Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Summer is here: Need a travel piano/keyboard

You’re welcome! Were you in on the thread where I came down on the side of using paper and pencils over digital displays for sheet music? I can’t see having the time to scan music and my iPad is a little small for a full page, it seems to me. I didn’t buy the largest iPad. Plus, I don’t want to carry a Bluetooth pedal.

I traveled with just a few pieces of paper that I copied out of a book so that didn’t add much weight to the bag.

Unless one is looking for a travel piano suitable for work on classical piano repertoire, the Yamaha Piaggero NP12 is compact keyboard (without graded hammer or weighted piano action) that checks all the boxes of travel keyboard requirements for me:

-small and light (~10 lbs)
-61 standard width keys
-builtin speakers and amp
-headphone amp/jack
-inexpensive for an electronic keyboard (200 US$)
-piano, electric piano, organ, harpsichord, vibes, and strings
-reasonably good tonal/sound quality
-supports a sustain pedal
-can be powered by batteries or AC
-very simple, intuitive user interface: no manual needed

Would work fine as a practice instrument for classical organ, harpsichord, and a fair bit of jazz, blues, rock, or pop repertoire.

I basically agree, and the board has been mentioned here before. By now the Roland GoKeys and GoPiano, and the Casio CT S300 are probably better in all aspects (however a bit more expensive).

But good point that you mention about the NP12 that is also a useful practice board for classical/pipe organ. It really has one good (the mellow one) pipe organ sound, and if you crank up the reverb manually it really sounds very convincing and good. Certainly good enough for practicing.

The Go:Piano is pricier (330 US$) and costs more than I would want to spend on a travel keyboard that I only used infrequently. The Casio CT-S300 is cheaper (140 US$), and the CT-S200 still cheaper (110 US$). I think the organ and harpsichords are better on the NP12 than on the casio's, however. I've not played a GoPiano.

If I remember correctly the Np-12 does not have full size keys, that for me made it an easy decision to get a go:piano.

Right after buying it I wasn't sure how to use it effectively. I now find it a great tool for when I am traveling.

I don't use it very much for playing songs. Figuring out fingering for pieces and initial familiarization is where the little piano really shines.

Slow practice is another one.

If mine would break I would buy another one unless something better came out recently that I don't know off.

I believe they are standard width on the NP12, but I did not measure them when I tried it recently. What is standard length? Concert 9’ grand?

You might want to check that Sweelinck. When I played it didn't feel like the keys where standard width, close but not standard.

Just remember that 1 mm over an octave makes 8 mm difference. That is ~1/3 of standard key width.

I might be wrong but something felt very off when I played it.

You are correct. I was back at the store today and measured octaves comparing the distance from the left edge of a C to the right edge of the C an octave up. The distance for the NP12 (and Casio’s) was about 1/8” less than the same span on a Yamaha P-125.

A few months ago I've tried a lot of 37 key midi controllers: the GarageKey Mini 37, the CME xKey 37, the Korg MicroKey Air 37, the iRig Keys 2 and the Arturia KeyStep 37.
The KeyStep won as having the more playable keys, even though the black keys are a bit hard to play if you move your finger too way back, and I also needed to adjust the default velocity curve on the Control Centre software.
More recently I tried a Yamaha Reface CP, and even though the keys are smaller than the KeyStep ones, it plays better than the KeyStep, so I switched. Also has the benefit of being able to use it without having to connect to the phone or tablet.

Another strong contender, the Casio CT-X700.

I was in search of a travel AND couch keyboard, one that'd play with batteries, was super lightweight and not super deep (many boards go out as far as 15-16").

I've used many of the cheapie $200-$450 61-76 note boards thru the years, and have grown really tired of them, esp the sounds and action. These CT-X boards change all that.

I first bought the Casio CT-S300 because it's super shallow, was about $150, super light, got good reviews from a few Keyboard Corner forum guys looking for a travel/couch keyboard. It was HORRIBLE. The sound quality was worst than any of the cheapie boards I've had for years, and the speakers were just as bad. I get the cute form factor with the handle and all, but overall it was atrocious (other than the keybed, which was decent).

Mike Martin from Casio saw my posts over at the Keyboard forum and suggested that for just $30 more I'd probably like the CT-X700 with their new sound engine. Boy was he right.

The CT-X700:
- battery capable
- weighs under 10 pounds
- fantastic best-in-class? onboard speakers
- really good/playable sounds
- surprisingly decent action

The CT-X700 makes a good lightweight travel/couch board, but is so good that you could use it as a backup board if you were in a band. And the action is surprisingly good for this price range. The sounds are mostly enjoyable, not like the uninspiring sounds I'd played on so many other cheapie boards. And, with only a total of 5 watts of speaker power, it puts the CT-S300 to shame, it surprisingly has some volume and good tone. The keyboard sounds are really good, and of course, you need to set the touch sensitivity to Heavy to compensate for the overly light touch of the keybed (if you're used to playing weighted action).

I've been so impressed with the CT-X700 that I wanted to see what their flagship in this range could do. With 30 watts of 2-way speaker power, the same decent keybed, an even greater quantity of good sounds, this $450 keyboard rocks! I owned Casios MZ-X500, an $1,100 board much like the CT-X5000 but with many upgraded features, and have enjoyed the CT-X5000 more, which of course is less than half the price. Mostly 'cause the sounds on the new Casio are better. The speakers are phenomenal at this price point.

I haven't tried the NP12, but I'd say Yamaha has some strong competition!

I was pleasantly surprised when I tried an Alesis RECITAL 61. The semi-weighted keys are the best action I’ve found on a budget US$200 keyboard. Yaaaaaah, I know that’s not a high bar, but it still beats the other budget actions out there.

Alesis RECITAL 61
https://www.alesis.com/products/view2/recital-61

Some other features:
- durable USB B port (the squarish one)
- RCA line outs (meh, but fine)
- 1/4 headphone jack
- edge-to-edge keys!

For me the biggest con is that it’s from Alesis. I’ve been burned by some of their products. Not thrilled with their quality control. But I’ve been jonesing for a compact 61 key after I sold the Roland Go 61.

* Don’t confuse it with the Alesis HARMONY 61, which has the typical craptastic budget action.

I use a 6 pound Nextar Impact 61. I also use it as a keytar. $100. No sounds, so I use my iPad mini. 7 pounds. Bose Soundlink Revolution speaker. 8 pounds total.

Hi ! Read half of the posts so I apologize if someone already answered this question !

I currently own a Reface CP as an autonomous backpack keyboard - my main DP being a Roland FP30. The key action of the CP is really acceptable - but I miss at least 1 additional octave and preferably wider keys.

I'd love to read about how the Roland Go:Piano or Go:Keys compares to a Reface (esp. the keybed obviously). I'm looking for a an instrument that I could carry on my bike. The Reface fits in my backpack while the Roland Go would require a bigger bag, but that would still be possible !

I don't intend to play complex stuff - mainly playing and singing at the same time.

Cheers

Personally, I always choose Yamaha in such cases. But I do not claim that this is the only way out.