New set-up for wife. Help me!

[Yero]

Hello!
My wife has a https://www.casio-intl.com/asia/en/emi/products/cdp235r/
and I'd like to upgrade her to https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9K9NP2T

I like it because it is white and it is within my budget. Other then that I have no idea if it is an upgrade or the same thing just with different buttons. Would you please let me know if it is a good option, or I should look for something else. If it is an upgrade what is better about this more expensive keyboard then the one she has.

I would also like to set her up with for recording with singing. She does have:
Microphone - https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Podcasting-Shockmount-Crystal-Clear-Protective/dp/B01MZBLKN5
Headphones - https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-Over-Ear-Studio-Headphones-construction/dp/B0011UB9CQ
Amp - https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B07QR6Z1JB
Laptop - MacBook Pro

What she wants to do is to be able to sing into the microphone while playing and hear herself and the piano in the headphones. Once in a while she would also connect to the laptop with garage band to record it all.

I am trying to have it all connect, but I wasn't able to so far. Would you guide me with this as well? What other pieces of equipment do I need for this to happen?

 

[Mayo Vox]

Yero, it seems that these are different keyboards.
Casio is more of an arranger keyboard it has 700 voices and 200 rhythms.
Yamaha is digital piano only ( probably with a few tones). So this is the first attribute you should check -
Does your wife need auto accompaniment or not?
The second is the quality of the keys, chassis, and sounds. I'm not sure about the quality range of both keyboards - you need to spend some time watching reviews.

Cheers

Mayo

 

[Biggles]

The “upgrade” is very minor, I would not bother with it.

A Yamaha DGX 670 would be by far a better buy, it has mike input and onboard recording.

A Shure mike would also be a better buy, but I would avoid any that are aimed at Podcasts.

A Zoom portable recorder would also be a good choice and offer better end results than using a Laptop as a recorder

 

[Yero]

Does your wife need auto accompaniment or not?
The second is the quality of the keys, chassis, and sounds. I'm not sure about the quality range of both keyboards - you need to spend some time watching reviews.

She just plays it like a piano. I am thinking, if a digital piano potentially has a better sound and better keys, then she would like it more.

A Yamaha DGX 670 would be by far a better buy, it has mike input and onboard recording.

What I liked about what I linked is that it is pretty compact. DGX 670 is huge. Would you (or anyone else) have a recommendation for a digital piano that is not as big as DGX 670?

Amazon.com

I am at this point of my research looking at

Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Korg-LP380WH-Lifestyle-Digital-Piano/dp/B00ERBYVZS

It seems like it has a feature be played with headphones. Although it is hard for me to justify the price tag, unless you guys tell me that it has a much better sound then the previous version discussed.

I especially like the Korg, because it closes and can be used like a desk.

 

[happyrat1]

If you want to give her a REAL upgrade look at a Kawai MP7se stage piano. Pretty much top of the line for electronic pianos.

I may be getting one for myself in the near future.

Gary

 

[cpcohen1945]

IMHO --

The Kawai MP7 is designed for stage use by professionals. It has no loudspeakers, lots of features your wife doesn't need, and (I suspect) costs more than you want to spend. It is very good, but may not fit her needs, or fit your budget.

. .. . Have you asked her what she wants?

If you're trying to surprise her, I suggest that you bring her into the buying decision. If you have any local stores, a visit will be worthwhile.

. Charles

PS -- Almost all keyboards (spring- loaded keys) and digital pianos (weighted keys) have headphone outputs. It's not a feature to worry about.

 

[Yero]

If you want to give her a REAL upgrade look at a Kawai MP7se stage piano. Pretty much top of the line for electronic pianos.

Thanks Gary! It is way out of my budget and not what she needs.

. .. . Have you asked her what she wants?

Thanks Charles!
She wants to sing and play piano. She wants to hear herself singing and playing in the headphones. For the piano she wants good sound, with good speakers (because she alternated between headphones and speakers), weighted keys and pedals. That's what she wants and she isn't very technical.

PS: she does not want a arranger keyboard (which is what she has), she just plays the piano.

Right now I am looking at these two:

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Any thoughts?

 

[Biggles]

You really need to confirm exactly what your Wife wants in a Digital Piano.

A straight Digital Piano?

or

A Digital Piano with Arranger features?

If the latter then there is now a new model available, Roland FP e50, there is also a Casio PX S3100 or a Casio CDP 360 (not a major upgrade) and all three have auto accompaniment. The 3100 has a keybed that has received mixed reviews but the Roland has the keybed that I personally like the most in this price range.

The Kawai MP7 that Gary suggests does get the best review but the only one I tried had a keybed that sounded like I was playing Castanettes so do have the action checked out prior to buying or buy with a no cost return.

Does the DP need to have built in speakers?

Is the DP just for home use?

