action is very synth-like and the keys are a bit squeaky, but works fine for my purposes.

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Alesis QS8/8.1 series synths are tanks, full piano size/action,
with nice range of piano sounds if run to a great stereo
or cans among the 600 onboard sounds. People usually
ask $350, so haggle about how old and heavy it is etc.
Got mine from guitar centers used-gear page for under $300
There is also a good 76 key version, but make sure not to get the
newer lighter keybed 8.2 etc

Play that a QS8x a couple hours a day for a year,
and you'll fly on the pro-toy keybeds :hyper:
Cheers

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glokraw wrote:Alesis QS8/8.1 series synths are tanks, full piano size/action,
with nice range of piano sounds if run to a great stereo
or cans among the 600 onboard sounds. People usually
ask $350, so haggle about how old and heavy it is etc.
Got mine from guitar centers used-gear page for under $300
There is also a good 76 key version, but make sure not to get the
newer lighter keybed 8.2 etc

Play that a QS8x a couple hours a day for a year,
and you'll fly on the pro-toy keybeds :hyper:
Cheers
Thanks for the input!

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If to look at used digital pianos - look at Yamaha P-series - I think P105 are now raised the number like every year releasing a new. They have speakers built in.

Really good keyboard action and jumping to taking lessons at some place difference will not that big.
Sound is decent as well. I had a P85 ten years or so ago - and I think it had recording ability as well to listen after what you played, practise songs built in etc.

I think the key is to have - one power button push and play - not starting various computers and stuff.

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I loved my old Qs8. Those were the days..

I don't know how the new Alesis keyboards compare to the oldies.

Got my aunt an NP-12 and she likes it. The NP-32 should be great too.

Did you make a decision?
Roland FP-90 - Touchkeys - NS Wav5C Electric Cello - TEC BC - MIDI Expression
Kontakt - Arturia Piano V - Sonivox Eighty-Eight - Spitfire Symphony Orchestra
whitepianos.blogspot.com

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