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If you think the ES110 has noisy keys, wait until you hear the ones in the PX560...
The D1 is a really nice board. If it had speakers, it would be perfect.
Digital pianos c£500 / $750 USD / €600 / $860 CND / $960 AUD.
- Thread starter Biggles
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If you think the ES110 has noisy keys, wait until you hear the ones in the PX560...
The D1 is a really nice board. If it had speakers, it would be perfect.
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If you don't need it to be portable, I guess that's kind of an LP-380. They used to have that action in a portable with speakers, that was the SP-250.
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Or the G1 Air...
The Fixed setup at home that I want to achieve:-
Roland FA 07 or 08 but I am leaning towards the 08.
The FA feeding into my mixer which will then supply the powered speakers
Plus
Gibson and Fender guitars feeding (one at a time) into my Boss GT100 pedal board which in turn feeds the mixer
Electric solid bodied uke feeding into Zoom G1X Four pedal unit which in turn feeds into the mixer
.
.
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For use at home but also transportable:-
A Digital piano
Roland FA 07 or 08 but I am leaning towards the 08.
The FA feeding into my mixer which will then supply the powered speakers
Plus
Gibson and Fender guitars feeding (one at a time) into my Boss GT100 pedal board which in turn feeds the mixer
Electric solid bodied uke feeding into Zoom G1X Four pedal unit which in turn feeds into the mixer
.
.
.
For use at home but also transportable:-
A Digital piano
The digital piano saga has now come to an end, all be it in a roundabout route.
Today I have joined, what is for me, the dark side and bought a Yamaha digital piano.
Since I want a portable unit I went for the P121 which is the smaller 73 key version of the P125.
Whilst the keybed is not as good as the Roland FP its smaller size and much lighter weight will suit my requirements better. The method of changing tones is also far better than the Roland where you have to press and hold the selector button and pressing one of the keybed keys. With the Yamaha each tone is selected in sequence by repeated pressing of the appropriate instrument category button hence it is possible to sustain one tone, select another without affecting the sustain until it is released. The Yamaha app is also better than Roland’s offering. So in the end it was overall a clear winner for me.
Yes, I have often been critical of Yamaha but fair do’s they do have great piano sounds even in this low level entry grade DP.
Today I have joined, what is for me, the dark side and bought a Yamaha digital piano.
Since I want a portable unit I went for the P121 which is the smaller 73 key version of the P125.
Whilst the keybed is not as good as the Roland FP its smaller size and much lighter weight will suit my requirements better. The method of changing tones is also far better than the Roland where you have to press and hold the selector button and pressing one of the keybed keys. With the Yamaha each tone is selected in sequence by repeated pressing of the appropriate instrument category button hence it is possible to sustain one tone, select another without affecting the sustain until it is released. The Yamaha app is also better than Roland’s offering. So in the end it was overall a clear winner for me.
Yes, I have often been critical of Yamaha but fair do’s they do have great piano sounds even in this low level entry grade DP.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
Why did @happyrat1 give a sad face?
No doubt Gary will respond and explain why.
I have not played weighted keys since learning to play, when I was a kid, the acoustic upright that my Mother played. So another benefit is that I am not buying a full 88 key weighted workstation until I have played the P121 for a while to be sure that it is for me.
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The difference between an acoustic (or a digital piano with a true-to-life piano keybed like the MP11SE) and what you've been playing (PA700 and Kross 2) is quite big as far as feel and touch are concerned.
Yamaha's GHS is slightly better than Korg's NH keybed (which was in my Kross 2 88) but it is still in the same league, i.e. good for playing a diverse range of instruments (electric piano, organ, synth and modern pop piano) but not ideal for expressive classical and jazz piano (which is not what you're looking for, in any case).
However, I believe the keybed in the P121 (and 125) is a good 'middle ground' between a non-weighted synth/workstation keybed and a true graded hammer action keybed, ideal to get accustomed to weighted keys again. If you like the P121, then I'm positive you would like the keybed in the Roland FA08 (I know you've been eyeing that one
)Have fun exploring !
Kaneda.
You hit the bullseye with those comments.
I have tried and dislike Korg’s with the NH keybed which to me just feel heavier than a synth action but with not much feel.
Yet again has been a Roland loosing out to another make primarily due to weight, had the Roland FP had a 73/76 key version with a lighter weight then no doubt I would have bought that since I do like the PHA-4 action which is better than Yamaha’s GHA.
