Members teardrop Posted August 6, 2004 Members Share Posted August 6, 2004 has anyone tried or owned one of these? I'm looking for an affordable digital piano that still sounds good. At $499 new the price seems right and I hear the piano patches especially the electric pianos are very nice. anyone have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chrisellington Posted August 7, 2004 Members Share Posted August 7, 2004 I am actually looking into the Kurzweil SP88X...there are samples of the sounds online for the Kurzweil SP series SP76 Samples I have not heard anything about the SP series being HORRIBLE...just that they are good for the price...and some nit picky things (although important) like fast decay in the sustain...meaning some feel the piano notes don't sustain long enough... but the 76 semiweighted for $500 is good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted August 7, 2004 Members Share Posted August 7, 2004 Originally posted by teardrop has anyone tried or owned one of these? I'm looking for an affordable digital piano that still sounds good. At $499 new the price seems right and I hear the piano patches especially the electric pianos are very nice. anyone have any thoughts? SP76 has the same sounds as the Kurzweil MicroPiano module - which I have had and played on gigs for years. Great pianos, Rhodes, strings. Only 32 note poly though (both the SP- series 'boards and the MicroPiano module) - if I were buying new nowadays, I would not settle for less than 64 note poly. But otherwise, SP76 IS a pretty good value for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sevensinner Posted August 7, 2004 Members Share Posted August 7, 2004 Wow they're still making those? I remember looking at the SP series back in 1999. Back then, I thought the samples sounded really nice. The one thing I remembered was the the Kurzweils didn't seem to "run out of notes" quite the same as Rolands or Yamahas did (that were 32-note poly) I don't remember why though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pagan Posted August 7, 2004 Members Share Posted August 7, 2004 Originally posted by sevensinner Wow they're still making those? I remember looking at the SP series back in 1999. Back then, I thought the samples sounded really nice. The one thing I remembered was the the Kurzweils didn't seem to "run out of notes" quite the same as Rolands or Yamahas did (that were 32-note poly) I don't remember why though. This is because Kurzweils have 2 oscillators per voice and number of polyphony is guaranteed. While the most manufacturers are refering the number of oscillators as the number of polyphony, for example 32-voice polyphonic Yamaha PSR does with effects only 16-voice polyphony. And so 32-voice polyphonic Kurzweil keyboard has 64 oscillators and 48-voice keyboard has 96 oscillators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LANSTARR Posted August 7, 2004 Members Share Posted August 7, 2004 My bandmate bougth a used sp88 for $500 and we love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted August 9, 2004 Members Share Posted August 9, 2004 Originally posted by LANSTARR My bandmate bougth a used sp88 for $500 and we love it. So, is he makin' some Dirty Bath Water music on that puppy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LANSTARR Posted August 9, 2004 Members Share Posted August 9, 2004 Heck yeah! To be honest, we didnt like the sound at first. The older roland piano had a more harsh sound to it, wile the kurz sounded a bit too clean for us. It took a while to get use to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members teardrop Posted August 16, 2004 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2004 thanks for the replies... judging from the samples, reviews and price, it seems like you can't go wrong with the 76. I'm mainly a guitar player, and want a nice digital piano with a cool eletric piano sim on it that isn't gonna cost me some serious $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kirumamoru Posted August 16, 2004 Members Share Posted August 16, 2004 Originally posted by pagan This is because Kurzweils have 2 oscillators per voice and number of polyphony is guaranteed. While the most manufacturers are refering the number of oscillators as the number of polyphony, for example 32-voice polyphonic Yamaha PSR does with effects only 16-voice polyphony. And so 32-voice polyphonic Kurzweil keyboard has 64 oscillators and 48-voice keyboard has 96 oscillators. What you are saying about Kurzweil only goes for the workstations, and it's four oscs per voice, not two. The K2600, for instance, has 48 voices with four oscillators per voice, or a total of 192 oscillators. I personally consider this to be rather wasteful and not a particularly good design choice, but if it floats your boat.... The reason I think this is wasteful is that with, say, a stereo piano sound, the K2600 uses two of its voices, one for the left channel and one for the right. That means that your piano sound has a top polyphony of 24 notes. That's 128 oscillators going to waste. With the Roland or Yamaha situation, an instrument with 128 voices gets 64 simultanious notes with a stereo piano. The PC2 series has only 64 oscillators total (128 if expanded) and those oscillators are dynamically allocated just like the ones on a Roland or Yamaha keyboard. So a stereo piano patch on the PC2 has a top poly of 32 notes, but a patch that used four oscillators would have a top poly of 16. I