 

[happyrat1]

Maybe a Studiologic Numa 2x Piano?

A proper stage piano with a reasonably priced pair of monitors is way better than any budget student piano from the big 3.

Anything is better than a Casio.

Or maybe a Roland RD-88

 

[cpcohen1945]

My wife has a https://www.casio-intl.com/asia/en/emi/products/cdp235r/
and I'd like to upgrade her to https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9K9NP2T

That Yamaha P125 is no longer in production. It's been replaced by the P225. Here's a long thread:

successors of Yamaha P-45 and P-125 arrived

Originally Posted by SouthParkStu is good. Very good. I solely wait for his reviews. It seems the P225 has the same key length/pivot issue the Casio pianos have due to the smaller form factor. I planned to sell my P515 for a P225. Not anymore.

forum.pianoworld.com

Equivalents from other makers are the Roland FP-10 or FP-30 (the FP-30 has built-in audio recording, and "Line Out" jacks external recorders or soundcards), and the Kawai ES120 (. While those are considered "entry-level DP's", they are more-recent designs than the P125.

They are all pretty much "straight pianos" -- without a big collection of different voices, and without many "stage features" like equalizers and compressors. Those features aren't missed by most home users, IMHO.

Someone suggested replacing the podcast mic with a Shure SM58 -- I agree with that idea. The SM58 is an old design, and it's become a professional standard in a gazillion bars and nightclubs and stages. It won't plug directly into a PC, you'll need an audio interface with an XLR input and mic preamp. (There are some good mics that have USB outputs; there's a whole raft of Youtube videos comparing them.)

Usually, going into a project like this, you start with a budget, and then decide how much you can stretch it as people suggest things that you _really need_ (different things, suggested by different people), but that you never knew about.

. . . What's your (new) upper spending limit?

. Charles

PS -- I am hesitant to suggest a Casio PX-S1100 (straight piano) or PX-S3100 (=PX-S1100 plus arranger features). I disagree with Happyrat1 (there are many things worse than Casios!), but the key action is flawed on those models -- some people find it acceptable, some do not.

 

[happyrat1]

Personally I think the choices you are all offering are pretty lateral and he may as well save money and stick with he's got.

 

[Yero]

You really need to confirm exactly what your Wife wants in a Digital Piano.

A straight Digital Piano?

or

A Digital Piano with Arranger features?

If the latter then there is now a new model available, Roland FP e50, there is also a Casio PX S3100 or a Casio CDP 360 (not a major upgrade) and all three have auto accompaniment. The 3100 has a keybed that has received mixed reviews but the Roland has the keybed that I personally like the most in this price range.

The Kawai MP7 that Gary suggests does get the best review but the only one I tried had a keybed that sounded like I was playing Castanettes so do have the action checked out prior to buying or buy with a no cost return.

Does the DP need to have built in speakers?

Is the DP just for home use?

I did. I described it earlier, but here it is again. Not an arranger. Just a piano with speakers and ability to connect headphones. She wants to also be able to sing and play piano while hearing both her voice and music in the headphones. She also wants to beable to connect her laptop (macbook) and use garage band to record the music and voice. She is not a public performer. The set-up stays home and she plays around with it on the weekends.

 

[Biggles]

Unless you double the budget for a Digital Piano your Wife is only going to get a step change in quality, nothing significant hence she is probably better keeping it.

I have misread your initial post so now presume that you cannot get the connections to the Macbook working, am I right in this?

The CDP you have may have audio over USB capabilities, in which case if it does simply plugging the Mike into the socket on the rear of the keyboard and the keyboard itself connected via USB to the Macbook. It may be that easy, simply turn this feature on in the CDP menu system and USB selected as the audio input source on the Macbook.

 

[Yero]

Unless you double the budget for a Digital Piano your Wife is only going to get a step change in quality, nothing significant hence she is probably better keeping it.

I have misread your initial post so now presume that you cannot get the connections to the Macbook working, am I right in this?

The CDP you have may have audio over USB capabilities, in which case if it does simply plugging the Mike into the socket on the rear of the keyboard and the keyboard itself connected via USB to the Macbook. It may be that easy, simply turn this feature on in the CDP menu system and USB selected as the audio input source on the Macbook.

Yes, but my goal is to have her be able to hear herself singing and music playing with headphones without the laptop. She'll only use the laptop when she wants to record, which most of the time she doesn't.

Does this device not enable her to do such?: https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B07QR6Z1JB

 

[Yero]

. . . What's your (new) upper spending limit?

$1000 plus or minus preferably, but I'd go to $1500 if it makes sense for the piano.
What did you think about these ones?

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Anyone else about these two?

 

[happyrat1]

$1000 plus or minus preferably, but I'd go to $1500 if it makes sense for the piano.
What did you think about these ones?