Yes, middle ground is good and just what I want to use for a couple of months before deciding upon what direction to go for my main board.
The only thing that concerns me about the FA is that Roland have released a lot of new or revised keyboards in the last few months but the likes of the Juno and FA continue as quite old models.
It is the same with Korg, a lot of new kit yet the one Korg that I would be interested in continues to receive software updates only yet quite a few of those updates give features which are not as good as what was available in the old models.
Hence I do not want to buy a keyboard only for a new fully revised model to be released within a few months.
Both the Korg’s I had were bought very soon after their release.
You hit the bullseye with those comments.
I have tried and dislike Korg’s with the NH keybed which to me just feel heavier than a synth action but with not much feel.
Yet again has been a Roland loosing out to another make primarily due to weight, had the Roland FP had a 73/76 key version with a lighter weight then no doubt I would have bought that since I do like the PHA-4 action which is better than Yamaha’s GHA.
Yes, middle ground is good and just what I want to use for a couple of months before deciding upon what direction to go for my main board.
The only thing that concerns me about the FA is that Roland have released a lot of new or revised keyboards in the last few months but the likes of the Juno and FA continue as quite old models.
It is the same with Korg, a lot of new kit yet the one Korg that I would be interested in continues to receive software updates only yet quite a few of those updates give features which are not as good as what was available in the old models.
Hence I do not want to buy a keyboard only for a new fully revised model to be released within a few months.
Both the Korg’s I had were bought very soon after their release.
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
Because long time ally and anti Yamaha user Biggles went over to the dark side and bought one of those nasty Yamamamamamahamahahas my precious.... They're evil and unholy and makes me skin crawl
Gary
I feel like I should be horsewhipped, and consigned to the Tower to enter via Traitors Gate.
Within the price range it really is a two horse race, Roland or Yamahaha.
As it is the Yamaha has rear output sockets and a great app.
Roland only has the headphones output and a dodgy app.
If Yamaha did not produce the P121 with its 73 keys then I would have bought a Roland.
I even tried to avoid buying the Yamaha by getting a Roland A800 MIDI controller and using that with my iPad as my mobile kit. What a nightmare that was, it took an age to get it working with the iPad and even longer to get it working with the MAC but with the Laptop it kept freezing both Cakewalk and Ableton so I gave up, took it back and bought the Yamaha.
So I did try to avoid buying the Yamaha, honest.
Within the price range it really is a two horse race, Roland or Yamahaha.
As it is the Yamaha has rear output sockets and a great app.
Roland only has the headphones output and a dodgy app.
If Yamaha did not produce the P121 with its 73 keys then I would have bought a Roland.
I even tried to avoid buying the Yamaha by getting a Roland A800 MIDI controller and using that with my iPad as my mobile kit. What a nightmare that was, it took an age to get it working with the iPad and even longer to get it working with the MAC but with the Laptop it kept freezing both Cakewalk and Ableton so I gave up, took it back and bought the Yamaha.
So I did try to avoid buying the Yamaha, honest.
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@Biggles
PHA4 has a better feel to it than both Korg's NH and Yamaha's GHS, and so is the PHA4's predecessor, the Ivory Feel G that's in the Juno DS88 and the FA08.
With the Fantom being released (which has the PHA50 keybed) as a high-end workstation, a replacement for both the Juno and/or FA may be in the works, sort of as a 'mid-range' workstation.
As for Korg, with the Kross 2 and Krome EX being too recent to be replaced soon, the only new workstation in the pipeline would be a successor to the Kronos, but that's a completely different price point.
Don't know 100% sure what you want to do with your new setup, but I understand you don't want to go the 'arranger' way again. You'll probably like the P121, and if you're going for a dual tier setup again, you might want to trade it in for the P125, giving you a full size 88 keyboard on the bottom, to which you might want to add a MODX6 : the last update added extensive sequencer functionality, if I'm not mistaken, while probably not as advanced as the Roland FA, might give you want to need (plenty of sound editing capabilities as well). And Yamaha gear plays very well with your iPad (no legacy MIDI on the P121/125 but maybe you could connect everything using USB MIDI with a small USB hub). What's more, your journey to the dark side would be complete...
But you wanted drawbars for playing organ, I think I read somewhere. So, not quite there yet...
I'm not very knowledgeable as far as synths and workstations go, but just my 2 cents
PHA4 has a better feel to it than both Korg's NH and Yamaha's GHS, and so is the PHA4's predecessor, the Ivory Feel G that's in the Juno DS88 and the FA08.
