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Hello everyone,

I have been learning piano for 2 years, on a Roland Go-piano with 61 keys, which is ok for a beginner but not great. Now I would like to buy a DP with better action and touch and piano sounds. But my apartment is very small, I can not have a piano longer than 99 cm (39 inches), or about 61 keys.

Can you advise me a good quality DP or a synth with very nice piano sounds and 61 semi-weighted keys? For intermediate level, budget between 400 and 800€. I want something really better than my Go-Piano.


According to my research there does not seem to be any good DP with 61 keys. Maybe keyboards like the Korg Kross 2-61 MB? The Yamaha MX61? My main focus is the piano sounds and the action, I don't think I need to have 1000 different instrument sounds or record my songs. I play mostly with headphones and I would like a keyboard that is not too noisy when my wife is asleep.

Do you have any ideas ? Should I wait for the next few months to see if there will be any new products on the market ?

Many thanks in advance ! and sorry about the bad English (I'm italian).

A bit more expensive but worth the money I think - Dexibell S1, 68 keys.

The best feeling 61 I've found for piano is the (current) Vox Continental. Thomann shows it at 999€ but maybe you could locate a used one which could get into your 800€ budget. Note that it does not include speakers.

In a lower price range, I've heard some good things about the new Casio CT-S1, though I've never played one.

I would not recommend the Kross or MX61 (though the MX61 is the better of the two).

Thank you for the answers!

I am afraid the Dexibell is too big for my home (109cm).

I am going to look at the Vox contintal, thank you although it is a bit expensive. On the contrary the Casio CT-S1 looks like a beginner keyboard, I would prefer something better if I buy a new one.

May I ask why you would not recommend the Kross or MX61?

Kross keys quickly get much stiffer as you move toward the rear of the keys, making it particularly hard to control dynamics on passages/chords that require some of your fingers to kit the keys in ther back halves. MX61 is better since it's more even from front to back, but the keys have so little resistance in general that dynamic control is not very good. That is, I think there just isn't enough difference between the force required to play something softly and the force required to play something loud. Some people are better at adjusting to that kind of thing, so you might be okay with it, but it's not one of the better actions from this perspective. I'm not sure you'd find its action to be any better than what you have.

I don't think the key action on the CTS1 is an improvement on Go Piano. It's good for price, portability and sounds. This list may help and suggest the possibility of the Alesis Recital.

If the goal is to learn to play the piano, at some point you will need an 88-key hammer weight action. If it is not feasible to fit one today, stick with the Go:piano for now.

A Kawai ES110 or Yamaha P-125 or Roland FP-30X would be the 88-key digital pianos in your stated budget range if and when you can fit an 88-key instrument.

Perhaps a Yamaha P-121 with 73 weighted keys would be a reasonable compromise if you can fit it.

On the other hand, if your goal is to play organ or synthesizer, a 61-key or 76-key semi-weight action is preferable.

+ 1 My sentiments exactly.

+1.

The Korg SV2 comes in a short version with speakers. It has good piano sounds and excellent electric piano sounds, and not a bad keyboard. I prefer Kawai, but there are no short Kawais. I'd pick the Korg SV2 over a Roland.