# Finally StudioLogic SL88 Grands in Stock at Sweetwater



## PaulieDC (Sep 26, 2020)

UPDATE 10/21/20: Sweetwater is out buthttps://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1149963-REG/studiologic_sl88_grand_88_keys_controllr_graded.html (B+H Photo has them in now).

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OP:
Just got the notice that my pre-order shipped and the site still says in stock. If the SL88 Grand is one you've been waiting for I'd go for it, for some reason I get the feeling they'll sell out quick, like Lysol Wipes.

BTW, price went up $100 everywhere.

Only the Grand showed up, the SL88 Studio is still backordered.


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## hansmagnus (Sep 26, 2020)

Are you using this piano for actual midi recordings or just casual piano playing?


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## jsnleo (Sep 26, 2020)

Now it's a fair comparison between SL88 and Roland A-88 MKII. Thoughts?


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## PaulieDC (Sep 29, 2020)

hansmagnus said:


> Are you using this piano for actual midi recordings or just casual piano playing?


Will be for MIDI recording. And Piano playing.


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## PaulieDC (Sep 29, 2020)

jsnleo said:


> Now it's a fair comparison between SL88 and Roland A-88 MKII. Thoughts?


Those were the two I battled over and I was ready to give up a bit of keybed feel and go for the A-88 MKII. The Roland has everything and since I use a FaderPort 8 for CCs I'm not worried about the weird joystick that many don't like. Then I found out that the A-88 MKII uses a PH4 keybed which is fine, not bad at all but a little to bouncy for me. That's the same keybed in the RD 800 which we have at church next our Yamaha C5 grand that I absolutely love. I like the C5 because the action is way stiffer than a Steinway and I have big hands so a Yamaha Grand is my fave. HOWEVER, some of the ladies who play (and are accomplished players) find the C5 too stiff, and when they sat at the RD800 they loved it. So it all depends on what you prefer. Honestly the A-88 would have been great but it is a half a foot longer than the SL88 and it simply won't fit in my weird desk setup. Kind of bummed, I like the idea of built-in pads and assignable knobs for Spitfire libraries, etc. AND USB-C and MIDI 2.0 for whenever that takes off. I also thought the Roland keybed might do a little better with legato string and brass runs, BUT, ultimately, I wanted that Fatar TP40/WOOD so I went with that. Arrives Thursday actually! I also committed to the Mixface for transport and all library settings, plus it was on sale for $199, lol. Plus I can assign the buttons for keyswitches, etc. Very useful. I won't plug the SL88 into it, I don't need zones nor DAW control on the SL88 nor will I use the matchsticks they call Pitch and Mod control, My FaderPort 8 and Mixface combo covers it all.

It's a toss-up, flip a coin and buy the winner, lol. They are both the same price, each has its strength (SL88 has aftertouch, A-88 MKII has escapement). You get more stuff on the Roland unless you incorporate the Mixface with the SL88. here's what I think the difference is: if you've been playing piano all your life and have learned tons of tunes and love piano, SL88. If you use a keyboard to create all kinds of music but aren't a pianist, A-88 MKII and pick up something for trasnport control like a single FaderPoirt, or just use your Qwerty keyboard.


