Hello, this is my first desperate post after searching around the forum for quite some time now

well, apparently I need to buy a new keyboard. I've been doing the search-around for many months now, I even visited youtube for samples o.O

I like the new DGX-620 (YPG-625), especially the harpsichord (oh, I only care about harpsichord, piano and pipe organ). However, there is a big problem, it's fully-weighted keys, I'm not used to that at all! I can handle semi-weighted (light weighted) well.

So, I thought the DGX-505 is just the same as the DGX620 except that it has semi-weighted keys right? no, I listened to some piano samples on youtube and I think DGX-620 is better. I don't know about the harpsichord on the DGX-505, never heard it.

well, piano is my favorite instrument, but I can't live without harpsichord. I don't care about any other instrument (pipe organ is my least favorite, rarely play it).

oh, I won't buy anything off Casio.
...what should I do now :S

Have a look at the DGX-520. It's not fully weighted, yet still has 88 keys. If I had my choice of this unit over the 505 I'd take the 520. Here's a link:
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Cont...D205200,00.html

If 76 keys are enough you may want to consider the unit I just got. Check out the Yamaha NP-30. Supposed to have the same sounds as the P series. It has 76 graded (semi-weighted) keys--this keybed is new and exclusive to the NP-30. The unit has a total of 10 sounds. It can be bought for $299.00 new. A very good price IMO.

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-06-2007).]

The Yamaha NP-30 sounds interesting, I wonder what are the features on this one. It sounds very cheap but I like the fact that it has 10 voices, because I wouldn't need more than that actually!

"two grand pianos, two organs, two electric pianos, two harpsichords, a vibraphone, and a strings setting"

I'd like to know more about the panel features, and I wanna hear a sound demo or something.

NP-30S? Different design?

btw, thanks for bringing this amazing unit up!

I sell the NP30 at my store. It has midi in and midi out, sustain pedal, headphone/output jack, stereo speakers. The sounds are great and the size and weight is great. It can run on batteries and comes shipped with an A/C adapter.
I sell it for $299 and have them in stock.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

I live in Egypt these days, at most they have out-of-date 'Radio Shack' ... sigh

Anyway, I think I'm going to buy that one!
I'll have to wait til someone on ebay is willing to ship stuff worldwide, or maybe I'll just wait til I'm done with egypt

[This message has been edited by Creepy-Fingers (edited 08-06-2007).]

I just visited your website Kaye, you ship stuff worldwide? o.O ok that's odd

I apologize for this error in my website. The young man who works for me and set up my site wrote that in and I hadn't noticed it. I only sell in the USA.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

I've seen that coming! It's very odd for a place like that to ship worldwide; too risky.

I'll wait for ebay then

Well mine will be here on Thursday. I would have had it yesterday if MusiciansFriend didn't pull a fast one on my wife with the delayed shipping notification.

I'll post some sound demos of it. I was told the soundset is essentially the P series. Mine will be used primarily as a midi controller though, but I'll be adding the NP's pianos into my mixes too.

Ohhh I just can't wait to feel those graded keys Semi-weighted is one thing, but keys that are semi-weighted and graded!!! WOW, that's gonna feel so nice.....

I was at Sam Ash yesterday to preview the s700 and s900. while there I tried several others: s500, dgx series, previas, and the np30. I was not at all impressed with the np-30 sound, but they only played it thru the internal speakers..i'm sure it must sound better thru an amp. so why even put those little speakers on a kb like that if it makes it sound so tinky? I also thought the combo of graded action w/non-hammer action felt weird..didn't care for it at all, but remember I am not a pianist, always play synth or semi-weighted keys. For a pianist who prefers fully-weighted action, I don't see that person playing the np-30 an saying..wow, that's almost as good because it's graded.the selection of sounds for a jazz player is poor.. for $100 more the M-audio ProKeys 88sx has a nicer key feel to me, and 7 very hip sounds and just 17 lbs, (no speakers)would be my choice for a bare-bones lightweight sounds-only kb v. np-30....BUT: I think there are better choices for not a whole lot more money: the dgx 76 and non-weighted 88 offer so much more for the buck, as does the 61-key psr s-500. they are not featherweight, but still relatively very light, offer decent feel and large sound libraries, rhythms, and semi-arranger features. since they don't cost or weigh a heck of a lot more, y not have all that available ?

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Miami Mo

I'm not familiar with this graded-action at all, so I think I won't like it...?

Well, the thing is, this keyboard has only 10 sounds right? so I thought they must be DAMN GOOD, but then you say the sounds didn't impress you, and this keyboard sounded tinky through the internal speakers, that turned me off because I'm not gonna use an amp...

You have just made me reconsider the whole thing all over again

I think I'll go check the DGX-520 out then.

Oh, I've just read that the NP-30 doesn't have any pitch control, so I'll forget all about this keyboard. I think I can get a way better keyboard with extra more bucks.

[This message has been edited by Creepy-Fingers (edited 08-09-2007).]

Well the NP-30 will be at my home this afternoon. Also it's interesting you mentioned the "tinky" sound. Were you seated or standing at the unit? I say that because the guy who reviewed the NP-30 in the latest MusiciansFriend catalog said the exact same thing.... HOWEVER, he found out why it sounded tinky. It wasn't until he pulled up his bench and sat down in front of the NP-30 that he realized the sound was better. He stated the speaker design directs the sweet spot towards your ears when "you're seated" at the piano.

Keyboard action is always going to be subjective..., just as sound quality is. For me graded semi-weight is exactly what I need. I want a little tension in the keys, but I don't want to give up too much of the speed you'd get from synth action keys. That's why the NP-30 will work so well for me.

Yes it doesn't have pitch and mod wheels. It's a digital first, and a controller second. the NP-30's supposed to have sounds based on the P series digitals (p60/65/70). Those don't have wheels either.

I'll do a preliminary review this afternoon if I can. I'll do my best to post some sound demos this weekend as well.

Squeak

The great thing about the NP30 is it has real MIDI ports...not the USB type that are becoming increasingly more common.

Ian

EXACTLY Ian!!!! That's what threw me off. I didn't expect to find "real midi" jacks on the NP-30. That's one of the reasons I bought it. For some reason Yamaha has started dropping standard midi jacks, which renders other models of their useless as controllers. The YPG's are a good example. Casio is doing it too.

CreeepyFingers,
Just curious.., if only a few instruments are of interest to you such as piano, and harpsichord. Where would a pitchbend wheel come into play for you. In your first post (unless I read it wrong) you mentioned you only cared about a few sounds. Even if the NP-30 did have a pitch wheel, and it wasn't advertised "secondary" as a midi controller, a pitch wheel on the NP-30 would be useless as the internal sounds aren't sounds typical to pitchbend use.

Squeak

Oh, I think there is a little misunderstanding here. When I read "pitch control" the very first thing that came to my mind isn't the pitchwheel, but controlling the pitch via + and - (panel function)

let's take Rondo Alla Turca as an example, I like it in +1 pitch because I think it sounds better, so it would be easier for me just clicking a button to do that.

You sure you're not talking about "transposition"? The NP-30 does BOTH transposition and fine tuning. That's covered on page 21 of the manual.

That's exactly what I mean. Thanks for clearing that up.

sry for asking many questions and stuff. the thing is, I have only one chance choosing a keyboard, because I'm going to ebay it, and I won't be able to return it, nor buy another for quite a long time, see?

nobody would tolerate sticking with a keyboard they don't like, so I have to make sure that I would just LOVE the keyboard before buying it, right?

Waiting for your review squeak_D
Thanks

[This message has been edited by Creepy-Fingers (edited 08-09-2007).]