I am learning to play the piano and am looking for a keyboard that has the following features:

1. The feel of a real piano
2. A Headphone jack
3. Midi Compatible

I don't know anything about keyboards would appreciate any recommendations as to some other features I should be looking in a keyboard. I am looking to spend as little as possible and was hoping you could recommend an inexpensive, nice sounding keyboard with the features above.

The big question is how much like a real piano do you want the keyboard to feel like. Another question is whether you want a keyboard or a console. A console looks more like a piano and tends to have speakers built in. I would assume you want 88 keys, weighted action. You should be able to find a decent 88-key weighted action console for under $1000 in the U.S. However, if you want real "hammer" action, you may have to pay a lot more. I saw one advertised recently, but do not have the keyboard issue with me now.

Clif

The Yamaha P-80 is also my first choice in what I reccomend to my customers. At a selling price of $999.00, 37 lbs. great piano sounds, electric piano sounds, split voices and a great hammond organ with leslie effect which can be varied, it is hard to beat. My other choice for the same price would be the generalmusic Pro 1 piano. It is also 64 voice poly, a hammer weighted action keyboard, great sounds, and a really cool feature called natural string resonance which duplicates a real piano when you hold down notes and play notes in other ranges, but still here the sympathetic vibrations of the undamped strings. The price is also $999.00 though it weighs about 50 lbs. If You want something that looks more like a real piano, the Yamaha YPD 101 is very nice for $999.oo. It has a wood cabinet, three pedals, nice speakers built in, but only 8 sounds and the action is not as good as the other two. It is weighted, but not hammer weighted so it feels lighter.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566

How midi is the P80?

I would like to thank you folks who responded to my post. Because I was looking for a keyboard that was portable, sounds good, inexpensive, and with weighted action, I decided to take your recommendation on the P80. I went to the local music store to check it out and was pleased with what I saw and heard. I have purchased one from ZZound and anxiously await its arrival. Thanks for your input!