Hi Guys,
I've had a few casios over the years and have had tons of fun in the house with these things. I've never been an actual "arranger' player. Just a regular synth/piano player. But I'm interested in selling some synths and controllers that are just not getting used anymore to help pay for a weighted arranger. Trouble is I can't find any. Are there any out there that are just not popularly known? Maybe just known in "arranger" circles? Thanks for listing any weight (88 preferred, 76 minimun) arrangers that you may be aware of, new or used.

Thanks heaps.
Bob <><

Yes , the Yamaha CVP-409.

SA - voices and all the stuff the Tyros 2 has and more.
http://music.yamaha.com:80/products/specifications.html?productId=612117&hierarchy_id=20017_20018_16277

Yamaha makes the YPG-625 which is not in the Clavinova family but rather in the Arranger Keyboard family. It has a retail price of $1099 and sells for $729. It has 88 keys, graded and weighted, Stand, Bench, single, dual and split modes. The arranger section has two variations per style, you can record songs, load new styles from USB Thumb Drive, displays lyrics and chords for midi files.
This has been a very popular model because it weighs only 35lbs. plus stand so it is very portable and feels and sounds great.
Casio also makes a Privia called the 575 which is comparable for $699 with stand but most of my customers prefer the Yamaha.
There are also Roland FP7 models and KR series models available but the FP7 doesn't have as many options in the arranger section and the KR's, like the Yamaha Clavinovas are very heavy and much more money!
Ketron also makes their arranger models in baby grand piano cases which are very expensive.
You can spend not very much or all the way up. There are options out there.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Yes, the Mediastation X-88 Pro, some our USA custumers have too http://www.lionstracs.com/store/ms-x88-pro-p-103.html
next week we include the new qranger and then will have the best http://www.lionstracs.com/store/information_pages.php?info_id=34

is WK88 from GEM still available?
...i believe that is the right name, right?

Available in virtually any combination you require.
http://www.bohm-organs.co.uk/produkte/silverbird.pdf

If you want a Piano with full arranger functions

http://www.wersimusic.com/gigapiano.html

Adimatis, I believe you are referring to the GEM SK88 or SK880 Powerstation.

They are a few years old now and I would guess out of production. I still have one with extra memory and the vocalist installed.

I haven't used it in sometime, but it was a definitely a good board in its day. I should probably put it up for sale, just haven't gotten around to it.

I'm using the Lionstracs Mediastation X88-Pro now. Hammer action, fully weighted 88 keys and a stellar piano sound are a must for me.

Richard

yes, that one.
i realize it's been a good while since it came out... i actually never heard of anyone having it, it was completely unaccesible price-wise in my country at that time, i remember was almost 6000 USD!
and you had to make a special order... man, how are the things changing!

Richard, good to see you again.

First of all, let me be upfront and say I am in NO WAY trying to bait you, despite some differences with Dom, I am still extremely curious about the MS, and it's potential (and have said so all along).

Is there any chance of you posting some audio of stuff you've done on the MS recently that you are happy with, in arranger mode? The factory demos have a very Italian/Serbian/ Adriatic bias, and don't do a lot for me, yet, but you have had one for quite a while now. Do you use it primarily as an arranger, or as SMF/MP3/Loop playback..? I am still fascinated by the potential of this ever-evolving arranger, it's just that the factory demos don't cover the types of music I play over here, and are quite often less than stellar.

The MS is still POTENTIALLY the best arranger out there, but Dom's posts primarily tout new features like loop players and 'audio styles', etc., rather than how much better the sound-set and styles integration is getting. Would you care to demo for us this particular aspect of the keyboard? I already know all I need about the VSTi's, the loop stuff, all of that. But without it being a kick-ass ARRANGER, it still won't do the job I need it to.

They are still impossible to find in my part of the world (FL USA) so USER feedback (not factory posts) is still the best way of me finding out about the progress...

Please be assured, I don't want to critique your playing, it's not about that. In fact, I would PREFER to hear the arranger ONLY with no RH solos, so I can get a better feel for how the styles respond to chord changes, out of time input, fill smoothness, all that usual stuff, and the overall sound quality and balance of the styles (don't worry, I'll hear all I need to from a decent 192kbps MP3, I know it has FAR better D/A converters than most arrangers!).

But a few of the styles that you currently use on a regular basis, with perhaps a US bias, so we can hear how things are coming along would be VER appreciated.

Enquiring minds STILL want to know!

Just HOW 'weighted' do you mean? This is one of the most devalued words in keyboard advertising! Do you mean FULL grand piano weight? Quite a few mentioned in this thread DO have 88 keys, but are anything but full grand piano weight...

From your post, it seems you HAVE been able to play lighter key-beds... One thing to always take into account is that, for sounds other than piano/Rhodes (organ as an extreme example), that full piano weight keyboard is more a hindrance than a help. But lightweight synth key-beds make the piano hard to play. What's a boy to do??

You mentioned 76's as a possibility. If you haven't tried a G70 yet, rush down and find one. Play it. Caress it's smooth key-bed! It's probably the heaviest feeling plastic keybed you've ever tried (short of a K2500). FAR beyond 'synth-like'. It also has the distinction of being virtually full sized keys (blacks too) so pianists adapt quickly, but with a smoothed out key end, rather than the sharp, over-hung lip on a grand. This helps enormously with organ playing, and other type sounds.

Yes, it is at the light end of the scale for piano actions, but so are several 88's mentioned here. The kicker is, it's tied to what is arguably the best, warmest, most realistic grand piano sound in just about any arranger. 4-way vel-splits, warm, detailed mid-range, sustain AND sostenuto capable (and soft pedal too, if needed), great stereo imaging... A GREAT action tied to an average piano sound is still an average piano.

Anyway, enough of my gushing! Try one for yourself. If the action is good enough, you'll be in piano heaven. If not, your choices may remain what is already posted here. But don't assume that, just 'cause it has 88 keys, it FEELS like a piano, or even sounds like a good one!