Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Hi, bought a hybrid, thanks for your help!

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and firstly I wanted to say thanks to you all for the great info regarding digital pianos. I recently made a purchase decision based on your (and other sources) comments. Over here in the north western point of Spain it's often hard to have access first hand to new DP's so in the end I'm very reliant on Internet forum/YouTube/review input to make a decision. So thanks to you all!

I wanted to share my findings and purchase decision based on Internet research and then follow up with my findings when the piano arrives.

In the end I chose the Yamaha NU1, and it should arrive within the next few days. As with other people here the reason I chose it were the following: 
1) real action, I know it is upright and not grand action (extra 2k€ for N1) and I also understand that the RM3 action is supposed to be very realistic also, however from the threads I have read and certain promotional videos on YouTube regarding the avantgrand series I consider the cheapest hybrid NU1 to be minimum feel of a real piano at "my" maximum cost. 
2) acoustic (silent) vs hybrid, silent is a must due to the baby factor and apartment living, but the acoustic vs hybrid matter is interesting due to cost, however when you factor in the "silent" aspect then the cost doesn't really compare which brings me to my third point...
3) tuning. This may not be something that everyone will agree with but my wife and I are very sensitive to out of tune pianos and seeing as we live next to the sea then that also ruled out an acoustic.
4) sound. Samples vs synth? Here I really can't say yet whether the NU1 is up to scratch or not until it arrives, but already having read the manual I believe there to be certain settings worth adjusting such as dynamic range before jumping on the v-piano/pianoteq bandwagon.

In the end it is the action that seemed the most important aspect to me. The reason we are buying now is our four year old son who has started taking lessons and asks us every day if his lesson is today, "...no it's next Tuesday..." we always say. As far as long term investment goes I feel that the sound/speakers/sampling/piano-synthing can and will always change, what doesn't change so much is the piano action. I am investing in today's more advanced rendition of piano action at it's minimum cost (albeit upright). If, say, in a couple of years pianoteq v.7 surpasses sampling tech, or even say I don't like the CFX samples, then great I'll hook it up to my NU1 and Eclipse TD system (or perhaps I'll try this next week anyway). What I don't see is upright action changing much in the coming years.

The one shame is that Kawai and others have not offered an alternative to the hybrid market. I am, perhaps, in the minority in my approach to piano buying research. Kudos to Kawai James though for the most balanced forum contributer and helpful unbiased advice! All I can say is Kawai make a hybrid

Haha! That is so cute. You need to encourage his enthusiasm! Kids learn so fast and easily at this age, and playing music is one of the best ways to shape the brain for a lifetime of intelligence and coordination.

I TOTALLY AGREE Kawai should come out with a competitor for hybrids! I already asked James, but he wouldn't tell me
I am similar to you, I need a genuine grand piano key action, but Yamaha is just being too greedy in my country... Would LOVE to consider an alternative to the N1.

(If you don't mind, you should update this thread with the price you paid for the NU1, so we can get an idea.)

By the way, I have tried Pianoteq and I don't think it sounds very natural at all. The best one I've found so far (IMHO) is Galaxy Piano's Vintage D.

Congratulations on your purchase!

I'm on the fence myself for upgrading from a clavinova to a NU1 or N1 so its interesting to read the reasons for your decision.

I also agree about hybrids - let's get more hybrid competition out there!

Hi, thanks for the replies, I am quite excited to the arrival of the piano now, I think my expectations are quite high though.... The price I paid is slightly special due to having a deal with the music store in town who have a deal with the members of the symphony, so I won't post in the thread but it's slightly less than 4k euros.

You play for an orchestra and you are settling for upright key action? Maybe I'm missing something...

Had you asked here sooner I at least would have advised instead of buying a new piano for a four year, it would have made infinite more sense to rent.

I hope your kid stays with it, but after a few months he might have an interest in fire trucks and then you'll be posting in the fire truck forum.

Good luck.

Congrats on the NU1 purchase.

Yup, you missed trying it for yourself. It's a very good action.

Wait, there's a fire truck forum?!

Oh mama!

You never never hear what's the polyphony? in the fire truck forum.

And they like loops (of hoses) and stretching (of ladders).

Thanks for the advice David, yes my son is a little young but I had already asked on the fire truck forum and they said it was a little early to get one plus we park on the street here in front of our apartment. 

No, seriously, it is a very good suggestion but both my wife and I are professional musicians, I am the principal viola of the symphony orchestra in la Coruña, and my wife is first violinist, we both have quite a few years training in piano and are also looking forward to accompanying each other (and who knows eventually the kids (if they want)) and for now it just seemed like the right time to have a piano in the living room rather than a big tv. Having said that I should go and stop my wife spending all the credits on gran turismo or I'll have to spend another late night's racing trying to make enough to buy the C3 rally car ....

Upright action? I learnt on an upright and it did me fine for years, I never found two and three part inventions to be harder on a grand or an upright, just generally hard... 

Actually I just saw a kawai 150cm grand with silent system on segundamano (like eBay) going for 3000... Pity we don't have the room...

.... Or do we? Just have to talk to wifey

Any thoughts?

Kawai grand with silent 3000€ used (1000kms away)
or 
Yamaha NU1 3900€

Isn't it a little too late to consider it now?

Speaking as an intermediate-at-best non-professional musician with not that many years of piano exposure under my belt, I would have thought the mechanical ability of the instrument is a big factor, especially in the training/learning phase.

However I have been TOLD (I couldn't really tell a difference to be honest, but that's just my untrained ear) that the Kawai baby grands sound "horrible". As professional musicians you and your wife will probably place a lot more emphasis on sound quality.

I could definitely tell a difference between the feel of grand piano actions and upright actions though.

Space is a big consideration though. Even baby grands take up a lot of room, but what price is music?

If you really are serious, maybe you should actually try a baby grand vs an upright in a nearby store, to see if action and sound sways your decision.

EDIT: A wife that is a musician AND plays Gran Turismo?? Where did you find her??

Yeah, I think I'm sticking with the NU1, space really is a premium here. And yes, at work I sit right next to a Steinway concert grand, so quality is a premium consideration, as is tuning as I said earlier. And I'm guessing (seeing as we have a 6 month old baby girl in the house) most of the time I'd get to practice will be from 10 pm with headphones on... So by quality I mean CFX samples or vintage D as you mentioned....

Haha, she loved that, she says she's getting better! ... Actually I've found most girls will give it a go just make sure to show them the replay and have a laugh together, unfortunately our son is the "you have to come first mum" variety so mum is having to add some turbo...