First rule of keyboard building...

[happyrat1]

The price of the keyboard is directly proportional to the number of inputs and outputs it has

I cannot believe how casually manufacturers are butchering basic MIDI standards these days.

Rule number 2: The more connectivity an instrument has the more versatile a performer it can become.

What happened? 15 years ago Casio was putting out professional quality instruments for chump change.

Now it seems like everyone is in a race for the bottom end market with a couple of USB ports and a headphone jack.

Old style MIDI is worth its weight in gold these days.

Observations from the cloud universe #72.

 

[Biggles]

Yamaha
15 different keyboards in their E/A beginner range.
3 NP digital pianos
4 in their P range of DP’s
5 in their PSR range of Arrangers
The above is just part of what they produce in their keyboard range.

Casio
27 different beginner keyboards
5 DP’s aimed at beginners
6 portable DP’s
Plus a bunch of home furniture Pianos

Korg
9 portable Digital Pianos
5 Arrangers

The above does not include Synths and workstations.

I fail to understand just why Yamaha and Casio have such an extensive range of products aimed and beginners and intermediate players.

Most just have USB host connections and possibly an A input socket.

We bought a Casio at £100 for our Grandson and almost a year later he is still using it and having piano lessons and this is probably why these low value keyboards have limited connectivity. MIDI 5 pin sockets are simply not needed, connecting up to an iPad or iPhone and they have all the learning Apps they will ever need plus there are thousands of synth and other music related Apps available to use without all the nightmare of learning MIDI.

So yeah unless one goes for a more pro level keyboard you are screwed unless one goes the MIDI keyboard controller route.

 

[ca.88fingers]

I've had to opt for 90s and 00s keyboards that had the 5pin, to use for MIDI controllers. NP30, NP31, NP11 work ok. JV30 too.
The problem I've encountered is that many newer keybeds are atrocious! Terrible! Roland shortened all their keys about 20 years ago, so everything they make IMHO is sliding degrees of suckage when it comes to feel. That's why I opted for a JV30. And Rolands newer keys (DS, FA) still use this short key length that negatively alters the feel. My MX has full key length and feels great. Don't get me started on weird implementations of MIDI...
I tell ya, it's not ez being an older experienced keyboard player these days...
OK, now I'm gonna shake my fist at a cloud or something...

 

[happyrat1]

Every time a manufacturer cuts a feature, they save themselves 2 or 3 bucks on their overhead, multiplied by however many units they pump out over its lifetime.

This allows them to mass produce 300 low budget consumer toys for every pro board they build.

A Prophet or a Moog or any top end mainstream workstation is as good as it gets, but since globalization got pissed on by a certain MAGAlomaniac almost a decade ago, pickings have been getting slimmer and slimmer.

Even crappy used gear on their last legs are selling for more than they cost new?!?!

Whom do we send the angry mob after? That seems to be the way we handle things these days?!?!?

 

[Diallady]

The price of the keyboard is directly proportional to the number of inputs and outputs it has

I cannot believe how casually manufacturers are butchering basic MIDI standards these days.

Rule number 2: The more connectivity an instrument has the more versatile a performer it can become.

What happened? 15 years ago Casio was putting out professional quality instruments for chump change.

Now it seems like everyone is in a race for the bottom end market with a couple of USB ports and a headphone jack.

Old style MIDI is worth its weight in gold these days.

Observations from the cloud universe #72.

Funny you mention 15 yrs ago for Casio. In 2009 I got my first Casio keyboard (CTK-900) after theater organ went belly up. It has one single output but it does have a MIDI connection.

Then I graduated to their WK model workstations (WK 500, WK 6600 and WK 7600). Then an older XW-P1 comes across my path that I couldn't refuse.

And then REAL workstations (Korg) came into the picture.

So there you have it - my complete keyboard acquisition history.

 

[Pupin]

Apart from the Roland FP-30 bought 6 years ago and the only owner,
other things bought in the last 2 years
as a search for what is better, and nowhere to end...

I don't think after Solton MS-50, it should have been
to continue further shopping and research.
All these keyboards are between 30 and 15 years old.
I fear Casio and Yamaha (me personally),
and I am afraid of new and "pro" -- and still toys in the making...

Roland FP-30,
the keys are, a little shorter, it could have been 1 cm longer,
Only USB midi, everything else is best for the money

G-70,
the perfect bitch I've ever had if we're talking about arrangers,
super connections I/O midi, audio,

A-33,
extra feeling on the race, the controller,
Super build quality...
2ch MIDI I/O

Phantom X
Lots of I/O
extra build quality, although the keys could have been of better quality, and yes
they havent after-touch posibility directly, (chanel - at least)

GW-8, toy, but midi DIN-5 and USB A and B

EM-55, a toy, the only one with a large tone list

Although as I mentioned I bought them in the last two years, second hand
(except FP-30 6 years ago, new),
these keyboards are much better than new
have more resources, better craftsmanship,

I would like to reduce this to 2 keyboards
Piano and Arranger
with good races
many I/O audio and 5 DIN midi

In addition to this, I must also mention the Solton MS50,
by far the best, but 5 octaves, to have 76 keys,
(like MS100), by far the best features and uses
pedal (13 of 36 functions by choice or in registrations
differently placed) I think the keybed is Fatar
The only thing is that I have a small selection of rhythms and tones, but
if another keyboard is used (with MIDI),
as a module...

2 KORGa Pa500 and PA 500 TR (turkey)

easy intuitive use, touch screen
a large selection of rhythms, even tones (but they are not like Roland!)
bad keybeds, cheap plastic crafts
I think I'll get the Pa-3x Pro (76 keys)...

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