Hardware for totally beginner

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NoxMortem
Posts: 2

Post by NoxMortem »

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I would like to start learning to play piano only with synthesia - just for fun, for myself. I do not have the target to become a semi-professional player or stuff like that. But i would like to play quite good just as a hobby.
I have not played the piano before or had any lessons.

There are 3 keyboard recommendations on this site, but i wanted to ask the community what they would recommend.

They keyboard should have (based on the information i found on the net):

1) Half-weight keys
2) 61 normal sized Keys
3) Should be cheap - it's only one of a lot of hobbies and i do not want to put too much money in it.
4) Optional: Support the Synthesia Lighting - Does it helps you learning?

A shop in europe would be nice, so the shipping does not become way too expensive (i am from austria). Maybe i should tell you, i have no idea of keyboards, and what they should be able of.
Someone maybe has some kind of checklist, i can base my buy on?

Thank you,
Nox
kickininthefrontsea
Posts: 39

Post by kickininthefrontsea »

If you just want to have some fun your checklist is ok, but learning to play well is really hard and takes a long time, quick and cheap aren't options
(well = anything half decent, something you'd be willing to play in front of friends, not including a pop song that is just chord chord chord)

you need fully weighted keys, and I don't think undersized keyboards have this
eg casio px 130, I've heard good reports on it and it's the no. one on amazon
I feel your pain re postage, 1/3 of my purchase was postage but it was still 1/3 cheaper than local

it's cheap for what you get, but not compared to under spec boards, think about 2nd hand or allow for resale value

lighted keys won't help after a while, you need to be looking ahead
NoxMortem
Posts: 2

Post by NoxMortem »

Thank you for your fast reply!

I will try to get a secondhand Casio Px 130. (First i will wait for christmas - i tend to get too fast into hobbies, just to not have fun with them anymore ^^- so if i still want to learn it by the end of this year, im going to buy one)

Edit: HUI, the price of a new casio px 130 is at 500-600$. I found 1 used at 150$ and this would be my pricelimit, but it was on ebay, and i guess for a 500-600$ keyboard, it wont stay long on 150$.

Aren't there any keyboards to recommend for ~150 (which i could at least expect to get used at this price)

Yours sincerely,
Nox
Electrode
Posts: 195

Post by Electrode »

This looks like it'll be right in your price range, with the things you want. 61 full size keys, with synthesiser-style (rather than piano-style) keys, and very affordable - and it's also in a bundle with a stand and headphones, all for 125 euros. If you'd rather read the page in German, click here instead. One thing to carefully consider before you buy this keyboard is that this keyboard will not respond to touch (it will not produce soft or hard sounds depending on how hard you hit the keys). This, unfortunately, is a standard thing on the majority of the more affordable keyboards. You will need to spend a bit more to get a keyboard that is touch-sensitive (also known as velocity sensitive).

You will also need to buy a MIDI cable to connect the keyboard to your computer. I would recommend the E-MU Systems Xmidi 1x1 cable. It's built nicely, performs very well and is recommended for use with Synthesia. You can buy the cable from a link on that page.

By the way, Thomann are a German internet store, so they'll be perfect for you, I think. I know friends who have bought recording studio equipment from them, and they have given me positive reports.

Hope this helps!
Beowolf
Posts: 10

Post by Beowolf »

kjun13
Posts: 2

Post by kjun13 »

A keyboard is intended for audiophiles ho like to screw around with very specific options.

A DIGITAL PIANO is the halfway between a keyboard and a real piano. You can pick up a decent one for a few hundred bucks.

I have a Casio PRIVIA PX-130, best money I've ever spent (next to the Xbox 360) :D
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