Members DukeShiverstick Posted October 5, 2006 Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 My wife has played piano since she was five years old. We dont have one at home and I thought I would suprise her this Christmas and get her a Digital piano. The only problem is...I dont have a clue. I want to keep the price range around $2000 and I want it to have CD recording and USB capabilities. After that Im not sure where to go. What brand is concidered (in your own opinion obviously) the best? Where is the best place to order from? Are there any things that I need to be looking for in particular? I would ask the wife, but that would ruin the suprise...any help you folks can give me will help out a lot. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meatball Fulton Posted October 5, 2006 Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 I have yet to hear of a piano that can record CDs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeShiverstick Posted October 5, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by Meatball Fulton I have yet to hear of a piano that can record CDs Can I get one that connects to my computer and records? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Conway Posted October 5, 2006 Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 You might want to look at some of these: Digital Pianos The reps are always happy to talk to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirGarrote Posted October 5, 2006 Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Hey, homey, this post is just a friendly warning...I in no way am trying to be an ass. I started when I was 5 as well...lessons every week for about 13 years. I did all the competitions when I was younger and am currently pursuing music at the graduate level. The point of telling you this is.... After all of that, I would NEVER buy a digital piano. Never never. Not even the best can come close to a real one. Not even remotely close. The sound is all off and the feel is not even in the same ballpark. I have my own apartment now and can't afford a piano. Hell, I wouldn't even have a place to put it. I miss playing the piano more than anything. But I would STILL never buy a digital piano. Alright, that being said, is there any way you can get your wife to try a few without giving away the surprise? Then you'll know for sure if she would like one or not. Hope you don't take this post the wrong way; I'd just hate for you to spend all that money and then have her not like it. Good luck, -G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeShiverstick Posted October 5, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by SirGarrote Hey, homey, this post is just a friendly warning...I in no way am trying to be an ass.I started when I was 5 as well...lessons every week for about 13 years. I did all the competitions when I was younger and am currently pursuing music at the graduate level.The point of telling you this is....After all of that, I would NEVER buy a digital piano. Never never. Not even the best can come close to a real one. Not even remotely close. The sound is all off and the feel is not even in the same ballpark.I have my own apartment now and can't afford a piano. Hell, I wouldn't even have a place to put it. I miss playing the piano more than anything. But I would STILL never buy a digital piano.Alright, that being said, is there any way you can get your wife to try a few without giving away the surprise? Then you'll know for sure if she would like one or not.Hope you don't take this post the wrong way; I'd just hate for you to spend all that money and then have her not like it.Good luck,-G My father in law has an older {censored}ty digital piano and my wife still likes to play it. From what i've seen, there is no way in hell I can afford a regular accoustic piano. I appreciate the warning, but i'm still going digital. Thanx for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirGarrote Posted October 5, 2006 Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by DukeShiverstick My father in law has an older {censored}ty digital piano and my wife still likes to play it. You can get an upright for under $2000. Just know you have options. -G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeShiverstick Posted October 5, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by SirGarrote You can get an upright for under $2000. Just know you have options. -G The thing with an upright that I dont think we're going to want to deal with is the maintenance. Im in the miliary and I might not always be in an area where i'll have access to someone to tune it up. Not to mention all the moving around. Maybe when I retire i'll spring for an acoustic, but for now...I gotta go digital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirGarrote Posted October 5, 2006 Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by DukeShiverstick The thing with an upright that I dont think we're going to want to deal with is the maintenance. Im in the miliary and I might not always be in an area where i'll have access to someone to tune it up. Not to mention all the moving around. Maybe when I retire i'll spring for an acoustic, but for now...I gotta go digital. Ah, good call. -G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeShiverstick Posted October 5, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by HomeInMyShoes I have to agree with SirGarrote that you need to somehow figure out if your wife would make due with a digital or not first. I'm making due with a Roland Fantom X8 to do some piano stuff, but I'd still kill for being able to get a real one (and not end up moving and selling the beast within six months all the time.)In order to get a CD-recorder option, I think you've got to get into the console digitals and not the stage pianos. Roland's KR line might be good, there's a CD add-on thing, but I don't know anything about how that works and the top-end ones are out of the price range, but maybe the KR-103 is a possibility. Kawai and Yamaha are the other brands I would be hitting up. When I was searching I tried some of the Roland consoles while waiting for some help in the store and they were pretty nice for digital. Looking on-line is difficult because most places don't publish the prices of these things on-line. I'd go hit the local piano shops first before checking on-line.If you get a stage piano, you will need something on your computer to deal with MIDI files and then it's your computer's sound and not the piano's sound that you are recording.A used upright in decent shape should be findable (depending on where you are of course) for less than $2000, but it might be harder to keep the delivery a secret. I've done some searching and found a Yamaha YDP223 that has recieved some pretty good reviews. The going rate is about $1,500...which is well in my range. Have you heard anything about this model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeShiverstick Posted October 5, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2006 Originally posted by SirGarrote Ah, good call.