believe that the SP-series uses dynamically-allocated poly like the PC2 keyboards, NOT like the workstations. Kiru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted August 16, 2004 Members Share Posted August 16, 2004 I use an sp76 as my stage piano and to control a voce v5. It works just fine. It's durable, and I like the sounds. The action is suitable for organ and piano. Sort of in-between the two. So that I'd have the same control panel to work with practicing, I sold my p80 and got an sp88x. I have the effects set just right and like the way it works as well. I wasn't crazy about the p80's action because it felt a little hydraulic to me - slow on the rebound. The sp88x feels just like my parents' old baldwin spinet. I like fatar actions though. I think, especially for the price, they are the best value on the market. I have read lots of posts on this and other forums, and these boards are not for everybody. They are a good compromise. I am real happy with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted August 16, 2004 Members Share Posted August 16, 2004 Originally posted by daviel I use an sp76 as my stage piano and to control a voce v5. It works just fine. It's durable, and I like the sounds. The action is suitable for organ and piano. Sort of in-between the two. So that I'd have the same control panel to work with practicing, I sold my p80 and got an sp88x. I have the effects set just right and like the way it works as well. I wasn't crazy about the p80's action because it felt a little hydraulic to me - slow on the rebound. The sp88x feels just like my parents' old baldwin spinet. I like fatar actions though. I think, especially for the price, they are the best value on the market. I have read lots of posts on this and other forums, and these boards are not for everybody. They are a good compromise. I am real happy with them. daviel - Thanks for the info. Glad to hear a positive review of that SP-76, I always thought it was pretty cool for what it does, and very lightweight. You say you got an SP88X to have the same "control panel" while practicing, but doesn't the SP88"X" actually have the heavier keys, whereas they also have an SP88 (NOT "X") that is the same action as the SP76? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted August 17, 2004 Members Share Posted August 17, 2004 GigMan, By control panel, I mean the area where all the selection switches, etc. are above the keyboard. I wasn't referring to the keys themselves. You're right there's an sp76[semi-weighted], sp88[semi-weighted], and sp88x [weighted]. The semi weighted action is pretty close to a light weighted action IMO. I am really not very particular about the keys' action anyway so long as they just respond. I'm not really very anal about key feel. I just wanted to have the same sounds to practice to. Another benefit is that if I want to take the 88 key board on a job, I have the same controls - no changes - switching from piano to the v5. The way the midi controls work on the sp boards, controlling the v5 is simple and quick. I have some money to devote to new gear and I am replacing the v5, but I'm having trouble justifying replacing the sp88x. I'm considering either a p120, or an electro73 for the rhodes, sounds mainly, not that the sp rhodes are lame. But I'm going to keep the sp76 & sp88x. For me they're just too practical and handy to use - especially the light weight of the 76. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted August 17, 2004 Members Share Posted August 17, 2004 Right - makes sense. And, in fact, the SP88 is only 2.5 lbs. more than the SP76 - http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/products.html?Id=356 Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted August 17, 2004 Members Share Posted August 17, 2004 BTW - If you go for a P120, better do some arm exercises, 'cause the action is quit a bit heavier on it than on your SP-series Kurz. 'boards... !? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted August 17, 2004 Members Share Posted August 17, 2004 I know about Yamaha actions. I used to have a p80. The only thing I didn't like about the p80 was that the key rebound seemed slow. I even like the e2, I think, rhodes bark vel. switches. The sp88x doesn't have the slow action problem, but it may be just my perception. I have a chance to score another board and am torn between a p120 [metronome, practice sequencer, music stand] - hoping the rebound is quicker - and an electro or a pc1x. I like the rhodes patches in all three. The sp rhodes is a little bell-like but pleasant. Good FM digital DX7 sounds, too. But I'll still be playing out with the sp pianos - just works for me. The sp pianos kind of turned me into a Kurzweil-phile. I have a chance to score a pc1x for $1100 at a local store that is dropping the line. The keyboard manager claims "bad support" meaning to me he doesn't like the rep. I haven't had any trouble at all with my two Kurz sp's, so I don't think I'd be pushing my luck with a pc1x. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted August 18, 2004 Members Share Posted August 18, 2004 Looks like you can't go wrong w/a PC1X. However, $1,100 isn't that incredible - looks like he's only shaving 100 bucks off - http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-KUR%20PC1X.html ...get him to down to $1,000 - now that would be a bargain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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