Reddit reviews M-Audio Keystation 88 II - 88 Key USB/MIDI Keyboard Controller with Velocity-Sensitive Semi-Weighted Keys Including Production Software for Mac & PC
We found 13 Reddit comments about M-Audio Keystation 88 II - 88 Key USB/MIDI Keyboard Controller with Velocity-Sensitive Semi-Weighted Keys Including Production Software for Mac & PC. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Superb Playability - Lightweight, ultra-portable performance keyboard controller with 88 full-size velocity-sensitive keys that deliver natural piano feelPlug & Play - Class compliant and USB powered specification provides seamless USB-MIDI connection for playing virtual instruments, controlling recording software and moreExpressive - Octave up and down buttons increase the keyboard to the full melodic range and on-board pitch bend and modulation wheels provide a platform for immersive, expressive performancesCore Control - Conveniently located transport and directional buttons provide easy-to-use interface for DAW and Virtual Instrument controlFree Lessons – Over 60 app based lessons from Melodics includedPro Production Software Package for Mac & PC Included – ProTools | First M-Audio Edition, Ableton Live Lite and Eleven Lite, Plus Eighty-Eight from SONiVOX and XPand!2 from AIR Music Tech
If you just want 88 keys and don't care about the other things above, then $180 good enough for you?
And this is the new price, so it could be cheaper if you find one used.
Once you start adding a few of the features listed above, they get expensive pretty quickly, to ~$210 (more realistic touch), then $400 (more polyphony), $500 (accessories), $750 (modelled/realistic sound with resonance modeling), to almost $6000 when you want counterweighted keys for example.
But the piano isn't the expensive part. Teachers cost around $150-$300 a month. Of course, you can "learn by yourself" and be a lot less efficient in learning piano. For example, not getting feedback and knowing if you are playing everything correctly (not just the notes), you are not just learning piano but also learning how to learn piano (where the teacher knows how to teach so you only have to worry about learning), and possibly creating bad habits long-term that will be extremely difficult to correct years later.
It's just a tradeoff of money vs time.
I'd recommend this, but depends what your budget is. That one will keep you going for a few years at least. Easy to store as well.
If you go to the bottom floor of Wunjo guitars in denmark street, you can try one out. Musicroom (just over the road) also have a lot of keyboards.
Alternatively if you have a computer with a good sound card (not a built in one), or a mac, you could get this for cheaper and set it up with a cheap DAW like Main Stage (£30 for mac) or FL Studio (free for windows). But you do need to have a good sound card for this to work or you will experience sound delay.
This synth-action piano from Alesis fits your budget - with room for a cheap multi-effect pedal on top. (A multiFX is probably the quickest way of turning five relatively undistinguished sounds into something a bit more unique. Within your budget, these kinds of GM boxes are your alternative for expanding your palette in a relatively portable way, perhaps combined with a slightly cheaper dumb keyboard like the Keystation 88 mk2; but chances are you'd still want the multiFX, and that quickly turns into Too Many Boxes...)
edit: If you can stand to lose an octave, Casio do a few 76-key keyboards (the WK245 is $199) - but at least one commenter complains that the black keys are too thin, so maybe try one first if you can. That might be your best option for something you can sling under your arm and vamp on with a few friends.
It does not have speakers.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IWTS58A/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_267_3/156-0182453-5274309?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PP36GZGM6V9R63525TNM
Hi ! (sorry for my bad english)...
Real piano is really better, but that not always possible... You need at least a keyboard who simulate the piano key... (you have to watch the technical description for something like "semi-weighted velocity-sensitive keys")
In this price, this one is not bad at all:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-88-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B00IWTS58A
And this pedal :
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Sustain-Pedal-Action-Keyboards/dp/B00063678K/ref=pd_bxgy_267_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=10N3ACGJ7G3FSR9KK1VC
And you can find better on the second hand market... Best to go around what is available on the second hand market and then do research on the real value of the keyboard.
You have a lot of natural resources on the net to learn the piano ... that's how I started ... The downside of not having a teacher is that you have someone to tell you your gross errors (such as sitting too close or too far from the keyboard), but it is still very possible, at least if your goal is to have fun and not a career.
Some good bases here :
https://www.youtube.com/user/pianoologist/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/user/pianocareer/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/PianistMagazine/videos
Myself I have a old Kawai CL25 and I use it like a midi controller with Reason and a piano bank sounds (piano refills)...
Yeah sorry for not including them earlier
 
Here is the keystation 88: http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-88-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B00IWTS58A
 
Here's the 88 es, it seems they may be discontinued: http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-Keyboard-Controller-Semi-Weighted/dp/B0006676A0
Best full size one with semi weighted keys for the price.
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-88-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B00IWTS58A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456829666&sr=8-1&keywords=m+audio+88
I assume you mean a midi keyboard. They come in several sizes, from 25 keys up to full sized 88 key models, and the prices vary accordingly.
For EDM, 61 keys is probably enough but in case you are interested in a full size model I've put links to a couple of options I'd recommend below.
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-61-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B00IWX2SR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459104788&sr=8-1&keywords=maudio+61+key
In case you want a full size model:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-88-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B00IWTS58A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459104825&sr=8-1&keywords=maudio+88+key
Well the cool thing about the light up it also had the chord/note on it. That's one thing I failed to ever learn on guitar was chords and scales. I was all ear. Wanted to be legit with this. But regardless, I found two things. https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/msg/6103710015.html will probably try and talk him down to 150 or 175. M-Audio Keystation 88 II | 88-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with Pitch-Bend & Modulation Wheels https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IWTS58A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_JdLdzb56QKF11 also this one for 199.
https://www.amazon.de/M-Audio-Keystation-88-II-anschlagdynamischer/dp/B00IWTS58A/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=yamaha+midi+controller&qid=1567849371&s=gateway&sr=8-5
I think this one should be pretty good right? Not sure if you can play it without having the USB thing put in though...
If you want dirt cheap (200 bucks) keyboard that will have decent keys get M-Audio - Keystation 88 II. It does not have its own sounds and you have to plug it into your laptop/computer and download sound library, but you save a shit ton of money and your sound libary does not get obsolete, you can customise your sounds later on if you want and most people here have laptop or pc anyway.
why not a cheap 88 keys keyboard? http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Keystation-88-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B00IWTS58A/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1464915044&sr=1-4&keywords=88+keys+keyboard
This is terrible advice, OP is looking to actually play piano, not just one-handedly tap notes into a DAW. You won't have the time or the extra hand needed to switch octaves when playing. 61 keys is really the minimum.
OP, M-Audio Keystation II 88 is around £125 new and though it doesn't have hammer action, it's ideal to learn on for the price range.