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## jsnleo (Sep 29, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> Those were the two I battled over and I was ready to give up a bit of keybed feel and go for the A-88 MKII. The Roland has everything and since I use a FaderPort 8 for CCs I'm not worried about the weird joystick that many don't like. Then I found out that the A-88 MKII uses a PH4 keybed which is fine, not bad at all but a little to bouncy for me. That's the same keybed in the RD 800 which we have at church next our Yamaha C5 grand that I absolutely love. I like the C5 because the action is way stiffer than a Steinway and I have big hands so a Yamaha Grand is my fave. HOWEVER, some of the ladies who play (and are accomplished players) find the C5 too stiff, and when they sat at the RD800 they loved it. So it all depends on what you prefer. Honestly the A-88 would have been great but it is a half a foot longer than the SL88 and it simply won't fit in my weird desk setup. Kind of bummed, I like the idea of built-in pads and assignable knobs for Spitfire libraries, etc. AND USB-C and MIDI 2.0 for whenever that takes off. I also thought the Roland keybed might do a little better with legato string and brass runs, BUT, ultimately, I wanted that Fatar TP40/WOOD so I went with that. Arrives Thursday actually! I also committed to the Mixface for transport and all library settings, plus it was on sale for $199, lol. Plus I can assign the buttons for keyswitches, etc. Very useful. I won't plug the SL88 into it, I don't need zones nor DAW control on the SL88 nor will I use the matchsticks they call Pitch and Mod control, My FaderPort 8 and Mixface combo covers it all.
> 
> It's a toss-up, flip a coin and buy the winner, lol. They are both the same price, each has its strength (SL88 has aftertouch, A-88 MKII has escapement). You get more stuff on the Roland unless you incorporate the Mixface with the SL88. here's what I think the difference is: if you've been playing piano all your life and have learned tons of tunes and love piano, SL88. If you use a keyboard to create all kinds of music but aren't a pianist, A-88 MKII and pick up something for trasnport control like a single FaderPoirt, or just use your Qwerty keyboard.



Thank you so much!For some reason I thought the A88 felt more like a real piano than SL88. I never played an RD800 but I had an RD64 years ago. I found the keys too heavy but I’m not a classically trained pianist so that might be the reason. Before that I had a Kurzweil fora short while and I thought it was easier to play iirc, then I got a Nord Stage 2 EX which I absolutely love and have been using it since then. I needed another weighted keyboard and was gonna get an SL88 grand but couldn’t try it, and a buddy had a digital piano so I borrowed it. I’m still very interested in SL88 though.

Funny thing is my girlfriend is a classically trained pianist but for some reason loves Korg, and she has played Studiologic and Roland before. I tried Korg once and thought it didn’t feel like a real piano but it was very easy on the hands.


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## PaulieDC (Sep 29, 2020)

jsnleo said:


> Funny thing is my girlfriend is a classically trained pianist but for some reason loves Korg, and she has played Studiologic and Roland before. I tried Korg once and thought it didn’t feel like a real piano but it was very easy on the hands.


Which Korg, do you know?


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## jsnleo (Sep 29, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> Which Korg, do you know?



Yeah it’s Kronos, which is also the one I tried. She used to play at different places and she tried Yamaha, Roland and Korg. She went to a studio and told me there was a Studiologic SL88, I asked her thoughts and she said she still loved Korg the most. We went to NAMM last year and tried some Kurzweil, Roland, Yamaha keyboards, I wanted her to try the Nord Grand but didn’t get a chance. I wanted to try the SL88 but I forgot...


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## PaulieDC (Sep 29, 2020)

Yeah, that Nord Grand has a Kawai keybed that supposedly feels amazing, probably like the VPC-1, hence the tall case to accommodate the action. A friend of mine who is a phenomenal pianist has the NG on his wishlist.

Well, the Kronos uses the Korg RH3 keybed which unfortunately is only found on two 88-key digital pianos not made any longer (M3 88 and SP250 88), and on the 73-key SV-1. And the Kronos at nearly 4 grand. She has good taste, lol!

I know this: regardless of other features/reliability/weird joysticks/etc, there are not a whole lot of complaints about the feel of the A-88 MKII nor the SL88 Grand (cheaper SL88 Studio, different story). I really like our church's RD800, same keybed as A-88 MKII but it does feel like the return of the keys is too quick or snappy, so that's why I say it feels a little bouncy to me. But could I get used to it? OH YEAH. I think you get one as close as what you want that work to get used to it. For me, SL88 Grand all the way. If I find that legato playing is a bit tricky, fine, I'll grab a Roland A-49 for 199 bucks, good synth action, done. But I'll see how it goes later this week when FedEx delivers a huge box of happiness (remember, Sweetwater puts candy in every shipment, lol).

Let me know what you end up deciding!


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## jsnleo (Sep 30, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> Yeah, that Nord Grand has a Kawai keybed that supposedly feels amazing, probably like the VPC-1, hence the tall case to accommodate the action. A friend of mine who is a phenomenal pianist has the NG on his wishlist.
> 
> Well, the Kronos uses the Korg RH3 keybed which unfortunately is only found on two 88-key digital pianos not made any longer (M3 88 and SP250 88), and on the 73-key SV-1. And the Kronos at nearly 4 grand. She has good taste, lol!
> 
> ...



