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Which 88 key (Master-)Keyboard/Stagekeys or what fits?

Snoobydoobydoo

Senior Member
Currently i only used an Akai MPK261, which i bought half
a year ago and some keys already started to squeak metallic
when letting them go.

So i could replace it for a new one and this new one has
has also a keybed that is uneven, the keys
on the right side are higher.... the quality seems to suck,
for almost 500$, its just not worth it for me.

The Akai MPK261 Keys are also not really suited for Piano,
its more luck than precise playing most of the time.


So im having a hard time finding a Keyboard thats sturdy,
and will be fine enough for pianoplaying (+orchestral work soon).

Anyway, i have looked everywhere and couldnt find a 61 key
one thats looking like a plastic toy. So i should go for an
88 one.

I dont need fancy controls, but the wheels are prob. a must
for Orchestral stuff (or i map the usual stuff to pedals).
They Keyboard shouldnt have the best of the best keybed at all,
but sturdy and well playable. 1k$ is what i could pay.

Stuff i considered:
-Kawai VPC1, it looks fine, but some people reported uneven
velocity on keys, plus its pretty old (not a problem for me)
-Kawai MP7SE, looks fine
-Doepfer PK88, its so aged, i dont think its worth the price
anymore.

Stuff i considered not:
-Studiologic 88's, have a lot of bad reviews in terms of
build quality and bad support over here
-Arturia, NI or Nectar, too much plastic

Stuff i cant buy, but would:
-Yamaha CP88! This one i love the most, besides Nord or similar.


When it comes to hardware, please note that i have bad
luck and get something that has some fault somewhere,
no matter where or what i buy :D That also excludes buying something
used. Any experiences or ideas?
 
I use an M-Audio Keystation 88. Nice key weight, good response and pretty good velocity control. You have to buy the sustain pedal separately and it's a bit on the chunky side, but it's worth a look IMO.
 
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I use an M-Audio Keystation 88. Nice key weight, good response and pretty good velocity control. You have to buy the sustain pedal separately and it's a bit on the chunky side, but it's worth a look IMO.
Oh my god, I have also a Keystation but would never ever recommend it to someone who asks for 1k$ class. It's a 150$ low cost model. It is not bad, but definitely not comparable to weighted keys. And definitely a plastic bomber in every aspect! ;) Works for a noob like me, but a pianist would :crying:

If he does not even like NI's S88 (FATAR-Keybed!) for its plastic components, how could that one fit? o_O
 
I stood by this decision until last week. The Kawai MP7SE is a great stage piano with a very good keyboard. The Doepfer LMK2+ was also in my selection, but in the end, as you have already written, too expensive for what was offered (applies to all Doepfer master keyboards). In the end, I decided on the Korg Krome EX 88.
 
It will be either an MP7-SE or the CP88 i hope, depends on what plays better in a store. Maybe a third/fourth option they have available. I have the best build quality experience with Yamaha Stuff in general...so eventually....

I would sacrifice a bit of playability/realistic touch for build quality, cause i see uneven keys everywhere. In a store there was this nice Nord, some keys already wobbled.
 
I would sacrifice a bit of playability/realistic touch for build quality, cause i see uneven keys everywhere. In a store there was this nice Nord, some keys already wobbled.
Hard to go by the in-store models..they get abused by non musicians also just banging on the keys...Best thing is buy from a place where you can easily return it if you don't like it.
 
Hard to go by the in-store models..they get abused by non musicians also just banging on the keys...Best thing is buy from a place where you can easily return it if you don't like it.
So that would mean ordering online, what i dont want because the abuse of delivery „Experts“ here is existing. I mean i wouldnt buy a showroom model in a store, they need to open a fresh box for me heh.
 
So that would mean ordering online, what i dont want because the abuse of delivery „Experts“ here is existing. I mean i wouldnt buy a showroom model in a store, they need to open a fresh box for me heh.
If you buy lets say from Sweetwater, they will send it either UPS or FedEx...you may have a choice if one is better than the other. You can return it within 30 days. With Zzounds.com you have up to 45 days to return an item...and you can also get up to 12 months of split payments.

What I meant about the floor models, is that they are not a good representation of what the keys feel like at times because they've been abused. I went through the same thing when searching...and now harder than ever with COVID...best of luck though.
 
Yea i understand, im from germany so i ordered a lot from thomann, but they sent me too much faulty stuff....i will hit a local store in january when i saved the cash for the CP88 or a Kawai.
 
Soo, went to a store which had the CP88 and the MP7SE yesterday.
And it will be the CP88,...doh. The MP7 felt cheap and all plastic, they key action felt
wobbly and unrealistic. But i guess its the typical Kawaii feel (in cheap).
The decision was clear without testing too much.
Rolands felt ok, but too expensive for what they look like.
I liked the Korg SV-2, but again who needs valve distortion included on a keyboard...
 
Soo, went to a store which had the CP88 and the MP7SE yesterday.
And it will be the CP88,...doh. The MP7 felt cheap and all plastic, they key action felt
wobbly and unrealistic. But i guess its the typical Kawaii feel (in cheap).
The decision was clear without testing too much.
Rolands felt ok, but too expensive for what they look like.
I liked the Korg SV-2, but again who needs valve distortion included on a keyboard...
The MP11 is a more fair comparison to the CP88...Kawai makes some of the best feeling keyboards on the market...never heard them described as cheap. But maybe the MP7 is not as well made as the MP11.

Anyway, can't go wrong with the Yamaha...If I recall, they are on the heavier side (feel wise)...I like that for piano, but if you try to play other instruments with heavy weighted keys it can get sluggish or feel weird.
 
Quite happy with my Roland RD-2000.
I can use all the faders of the keyboard to control de CCs, the keybed is one of the best and the piano sounds integrated are cool when I don't want to power on the computer to play.
 
Just bought Casio CDP-s100. Happy as hell.

The keyboard is better than NI S88 or Arturia, yet costs 1/3 of that price. The weight of the keys is finely balanced, not hard not soft, just right. I even managed to record some 16th drum patterns quiet easily. No bells and whistles though (encoders, faders and such), I would suggest buying a separate kit for that (still cheaper).

So far, my best investment, so check it out maybe, if you are still hunting for that “master keyboard”.
 
Find the 88 note you like for size, then buy these.


Find the 88 you like for action.Then buy these.

 
I'd second the recommendation for the Casio. Either the CDP-S100 or the PX-S1000/3000 have a really nice key action for the price. Light enough to play things other than piano sounds but just weighted enough to feel satisfied as a piano player. I've tried Native Instruments, Arturia, and others. Casio should be considered. The Korg D1 has a nice action as well. The Roland FPs and the A88 are solid but heavier action.
 
The MP11 is a more fair comparison to the CP88
Yea, but the case and knobs are the same on the MP11 and i found them ridiculously cheap made. I played along on some Kawai E Pianos of all prices and they were not for me, somehow. Useable for sure but just not as Steinwayish as the Yamahas.
 
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