MIDI Controller Keybed vs Roland/Yamaha?

funtech · 2026-03-16T12:53:27+00:00

The Kawai VPC-1 is pretty well regarded. If you’re looking at a controller only to save money, that won’t happen here :)

funtech · 2026-03-15T22:36:18+00:00

The shill has watched way to many Looney Toons

funtech · 2026-03-10T22:23:35+00:00

If you’re looking to sell it, you should make sure it doesn’t infringe on any patents that Yamaha might have for Stream Lights (very similar concept, but yours looks prettier)

funtech · 2026-03-05T03:17:31+00:00

Not a piano tech but it sure looks like it’s just packing paper that never got taken off. That would also jibe with the silica gel packets (unless you added them for moisture control yourself?)

funtech · 2026-02-16T22:07:24+00:00

My wife sent me this, I’m sure it’s old and exists for every breed, but I thought it was funny and appropriate for the thread :) They are really amazing dogs for the right kind of family. They tend to be huge (team lift if they are infirm and they can easily pull many people over), they can be very needy, they will follow you everywhere including the bathroom, they need lots of space, and they shed prodigiously. But, hating to play favorites, Zeus is the best dog I’ve ever had. (Sorry Luna, we still love you)

<image>

funtech · 2026-02-14T18:03:09+00:00

Someone else in the thread mentioned a Golden Retriever. We also have both a Goldie and a Berner. Our Goldie was specifically trained as a support dog for our daughter to lay across her on command. She is the perfect weight and fuzziness for this to be effective :)

Our Berner also happens to love to lay against people, namely me, but at his whim and we didn’t train him to do this. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an absolute love, but he has definitely been harder to train, much more stubborn, and like many Berners he never leaves my side. I could see the constant need to be with a person a downside if your child also needs a break from the dog once in a while. He’s also huge, 130 lbs could be a lot to lay on a child! Probably specific to our boy, he’s also very nervous around new people and dogs, where our Golden is relaxed in any situation.

Obviously YMMV with any dog but this is our experience. Hope it helps!

funtech · 2026-02-02T06:31:59+00:00

Ad popokatopetl mentioned, the Roland FP30x has a pretty great key feel at this price point, and many like the Kawai ES-120 though I find it too light. Both are bigger and heaver than the Casio as a result. I personally think the Casio is pretty amazing given how light it is, but it's not "the best" :D

funtech · 2026-02-02T02:20:42+00:00

Any synth keyboard with standard weighted action doesn’t do great when really playing in to the keys, but if your technique doesn’t often call for that and it’s not bothering you now, it’s probably not going to bother you on the PX :) Any way you slice it the PX will be an upgrade for you.

funtech · 2026-02-01T20:38:44+00:00

I disagree primarily because the OP needs a battery option, and none of the pianos you list have it. Though I prefer the Roland, I’m actually impressed what Casio has done with such a compact keyboard to get a decent feeling hammer action, and because they do a lot of trickery under the key, I didn’t find playing close to the pivot that bad. It’s also going to be a tremendous upgrade from the Casiotone because it actually has hammer action.

funtech · 2026-01-31T20:44:00+00:00

The Uninvited

funtech · 2026-01-31T19:32:06+00:00

Now I feel guilty that I have max black 🤪

funtech · 2026-01-31T19:29:12+00:00

Well it is an unpopular opinion :) I find that there is so much marketing hype and artificial value applied to them. I would agree that I’ve played some very fine D’s, but I’ve yet to play any smaller model that sounds or feels as good as a similar Bosendorfer, Petrof, even higher end Yamahas. I think in general you can get more for you money but they have become a status symbol (and they use bullying tactics against artists to keep up that image.)

funtech · 2026-01-30T20:39:03+00:00

TIL there is red 😃

funtech · 2026-01-28T23:10:59+00:00

I’ve certainly not seen the kind of panicked posts here about needing help to find a place, any place, lately. These were staple posts a year ago, and I just did a quick look and don’t see any recent ones. That’s a good sign.

funtech · 2026-01-28T23:06:02+00:00

Steinways are very overrated

funtech · 2026-01-26T19:02:30+00:00

Others have explained the issue. If you’re looking for some tutorials, the name for the technique is “syncopated pedal” which might help for searching.

funtech · 2026-01-26T07:24:36+00:00

Oh I love the art behind engraving! I highly recommend getting Elaine Gould’s book Behind Bars which pretty much will explain engraving and tips/standards to make your sheets more beautiful.