-G Hey dude...thanks for the inputs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pizzamon Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 I feel bad that none of us can really give you an opinion. there isn't many people that play a digi piano around here. I took a look at it on the yami site and the thing looks the part for sure. Nice construction and all. it can be recorded to a computer, for burning to cd. Yamaha's are reliable instruments and have good digi piano sounds for what it's worth. I would also look into a Kurzweil. They make reputable digi pianos. http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/products.html?Id=290 My opinion is that a Kurzweil is probably a nicer digi than a yami, but that is very subjective. Sorry I can't be of more help. (edit) : I just saw that they have a new one out that you should look at before making a decision. http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/products.html?Id=1839 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BonsoWonderDog Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 I can't offer much, but for what it's worth.... I wanted a digital. I did NOT want an acoustic. It mostly boils down to these reasons: 1. With the digital I can (for example) record left hand and play right hand with it. 2. With the digital I can play around with some other sounds like strings & pads to make some nice songs. 3. With a digital I can practice with headphones on. (I suck at piano and I have a baby who won't be able to sleep listing to me make a racket on an acoustic). Therefore, after much research and testing (not least of people's patience in this forum) I chose the Yamaha CP300. As I don't have to move it around, the weight isn't a big factor. I will say I was seriously biased to the Yamahas......I did this intentionally as if I'd included all manufacturers in my search I'd still be looking this time in 4 years..... Cheers, Damian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ivorycj Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 Originally posted by DukeShiverstick I've done some searching and found a Yamaha YDP223 that has recieved some pretty good reviews. The going rate is about $1,500...which is well in my range. Have you heard anything about this model? Duke, the Yamaha YDP223 is a sweet little digital piano for the money, and you wouldn't go wrong. You probably have some idea of how adept your wife is with technology? If she's comfortable with a computer, and isn't afraid of learning things, something like a Yamaha S90ES, Roland RD-300 or RD-700SX, Kurzweil PC1X or PC2X-O would be a fine choice for her -- all great keyboards, and all in the professional line. If she's not quite so familiar with all things technical, a digital piano is probably the better way to go (YDP223, Roland KR series, Kurzweil RE-220) from the standpoint of ease of use, and less buttons and features. Good luck, and feel free to use that email address down there if you have specific questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gilbertopb Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 All sugestions above are very good. I must add suggesting the Yamaha P250, it have a very good key action and sound quality. Some piano sugestions at Guitar Center Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hyperstationjr Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 I was keeping tabs on this before, just for kicks... but it seems to me you would be VERY hard pressed to find a piano with CD-recording... Instead, especially since you are looking at spending about $2000 and some of the ones you are looking at are in the $1500 range, I think there might be a solution for you... There are portable audio recorders, usually two tracks, sometimes more... I BELIVE some of them use some sort of media to record on, or perhaps have a USB output, at any rate, the point is you could pick up one of these that has either a Media card or USB, plug the piano into that and record a song. Take those recorded files, put them onto the computer, and burn a CD right there. You could for SURE go that route for under $500, I think some of them even go for as low as $200-300. Might not be the al inclusive package, but it would be cheap, do what you want, and portable, as you said is important. I don't know a LOT about them, I just see them once in a while in stores. I know M-Audio has ome, probably Korg and Tascam... others can help you with a specific model, just an idea though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Allerian Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 This is probably the wrong thread to point out that IMO, 99% of real pianos sound really, really, extra bad. Low-buck {censored}e upright pianos even moreso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirGarrote Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 Originally posted by Allerian This is probably the wrong thread to point out that IMO, 99% of real pianos sound really, really, extra bad. Low-buck {censored}e upright pianos even moreso. Yeah, but IMO, 99% of low-buck {censored}e upright pianos sound better than the top-of-the-line digital. -G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 6, 2006 Members Share Posted October 6, 2006 Originally posted by SirGarrote Yeah, but IMO, 99% of low-buck {censored}e upright pianos sound better than the top-of-the-line digital. -G I'm not that up on digital pianos, but some of them sound pretty good to my ear. My own beloved piano (a 1912 Gerhardt Heintzman big upright--quality-wise, if it was a car it would be an Oldsmobile) has areas of true wonderful (the mid-bass to middle of the keyboard and the top end) and areas where it's a bit weak (the lowest bass and the mid-treble) but I'd never never replace it with a digital. I would buy a digital for gigging if I could balance the cost/income ratio. That said, I can only think of one other upright piano that I've played lately that I could tolerate having in the house. Muddy bass, clangy treble, fudgy action. Yuck! Sad but true. Then there's the tuning thing. tuning isn't really expensive, but an out-of-tune piano sounds cruddy and therefore doesn't get played. Because it doesn't get played, it never gets tuned. And so-on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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