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Help me over the edge please (or not)


Cue Zephyr

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Howdy folks,

 

I'm not a piano player yet, I want to buy a digital piano and start learning it. I am however a musician, know my way around a DAW and own an audio itnerface with studio monitors. I undoubtedly will end up using something like Pianoteq or something else for recroding. If I'm just playing, I don't mind switching on speakers (because that's where it'll be close to most of the time anyway), but I wouldn't like being stuck to a computer all the time.

 

I started looking at the PX-150, discovered the PX-160 is coming out, realized it may be just as expensive as the PX-350 and here I am, looking at the PX-5S.

 

Reasons I'd get a PX-160 would be limited features, built-in speakers, more like a piano with three pedals and half-pedaling and lower price.

 

Reasons I'd get a 350 would be same as the above, except it has more features and is probably priced the same according to three web shops I can order from (a fourth doesn't have it listed yet).

 

Reasons I'd get a PX-5S? It can replace my 49-key 16-knob MIDI contorller, supposedly noticeably better sound than the above.

 

My problem with it is that it ups the price but also adds a lot of features that I wasn't gonna get a digital piano for, as well as taking away some piano-ness. On the other hand, in 99% of the cases, an on/off sustain pedal is all one really needs. And I can't really plnok it down anywhere to play unless I bring an amp or speakers.

 

Having said all that, the PX-5S has its own niche and is in a different league as the aforementioned models. Even if I don't use half of it now, I may or may not come to appreciate it later and if I decide to upgrade, the 5S may or may not be easier to get rid of.

 

Needless to say I'm not gigging but who knows I might. Any of the Privia boards are light enough to take anywhere.

 

Help me out of the woods please! :D

 

Thanks!

CZ

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My guess is any of the Privias you listed will suit your needs today, but the PX-5S will be a better digital piano to grow with. I know many people who have bought a PX-150 or 350 but then wished they would have gone for the PX-5S. You already have the studio monitors so that's taken care of and if you started gigging you would need a PA even if you got the 160/350.  Like I said, all the Privias are great, but I think if you got anything but the PX-5S, you would be kicking yourself after a couple of weeks.  :)

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Using the knobs and sliders on the PX-5S in your DAW is nice. :)

 

I had some tiny occasion to want the PX-350 with built-in speakers, to play for a small room full of people. Instead I had to lug an amp (PA speaker, actually). But when I play with a band or the room is larger, I need that amp anyway.

 

You probably can find some speakers that you can use with the PX-5S for when you're away from your monitors but don't need all the volume of an amp or PA speaker.

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I know many people who have bought a PX-150 or 350 but then wished they would have gone for the PX-5S.

 

So what I get from this is that it's rarely or never the other way around? I've even looked at the PX-760 and PX-780, but they have just as much (maybe even more) features that I'm never gonna use and at the expense of triple and half-pedal support, I can have a controller and a synth along with the digital piano.

 

Now I'm thinking it over, it makes no sense to want triple or half-pedaling support right now. If playing catches on, who knows what I'll be looking at.

 

And built-in speakers are gonna be quite bad anyway. And at this price point, if the speakers are OK, something else is gonna be underwhelming.

 

 

Using the knobs and sliders on the PX-5S in your DAW is nice. :)

 

The 49-key 16-knob MIDI controller I have now mostly gathers dust because I'm too lazy to set it up. If that hapens with the PX-5S, at least I have a really good digitla piano/synth/keyboard.

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...."as well as taking away some piano-ness. On the other hand, in 99% of the cases, an on/off sustain pedal is all one really needs. .."   .

 

        On some rare occasions I wish for a little more control of the sustain....but this thing is not missing any "piano-ness".  It's probably the most misunderstood (by me) and underestimated keyboard that I've owned. I've never had anything that floats into the room hanging on a shoulder strap and yet does so much. While I do still have a bit of loyalty to some of the yammy sounds, the army of talent that makes up the PX5S group has pretty much closed the gap with their creations.

 

 

 

Roland Sh1000 , Wurlitzer 200A , Hammond M3, yamaha sy85, yamaha qs300 , yamaha motif ES, Yamaha p255 , Studiologic SL990xp , Kurzweil k2000v3, Lesage 1924 upright.

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I didn't ask explicitly, but it's not uncommon to use the PX-5S (being a stage piano) at home, right?

 

.but this thing is not missing any "piano-ness"

 

So depending on what kind of music you play, you don't really miss any piano-specific pedaling features? That's good to know - then I don't need to worry.

 

 Yamaha p255 , Studiologic SL990xp

 

I'd like to know how you the Casio's action compared to the Yamaha's GH action and the SL's Fatar action.

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Hi CZ. To my fingers, the Yamaha GH action is the heaviest of the three; the fatar is very similar to the PX5S. I can probably play the fastest runs on the fatar bed, but a more advanced player than me might feel differently. The PX5S has the most mechanical noise of the three, but the rather unique key-covering is the best of the three when you really have to wail with sweaty hands. I do not have large strong hands and fingers and if I was going to simply trade away one of the three beds it would be the GH on the P255. ...and yes I leave the Casio set up at home and plugged into my rather modest studio and use it for practice and song-writing. (The only reason I bought the P255 is that it lives in my getaway shack in the far north and the speakers make it convenient. There are lots of portable speaker options for the PX5S that sound fine. For the price the P255 isn't really tall on features and flexibility; it's modest sales figures in Canada seem to reflect this..)

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Thanks for sharing your experiences! The reason why I'd be interested in the P-255 is exactly because of its lack of features. With the PX-5S it seems as if I'm getting further and further from what I initially set out to purchase (a digital piano).

 

Being able to tweak the hammer response blows my mind. Actually most of the tweakabilities for the price do! ;)

 

I was gonna wing it and order one but I'm heading to a shop this weekend that stocks many digital pianos, so hoping I can at least try the Casio key action and even better would be if they have a PX-5S out to try.

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