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So the past month or two, I've been teaching myself to play piano and learning some music theory while I'm at it. I started learning on a cheap Casio that I just have for some reason (seriously, I don't know where it came from. Also, I'm going to eventually ship it off to Magpie for some bending) and now I'm messing around on a DX7. While they're both fun to play and I'm learning a ton, I am really craving something that actually sounds like a piano.

I have two end goals really:
1) something similar to Trent Reznor's soundtrack work, i.e., creepy drones with creepy pianos hiding underneath
2) glitch, i.e., degrading clean piano passages with pedals like Outward, CT5, Possessed, etc.

As much as I'd love a Nord, there's no way I have the budget for it. Do I want something from the Yamaha P series? What other options should I consider?

What is your budget? You can get some of the earlier Nord's for pretty cheap these days, they aren't always $2000.

Olin wrote:What is your budget? You can get some of the earlier Nord's for pretty cheap these days, they aren't always $2000.

Ideally, sub-$500. Realistically, sub-$1000

And really? I have only seen expensive Nords around here. Any models to specifically look for?

I would definitely say Nord if possible, and also the Korg SV1, which appears to me to have been developed as a direct competitor to the Electro. It sounds great. Ditto what Olin said—buy used and you can get some great deals.

Also not sure what your computer setup, but getting a nice MIDI controller with weighted keys (waterfall esp feel great for piano / elec piano etc) and using a DAW can open up tons and tons of options. I have a lot of the NI stuff, and it sounds wonderful—so does most of the stock stuff that comes with Logic, TBH. The big MIDI controller I have is a Yamaha KX8, which I don't believe they make anymore, but I'd highly recommend something along those lines.

Actually the more I think about it, the more I really would just go the MIDI / VST route unless you really need this to be handy for live use (that's where the Nords/Korgs get really convenient).

Popvulture has a good point too, if you're comfortable with using your computer, a MIDI controller could save a lot of money. Just depends whether it will mostly be for live use or studio/home use I guess.

Re: Nord's though, Electro 2's can be had for good prices these days and the piano's on them are great. It's the organs which have come a long way from their earlier stuff, the piano hasn't seen such a drastic improvement. It'll definitely be closer to the $1000 world, but very occasionally they come up for about $750 and it would be worth holding out for one I think.

There are some relatively cheap options out there, like the Hohner Pianet, Roland EP-20/30, Yamaha CP 10/20/30. The Pianet uses actual tines like a Rhodes while the others, afaik, are transistor based or at least electronic. Pianet sounds really good imo just out of the box (I have one), while the others might need a little processing to remove the cheese.

Definitely more for studio use; I currently don't play out at all, but I wouldn't be against it in the future.

As for MIDI/VST/DAW, I have next to no background with it. I have a decent gaming laptop so I know it can run pretty much anything, but as far as music and computers go, I only really use Audacity and I've dabbled in AudioMulch. I just checked out some demos of the NI piano VSTs and they do sound great, but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about going the VST route in general. I don't really have a side in the digital v. analog argument, but I do like being away from screens when I play music and generally only grab my computer when I want to record something
If I do end up going this route, I'd have to get some kind of audio interface as well, which I also know nothing about. The only interfacing I have at the moment is a mixer which I can plug into my computer to record, but nothing to go the other way.

I checked out a video of the Nord Electro 2 as well and it seems to be exactly what I would be looking for. I'm going to keep my eyes open for one of those at a good price for sure.

Oh man, the Hohner Pianet sounds really good too. Another one to keep my eyes open for.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I was looking for the same. Wanted something that sounded like a real piano and also felt like a real piano. Weighted keys a must. I got the Yamaha P-115 and it's perfect for me needs and sounds great IMO running through my pedalboard. Here's a sample of it that i did through my pedalboard

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgocAp1A9K4[/youtube]

and another

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMb50fs94Ms[/youtube]

I was hoping you'd weigh in Ruiner. I saw your IG post when you picked up the P115 however many months ago and I knew you'd be sending it through effects. Thanks for the videos, they sound great!
The P115 seems like one of the more budget friendly options if I can find one at a good used price

Some times you can spot RMI electric harpsichords on CL for a hundred or two, really pissed I passed the last one in my neighborhood up, I'm guessing they can sound super crazy with effects added.

The Yamaha P-series are by far the best digital pianos that you'll get for the money, both in terms of sound and of the feeling of the keys. I browse this forum mainly for guitar/bass effects, but I'm principally a ("classical") pianist. I play a Yamaha P155, and its keys are much better than those on the 88-key Nord which runs for more than twice the price (however, all of the keyboard sounds on the Nord are excellent, whereas only the piano sounds on the Yamaha are particularly good).

The P115 sounds good, and it's lighter keys (compared to the P155 or P255) make it easier for a beginner to play. As others have noted, buying used helps a lot. I got my P155 used, and it's worked perfectly for many years. The only issue that I've ever had was a key getting stiff, which happens naturally and was easily repairable by applying some lubricant.

The Korg SV1 is a cool instrument, but it doesn't stand out as a piano. Its focus seems to be crunchy+funky organ, clav, and electric piano sounds. That said, its piano sounds certainly aren't bad, and it may be perfect for your purposes if you can find one for a good price. It's up to you if those other sounds (which are much better than the Yamaha's organs, etc) and a few less keys are worth the extra $500+

In general, I recommend against getting a weighted MIDI keyboard and using VST's for your sounds. It is cheaper, but you'll probably have to start/set up your computer every time that you want to play, and it won't be portable. In my experience, it results in playing less because it's more of a hassle to do so.

Yamaha is definitely a good brand for fairly realistic piano sounds. I have a Reface CP as well and have never needed customer support. After Korg's mishandling of my Odyssey, I cannot recommend Korg for anything used or of any significant value.

I haven't played the Yamaha P-115, but I would be surprised if it has different algorithms from the MX series. There are pros and cons to each and I'm not advocating one over the other, but I thought I'd share what I've found.

The MX61 has a lot more total sounds, plus built-in reverb (do the P models have FX?) and filter controls, but the keys are slightly narrow and the texture is a little off. It's not a great purchase for synth emulation, but it's easy to navigate and easy to find nice sounds. You might be able to get a used MX model for $280-400, if you don't need >49 keys. Also, the MX allows for splitting and stacking, so you can pair a baby grand (with/without reverb) with a second piano (dry or with reverb). I like to pair EPs or pianos with strings, then run them through external multi-head delays or other effects. Good luck.

I've got the P-115 too and it's perfect for me doing fairly similar things to what you're talking about: studio use, working with pedals. Keys feel nice which is why I bought it and the sounds are actually really good. No editing but that doesn't bother me.

echorec wrote:Yamaha is definitely a good brand for fairly realistic piano sounds. I have a Reface CP as well and have never needed customer support.

Yeah, if you're not against small keys, the Reface series are really nice. I have the YC, which I recommend for people who want drawbar organs-type sounds (and/or big-ass drony textures with lots of harmonics control), and I've only read good things about the CP (and quite liked it when I tried it in shops).

And there's always the possibility of controlling it from another controller if/when you want a bigger keyboard...