[curlywurlysqurly]

Hi, im looking for a digital piano for my birthday and i dont have a clue where to even start looking! i am a post grade 8 pianist but i wont have much room so i would like it to be as much like a real piano as possible but be portable. It is very important for it to feel like a real piano (is it called hammr action or something?) and have about as many keys. I would also like it if there was a recording button so i could play duets etc with myself! and also have a transposing button.
thanks

[markymark]

Your question is too wide ranging at the moment.

If you are post Grade 8, keyboard response and piano voice authenticity will be the two most important features for you.

What's your budget? This will help me narrow down to some specific models and brands.

[curlywurlysqurly]

yes you're right, they are the most important. also the amout of keys though as many things i play use the full range of the piano. my budget is roughly £1000, but we havent really talked about budgets yet!!

[curlywurlysqurly]

sorry thats meant to say 1000 pounds lol! obviously it would be better if i could get one for less than that though!

[markymark]

The portability factor makes your options rather narrow-ranging.

The first instrument that came to mind was the Yamaha CP300 which has dropped to around 1300GBP and slightly lower. Great GH3 hammer action keyboard and stunning piano samples. There is a 16-layer sequencer onboard too.

Although I haven't tried them, some of the new Roland stage pianos seem quite good. Downside is that most of them don't have built in speakers - you would need an amp. If your interested, the RD700SX seems interesting. If you can get access to it, the MP8II or the MP5 from Kawai may be worth checking out too. They have a good hammer action too but not too sure about the piano sound of the later models. Piano samples on older models tended to be very boast and sudden. However, those models are hard to come by, certainly in my part of the world.

I was thinking about the P140 but I don't think it'd be refined or mature enough for you. Normally, I'd be recommending something like a CLP240/270 or higher for people with similar 'musicality' but then they wouldn't portable....

I can most certainly recommend the CP300 as I own one and despite being fussy about sound quality and touch response, this has pleased me no end!

[markymark]

I forgot to mention the CP33 from Yamaha too. It has many of the same features as the CP300 and the GH keyboard too. It will be less expensive (around 800GBP say), lighter but has no speakers.