Hi everyone,
I'm looking for a lightweight, 76 key keyboard that has onboard speakers, built-in drums patterns and a little sequencer would be nice with either a floppy drive or smartmedia. I would use it for fooling around with, and maybe to take to a park on a sunny afternoon. I'd also like to take it to friend's houses during the Holiday's to play accompanyment for Christmas Carols. I don't need a pro board.

I once had a Casio WK1800 and the only thing I did not like about it, was when I plugged it into and amp, I got too much noise from the amp. I wound up selling it because I needed extra money to help me purchase a Yamaha S90.

Now 8 months later, I'm missing the Casio. I also liked that I could take this light keyboard out of my home studio and plop it on the dining room table and conenct it to my laptop via MIDI just to create sheet and I could be closer to my family who were in the living room, and not have to be alone in my music studio.

So I hope you get a good idea of what I'll be using it for. Not for serious performance but for fun and portability and sheet music production.

So I see now Casio has WK3000 and WK3500 and WK1630 and WK1800 are still available.

Can anyone recommend these WK3000 series over the older WK1630 and WK1800?

Is there other boards under 400 out there that can compare?

Anyone know why my amp (Peavey KB/A 100) was noisy with the WK1800? (my amp makes nearly NO noise with my Roland XP-80 and Yahmaha S90)?

Will the WK3000 series keyboards also be noisy out of an amp?

Thanks for any help anyone can be.


Peace
Bob
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[This message has been edited by RW (edited 02-20-2004).]

Bob,
It's not the amp ... it's the Casio output, but I guess you figured that out by now, huh? Lots of the lower end portable kbs have noisy outputs. They're not meant for stage use.

Roland V Combo
Organ, Piano, Synthsound, all things you need for Pop, Gospel etc.

------------------
Regards
RF

Hi RF,
I'm actually looking for a non-professional board for the application described above.

I do also have a professional set-up. Which I've also been contemplating a upgrade on. I was thinking of selling my XP-80 and getting the V-Combo and using only that. But the controlling power of the XP-80 is very nice. Plus the price of the v-combo has me put off a bit.

I'm going to purchase an XV-2020 and keep the xp-80. I'm going to carefully plot out various sounds combinations, such as splits and layers and continue to use the XP-80. The only other thing I might do, is sell the XP-80 and get a used Kurzweil PC2, thus use the XV-2020 controller by the PC2. But I haven't ever touched a PC2. I don't know how one feels. I've played the PC2X and to be honest, I prefer my S90's feel. But Idon't want another 88 weighted key. I want very good feeling semi-weighted 76 keys for organ and strings work mainly, but with enough resistance for piano work in a pinch. Much like the feel of the V-Combo. I have felt one and love it's feel.

The XP-80 has a lighter feel than the V-Combo. But if the PC2 feels like a V-comb... that's where I'm gonna go next.


But the casio thing.... that's for knock-around fun, not for serious performances.


Thanks.
Bob

Hi Bob,

Take a look at the Yamaha DGX series, particularly the DGX300 and upcoming 305.

All the best,
Rich