Topic: inexpensive keyboard touch closest to Genos 2

[Strideplayer]

I cannot find any store in the Southwest that has a Genos 2 on the floor. So, which one of the cheaper arranger keyboards whose keybed would feel somewhat similar to a G2 can I play just to see if I, a life long piano player, can learn to live with weightless keys before I plunk down big cash for a G2.
Thanks,
Strideplayer

[Michael Trigoboff]

A Genos1 or 76 key Montage would be very similar if not identical.

[ton37]

Just from financial view.. buy you a G2. If you don"t like it (what I doubt) just sell it and take the loss. Or buy you a Yamaha piano with the G1 integrated if you want to stay a pianoman?

[BogdanH]

hello Strideplayer,
I have just read some of your first posts in this forum and my advice is, don't buy an arranger keyboard. In my opinion, Genos or PSR-SX900/700, is a thrown away money for you.
What you're probably looking for, is Yamaha DGX-670. Benefits that might be important for you:
-it has normal (weighted) piano keybed that you used to play,
-it has very good piano sound (according to those who own it),
-it has some of arranger features (various voices and accompaniments),
-it is much cheaper than full arranger keyboard.

Bogdan

[Graham UK]

Strideplayer. I'll add to the above BogdanH post because I have owned DGX670 for past 2 years.
My previous board was Tyros 5-76 which had a nice Key-Bed but the DGX670 weighted Key-Bed is in a different league and excellent value for money.
DGX will play many of the available Yamaha styles but being based on Piano has less editing possibilities of a full arranger.

The G2 has a nice KeyBed similar to other brands top end arrangers and lot more Bells & Whistles.
Your post however suggests your first priority is the Key-Bed.

[mikf]

I am also a piano player, and I would echo what Graham says. For years I had a PSR, and hated the keyboard enough that I fairly quickly paired it with a full size weighted controller keyboard. The keybed on a G2 is probably better than the older PSR models, and does at least have more than 61 keys, but will still likely fall short of a true piano players preference.
The DG does not have every arranger feature of the G2, but has enough for most people.
 Another consideration is whether you need it to be portable. The DG  can be portable, - I have seen and heard it being played at gigs - but it is heavier than the G2.
 Bottom line, are there additional features on the G2 you will miss more than you miss a piano keybed. I doubt it, since you will miss the key feel on every note, but it’s a personal choice.

Mike

[Amwilburn]

I mean, yeah, it's they same keybed as G1, and yes I believe Mod7 as well (the Montage7 keys should be nicer, although I can't confirm because we didn't sell any Montage7's at our branch; almost entirely the 88's)

They're definitely not piano keys. Frankly, if you don't have access to try any of these, you're better off getting an 88 key weighted, as previously mentioned. However, instead of the DGX670, I think the PS500 would be more suited to the fully weighted feel of a piano (the DGX670 is great, but the keys are a little lighted, and the speakers crackle far too easily) and the soundchip is the psrsx600, vs the PS500 which uses the same chip as the PSRs970/sx700

Mark

[pjd]

A Genos1 or 76 key Montage would be very similar if not identical.

Hi --

I agree with Michael. Both the Genos1, 61-key Montage and 76-key Montage have the Yamaha FSX keybed. Those keyboards should give you the same feel.

I also agree with comments regarding DGX-670 and Yamaha's piano action keybeds. In addition to the DGX-670, you might want to consider the P-S500 digital piano or the CSP series digital pianos, all of which have auto-accompaniment features. The P-S500 is quasi-portable like the DGX-670; the CSPs are furniture.

Yamaha offers lots of options -- pj

[mikf]

Mark - not familiar with the ps500 and it may well have better keybed. But at a glance it seems to me very limited as an arranger. Small number of styles unless connected to a Yamaha app, and does it have ability to load other styles, customize styles etc?. From my very limited knowledge it seemed most of its smarts were dedicated to complete beginners - moving lights etc. but I might have misread that.
I tried a DGX very briefly, but my impression was that while it will never feel like a Steinway, as a piano player I could manage quite well with it. It felt miles better than most of the junk acoustic pianos I had to play for money in pubs and clubs in the bad old days before portable keyboards. And most of the missing arranger functions were things I could easily manage without.
I thought it compared quite favorably with my clavinova for a fraction of the cost. And while a bit heavy, a younger man than me could easily cope.
At the end of the day it comes down individual preferences.
Mike

[Amwilburn]

There's more than double the number of styles from DGX670, with better fully weighted keys, proper line out.

If you've ever seen a CSP, this is the portable one. The one caveat is you can't write or import more styles like you can on the DGX. At least, not on the preset version of the free app.

It weighs the same as a DGX, so there's no advantage weightwise to either, but it's slimmer and smaller overall.

Mark

[pjd]

Mark - not familiar with the ps500 and it may well have better keybed. But at a glance it seems to me very limited as an arranger.

The P-S500 is the portable version of the CSP-150/170 modulo the usual Yamaha crazy. I play the CSP-170 and use the Smart Pianist app.

I usually call these a "digital piano with auto-accompaniment features." The CSPs, in particular, need the Smart Pianist app to access all of the internal features. The P-S500 provides some functionality through its front panel and needs Smart Pianist for full access. Smart Pianist supports adaptive styles a la DGX-670, but they need to be explicitly enabled. Smart Pianist displays four big buttons for changing MAIN sections and that means hitting the tablet screen while playing.

The biggest drawback is inability to add new styles or to do any sort of voice editing.

The P-S500 specs claim the same GHS keybed as DGX-670. I'll leave it to Mark to evaluate the feel as he gets to see and play everything.  The CSP-150/170 have better keybeds, but they're furniture. I like playing the CSP-170 NWX.

The biggest upside is additional high-quality piano voices -- Bösendorfer and C7 (AKA "Studio Grand") -- over the DGX-670. The P-S500 amplification/speaker system is different, too.

The P-S500 is going for $1,600 USD, so if someone wants upgraded piano vs. DGX-670, it's an option. Folks need to study the features carefully, tho', and decide if they can live with plain auto-accompaniment and Smart Pianist.

Smart Pianist is due for an update -- maybe when the CLP-800 series is announced?

We're getting pretty far from the original question...    -- pj

[hikari]

Maybe second-handed EX5 or MOTIF ES/XS with FS keyboard.