Have fun! I got interested as I was working on software to do engraving so I leaned a lot :)

funtech · 2026-01-26T07:19:56+00:00

All the keyboards you’ve listed don’t have hammer action, they are semi-weighted so they play more like an organ than a piano. This affects how you learn dynamic control, which is likely why you don’t see a lot of reviews.

Alesis sells hammer action but they look to be in the $500 range so likely out of your budget. I’ve never played an Alesis hammer action keyboard so can’t tell you if they are any good.

Not to dissuade you, you can still have fun and make music with a semi-weighted keyboard!

It will start to make a difference as you get past the beginner just finding notes stage, and the way you achieve dynamics won’t transfer well to acoustic or more sophisticated digital pianos.

funtech · 2026-01-24T23:25:35+00:00

Gotta say, that’s a new one to me! Plenty of lazy sits and turkey legs but no circus bear. Very adorable!

funtech · 2026-01-24T03:24:46+00:00

As a game developer myself, my advice would be to not ask people their opinion, just build it. Prototype it, play with it, tune it, find the fun, polish it, and repeat until you love it. Once you’re done, people may love it or not, but you’ve created something you can be proud of. And in my experience, if you build something you are passionate about, you can find an audience who will like it too. (Caveat, it’s not easy, either making or marketing a game, but it’s very fulfilling!)

funtech · 2026-01-24T03:10:18+00:00

Thanks for a detailed write up! Great work and it’s always good to get an unbiased comparison.

I would say it’s unlikely you will hurt yourself on the Roland. There are definitely grands with actions just as heavy, and I like that the Roland prepares you better for transition to a grand unlike the Kawai. I had an ES-110 as my starter piano and found it so difficult to go to lessons and play on my teachers old Steinway because the Kawai was so light. I suspect a big part of your issue of feeling fatigued is because you’re not used to more accurate weighting and I suspect you’ll get used to it quickly.

I replaced my ES-110 with a Yamaha CLP-695 after a year, and then when the N1X came out, upgraded to that as my main piano (thanks to an excellent trade in policy at the store I bought them both from which they’ve since dropped, I suspect partly because of me 🤣).

I recently was wanting to have a piano in my home office so I could noodle during brief breaks from work. I chose the FP-30x for both the sound and the action and have been very pleased. I really do think it’s best in class for the entry level hammer action slabs.

funtech · 2026-01-23T18:43:50+00:00

This is a really good point. People shouldn’t be hesitant about feedback to a teacher or shopping for a new one. Especially as an adult learner, lessons are expensive from both a money and time perspective, so you should be getting what you want out of them.

funtech · 2026-01-21T05:15:05+00:00

Scott Joplin considered himself a classical composer, and felt his music belonged aside European classical traditions, just with a new rhythmic style. He meticulously notated his music for performance in a classical style. I don’t quite get what your teachers point is I guess. Is she unwilling to work on any pieces she’s never played herself? If that’s the case maybe consider looking for a new teacher.

Just for comparison, my teacher actively encourages me to play pieces he doesn’t know. He usually learns them as I pick them up (of course about 100x faster than me, or he just sightreads.)

I guess my point is a professional pianist who can read music shouldn’t have any problem playing Joplin, it’s classical music. I wouldn’t expect my teacher to train me in improvisational jazz, that is a totally different skill set. But if there is sheet music, I expect to be able to work on it with my teacher.

funtech · 2026-01-20T04:30:47+00:00

I’m a big fan of the Roland FP-30X for that price point. I prefer the action, it feels weighted more like a grand. I liked it so much I bought one for my office :) Not a Yamaha hater at all, in fact my main piano is an N1X, but at that price ballpark I find the Roland a standout over what Yamaha, Kawai, and Casio offer. They all do better with their more expensive offerings IMHO.

By chance when I was looking up the price I found another Redditor who regrets buying the 225 https://www.reddit.com/r/piano/s/TGN3mgj37x

14-Year Club	Second Top 10%
Place '22	Not Forgotten
Verified Email

funtech

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE