Wich one would any of you recommend? I don't have anywhere close by to test them out but I have heard online samples. They both seem to have good sounds. I am also looking at the dgx 202 yamaha but it is just an upgraded psr 292. From what I have heard more people are fond of yamahas & seem to think they have some of the best sounding portables. Im leaning that way but the I have found the wk 1630 casio at an incredible price & it has every feature under the sun. Of course sound is top priority. I want a good piano sound of course but also good synth & other instruments. The reason im not going to a more expensive pro model is that the keyboard is not my main instrument. Guitar is my main inst. although I play many instruments. I just need something for recording demos, learning & writing songs with. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Joe

We just had a loooong discussion on this subject a few posts down with title "Looking for a good Keyboard to learn to play ". The quick answer is it depends what your priorities are but the thread will discuss it in great detail.

Here is the link for your convenience
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/006768.html

I had the opportunity to play around with the casio a few weeks ago, and while their style files are great, their individual instrument sounds are awful--especially the paino. Neither keyboard is suitable for gigging, however, the Yamaha is likely the better choice for all around sound quality. If you're serious about performing, you'll have to spend a lot more money, but in the long run, the higher priced machines such as Yamaha's 2100 and Tyros are both good investments. The same holds true for high end models of other manufacturers.

Good Luck,

Gary

Ok ...here's the scoop . Casio is launching a whole bunch of new products is NASHVILLE next weekend .

Newest model WK3000 + WK3500 w disk drive .

I'd wait and check these models out . I'll have the Casio Wk3000 this week .

In regards to Yamaha . The DGX300 is worth the extra cash ,over the DGX202 .

Dano

------------------
keyboardcity@yahoo.com
www.keyboardcity.net
1-866-348-8876

Thanks for the replies. Im sure all of you here are mainly piano or keyboard musicians. I can play the piano as well as drums, bass, mandolin, guitar and more. Although I don't consider myself pro quality on keyboard. My main instrument is the guitar & I am also a singer. This is where I take my gear serious. This is where I spend the money that counts for me. I play a $900.00 Alvarez acoustic electric & two other acoustic electrics(a handmade peavey ecoustic & an oscar schmidt for backup, plus a strat & an swr strawberry blonde acoustic amp. I use nothing but shure mics for live vocals & a c3 for recording. Too much more equipement to list. As you can see I am a serious musician but not a serious keyboardist. Im not knocking keyboards im just explaining why I don't want to spend $2000.00 for a keyboard for my needs. I just need something to write a little on, maybe do some demos, learn more & of course play around with. As far as what is considered gigging friendly keyboards, don't anyone remember a long time ago the cure done a song with a toy piano. I have also seen pro bands gig with toy keyboards/synths. But I do know where you are coming from because that's how I am with my equipement. Im just not serious enough about keyboards for it to matter anymore than two or three hundred dollars. I do appreciate the comments & the thread link.

[This message has been edited by SECTION 8 (edited 07-12-2003).]

You might consider a used PSR 740. It would probably be in your price range and is a really great keyboard. It would be something you could "grow" with as you learn more keyboard.
DonM