With the Fantom being released (which has the PHA50 keybed) as a high-end workstation, a replacement for both the Juno and/or FA may be in the works, sort of as a 'mid-range' workstation.
As for Korg, with the Kross 2 and Krome EX being too recent to be replaced soon, the only new workstation in the pipeline would be a successor to the Kronos, but that's a completely different price point.
Don't know 100% sure what you want to do with your new setup, but I understand you don't want to go the 'arranger' way again. You'll probably like the P121, and if you're going for a dual tier setup again, you might want to trade it in for the P125, giving you a full size 88 keyboard on the bottom, to which you might want to add a MODX6 : the last update added extensive sequencer functionality, if I'm not mistaken, while probably not as advanced as the Roland FA, might give you want to need (plenty of sound editing capabilities as well). And Yamaha gear plays very well with your iPad (no legacy MIDI on the P121/125 but maybe you could connect everything using USB MIDI with a small USB hub). What's more, your journey to the dark side would be complete...
But you wanted drawbars for playing organ, I think I read somewhere. So, not quite there yet...
I'm not very knowledgeable as far as synths and workstations go, but just my 2 cents
Point 1.
I will not be buying any other Yamaha, 100% sure of that and I have tried a MODX and did not like it at all, and in the top end price range Yamaha comes fourth in my book after, Nord, and Roland with my no. 1 being the Korg Kronos.
Point 2.
Yes my arranger days are over unless a Korg Pa5X with at least 73 keys comes out before I buy a workstation.
Point 3.
My synth knowledge is practically zero.
The Roland FA has great sounds and an excellent inbuilt sequencer as it is plus the Axial site has a mass of available extras which are foc and being based on the Integra the downloads available for that also function with the FA.
If I were to go dual tier it would be Roland FP30 on lower with an FA 07 on upper. But an FA 08 would be a one keyboard setup with the P121 being for my mobile requirements plus something for the Grandkids to play.
The P121 has been setup and tested but as yet I have not connected it to my iPad or Laptop, sat here having a coffee and browsing then plan to go into my music corner and finish setting everything up. Then its practice time.
I will not be buying any other Yamaha, 100% sure of that and I have tried a MODX and did not like it at all, and in the top end price range Yamaha comes fourth in my book after, Nord, and Roland with my no. 1 being the Korg Kronos.
Point 2.
Yes my arranger days are over unless a Korg Pa5X with at least 73 keys comes out before I buy a workstation.
Point 3.
My synth knowledge is practically zero.
The Roland FA has great sounds and an excellent inbuilt sequencer as it is plus the Axial site has a mass of available extras which are foc and being based on the Integra the downloads available for that also function with the FA.
If I were to go dual tier it would be Roland FP30 on lower with an FA 07 on upper. But an FA 08 would be a one keyboard setup with the P121 being for my mobile requirements plus something for the Grandkids to play.
The P121 has been setup and tested but as yet I have not connected it to my iPad or Laptop, sat here having a coffee and browsing then plan to go into my music corner and finish setting everything up. Then its practice time.
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Hi!! I am based in India. While looking at keyboards and their comparison on YouTube , there seems to be a huge price difference in USA between the Yamaha PSR SX900 and the Korg Pa700. So price was a consideration when the presenter opted for Korg.
Here in India , I find that the price of these two keyboards seem to be around the same level. In this case, which brand and model between the above would you suggest as the better keyboard?
Welcome.
You are not considering like for like models.
The Korg Pa700 = Yamaha SX700 & the
Korg Pa1000 = Yamaha SX900.
I had the Korg Pa700 which imo was vastly superior to the then Yamaha PSR S770. Since then the SX models have been released but I have not played them other than a few bars, only looked at them and heard them being demonstrated. Playing a few bars was enough for me since I simply do not like the harsh shrill sounds of Yamaha arrangers, that said Yamaha piano sounds are pretty good.
Both Korg and Yamaha have video tutorials on the features of each of their keyboards, if you watch these they will give you a better understanding of the features of each keyboard.
europe.yamaha.com
You are not considering like for like models.
The Korg Pa700 = Yamaha SX700 & the
Korg Pa1000 = Yamaha SX900.
I had the Korg Pa700 which imo was vastly superior to the then Yamaha PSR S770. Since then the SX models have been released but I have not played them other than a few bars, only looked at them and heard them being demonstrated. Playing a few bars was enough for me since I simply do not like the harsh shrill sounds of Yamaha arrangers, that said Yamaha piano sounds are pretty good.
