Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Portable - GEM Promega 3, what do you think??

Hi, I'm new at pianoworld, but I have been interested in digital(especionally portable) pianos for a long time. At the beginning I'm sorry for my language, I come from Poland.
I've searched many models of portable digitals, but I'm not sure which I should buy. I have played for 12 years on acoustic pianos, so every digital I touch seems very synthetic for me - the hammer action, the sound, the resonance.
I wouldn't think of buying a digital piano(prefer acoustic) but I'm studying now and don't have so many place to have a real piano and I need a good portable piano to play with my band.
So the main thing is that the piano has to be portable. I've compared yamaha p-120, roland fp-3, rd-170 but in my opinion no of them can be called "piano" - is far different from a real grand in every thing. I've read that Kawai mp-8 has very similar touch to real grand, so it was my big hope to have it instead an acoustic real piano, but the sound of it( as I heard on www.Kawai.de) seems to be nothing special I'd say.
The best digital piano I've ever listened to was Yamaha clp-280, but it is not portable:(
The thing is that you can get accustomed to the touch, but can never get accustomed to the sound. If the tone of sound is the same in every dynamic level - it's intolerable - that's the biggest disadvantage I notice playing digitals. Too flat or too deep resonance is the next thing. And the touch too.
Not far ago I listened to GEM Promega3 samples and I have to say, that it seems to be interesting. I haven't played it yet, so I ask if anybody has. What were your impressions?

Now my hope of portable pianos are:
Kawai mp-8
Yamaha pf-1000
Roland 700sx
Gem promega3
perhaps Clavia Nord Stage

I haven't played any of them yet(I know I have to before buying of course) because in Poland it's hard to find any of them( and I know I have to go abroad to buy it), but I played many models of yamaha not only portable(clp-110, clp-130, clp-170) a few Rolands, about 3 of Korg and they are still not the pianos I'm looking for.
Portable means for me not heavier than 75-80 ibs.
I have to add that I'm improvising all the time so I need very good feel of playing. What would you recommend me with your experience? Please don't say that I have to try it by myself - I know it.

My question is :
WHICH IS THE BEST PORTABLE PIANO IN YOUR OPINION?

The price is not very important. It doesn't have to have own speakers, but which speakers would you recommend then?

I'm waiting for a response from you.

In my opinion any of the pianos you listed would
be okay. I've been playing on a Casio
AP-31/24, which costs much less ($700.00 US)
than all the ones you mentioned, and I consider
it equivalent to an acoustic in touch and
sound, for all practical purposes.

And almost all digital uprights are also
portable, since the keyboard unit unbolts
from the stand and will usually weight about
75 lbs. at most. The keyboard unit on my
Casio weighs about that much and I can
carry it myself.

All of the boards you've listed are very good but you missed the Yamaha P250 which is their top of the line portable stage piano. I'm not sure why you include the PF-1000 unless you need aranger functionality but that wouldn't be found on the other boards you listed??? Even if you were interested in the PF series, I suspect the 500 would be a better choice.

BTW:

I really like the sound of the Promega but the action leaves a lot to be desired. I tried the RD700sx quite a few times and like it a lot, but I think a better choice would be the Roland Fantom X8 with the SRX-11 card installed. The keybed on the Fantom is really nice (but not really GRAND PIANO ish).

Rodney