Forgot to say, congrats on your new keyboard!

I think both are really good, and I think the SL88 is kinda a favorite here. Which one do you think has lighter keys? A little bit easier to press?


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## PaulieDC (Sep 30, 2020)

jsnleo said:


> Forgot to say, congrats on your new keyboard!
> 
> I think both are really good, and I think the SL88 is kinda a favorite here. Which one do you think has lighter keys? A little bit easier to press?


It arrives tomorrow, I'll let you know! Actually I can't even set it up until Saturday, have a photoshoot tomorrow and have to process images after working the day job, meetings Friday and I have to install my wife's new washer that looks and sounds like R2D2. Life happens, then we play.


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## PaulieDC (Oct 2, 2020)

The Eagle Has Landed.

I was like a kid looking out the window waiting for the Ice Cream Man. I'm such a dork sometimes.


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## jsnleo (Oct 3, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> The Eagle Has Landed.
> 
> I was like a kid looking out the window waiting for the Ice Cream Man. I'm such a dork sometimes.



Congrats man!


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## SchnookyPants (Oct 20, 2020)

and... he was never heard from again.

_What do you think?_


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## PaulieDC (Oct 21, 2020)

SchnookyPants said:


> and... he was never heard from again.
> 
> _What do you think?_


LOL! Actually I do some freelance photography and Photoshop editing in the evenings in and around my day job and I've been hammered for the last 2 weeks. No complaints on the work but I've only spent TWO NIGHTS using this thing since it arrived!

I used to use an M-Audio CODE61 that needed three promotions just to become horrible velocity-wise. When I fired up Garritan CFX on the SL88 I almost cried, it was so amazing with the three-contact tech. At first it seemed a little stiff and bouncy but after a while you forget you're not at a piano. The SL88 + Garritan CFX + RME Babyface Pro + Sennheiser 650s is absolute sonic bliss.


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## PaulieDC (Oct 21, 2020)

BTW, Sweetwater is out of stock again but https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1149963-REG/studiologic_sl88_grand_88_keys_controllr_graded.html (B+H has them in now). B+H is the Sweetwater for all pro photographers & videographers and in the past few years have expanded into pro audio. Their shipping department is as good as Sweetwater and that's a big one when shipping a beast like this grand. Great return policy also. You just don't get candy in the shipping box, that's a Sweetwater exclusive.


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## SchnookyPants (Oct 21, 2020)

PaulieDC said:


> BTW, Sweetwater is out of stock again but https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1149963-REG/studiologic_sl88_grand_88_keys_controllr_graded.html (B+H has them in now). B+H is the Sweetwater for all pro photographers & videographers and in the past few years have expanded into pro audio. Their shipping department is as good as Sweetwater and that's a big one when shipping a beast like this grand. Great return policy also. You just don't get candy in the shipping box, that's a Sweetwater exclusive.


B&H is the best - been buying from them for decades. On the rare occasion of any type issue, it is addressed immediately, and without any 'I just got screwed' aftertaste. Highly recommended.

I got my SL88 Grand thru Guitar Center. This allowed me to open the box and inspect at the store for potential shipping damage prior to accepting it. There was none.

I love my SL88.


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## PaulieDC (Oct 23, 2020)

Coming from an M-Audio CODE61 with the screwy velocity issues and moving to the SL88 was truly amazing, like driving Uncle Cleetus's '74 AMC Matador (in the puke pumpkin orange of course) and then hopping into this:





(2020 Jaguar F-Type... you know... just in case you were interested. MSRP is 12 grand less than what you've spent on libraries...)


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## PaulieDC (Oct 23, 2020)

Wait a minute, hold the presses, I just discovered that AMC made a station wagon version! OK, listen up - if you truly want to be the coolest dude in your Brady-inspired subdivision, nothing can touch butterscotch stomach bile with fake woodgrain sides pasted on to arguably the ugliest vehicle in the early 70s. This is your ride.


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