Digital Piano vs. Synth vs. Workstation

[holmes_slyce]

Hi All:

My daughter (7 years old) is starting piano lessons in September and we don't currently have a piano. Her Grandmother who taught Piano (classical) all her life will be teaching her a traditional grand piano. At present, we don't really want an traditional piano in the house.

I mess around with guitars, drums and a bass and would really like a Synth or Workstation to mess around with as well, but that is secondary concern for now.

Anyways, just wondering if I could get some general advice/comments regarding the suitability of a synthesizer (say, a Roland Jupiter 50 or) or workstation (Roland FA-06) for my daughter to learn piano on vs. a digital piano.

As well, for reference I primarily play e-drums on a Roland set, due to sound considerations late at night, and know their is a pretty substantial difference between them and an acoustic set. I put that out there as maybe someone can comment on whether the difference between an acoustic and electric drum set is similar to a synth vs. acoustic piano...

Any advice appreciated.

DH

[quantum]

A synthesizer and a piano are two completely different instruments.  They share a commonality through a keyboard, but that is all.  It is understandable how the two may be mistaken to be interchangeable due to the appearance of their apparanetly similar keyboard.  But the bottom line is, the manner in which one creates music is different for each of these instruments. 

A similar analogy: an airplane and helicopter.  If one can operate one of these, it can be assumed one can also operate the other - simply not true. 

If your daughter is going to be learning on an acoustic piano, the most appropriate thing to have at home is an acoustic piano.  A digital piano is also an acceptable instrument at this stage of your daughter's education.  If you are considering a digital piano, I would recommend at the very least one with 88 keys and weighted action. 

I understand your desire for having a potential 2-for-1 deal in getting an instrument that also suits your personal interests.  However, it it seems that you would be better served by having a discreet instrument (a synthesizer) to yourself, for your own creative work. 

Another solution would be to use a software synthesizer via MIDI on a digital piano.  This would get the both of you going until two separate instruments are possible. 

[iansinclair]

One can learn keyboards on a synthesizer or a workstation.  One cannot learn piano.  As Quantum said, if your daughter is learning to play piano, then she needs an instrument with a keyboard which is a reasonably close feel to a piano.  It must have 88 keys, and it must have a weighted action as well as, obviously, being touch sensitive, and the key depression must be similar to that of a "real" piano.  There are a number of options out there, by a number of different makers.

[hfmadopter]

I've played the Korg Krome 88 Workstation and the keys are pretty good on it, weighted at least. The grand piano sound was tremendous and it it is a full work station, you could produce a movie track on the thing.

The Yamaha Motif 8 and now the XF8 expand on that a bit, giving full Motif Software and giving you a so called Grand Feel. This one I only touched the keys on, it was not hooked up to a speaker system. The action is indeed weighted.

I have no idea if any kind of curve sensitivity can be dialed in to these boards but neither of these boards had that accordion key bed feel of synths of the past. I do believe the Jupiter mentioned still does . Neither really has the full let off of a grand like the Kawai line of digital pianos does, for instance.. But then neither does an upright acoustic piano and plenty of students learn on those.


As mentioned and it may be a good route for you to go is to get a decent digital piano with computer hook up capability ( most have that and midi these days) and then add something like the Motif Suite to it or one of these other modules like Muse Box etc ( there are several). That gives you the best of two worlds and adds some serious piano sounds or synth. You just have to do a little configuring and learning because everything isn't contained on board but may very well exceed a pre built work station sounds and touch. In this case the only reason for the digital piano is to gain the action, sound is generated through the computer.

I suggest you speak with some sound engineers, I know that Musicians Friend has a couple of them on their staff, I've spoken with one there. And they sell about anything you could need to get setup. And if nothing else you will gain a little understanding of these concepts and get your daughter the Digital piano now and add Motif etc. later if need be.

[nystul]

In the professional instrument lines like the big workstations, the 88 key versions usually have hammer action keys and the smaller versions usually have synth style keys.  Theory being that someone who is getting a 61 key instrument probably doesn't want weighted keys (or at least doesn't want to pay extra for them).  When I've gone to the local jazz festival it is pretty common to see the pianist gigging on an 88 key workstation.  Those are pricey instruments though.

[jimbo320]

Confusing isn't it!
This is where the saying "To each his own" really fits.
Today's instruments come in many flavors and one must really do your homework and try a lot of different brands and kinds.
But in light of a good suggestion by an experienced shopper, I would like to suggest a Yamaha
CP5 Stage which would fall in a more doable price range. If you could afford a bit more try the CP1.
I have played both and prefer the CP1 but that is a bit costly for some.
Either one would prove out very well IMHO...