Many years ago I had both a Yamaha KX88 and Roland A80, and I much preferred the KX88.
I thought the Roland had far to noisy keys, and I still hanker for my KX88 played on by Jules Holland.!
However, times move on, and I am interested in peoples experiences/comparisons between the current A88 and VPC1.
Would anyone still get the KX88.?
Many years ago I had both a Yamaha KX88 and Roland A80, and I much preferred the KX88.
I thought the Roland had far to noisy keys, and I still hanker for my KX88 played on by Jules Holland.!
However, times move on, and I am interested in peoples experiences/comparisons between the current A88 and VPC1.
Would anyone still get the KX88.?
I still have one, but don't really use it any more. At the time it was OK, but always too heavy to transport. I feel the Casio PX-150 is a better action. I have no experience with the A80 or the VPC1.
Regarding the KX-88, it has a key that pivotes at the back. There is a small leaf spring underneath and a heavy lead weight at the front. The Casio action has no weights, but does have a steel bar that is somewhat balanced. The front of the key pushes down on the front of the steel bar. Neither have any sort of escapement which may not be necessary on any digital instrument. Kawai has a fake escapement which is not an escapement at all but a silicone rubber nub that rubs on some other part of the action which gives the impression of an escapement, but it's totally unrealted to any sound output.
My opinion is that electronic pianos will eventually be superior to the accoustic pianos of the past. In certain ways the sound of my Casio PX-150 is superior to my Chickering grand. If I was forced to give up one or the other, I'd let the Chickering go. One big issue though is the tuning of the Casio is inconsistant. Some intervals are good and others aren't. At least the Cickering can be tuned although curiously the bass notes sound sweeter on the Casio. There is too much inharmonicity in the bass strings of the Chickering.
I also STILL have a KX88, in regular though somewhat infrequent use, I don't take enough time to play.
Trouble free, except one key went dead for a few minutes some years ago - fixed itself, hasn't recurred.
I don't gig out, I think it made one gig the first year I bought it, maybe two - 1982 IIRC.
Thanks for the tip on the rear bar and weights, if I ever have to get into it for repairs I'll try to remember that.
So I guess my question would be what could I upgrade TO, given that my KX88 is still FINE ?
So I guess my question would be what could I upgrade TO, given that my KX88 is still FINE ?
Something lighter and with on board sound. I'm okay with my Casio PX-150. In the end what bugs me the most about it is that some intervals are very slightly out of tune. Most people probably wouldn't notice it, but it certainly would be nice to have an electronic instrument where each individual note could be tuned, and then locked. I'm not quite sure why they don't have the tuning just right, but even the DX-7 was poor regarding "stretch tuning" It was in tune with itsef, but not necessarily with other instruments. On the subject of the KX-88, one time I turned all the leaf springs upside down to stiffen up the action a bit. It doesn't matter which position they are in except that I think they probably get weaker over time hence turning them over makes them a bit stiffer as the curve of the spring is in the opposite direction. Basically the spring is just a flat piece of metal that is sprung into place.
aandrmusic wrote:So I guess my question would be what could I upgrade TO, given that my KX88 is still FINE ?
Something lighter and with on board sound. I'm okay with my Casio PX-150. In the end what bugs me the most about it is that some intervals are very slightly out of tune. Most people probably wouldn't notice it, but it certainly would be nice to have an electronic instrument where each individual note could be tuned, and then locked. I'm not quite sure why they don't have the tuning just right, but even the DX-7 was poor regarding "stretch tuning" It was in tune with itsef, but not necessarily with other instruments. On the subject of the KX-88, one time I turned all the leaf springs upside down to stiffen up the action a bit. It doesn't matter which position they are in except that I think they probably get weaker over time hence turning them over makes them a bit stiffer as the curve of the spring is in the opposite direction. Basically the spring is just a flat piece of metal that is sprung into place.
I actually VALUE the mass of the KX88, it has a feeling of HEFT to it and I suspect that lighter weight boards wouldn't give me that. Again,, I don't gig
There was an article in the technician/tuner section of pianoworld that discussed tuning of electronic pianos - general opinion among piano techs seemed to be that the tuning of most digital pianos is BAD and there is little or nothing that can be done about it.
Some think that is GREAT, since it is part of what keeps acoustic piano owners from migrating to the dark side
There was an article in the technician/tuner section of pianoworld that discussed tuning of electronic pianos - general opinion among piano techs seemed to be that the tuning of most digital pianos is BAD and there is little or nothing that can be done about it.
Just WHAT?!
I have been trying to find it, since I would rather post a link to it than to mis-quote it.
If I find it again I will post a link.
In the mean time a general search of the web would find other articles on the accuracy of electronic piano tunings.
Any chance you could explain that in your own words, in case you remember? What they could possibly mean?
Any chance you could explain that in your own words, in case you remember? What they could possibly mean?
Pretty obvious isn't it? He means what he said, that the tuning jobs performed on pianos before they are samples are usually not very good quality tunings.
Any chance you could explain that in your own words, in case you remember? What they could possibly mean?
Approximately; There aren't enough variables to adjust to get a "good" tuning, i.e. there is a master frequency control that will provide some variation around A440, but very little else.
I am NOT a piano technician, I am NOT a sound tweaker.
As a player I merely "read around the edges" of piano tech.
Ok, that may have sense if they talk about the variables, so the word "BAD" does not corresponds to actual tuning clearness but more towards the tweakability, naturalness and control. Luckily PTq, especially v. pro give users that possibilities.
. . . One big issue though is the tuning of the Casio is inconsistant. Some intervals are good and others aren't. . . .
Have you ever checked the tuning with an automatic tuner ("guitar tuner") ? There's a free app -- DA Tuner -- for Android phones, if you have one. It'll take about five minutes to run through a chromatic octave, carefully.
When I did that with my PX-350, every note was dead on pitch.
If a 'master piano' (one to be sampled for a DP) is mis-tuned, the tuning would be "fixed" by an audio engineer, after recording the sound, but before loading it into the DP's memory.
. Charles
The topic is straying, but a current thread on pianoworld is discussing digital piano tuning, the ability to micro tune, the limitations of various numbers of bits (precision) in the midi spec, etc.
http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthre...ost2369692
I never had my hands on a Yamaha KX88 or Roland A80.
Since allmost 2 years I am a happy A-88 owner and just love the feel of its action.
VPC1 migth be even slightly better though certainly not twice as good. But its allmost twice as heavy as the A-88.
Cheers