Recommend a MIDI keyboard for learning the piano

mojozart

When I looked into this many years ago, I was told two things:

1. You want at least 60 keys to learn on, at a bare minimum
2. Fatar specializes in keyboards and supplies them to many other brands [but which ones?]

Studiologic is the retail name for the keyboards that are produced by Fatar in Italy.

https://www.midistore.com/collections/fatar-studiologic

In 1990 Fatar introduced the conductive-rubber contact, thus making obsolete the traditional spring-loaded contact. In 2001, the wooden key was applied to the modern mechanic of the digital pianos, once again changing the face of the industry.

When you purchase a Studilogic product you know you are getting the best keybed in that price range.

michael_m

@Luxthor said:

@michael_m said:

@Luxthor said:
I’ve spent months doing research to find the best keyboard controller for my needs. I was driving across the country from one music shop to another, and I decided in the end to choose something that was in front of my eyes all the time from Doug’s @thesoundtestroom videos: the Arturia KeyLab 61 mkII. I’m happy with the purchase. 🤩

It’s a good keyboard, but I don’t think it’s suitable for learning the piano.

KeyLab is the range of Arturia controllers, just look at the KeyLab 88 MkII and tell me it is not good for learning piano. 😅

Didn’t realize anything in the range actually has hammer action.

michael_m

@BillS said:

@BillS said:
I'm narrowing the search to digital pianos now, think I can squeeze a full 88 key into my space, and I can stretch the budget a bit. Very tempted by the Roland FP10, but tomorrow I'm going to a physical shop that only carry Yamaha and Casio. Thought it'd be good to try some myself rather than purely rely on your suggestions and Internet reviews.

Any views on Casio digital pianos? I still remember an awful home keyboard I had back in the 80s...sure they've improved but to my uneducated mind it doesn't have the prestige of many other brands and the reviews I've seen are not glowing.

I went to the store today and fell in love with a Yamaha YDP-165, which is more than twice my original budget. Beautiful instrument, lovely feel under the fingers, sounds gorgeous. I like the idea of buying locally…it’s in stock, free delivery, installation and set up…weighs a ton and it’s going upstairs so that’s good. Some thinking to do 😂

I have a YDP-184 - it’s a pleasure to play and sounds great.

I managed to carry mine upstairs on my own (very carefully!) after unpacking all the parts, but once it’s set up, it’s set up. I think there was a warning on the box about requiring 2 people to lift it, but I’m stubborn…

mojozart

@michael_m said:

@Luxthor said:

@michael_m said:

@Luxthor said:
I’ve spent months doing research to find the best keyboard controller for my needs. I was driving across the country from one music shop to another, and I decided in the end to choose something that was in front of my eyes all the time from Doug’s @thesoundtestroom videos: the Arturia KeyLab 61 mkII. I’m happy with the purchase. 🤩

It’s a good keyboard, but I don’t think it’s suitable for learning the piano.

KeyLab is the range of Arturia controllers, just look at the KeyLab 88 MkII and tell me it is not good for learning piano. 😅

Didn’t realize anything in the range actually has hammer action.

It looks like the Fatar StudioLogic SL88 Studio has the same Fatar TP/100LR keybed for about half the price.

Luxthor

@Montreal_Music said:

@Luxthor said:

@michael_m said:

@Luxthor said:
I’ve spent months doing research to find the best keyboard controller for my needs. I was driving across the country from one music shop to another, and I decided in the end to choose something that was in front of my eyes all the time from Doug’s @thesoundtestroom videos: the Arturia KeyLab 61 mkII. I’m happy with the purchase. 🤩

It’s a good keyboard, but I don’t think it’s suitable for learning the piano.

KeyLab is the range of Arturia controllers, just look at the KeyLab 88 MkII and tell me it is not good for learning piano. 😅

Same keybed as the Studiologic.

Studiologic is cheaper in price with less bells and whistles.

I agree for the Studiologic, especially if you intend to keep the controller under the desk in a specialized drawer. But 16 pads, 8x knobs and faders, an almost instant midi channel switch, chord programming on pads, the V Collection with 33 (standalone, vst, au, etc.) instruments and 9000+ presets, etc. are not just bells and whistles.

Luxthor

@michael_m said:

@BillS said:

@BillS said:
I'm narrowing the search to digital pianos now, think I can squeeze a full 88 key into my space, and I can stretch the budget a bit. Very tempted by the Roland FP10, but tomorrow I'm going to a physical shop that only carry Yamaha and Casio. Thought it'd be good to try some myself rather than purely rely on your suggestions and Internet reviews.

Any views on Casio digital pianos? I still remember an awful home keyboard I had back in the 80s...sure they've improved but to my uneducated mind it doesn't have the prestige of many other brands and the reviews I've seen are not glowing.

I went to the store today and fell in love with a Yamaha YDP-165, which is more than twice my original budget. Beautiful instrument, lovely feel under the fingers, sounds gorgeous. I like the idea of buying locally…it’s in stock, free delivery, installation and set up…weighs a ton and it’s going upstairs so that’s good. Some thinking to do 😂

I have a YDP-184 - it’s a pleasure to play and sounds great.

I managed to carry mine upstairs on my own (very carefully!) after unpacking all the parts, but once it’s set up, it’s set up. I think there was a warning on the box about requiring 2 people to lift it, but I’m stubborn…

In the music store, when testing keyboards, Yamaha digital pianos were always something special. I don’t know exactly why, maybe it’s ‘A Kind of Magic’. 🤩

cramdog

Some digital pianos initialize their settings every time they are turned on, while others do not. If anyone want to avoid the former, I think it is safe to read the manual and search the UX, UI, and system software(?) before buying.

BillS

Thanks to all of you who contributed to this thread. Ended up getting a Yamaha YDP165 digital piano from my local shop and couldn’t be happier. The gorgeous fully weighted keys and the tone of the default piano makes me want to play it all the time.

And a shout out to buying local - maybe not the selection that’s available from online megastores, but the Yamaha was the same price as anywhere else online, free delivery and installation (upstairs) the day after I bought, and a load of helpful face to face advice about learning options and other newbie questions I had. You can dive down an internet rabbit hole agonising over the best use of your money and a zillion online options, but when I went into the shop, sat down at the Yamaha I thought - yep, this is it, game over!

michael_m

@BillS said:
Thanks to all of you who contributed to this thread. Ended up getting a Yamaha YDP165 digital piano from my local shop and couldn’t be happier. The gorgeous fully weighted keys and the tone of the default piano makes me want to play it all the time.

And a shout out to buying local - maybe not the selection that’s available from online megastores, but the Yamaha was the same price as anywhere else online, free delivery and installation (upstairs) the day after I bought, and a load of helpful face to face advice about learning options and other newbie questions I had. You can dive down an internet rabbit hole agonising over the best use of your money and a zillion online options, but when I went into the shop, sat down at the Yamaha I thought - yep, this is it, game over!

Check to see if it has a MIDI out (mine has). If it has then you can also use it to play piano apps too (with a MIDI hub that supports USB).