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).]