When a Guitar player comes into my store looking for a keyboard, I usually ask if the idea of being able to have the keyboard play a song using just the drummer, bass player and maybe a keyboard part might be something the guitar player in him might enjoy being able to do. If the answer is "yes" then I go right for the keyboard that has a floppy disk drive that can play standard midi files. For most guitar players, this is the part of the keyboard he or she could be using alot, even if you don't know how to play the keyboard well. Next, I explain that when they learn enough to just play simple chords on the left hand, then they can lay down their own backing tracks and record them and save them on a floppy disk. The nice thing about the floppys are that you can play dozens of songs directly from the disk. Models starting at around $300.00 can do all this. The PSR292, Casio 1630 do not have floppy disk drives. The DGX300 and the new line of Casio models will have disk drives or smart media storage capability. The new Casio, from what I've read and what I know of other models should be amazing at $299.00. Yamaha is a great keyboard, but will start closer to $399.00 with storage capability to play midi files. The PSR292 can record a few songs internally but has no floppy drive. The DGX202 is the same keyboard but with 76 keys instead of 61 and with a pitch bend wheel as well.
The current Casio 1630 does have a lot of features, but I've sold this keyboard now for a couple of years, and the sounds of the new models will be derived from their MZ series keyboards which have much more realistic sounds. Even though the price might be a blowout on the 1630, you should wait to see the new 3000 which includes all those features plus alot more. There will now be more realistic sounds, a smart media slot for huge storage of midi files you download from a computer, a draw bar adjustable organ, better styles and an easier to use interface. Over the years I've sold both Yamaha and Casio and I've only on a few occasions prefered the Casio model over a comparable Yamaha, but I think these new models should be very competitive if not have an edge over the comparable Yamaha (for this year anyway). Where Yamaha wins in my opinion is in dealer support and customer support. I find Casio a big ZERO if I as a dealer ever need to call anyone to ask a question about anything. Yamaha on the other hand has always been great for me to call with tech questions, billing questions or anything else I might need. I can call directly to Mark Anderson, Product Manager or Steve Deming, Head of tech support and for me, a dealer, this is most important to me. In my dealings with Casio in New Jersy, it's a different story. Calls, voice mails, no return calls, it's always been like this. Yet, when I see a good product and think my customers might like it, as long as my local southern California Rep is around for me to dump on at times, I continue to carry a few Casios. At the chain store level, I believe they mostly just don't care. You, the customer buys the product, and then you're off and nobody has to worry about tech support of answering questions on use of the product. In a store like mine, I can guarantee you the customer will be back.....usually the same day or the next, to have me teach them and explain how to do things they see in the manual or on the front panel, but after reading for hours, can't figure out how to do it. It's then, when I need the company's support if I don't have an answer or can't show them how. There have been days at my store when I'm with a customer and I've called David Lindsay, or Steve Deming or Mark Anderson to get an answer at that moment......and Yamaha has always come through for me. I know that when you, the customers around the country call, you often get a receptionist that gives you a case number and then you hopefully get a return call within 24 hours. This is the normal procedure if all their tech support people (about 3 for portable keyboards) are busy. Yes, I know how to reach help faster some of the times, but with Yamaha you and I always will get help and with some of the other companies it's just not this way.
Sorry I got off topic of "should I get the Casio WK1630 or the Yamaha PSR292" but I think this information is important to hear when making a choice of C vs Y.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566

I'm with DonM regarding the PSR-740, though I'm biased as I own one. It's a powerful keyboard, particularly if you connect it to a computer with a good realtime sysex editor. Essentially you get an extended MU80 synth with built in keyboard. A friend has a PSR-630 and DGX300 which I play occasionally and it's a very frustrating experience playing the DGX after the 630 which is much better than the DGX and much nicer to play. With the DGX or 292 you're not going anywhere. Better to get something more advanced that you can grow into. And I would plump for Yamaha and a keyboard that has XG which gives you all that synth power.

Bryan

Can anyone tell me where I can get a psr 740 for a reasonable price? The ones I found new were out of my price range. I heard some online samples of it's sound and I love how it sounds. I want one but don't know if I can find one for $300 or less.

Sectpn 8 ....

Get in touch with Gary Diamond [travlin easy]
at.. keyboard@bcpl.net
I think he has a Psr740 for sale.

I have a pair of them, both in New Condition, one of which has never been used other then to turn it on and see it it works. They're available for $500 or $550 plus shipping to anyone that's interested. Includes power packs, instructions manuals, music rest, headphones, everything in New condition.

Gary

Section 8,
That's a really good deal travlin easy has.. $500 for a barely used PSR-740 is great. I too agree with Don.. The 740 is a good board to grow with.. By the time you get better, you'll find that you're using more of its features..

Squeak

I agree. If you absolutely need to spend well under $500, you might want to also consider looking for a used PSR530 ( disk model ), 630 or 730. While they aren't quite as state of the art as the current PSR models, you will get better sounds and styles than the wk series can offer you.

AJ

I appreciate all the help. You guys have really helped me in my search. I just don't want to spend more than 2 or 3 hundred dollars for my needs. Im just not that serious with the keyboard. I love the 740; it is my favorite board I have checked out so far. If it was in my price range I would jump on it. I am going to check into the 530, 630 & 730. What does everyone think about the psr 320? And what do you think would be a fair price for one of these used?


[This message has been edited by SECTION 8 (edited 07-16-2003).]

What is the difference between those older boards?

I wouldn't bother with the 320, it's not a particularly advanced keyboard. The 520 from that era was good. The 530,630 and 730 are also good with the 730 having full XG and multi DSPs, similar to the 740, though the 740 was more advanced, rather like a compact version of the 8000.
Bryan