Fed up waiting for Kurzweil, what should I get instead?

[The Piano Man]

I have been waiting and waiting... and waiting some more, for the Kurzweil SP4 to show up in the UK. It is still not here and I badly need a new keyboard for a run of gigs over the festive season. I have an old Technics piano and Korg Module set up that is getting by, but the Technics is starting to show its age (plastic cracking on the ends etc)

 

I would like

 

- Minimum of 76 keys (waterfall type action or light hammer action)

- Decent piano sounds

- Decent bass sounds

- Zone feature so I can layer bass over the piano in a specified range

- Lightweight (Maybe around 10-15kg)

- Ability to name set ups

- Eq knobs would be a nice extra

 

 

Budget:

[Thorhead]

 

I have been waiting and waiting... and waiting some more, for the Kurzweil SP4 to show up in the UK. It is still not here and I badly need a new keyboard for a run of gigs over the festive season. I have an old Technics piano and Korg Module set up that is getting by, but the Technics is starting to show its age (plastic cracking on the ends etc)   I would like   - Minimum of 76 keys (waterfall type action or light hammer action) - Decent piano sounds - Decent bass sounds - Zone feature so I can layer bass over the piano in a specified range - Lightweight (Maybe around 10-15kg) - Ability to name set ups - Eq knobs would be a nice extra     Budget:

[The Piano Man]

Thanks for the quick response. Looks like a good deal though it is showing as

[AnotherScott]

The Yamaha Piagerro NP-V80 pretty much meets your specs, it does pretty much what you want, but you may find the sounds not up to snuff.

 

Another option could be to cobble something together from a mix of pieces. Find a light keyboard you like the feel of... maybe Yamaha NP-30 or Yamaha P-95 or M-Audio ProKeys Sono 88. Then connect that to a module that lets you set up layers and splits the way you like, maybe Roland SonicCell (though they seem to be getting scarce). With a little effort, you can probably set it up so that the program change buttons on your keyboard call up the patches you want on the module; if not, you can add something like a Rolls MP128 or an M-Audio UC-33e to directly call up patches on the module.

 

EDIT: note that you can't use the NP-V80 mentioned first as a foundation for the module combo approach discussed afterwards, because the NP-V80 doesn't have a MIDI out port.