Recommendation on digital piano

I recently sold my 100 year old Steinway, which I played very rarely, and am considering a digital replacement which I hope to use more often. I've tried a few at showrooms but can't find any comparative info from reliable sources to help in making a choice. It seems like most have very good grand-piano samples. Does anyone have an opionion on a good value in a keyboard with realistic action?

Vin,

Most of the people that post to this newsgroup seem to prefer the Yamaha P80. I have an Alesis DG8 and enjoy it immensly. I wouldn't hesitate to trade it with a Steinway grand piano, though!

-Brian Lundy

Hi Vin,

In addtion to the Yamaha and Alesis already mentioned, you should also try the Kawai MP9000. It has one of the best actions, if not the best. Its dynamic response is also very good.

The pianos mentioned in the replies so far are all what I consider 'pro' dp's. They're really designed to be toted around to different gigs, but do function well as a home-type unit as well. I wanted to throw in here that you will need to consider who's playing the piano, where it is going to sit in your house, what you want it to 'look' like and what features are important to you. Yamaha and Roland are the overwhelming majority of DP's sold in the US, but that doesn't make them the end-all, be-all choice for you. Another good brand (along with those mentioned)is Technics. I'm not crazy about Kurzweil, although many people are - if you consider one I wouldn't consider anything outside of their 'pro' division. Take a look at the home and pro lines to get a feel for which one will better serve your purposes.

Good luck

I'd highly recommend you check out the Yamaha CVP Users Group on the web. Read the FAQ and browse the comparison charts. www.geocities.com/vienna/opera/4933.

Wally

I have a 90-year old Steinway, but I'm not selling. Also use a Yamaha P80 for gigs and quiet practice which I highly recommend. Be sure, though, to use the right speakers. The Yamaha MS20S speakers work very well with this.

- Darryl

Yamaha P80

I am considering to buy the P-200. Any reason why I should prefer the P80 (other than cost)?

Ted Ashkenazy

o0o

I have a 90-year old Steinway, but I'm not selling. Also use a Yamaha P80 for gigs and quiet practice which I highly recommend. Be sure, though, to use the right speakers. The Yamaha MS20S speakers work very well with this.

The P200 is pretty nice but, to my ears, the P80 with MS20S speakers sounds better and, even though the speakers will set you back around $350, it likely comes in at a lower price than the P200. It's certainly much more portable. The P200 does have a few additional bells and whistles that were not important to me.

- Darryl

I think the p200 has mod and pitch wheels. Also, it has more midi controller functions, more patch memory locations, and so on. And built in speakers and amp. The P80 is more basic. It's very functional though, and what's there is very useful, that's why it's so popular. And because the P80 only weighs 37 lbs, it's much easier to carry to gigs. You have to decide if you need the P200 features or not.

They really do sound different. You should listen to both of them. I think P-80 sounds better for practicing classical at home, and P-200 sounds better for pop music with a loud group. Unfortunately the P-200 is the heavy one.