Keyboard 88 recommendations

Hi RobertS,

I really like my Kawai MP11 dpiano, particularly for its excellent dynamic responses and yet playing softly deeper into the keys is still a pleasure too. If I was updating I'd definitely begin by looking at the MP11SE.

For my good points, it handles forceful playing very well, solidly and I feel it can't ever feel like I might harm it - so never feel I'm pulling back or coddling, like with some others I've owned which were not as sturdy or had much less realistic physical actions (springy or lacking mechanical reactivity to variant pressures). Best I found for both ppp thru fff.

Also it is really fabulous with steep ranges of kinetic effort to elicit tones. I haven't been able to genuinely feel this in an equally good way with other dpianos I'd tried.

We all enjoy our own unique preferences though, and certainly now there will be some dpianos I'd enjoy too if looking today.

For my purposes though, it gives me a quite directly similar tactile sense to the Shigeru Kawai I've played before buying the dpiano.

Others will have recommendations and good things to say of their choices, all valid - the best and perhaps only way to know which one to purchase will come from physically testing in a store if you can.. also like my Shigeru experience, well worth finding and playing a while a particular traditional piano you would love to own and give enough time to finding the dpiano which will inspire you most in similar ways.

The Roland FP series is the way to go (at least for me!) https://www.roland.com/global/products/fp_series/

I have been a FP-90 (PHA-50 keybed) user for two years, and I couldn't be happier.  Perfect compliment to Pianoteq.  Phil Best uses one for live performance.  The FP-90's speakers are extremely powerful, and the PHA-50 is AMAZING.  I've played a few grands in my time, and the PHA-50 is very comparable.

If on a budget, the FP-10 would be my choice.  At $500, it's hard to beat! (https://www.roland.com/global/products/fp_series/fp-10/)

The FP-10's PHA-4 standard keybed is triple-sensor, has true escapement (let-off), ivory-feel, and is weighted far heavier than any other instrument in it's price bracket.

Hope this helps!

Thanks all for your recommendations.

After reading many reviews I got the new Roland A-88 Mk2 as many users are saying the action of the FP series are so good...

I have been playing acoustic pianos for almost 40 years. After playing some minutes with the A-88 I can say this is horrible. Yes it has some funny mechanism to mimic the middle resistance of a real piano (Escapement they call it) but the sensitivity of the sensors is one of the worst I ever tried on a digital controller.

If you are a good piano player it is impossible to transmit your emotions with this funky and insensitive sensors. There are always notes too loud or too soft. it is unpredictable.

I have Pianoteq connected to my Yamaha ModX8 and the sensitivity you get from the sensors is what you expect from a real piano. There are no surprises. It is predictable. The action is not very realistic but  you can make very good recordings that expresses your emotions. With the A-88 this is a joke, I play like an amateur with no talent whatever. The sensors are over the place, it is like a small velocity random seed is applied to my realtime playing. Absolutely awful.

In the past I had the old Korg Oasys 88 and I would say the sensitivity of the sensors is so much more accurate than the A-88 mk2 too. Great disappointment with the A-88 mk2. After one day I am returning it.

The factory installed firmware in the A-88 MkII is terrible. Or at least the firmware the factory was installing at the time they built mine was terrible. Basically the middle sensor was handled badly, sending note off messages at the wrong time.

If your A-88 is not on at least "System Program Ver 1.02" (the latest at time of writing) then you really should consider updating it and giving it another try.

I was expecting a change but I did update to 1.02 and it was simply useless for me. I am listening with top equipment (big DynAudios, Merging DA...). I can not honestly understand why how many users are raving about the PHA-4 key beds. I guess playing Kontakt libraries or Digital pianos internal sounds with not very precise sensors, like those of the A-88 mk2, may not make a big difference, but with Pianoteq, all flaws of sensors with limited accuracy are very obvious if you are a good player.

Sorry you don't like the PHA-4 standard action.  Not my favorite either, I just think it's good for a budget action.  The PHA-50 action is the best in my opinion.  If you can find a Roland FP90, RD2000, DP603, HP601, LX705, or GP607 to play, I think you'll see what I mean.

@Beto-Music is right, as a general rule, you shouldn't buy a piano without trying it out.  (Although I did buy my FP90 without playing it, I did tryout a couple of RD2000s and an LX model with a PHA-50 action)

Interesting reading. I'm posting to mention the StudioLogic Numa piano as a controller. I bought it bc it has a Fatar controller in a 25 lb stage piano. I had previously been using a Kawai ep3 for gigs and as a Pianoteq controller at home. I was hoping they had the same keyboard but I think not.
My worst fear was that I'd hate the piano in the Numa and not want to use it on gigs. That fear wa realized soon after my first try. So, I use it as a controller and in a pinch, the internal sounds of which Rhodes and Clavinet are pretty good.
The other thing it had to offer was lower price than Kawai, Yamaha and Roland.
I'm happy but YMMV.

Hello,

I must reply to this post.
In the past I had a Fantom 8 with PHA 50, a VPC-1, a CP4, a FP7-F, a CP40, a HP 307, a CLP 240 (and a lot of synths...).
Now I have a "simple" A-88 mk II.
I can say that the A-88 is highly dynamic and expressive (I have the last firmware 1.02)
It's really a very good keyboard with very good sensations (for this price).
The velocity of the keys is really good.
I have a lot of fun with it and Pianoteq.

I must admit that the PHA 50 is better (the VPC1 is very good too but a pivot length a small short)
I think the best choice will be a VPC-2 with the new Grand Feel Compact .

Cheers