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For instance, what make/model of keyboard is being "retired" to the new house? Which of that instrument's capabilities will be required from its replacement?
Weighted keys suggest a pianist which, in turn, suggests a requirement for eighty-eight keys rather than seventy odd plus an Octave Up/Down button.
Several instruments spring to mind but it is pointless listing them without first knowing your keyboard player's budget.
Budget is dependent on what the keyboard does (hows that for a catch 22) as he put it to me, he's quite willing to pay on card or if it's really expensive take out credit to get it. I would have thought a decent keyboard is £500+?
I have no idea really!
Nord does a few instruments that should fit the bill ... albeit, at a price.
My bias is towards Roland. Other forumites will lean towards KORG, Yamaha and others.
Beyond a certain price point, it might make better economic sense to use a MIDI Controller Keyboard to trigger software sounds from a computer.
Is there anywhere you'd recommend that would be good to go try a few
Casio px5s is one of the lighter lower cost 88 keys I think. Good piano, decent synth, weaker organ sounds. There's prob cheaper light ones in the range without the synth engine.
Kurzweil sp6 is a newer light weight 88 key. Not played one and doubt there's many around used.
I recently bought both.
A Roland RD2000 for 88 note weighted. This has 4 voices complete with FX, and 4 more without - that can be switched between or layered - each with its own slider for volume. The 8 sliders (there are 9 actually) an be used as drawbars for organ tones. Its not cheap - but cheaper than the Nords. Its very good.
For unweighted I went for a 76 note Roland FA07 - its VERY light. Like one hand light. It has 16 pads, that can ne used to switch between 16 tones if thats what you want - OR can be set to select combos of tones (so pad one selects sound 1 and 6, pad 2 selects sound 1 and 9, pad 3 selects sound 5 etc). Plenty of keyspace to play piano - and there full sized semi weighted keys - not like playing a piano but you do get some feel you dont get on a normal synth action.
Both have all the sounds you'd need. The RD has better Piano (acoustic and electric) and organ sounds - and plently of orchestreal and synth stuff as well. You cant really edit them - though you can play with cut off/resonance and EQs. The FA has a better synth section (Virtual analogue engine) and more control over edits, and doesnt have as much real time control (6 rather than 8 rotaries and no sliders), but you have more sounds available at a single button push, better FX routing, and the editing.
There is the FA08 for not much more than the 07. 88 note weighted board, but a lot heavier.
Either would work.
Cost wise... the RD is around £2k......... I got my FA new for £1k a few months back. The FA does come in a 61 note version cheaper - and is much more available used.
Going used, opens things up cost wise. Older RD800s/900s, the casios as noted. You could try and pick up an 88 note Motif. Ive seen them used at £800 or so.
Having said ALL that, you can get something suitable cheaper, and Im going to suggest the Roland JunoDS 88. Weighted board, full 88 note, enough of the sounds and editability you need, comes in at about £750 new. Not as nice to play as the RDs, not as competent synth wise as the FAs, but a good all round workhorse.