Hello, sorry to bust into your forum, but I need some help and thought this would be a good place to get some advice.

I play in a country/gospel band and we just added a keyboard player to play with us. We practice at church with the church's Clavinova CVP-210. It is really nice, but we can't take it on the road with us. Our keyboard player does not have her own keyboard, and our band is going to buy one.

So...we need a full sized keyboard with weighted keys that will have the same capabilities of the Clavinova. We have played in an auditorium that had some lower-end Clavinova keyboards, and they couldn't produce the same sounds that we practiced with (ie: piano with strings accomp.).

How much is this going to set us back? We are thinking between $1,000 - $2,000. Is that realistic?

Can you recommend something for us to look into? We have a trailer that hauls our gear around in, so we will need a nice case too. I assume that we will have to buy the case, but do keyboards come with stands and seats?

We will go looking locally (or maybe order online), but we just want some idea of what we will be looking for and how much it will cost.

Our sound system is a Fender Passport P-250 like this one: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=...ase_pid/480616/
It is small, but it is more than adaquate for the venues that we play (Churches, small stages, coffe house, local theater...). The keyboard plugs into it and it can easily handle it. So the sound system is taken care of...

Any info that you can provide will be helpful.

Thanks!!!
Jarrod

You could get a Yamaha Motif-8 with a weighted action and a good quality piano sound in the price range you mention. It also has good synth and string patches as well plus it has the ability to load samples. Yamaha latest range is the ES-Motif but that would push up over the $2,000 limit.

I don't know all that much about the CVP210's features, but it does have auto accomp right ? I agree with Nigel that the Motif 8 would be a good choice for 88 key weighted keys and a very nice palette of sounds if you liked the CVP210.

It does not have any auto accomp features though, if this is important to you. It does have an arpeggio function that is pretty cool, but this differs a good bit from auto accomp.

I don't know of any higher end arranger types that would be portable and have 88 weighted keys. The closest thing that comes to mind is a Yamaha 9000 Pro, but it has 76 weighted keys. The sounds and accomp features in it should be on par with the CVP210

AJ

Would it open up our options considerably if we went with 76 keys? Does that inhibit playing much? Auto accomp is pretty important...there is a couple of songs that it's a must have.

Thanks, Nigel and AJ, for taking time for me. I appreciate it!

The 9000 pro is portable and I would venture a guess that it may be the only 76 key arranger that might fit your requirements and budget. It is no longer in production but is a recent model and can likely be found in your price range.

I am a synth player per se and am used to 76 and even 61 key models. I cannot say whether mot having an 88 key model would be a hindrance to you, but can tell you only that it does not affect my playing at all. I do not use or even prefer weighted keys, and I do not emulate piano sounds very often. If you are close enough to a music store, maybe she can try something out with 76 keys and see how it would affect her.


You might want to also pose this question over at the general arranger forum. I have experience with arrangers, but there are plenty of folks over there who know more about the different types than I do.

Regards,

AJ

The only thing is that it would mean going with a synth action rather than a weighted keyboard. Weighted action is only ever available in 88 keys. Other than that there is absolutely no other compromise as the keyboard is the same in all other regards.

Hey Jarrod.

Praise the Lord brother. I can think of a couple of boards that you might be interested in. Although I'm not sure what the cababilities are of the Clavinova you're currently using. But check these 88 weighted boards out:

Yamaha S90 (can be had for about 1700)
Yamaha S08 (feels good, sounds ok, cheap, around 900-1000)
Yamaha P series stage piaons (P60, P80, P90, P120, P200, P250, maybe others)
Roland FP-3, FP-5, (maybe other FP models)
Roland RD series pianos
Kurzweil PC2X, (about 1700)
Yamaha P series stage piaons (P60, P80, P90, P120, P200, P250, maybe others)

Some of these baords I mentioned are synths and some are stage pianos, but none have an onboard sampler. ** weight keys with an onboard sampler will take you over the 2000 range.

Generally cases, stand and benches are sold separately. Hard shell cases can cost 200-300 hundred. Ebay may help you there.

In my opinion, the Yamaha's have the heaviest feel. The Kurz and Rolands are aboutthem same, a little lighter than the Yamahas.

Generally stage pianos are graded action and the synths are balanced. Graded meaning, a heavier feel in the bass notes and lighter in the highs (better for the more pure piano players). Balanced meaning, the same feel throughout all keys (better for synth players).

These are the boards that come to my mind, theres probably others that might work for you.


Best wishes my brother.
Peace
Bob
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These are all probably very good choices, but none of them have auto accomp ( that I know of anyway ).

I think the 9000 pro was semiweighted and while the action wasn't quite like a Clavinova or an acoustic piaon, it seemed to me to feel more substantial than most of the other 76 key synths I have tried.

AJ

Howdy. I'm not sure why no one has mentioned the General Music (GEM)SK880 Power Station IOP. I'm sure it has all the features you're looking for. The GEM office in Chicago sells them direct, and the price range is similar. Call their Chicago office and talk to Phil Huston.

Just checking you're not mixing up accomp with layered sounds. Playing layered sounds, like piano with strings, is not and does not need accomp.

Carry on.

-tek