Something basic, but good...

[steinwaylvr2]

I'm a poor college student, and I need a digital piano/keyboard of some sort that can fit in a dorm room space.  My only requirements are something that has 88 keys, feels as much like a real piano as possible, and IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, something that costs preferably less than $1000.  Can anybody make any recommendations?

[Spatula]

Exactly how big is your dorm?  Is it the 9 foot by 5 foot type where your bed is your couch and your computer is right by the night table (I'm talking REALLY squishy small), well then perhaps an 88 keyboard is gonna take a lot of space.  Doesn't the College have a keyboard room or something, unless its an engineering college  

[steinwaylvr2]

Not that small.    The bed is actually lofted, and I don't really have any extra furniture, so I definitely have enough small for an 88-key.

[bernhard]

Yamaha P60. It is your dream come true: portable, feels and sounds like a real piano, 88 keys and retails for around US$ 750.

I saw some very positive comments on it recently in one of the threads. But I cannot find the thread.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

I found the thread:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1088195727

Look at Storebrand’s post toward the end: it talks about the P60.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[steinwaylvr2]

Thanks a bunch!!  I'm definitely going to look in to that.

[jr11]

Go to your music shop. There will be lots of options there for you to try. Then once you know what you'd like, check out the want ads and pawn shops for your best value.

I have played lots of Yamaha digitals, and don't care for the action at all. My current alternate keyboard is made by General Music (Italian) and the action is fine, though I had to download some better piano sounds onto it. That brings up another point... be sure you can import sounds, preferably directly to the keyboard, not just through a PC.

You can save yourself more space and money by buying a stage keyboard, ie: one without a built in amplifier and speaker. The best sound is always through headphones anyhow. If you get sick of the head clamp, you can buy some cheap walkman speakers to plug in the headphone jack for about $30 that will give you basic audio.

Happy hunting!

[xvimbi]

I agree with what's been said. Even if you are looking "only" for something basic, make sure you really like what you decide to get. The Yamaha P series overall has a very good action and reasonable sound. You may or may not like its action, so compare. The best option, IMO, is to get a stage piano and connect it to a computer (I assume you already have a computer). The sound you get from such an arrangement beats any built-in sounds, except, perhaps, those in the Post Piano. You may have to shell out some more money to get the ultimate Steinway or Bösendorfer sound, but even basic samples are more authentic than built-in samples (the reason is lack of memory in electronic pianos). The only thing I find really annoying in "basic" pianos is the lack of authentic pedaling capabilities. It's either "on" or "off". But that's my only gripe.

Please check out the other threads on digital pianos. Everything that is relevant to your situation has been said many times, so you will find more usuful information in those threads.