Both Korg and Yamaha have video tutorials on the features of each of their keyboards, if you watch these they will give you a better understanding of the features of each keyboard.
PSR-SX700 - Audio & Video - Yamaha - Other European Countries
Take your performance to a whole new dimension with the PSR-SX. Replacing the hugely successful PSR-S series, the PSR-SX700 is the new generation in Digital Workstation sound, design and user experience. These instruments will inspire and intensify your musical performance and enjoyment.
Update.
Still stuck playing the Yamaha P121.
This Covid problem has meant that I cannot do my usual regular trawl around the local Music Stores to try kit and to figure out what the hell I want next but it has enabled me to concentrate on playing and learning.
So to recap, I bought the P121 primarily because of its piano voices and OK keybed plus its output connections are way better than a Roland 30, it was intended as a tied me over keyboard that I could use to get me used to a hammer action keybed.
Five months later I do like the keybed, the piano sounds are good, DP’s just OK, organ sounds like an 80’s Casio and Others well best forget about them. As a DP, it does the job well, it is a tool, nothing fancy, it just works. The way you change instruments via a button press or two is way better than the competitors kit where are two handed action can be required to change tone. So I am certain that I did make the correct choice at the time for what I wanted. Connectivity just works with the iPad and to my Laptop it works but it is not as though I have used it much with any DAW or NI or Arturia App other than to see if it functions, which it seems to do.
What it has shown is that I miss the Arranger functions, but I do not miss the soulless wishy washy synth action that was on my Korg 700.
So I want 73/76/88 keys, hammer action or something like, Style play with at least four variations, multiple splits, sliders that double up as drawbars, plus the usual Arranger bits and pieces. Not much to ask for is it?
Still stuck playing the Yamaha P121.
This Covid problem has meant that I cannot do my usual regular trawl around the local Music Stores to try kit and to figure out what the hell I want next but it has enabled me to concentrate on playing and learning.
So to recap, I bought the P121 primarily because of its piano voices and OK keybed plus its output connections are way better than a Roland 30, it was intended as a tied me over keyboard that I could use to get me used to a hammer action keybed.
Five months later I do like the keybed, the piano sounds are good, DP’s just OK, organ sounds like an 80’s Casio and Others well best forget about them. As a DP, it does the job well, it is a tool, nothing fancy, it just works. The way you change instruments via a button press or two is way better than the competitors kit where are two handed action can be required to change tone. So I am certain that I did make the correct choice at the time for what I wanted. Connectivity just works with the iPad and to my Laptop it works but it is not as though I have used it much with any DAW or NI or Arturia App other than to see if it functions, which it seems to do.
What it has shown is that I miss the Arranger functions, but I do not miss the soulless wishy washy synth action that was on my Korg 700.
So I want 73/76/88 keys, hammer action or something like, Style play with at least four variations, multiple splits, sliders that double up as drawbars, plus the usual Arranger bits and pieces. Not much to ask for is it?
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I suspect your best bet will be to get a non-hammer arranger and then a hammer action board to connect to it to play it from the desired kind of action.
Pretty sure you are correct in your suggestions.
If only Korg had released a Pa5X at NAMM I would not be in the state I am now, I just cannot pull the trigger and buy a 4X.
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Roland had a really good arranger module, pro quality, the BK7M. Unfortunately, it's no longer available.
Paired with something like the Juno DS88, which has a good, solid weighted keybed, could have been a cool combo... If you want drawbars AND fully weighted keys, then the Arturia Keylab 88 MkII is the only one I can think of).
In any case, an alternative to a two-tier setup, or the next best thing to a PA5X with the 88 weighted keys of the Kronos...
Paired with something like the Juno DS88, which has a good, solid weighted keybed, could have been a cool combo... If you want drawbars AND fully weighted keys, then the Arturia Keylab 88 MkII is the only one I can think of).
In any case, an alternative to a two-tier setup, or the next best thing to a PA5X with the 88 weighted keys of the Kronos...
Last edited:
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You mean to control the BK-7m? I don't believe the BK-7m has organ drawbar controllability.
But there are lots of boards with fully weighted keys and 9-drawbar organ controls (whether actually drawbars, or other kinds of sliders or LED controls) which can be used either for internal organ sounds or for external ones as a controller. Nord, Kurzweil, Korg, and Roland all make them. (Kawai comes close.)