Keyboard (musical) recommendations for low-budget?
January 11, 2022 5:46 AM   Subscribe

I played piano as a child, and would like to learn again how to play at a relatively basic level. Especially in the next few cold and corona-y months, I would like to take it up as a hobby. However, I'm having a hard time finding a suitable keyboard under 200€.

For context, I don't at any point plan to become very proficient. I just want to learn a few songs here and there. Some conditions:

1. I would like to have at least some touch-sensitivity to at least slightly mimic a piano's feel.

2. I rent a somewhat small room, so space is limited, and I would like to just place it on my desk when playing to save space. I think a 61-key option might be suitable (but not sure if I will regret the reduced range).

3. I would like to spend less than 200€. When I search online, there are tons of people saying anything you spend less than like 400€, you will regret it. I suspect these are experts and that I won't really notice a big difference.

4. I am in Germany, and used options seem to be more limited than in the US for example.

I found the Casio CT-S1, which seems like it would be great for me, but can't find even a used one for less than 235 EUR (which is also approx. the price of a new one here). Does anyone have a recommendation for a suitable keyboard that I might be able to find (used is fine!) for a bit less money?
posted by unid41 to Media & Arts (10 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
When I was trying to learn piano, I spent more time choosing a beginners piano than I did actually playing. I would buy the cheapest one on Amazon.de and then if you don't use it at least 3 hrs a week in the first 6 weeks, return it.

I bought a nicer piano worth about 200€, but that made it so when I realized I never wanted to practice, I had to keep it around because it was too nice to resell/give away.
posted by bbqturtle at 6:03 AM on January 11, 2022


Are you open to used? A 300-500 new one often sells for 200 a few years later.

You'll get plenty of velocity sensitivity at that range new, but not the
weighting that simulates acoustic pianos.

If I had $200 and had to buy new, I'd seriously consider this Casio 61 key or this Yamaha. These are called 'arrangers' and have some nice options for making songs. You may not need that, but it's a bit tough to get 61 full-sized keys that are decent without some extra digital bells and whistles.

Good luck!
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:24 AM on January 11, 2022 [2 favorites]


I liked PianoForever's review of the Yamaha (PSS-F30) - which costs just $50. His channel also covers some slightly less low cost alternatives - such as a Williams Legato 3 for about $250..
posted by rongorongo at 6:26 AM on January 11, 2022 [1 favorite]


I recently bought a Casio CT-S1 and I really like it. Dr. Indexy has a full digital weighted keys piano, but I wanted something smaller and lighter to plonk around on that had better electric piano sounds, and to use as a MIDI controller for some of the free vintage synth software that's out there. So if you can wait until a sale or until you save the extra money it might be worth it. I found it last month for $199 USD. The keyboard isn't fully weighted, of course, but the feel of the keys and the action is better than others in this price range that I tried out. It does have velocity sensitivity, which is nice, and the keys have a nice weight and texture. It actually feels like an instrument and not a plastic toy. The quality of the sounds is very good, also. Beyond the pianos, I particularly like the electric piano patches and Rhodes organ. There is a Casio that's slightly more expensive than this model with many more sounds, but one reviewer I trust (Jeremy See) said that the quality of sounds and the feel of the keyboard is worse than the CT-S1, and I agree.
posted by indexy at 9:18 AM on January 11, 2022 [1 favorite]


I bought an M-Audio 49 keyboard connected to a Mac to learn and I'm only beginning to outgrow it. I don't know much about standalone keyboards so they might cover this as well, but the most useful features in playing on a DAW are: it tells you what chord you are playing (I have little to no music theory), you can adjust the pitch to match recordings you are playing along with, and (obviously) you can record yourself to evaluate your playing.
posted by lowest east side at 10:14 AM on January 11, 2022 [1 favorite]


I have the Roland GO:piano 61 keys, it is a very nice instrument, the keys are semi-weighted. it can connect to a computer/tablet for online lessons.
posted by slimeline at 10:43 AM on January 11, 2022 [1 favorite]


One more thing I should mention is that since you will be using this primarily for piano playing, be sure to get a keyboard that can use a sustain pedal for a more authentic sound and experience. The CT-S1 does, but you have to buy it separately. I found a cheap Yamaha pedal on Amazon that works great.
posted by indexy at 11:32 AM on January 11, 2022 [1 favorite]


The CT-S300 should be fine for your use and is cheaper than the S1. The CTX700 SaltySalticid recommended has the better sound engine (as does the S1) but is also rather large compared to the CT-S300, if that matters to you. Note that the CT-S200 does not have touch sensitivity so avoid that model.
posted by O9scar at 11:58 AM on January 11, 2022 [1 favorite]


In case you haven't heard of it: check the ebay Kleinanzeigen for your city. If you live in a decent sized city there will probably be a selection of used keyboards for sale.
posted by starfishprime at 3:31 AM on January 12, 2022


Response by poster: Thank you all! Everyone's tips were really helpful. I had actually had an alert on ebay kleinanzeigen for the ct-s1 if anyone posted one under 200, and got lucky with a brand new one for under 200 including shipping this morning. Even though it's still a bit pricey, the size seems quite suitable and I think the incentive of having spent a bit more to get something nicer will hopefully keep me playing a bit longer.
posted by unid41 at 1:40 PM on January 12, 2022


« Older Should I quit the student union?   |   Can anyone identify this piece of art from a... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.