Yamaha P60 or Kurzweil Sp88

[jarrell_d]

sup all.  I'm looking for a really good 88-Key keyboard with excellent Piano and E.Piano sounds for under $800.   I know that doesn't leave a big gap for options such as the Motif's or the Triton LE's, but I have heard some really good things about these 2 boards.

I play'd the Yamaha P90 a little, but there was something about it I didn't like.  Even its almost identical to the P60 (I think), the sounds didn't blow me away like i thought it would.  Also the P90 doesn't have external speakers.

I did find a demo on the Yamaha website for the P60 and the E.Piano's were real nice.  I didn't find too much information on the Kurzweil Sp88, but i've heard good things about it too.

So to the ones who's have play'd these two boards perhaps, which would you buy?  - Yamaha p60 or Kurzweil Sp88.

Thanks

[ddw4e]

I am a big fan of Kurzweil and the SP88x is a great board and have just the main sounds that u need to start your way...It's also a great controller...I have a friend of mine who has that board linking with Triton, Motif and Fantom module running through the SP88 and what can I say...It's just a great board!!  :lol:  :lol:

[jarrell_d]

thanks d

[c3hamby]

The Yamaha P60 and the SP88x are not really comparable keyboards.  The P60 is more suited for beginning piano students.  The P80 or P90 models more readily compare with the SP88x.

I prefer the Yamaha P80 or P90 over the Kurzweil for the following reasons:

The Yamaha boards are the most pianistic out there, and you will also find that the lower you play on the board, the more tension there is, this is called 'graded action' and is the same that a real piano would have.

The Kurzweil doesn't come close to this kind of action, in fact I find the quality of their keyboard to be very low.  

I think the Yamaha unit is even less expensive.

[BBoy]

I love the feel of the Yamaha P90 . . . I have one. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of other boards, but I LOVE IT. It is for plain old piano players . . . . like me . . . . who want other effects now and then.

Yes, you do need external speakers for the P90 . . . but if you are playing a room of any size, external speakers are ususally used anyway. Just put it through the house PA system, or (what I really want to do eventually) get my own PA system and put out some CRAZY piano sounds. You can get a great PA system for about six hundred dollars.

Be Blessed  :lol:

BBoy  

[jarrell_d]

The Kurzweil doesn't come close to this kind of action, in fact I find the quality of their keyboard to be very low.  

I think the Yamaha unit is even less expensive.

Its interesting that you think the Kurzweil quality is low.  I actually heard the exact opposite.  From all the reviews i've read, Kurzweil is known for its Pianistic sound.

I'll do a little more investigation, but thanks for the responses.

[ddw4e]

I been hearing the sounds of Kurzweil board a lot lately in several CDs especially anything that Kevin Bond did in the past 3 years cause all his piano sounds was from the Kurzweil PC88...In James Hall CDs John Peters (to my understanding) used the Kurzweil piano sounds (I definitely know on the We Are At War CD)....so it's according to your ear and no one else....anything u get WILL have pros and cons but they come from you... Just don't get it cause of our opinions...get it according to you..

[B3Organist_007]

DDW4E,

I know that Kurzweil has good piano sounds, but does it have good electric pianos and good organs as well??

[c3hamby]

my comparison with the keyboard quality between the Kurz and the Yam is by actually playing the keyboards.

[c3hamby]

"I know that Kurzweil has good piano sounds, but does it have good electric pianos and good organs as well??"

Well...they are all right, but aren't most of you guys playing in a church where there is a B3?  

I think people need to be real familiar with a B3 before they start trying to find keyboards that simulate them.

If you want electric pianos and b3, then I would go for the Nord Electro.  It has good drawbar simualtion and good elec piano sounds, along with effects, and it's all right on top of the board, you don't have to go into any complicated small screen menus to access them.  

I believe that from the Kurz 2700 onto the most recent has drawbars for the Hammond sound.

[ddw4e]

DDW4E,

I know that Kurzweil has good piano sounds, but does it have good electric pianos and good organs as well??

Depending pn the board you goin to get...the electric pianos in the SP series are really good...the PC2x and Ix have more electric pianos and are also really good (I used that board more) and the organ on the PC2x are CRAZY!! There's a mode called KB-3 mode with allows you to use drawbars and the leslie WITH the chorus / vibrato  mode with it...the SP series is bacically a controller piano so they only have around I think...30 sounds or maybe 32 I am not for sure...but the sounds are great...I planning to get that board just for the piano sounds...Right now I have some patches on my Propellerhead Reason program and they are exact patches from the Kurzweil Micropiano sound module...

[Crazykeys]

Kurzweil 8O  :lol:    

[c3hamby]

Its interesting that you think the Kurzweil quality is low.  I actually heard the exact opposite.  From all the reviews i've read, Kurzweil is known for its Pianistic sound.

Ok, I'm sorry, let me back up a little bit.  I'm sorry I confused ya'll.   I didn't say the Kurzweil sound is of low quality. To me the only the Kurzweil action feels of a lower quality.  The Kurzweil sound is wonderful.  But the action and sound of the Yam P90 or P80 is superior to the Kurz