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Anyone else about these two?

They both seem out of stock without actual prices.

Look, all you really want is a piano with a built in mic/line input.

Go to the mfg's websites and look up the specs yourself instead of making us all chase down dead links?

If it had a line output instead of a headphone jack you could hook up to a cheap mixer and output to a proper set of monitors.

It's YOUR money. Why ask a bunch of strangers how to spend it?

Screw the romantic gesture. Get her something she'll actually LOVE instead of a bunch of geeky opinions for something too mediocre or too fancy or too techy for her. She's the family expert on the subject, not you.

Talk to your honeybun about what she REALLY wants.

Gary

 

[cpcohen1945]

. . .

Look, all you really want is a piano with a built in mic/line input.

Go to the mfg's websites and look up the specs yourself instead of making us all chase down dead links?

If it had a line output instead of a headphone jack you could hook up to a cheap mixer and output to a proper set of monitors.

. . . .

Talk to your honeybun about what she REALLY wants.

Gary

Sometimes it's hard to hear, what is actually said. I think Gary and I are aligning our thinking.

IMHO, your wife hasn't said "I'd like a better piano!" What she want is some integration of recording capability, and live monitoring of her own signing _and_ the piano.

So, here's what I suggest, based partly on what I have and use.

First, "a cheap mixer", with a built-in USB interface and mic preamp, should be in the list. That means something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q802USB-Premium-8-Input-Preamps/dp/B084RC1TSQ

or this Yamaha, which is similar:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-AG06MK2-6-Channel-Streaming-Interface/dp/B09VTK9PLQ

Get either a Shure SM58 (not an SM57) (which is OK, and can be hand-held) or a "studio condenser mic" like an AT2020 (which has better audio quality, and needs a mic stand):

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK

And a boom stand:

(continued in next post -- I have software problems . . . )

 

[Biggles]

Yes, but my goal is to have her be able to hear herself singing and music playing with headphones without the laptop. She'll only use the laptop when she wants to record, which most of the time she doesn't.

Does this device not enable her to do such?: https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B07QR6Z1JB

She should be able to do that NOW, with the equipment that you ALREADY HAVE.

The Casio keyboard your Wife has already has a Mike input on the back of the keyboard.

The Casio keyboard your Wife has already has a Headphone socket.

She already has a MIKE, a pair of HEAPHONES and the FOCUSRITE.

SHE DOES NOT NEED ANYTHING ELSE.

BTW the Focusrite can be used with the Laptop, connect the output from the Keyboard to the input on the Focusrite, as well as connecting the Mike and the Headphones to it, then connect it via USB to the Laptop.

Job done without spending any further cash.

 

[cpcohen1945]

A boom stand:

Amazon.com

It seems that the CDP235 (= CDP230, I think) doesn't have "Line Out" jacks. So you'll need a "splitter cable", to take the stereo headphone output (I assume it's 1/4" phone jack) to the mixer:

Amazon.com

(there are other makers, and prices vary widely.)

And an XLR mic cable:

Amazon.com

The setup will be something like this:

Plug the mic into the microphone cable, plug the other end of the mic cable into the mixer's Channel 1 XLR jack. If there's a "mic/line" switch, set it to "Mic".

If you have a condenser mic, turn the mixer's "Phantom power" switch ON.

Plug the splitter cable (TRS end) into the mic jack of the piano. Plug the two TS cables into two line-level channels of the mixer (say, channels 3 and 4).

Plug the headphones into the mixer's "Phone" jack.

With proper settings for the "Balance" knobs, that should give her a stereo piano sound in the headphones, with the mic signal (her singing) coming through both the Left and Right headphone channel.

If she wants to use the piano's own loudspeakers, and hear herself singing through the headphones,

. . . . Unplug the splitter cable from the piano.

For recording, there's a USB output on the mixer. Plug a USB cable into that, plug the other end into your laptop running GarageBand (or any other recording software). (I assume that the laptop has a USB input; Mac's are weird, though.)

There are things I left out -- I'm not going to teach you how to run a mixer, but it's not rocket science. The mixer manual will explain the use of its audio-to-USB capability.


There are lots of other ways to skin this cat. GarageBand probably has built-in "virtual pianos", and to use them, you'll need a MIDI signal from the piano (which it can deliver -- there's a "MIDI-over-USB" jack in the back). But that's for future enhancement.


You _could_ get a new DP, and some of them have capabilities that will let you avoid the mixer. But a mixer is a heck of a lot cheaper than a better DP, and lets her do things which she hasn't thought of, yet -- like mixing a pre-recorded track into the headphones.

I see other responses have come in, since I started this one. Let's see if they converge to a "best solution" . . . .

. Charles

 

[cpcohen1945]

Biggle's "You don't need anything new" is certainly worth trying!

. Charles