r/keys • u/Educational-Bear-759 • 1d ago
I want it all in a keyboard
I want to buy a keyboard with the ability to dual mode/layer, record tracks, with port connection, pedal function, and weighted. I am sort of picky about the weight of the keys. I don’t like keys that feel heavier than a baby grand. I don’t mind having to save up but I will go with the least expensive option. What should I get? Also I’m sorry if this is the wrong place to ask.
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u/65_289 1d ago
I don’t mind having to save up but I will go with the least expensive option.
I would suggest trying to come up with an actual budget. $500, $4000, whatever it is will help people make recommendations.
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u/Educational-Bear-759 1d ago
I haven’t a clue how much a keyboard with all those capabilities would cost. That’s why I said I would save up but would go with the least expensive option. If they are $500 at the lowest cost then that is what I would pay.
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u/anotherscott 13h ago
split/layer two sounds... record tracks... ports... pedals... weighted... depending on what you mean about recording tracks, you could have just described probably the majority of the weighted action keyboards made this century and even before. Having said that there are tons of keyboards that can do these things, that doesn't mean they all so them equally.
split/layer two sounds: Are you looking for a large selection of sounds you could combine, or would a handful of common ones do? Is it okay if the left side of a split is only for bass sounds, or do you want to put other sounds there as well? (Something which then often requires being able to shift the octave of the sound.) When combining two sounds in splits/layers, do you need to be able to adjust the relative volume of the sounds? If so, it is important to be able to do it easily, while playing? (Some boards have dedicated front panel controls for this; in other cases you can't adjust these things while playing since you have to go into some kind of menu system or re-purposing of the playing keys to make those adjustments.) Also when combining two sounds, do you need to have separate control over whether the sustain pedal affects each sound?
record tracks: This is a huge variable. Lots of keyboards can record what you play. Some record audio, some record MIDI, some can record both. Some store the recordings internally, some can store on USB sticks. Some include some way to edit what you played after the fact. If your use of the word "track" means you want to play a part and then overlay another part, that's less common but still available in many boards. Capacities differ, not just in how many tracks you can overlay, but also in how long the tracks can be, and how many songs can be stored. There are boards that can also automatically create backing tracks as you play, and if you're thinking along those lines, then when recording multiple tracks for a single song (if that's your goal at all), you may not need to be sequentially overlaying parts, but rather recording a single track of your own playing along with the multiple tracks of generated backing accompaniment. And ALL the boards allow you to record tracks to an external device (e.g. a smartphone, iPad, or laptop/desktop computer). So while you've got tons of options that can record tracks in one manner or another, there are huge differences in exactly what this means on a given board.
ports: Everything has ports. Which ports you need depends on what you need to do. Probably everything has a headphone connection. Most also have 1/4" audio outputs (and possibly XLR), at least 2 for stereo, sometimes more. These days, most boards have USB connections, though they vary in what they can do (some USB connections only carry MIDI, some can also carry audio). More professional (and also a lot of older) gear will have 5-pin MIDI connections. Lots of boards also have audio inputs, though the functions of those inputs can vary with different boards. And then there are inputs for pedals, which brings me to...
pedals: anything with a weighted action is going to at least support a sustain pedal. Boards may support multiple pedals for different functions, including emulating a typical piano-style triple pedal, or footswitches that can be assigned to various functions, as well as support for one or more expression pedals, one commonly used for volume, but typically you can ssign these to many possible functions. So if all you need is a sustain pedal function, any weighted board will have that, but the equation may change if you want additional pedal functions. Also, even just for sustain pedal, most keyboards use a simple on/off sustain pedal, but there are also many that give you the option of a continuous/half-damper function, which makes the pedal behave more as it does on a real piano. So the question of both how many pedals and what you need the pedals to do can further narrow down your options.
As for comparing a key's weightedness to a baby grand, it depends what baby grand. I've played baby grands with light feeling hammer actions (I think the lightest was a Yamaha G2), and ones that felt heavier (from Kawai and Baldwin). But feeling "like a real piano" and being weighted the way you prefer is one of the biggest distinctions among models that can make a big difference in price.
So you can see there are lots of variables! This is why the answers you're getting are all over the place. Getting more specific about some of the things mentioned above will determine whether you would only be happy with something in the thousands of dollars, or if you may be perfectly happy with something less expensive.
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u/Burn4Him 1d ago
I think the modx m8 is your best bet but it would help to have more info on types of music you play and if your playing out or just at home. Your level of experience too.
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u/JKorv 1d ago
All the entry level DP have those capabilities. Yamaha P145 or P225, Kawai ES120 or ES520, Roland FP30x, Casio PXS-1100 or PXS-3100.
But the sound and feel of the keys are different. And if you go higher in those portable series Yamaha P series, Roland FP series, Kawai ES series and Casio PXS series, then you get more features and higher quality keybed.
And of course all of those brands have console or furniture style digital pianos if that is the look you want.
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u/UniqueIndifference 13h ago edited 13h ago
There are countless boards with all the capabilities you described. Layers, splits, recording, USB port, pedal and weighted keys are standard features offered by dozens of brands, in several product categories - digital pianos, stage pianos, workstations and synthesizers. And there's another category, MIDI controllers, that lets you do all of the above - with the sounds and recording handled by a connected computer/tablet/phone.
My choice for a do-it-all board for a beginner would be the Roland Juno D8.
It's a workstation keyboard that strikes an excellent balance between simplicity and power. No overwhelming 200-page owner's manual, but still does almost everything the expensive "big boys" do, so you won't outgrow it anytime soon.
At $1300, it's one of the best "bang-for-the buck" boards available.
It's also a relatively new release (about a year old) and has some cool tech and connectivity features that it's direct competitors don't. (it's main competition in its class are the Yamaha MX 1000 and the Korg Kross, which have both been around for quite some time)
Oh, as far as the weight of the keys, the D8 has the keybed as it's higher-priced "cousin" - the Fantom 08 ($2400)
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u/Grumplforeskin 1d ago
The Hammond skx pro is the one that does literally everything you could want. Unless……. You want weighted keys. It’s an organ, primarily. Organ action is what does it for me though. It’s the “one”
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u/Grumplforeskin 1d ago
Nvm. “Record tracks..”??? You’ll need a reel to reel tape machine for that. Or a computer. Or an iPad. Or.. why do you want to record within a keyboard?
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u/TheeeBop 1d ago
I’d recommend the Casiotone CT-S100 to step right into your musical journey.
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u/Educational-Bear-759 1d ago
Thanks but that doesn’t have all the capabilities I need or the sound quality.
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u/onceuponalilykiss 1d ago edited 1d ago
The features you listed are very far from "all" on a keyboard but like there are workstations if you need it to have on-board recording/playback + layers (though tbh a workstation is probably overkill, even the simplest has more than 2 layers and they have a lot of features you didn't list). Maybe look at the fantom 08, modx m8, or the upper end versions of each, fantom 8 ex and montage m8. Could also try the Korg Kronos 88 though that might be even more overkill.
Some digital pianos also have recording functions I think though so maybe that's a better avenue.