Greetings!

I've been playing piano all my life ("born with a piano in my mouth" ;-} ), and even made a living at it for some 17 years, along with private teaching. Naturally, I've played on a digital now and then (Clavinola, Yammies, Roland), but I'm basically ignorant about MIDI, etc. I've even done a little computer programming in my day, but I just never put the two together. I guess you could call me a reactionary.

Well, I took a couple years off from the bidness, but now I am planning my BIG COME BACK. Yep -- gotta spring for a keyboard. I need something with 88 keys (otherwise you can't even play the first three notes of Rachmaninoff's C# minor Etude, fergawdsake), and I'm not a snob about weighted keys, but I played enough on a DGX300 to know that won't quite cut it (though I admit it's easier to control than just about any Spinet I've played around town). I made the sales guy drag out a DGX505, and it's exactly the same deal.

I'd like it to have onboard speakers, so I can cart it to the corner bar or the lounge in my apartment building and just play without the fuss. But I also need to be able to plug in to a sound system, like for a local show or beauty pageant. (A DGX300 was very cool for a pageant a few years ago, since there were built-in "Ta-Dahs" and drum rolls, and I could layer in the strings with the piano for some numbers.)

I also want the ability to hook up to the computer, and I'm hoping the computer will be able to take dictation from my playing (30 seconds at a time would be fine). Like to be able to throw together some simple arrangements, then put them on a disk or SmartMedia card and blow 'em out the keyboard. But I'm not looking for a complete recording studio. Eg., I don't see a mixer in my immediate future.

Now here's the thing: *I* think I should be able to get all this for well under $1,000! I mean, it seems the DGX505 meets all my needs, except for the non-weighted keys. If you can get a DGX505 for around $500, why should it cost another $700 just for decent weighted keys? Best price on a P-140 is about $1200, and it has far fewer sounds and a tiny display. Speaker size and wattage are about the same.

Shoot, I'd think they could get a pretty dang good action just with two springs per key. Whadda concept, eh? After all, the isuue is CONTROL, not a perfect replication of grand piano feel. There's a HUMUNGOUS difference between the actions on a grand piano and a console or spinet anyhow.

My theory is they deliberately withhold key features to get certain price points, but I fully admit my ignorance on all things MIDI, so please explan what I'm missing! Is the P-140 that much better as a MIDI controller? I don't see it on the spec sheet. Or could the materials and the extra 10 lbs. make for a kind of sounding board on the P-140 to improve the sound THAT much?

I've been studying the spec sheets on the internet. Got letters and numbers coming out my whatsis. Here's my list of reqs:

- main use as practice/performance piano
- also use as a simple (beginner's) midi controller to a computer sequencer
- very good piano sound, but touch (control!) may be more important even than sound
- at least 8 or 9 other good sounds
- 88 keys all working correctly
- weighted (or semi-weighted?)
- velocity sensitive, of course
- decent speakers onboard, and also able to connect to externals
- at least 32 note polyphony
- built-in USB MIDI or regular MIDI interface
- line in/out (or would dual headphone jacks suffice?)
- under $1,000 new unit price, but will happily accept refurbished with a warranty for hundreds less.
- ooh-ah factor -- a few bells and whistles (reverb, display, etc.)
- ability to accept songs from the computer
- probably don't need to take samples with the keyboard, but it would be nice if keyboard could take a sample or two off the drive or SM card
- disk drive or SmartMedia (isn't a drive better? Seems like a SmartMedia card is too small to label properly!)
- portable -- as light as possible -- 40 lbs or less
- sustain pedal, of course
- pitch wheel for the midi input
- ability to transpose (not necessarily a mod wheel per se)
- soft pedal option would be nice -- not essential
- probably don't need a sequencer except on the computer
- aftertouch would be nice, but low on the list

Anyhow, I'm trending more and more toward the Privia PX-400R. Is this the biggest mistake of my life? This is just based on stuff I've read on the net. I haven't played one yet. I'm very wide open to suggestions.

TIA,
Rick