I'm looking forward to buying a keyboard that is less than $300 that will teach me to play. Not only that I wish there will be touch sensitive keys and good quality sound. What brands should I look for? What model do u guys suggest?

For a $100 dollars more you might want to check out the Yamaha DGX-300 Keyboard. It sells for $399.99 in the USA, eg., Guitar Center, etc. The Piano sounds are very good for a Keyboard in this class, ie., "low end". It has has floppy disk drive, internal speakers, 32 note polyphony, a 6 track sequencer to record your own songs, and other nice features.

Or you might be able to find a good used Keyboard on eBay for the price your looking at. Be careful if you buy on eBay. Make sure the product and person selling it is legit. Use PayPal for extra security, not a 3rd party go between which could end up being a scam. If you buy a used one on eBay you will most likely not get a guarantee with the product.

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by Idatrod (edited 07-04-2003).]

I agree with Mike.
Another good and not expensive option is PSR 290. All my music students are playing this excelent kbd.

Chico

Bigfoot,
I have a Yamaha PSR SQ16 for sale @ $200.00. I bought it new and have not used it much (right after buying it I started playing with a 7 piece band and did not need an arranger). It had a retail price around $2200.00. I paid $1500.00 plus shipping. I have the owner's manual, demo disc and all the documentation that came with the instrument. I'm sending some photos to your email address. I can supply any info you want including specifications and features. Let me know if interested.
Deaton
dvjduck@yahoo.com

Hey,

Thanks for the replies. I've been looking at the EZ30 also because of its tutorial features. Do I really need those features? Or are the regular lessons on the screen good enough?

About the sound quality, how good is each keyboard compared to each other? Comparing the PSR 292, EZ30, DGX300, and PSRSQ16

I think Dano has a Yamaha Ez 130 0r 30 whateverthe number was for sale. It was his that he used to teach his son, and i think he wants about $175.00 for it. Dan will be back from vacation monday, July 7th. His email at the store is: keyboardcity@yahoo.com

Hope this helps you out. The keyboard has the lighted keys, so the learning process is easier, but it also sounds decent. Bob Lee

Yes he does I talked to him through email. Waiting for his reply.

I have a question. If I buy a regular keyboard like the EZ30 or the SQ16, and connect it to the computer using MIDI input, would I be able to use it as MIDI input. Like say I started up Cubasis and if I select the right MIDI input port, would I just simply press a key for a certain amount of time and then that note will show up on the track selected?

..about the tutorial features...

I have lookd at these features on several keyboards and they seem rather gimmicky to me. I suggest you consider some of the great 3d party sioftware available.

I am partial to the programs made by PG Music. They make Band-in-a-box, a great learning and practicing tool which every musician needs. They also have several piano "master class" programs which I highly recommend.

Other companies like Voyetra make piano-lesson programs that have been well-received. Don't know much about these others.

All of the keyboards mentioned in these posts have "MIDI-in" and "MIDI-out" connectors. This enables you to connect the keyboard to your computer's sound card. You will need a good sound card, and the most recommended of these is the Sound Blaster Live. Fifty bucks. Be prepared for a steep learning curve getting all the parts hooked up so the keyboard and computer work together. It's worth it.

JDW

I'm a Yamaha dealer and you need to know about a few others not mentioned here. For $299.00 you can get a DGX202 with 76 keys and actually a lot more features than the DGX300. The DGX202 does not have a disk drive but it allows you to split any sounds in the keyboard where the DGX300 makes you use their split sounds and the DGX202 has the data wheel like what's on the PSR2000. Also, Yamaha will have the new replacement for the EZ30 in just a couple of weeks. The new models are the same price but feature lights in the actual keys like Casio does and not have the lights above the keys which are very hard to follow and use. The PSR292 replaced the PSR290 last year and the DGX202 is exactly the same keyboard but with 76 keys and a pitch bend wheel.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566

The keyboards with 2 wheels on the left-what are they for?

And the model PSR SQ16, can anyone give me info on that? I've been looking at google but I found only a few pages on it. Its an old keyboard but I want to make sure it stands up to what keyboards have today.