Roland HP601 or VPC1

hi peterws, it's exciting getting your space going - hope you get it the way you want it to work for you.

These are 2 quite different items in my view.

Which is "right" depends entirely on your outlook and budget honestly. You'll be able to better manage monitors to get issues sorted - the Roland will be what it will be, wherever it sits but monitors can be positioned strategically and just have more moving parts in play in sound setup.

If you want pro quality DPiano now, the Kawai VPC1 is the no-brainer (have you checked out MP11? That's my recommendation).

But, if space is important, and non-studio quality monitoring is not an issue, then the HP601 might be fine - but you are more likely to grow out of it, than a Kawai. The sound output of these kinds of keyboards is OK, room filling with shotgun sound and not great for monitoring recording sessions or playback of other music etc. etc.

So, [this might be the most important para] I'd really be certain that you want to lock down your sound to this HP601 upright digital wall piano mode. Monitors are quite a lot more liberating in the sense that, you can work in any mode, playing, recording, monitoring/mixing, casual playback of your PC/devices/albums without sounding like it's coming out of a mono wooden box boucing off the wall under your feet. Great for piano in sit-down-play mode - but might realy be a horror listening to albums etc.

I have an older Kawai with the HP601 form, but never play it since getting the MP11 - I think that might be worthwhile perspective to share.

My monitors are not huge - but large enough for suspension of disbelief whilst playing - but great for monitoring (Yamaha HC8 - wouldn't go smaller than 8inch even in a small space (nearfield is not so much about volume as it is about clearly exposing your frequencies - the rest is up to your imagination) - others will also likely add suggestion for woofer and there are a million things you can do to snazzy up your kit in that direction).

Hope that's a help. In short, I think the Roland is more a student machine (apps etc. is not my thing but you might like or need that these days) but the Kawai offers a lifetime of pro level possibilities off the bat.

There are probably a lot of options or things you need or desire of which I'm unaware which might change what's suitable - but I think the above is a start.

I encourage you to imagine yourself showing up to say Abbey Road Studios - which digital piano is cooler? Would you be taken seriously showing up with a lounge room model, or a pro digital keyboard.

Lastly - I think it is inevitable that you will improve your playing the most and by a large margin over time, with the Kawai - best of luck to you peterws!

You're welcome.

Totally understand "what you never had, kind of thing" - always worth giving a pause to consider how Pianoteq and a good keyboard can kind of accelerate your progress, and your demands might pick up beyond where you perceive to be possible just at the moment (saving money by buying well, once, rather than a possibly more costly/annoying replacement cycle).

What ever brings you the best feeling and allows you to enjoy experiencing your potential.

Sounds like you're well on your way to having things the way they work for you - props for working so hard at that - really feeling it, a nice moment - all the very best!

Well, thanks, guys.  I've tried most of the actions, and decided that, for the outlay of a substantial sum of money, i won't get a much better keyboard than what I have at present.
Trouble with GFII from Kawai, is that it seems somewhat wider than a standard keyboard: I've often wonder why I found them hard to play even apart from the soggy action.  Now I know.  Whether this is a feature of VPC1, I don't know, but other Kawai boards seem fine.
HP601;  It's a little noisier than what I have, but feels well and is the right size.  So, just maybe . . . .

@Stamkorg, the numeric velocity setting is only present on some higher end models - for instance my HP504 has 5 settings, I believe it's the same for the HP601.

@peterws, I've recently made a visit in the shops to refresh my memory concerning the current models and had the chance to compare many side-by-side. I didn't perceive any wideness of the GFII compared to anything else. What I did perceive was the sponginess of the bottoming. I didn't necessarily like it, although I suppose I could get used to it, and maybe the felt underneath the keys gets harder over time. Interestingly enough, the GF-C didn't feel as spongy.
Other than that, I liked the weight of the keys, and the long pivot length was noticeable. The GF-C felt pretty good too, the shorter pivot wasn't too bothersome (21 cm vs 24 cm). The RM3-II, however, is way too short in my opinion.
And once again, I really liked the PHA50 (this time tried it in the FP90). I prefer the firmness of the keys compared to the GFII. If I were getting them at the same price, I'd have a really hard time deciding. And PHA50 vs GF-C is another tough call (since they're actually at the same price). The latter is less spongy than the GFII, but it's slightly shorter than the PHA50 (not by much though). I'd probably still go for the PHA50, but I may be in the minority.