Does anyone have first-hand knowledge of the Yamaha NP30 'digital keyboard' ? I seem to remember Skylark was interested in this keyboard a while back, but a search didn't turn up anything.

Can anyone tell me if it is touch-sensitive? the internet sales blurb claims it has semi-weighted action but doesn't mention touch-sensitive. Skylark - if you did buy this keyboard, how does the action compare with your new piano?

One of my pupils has apparently bought one of these, and I am slightly concerned that it may not be the ideal instrument. The impression I get from the write-ups and reviews is of a keyboard which sounds not bad, but which has a lightweight action.

Opinions welcome please, particularly from piano-players who have used one of these.

Hi

I have had a few plays on an NP-30. It is touch sensitive but the keys are not fully weighted as other digital pianos are. The keys feel more like a piano than electronic keyboards (they are deeper than keyboard keys if that makes sense ) but in comparison to the higher end rolands and clavinovas as the blurb says the action is much more lightweight so it can be tricky going from that to a something with a heavier action.

Hope this helps

Hi maggiemay, yes it is a Yamaha NP30 that I've got.

I'm not sure what the difference is between touch-sensitive and weighted keys. It will play dynamics pretty well, eg Trudging, I can fade away to virtually nothing in the last few bars if I want to.

My teacher played on it at the Vintage Fair before Christmas, and he told me afterwards that his heart sank when he saw it because it doesn't look very sophisticated but he said he was pleasantly surprised at the sound and the action - he played on it for several hours over a couple of days and he thought it was fine.

I didn't think I would need the full compass at this stage, so it's only 76 keys, but in fact I need the bottom bass keys for Trudging! If it had had the full compass though, I wouldn't have been able to easily fit it in the car, which I do quite regularly, and it would have been too heavy for me to easily lift.

When I first started learning, I did find my teacher's acoustic piano heavier, but I soon got used to it and I don't notice it now.

My "new" acoustic piano is currently in bits while my teacher restores it, so I can't compare I'm afraid.

The main reason I wanted an acoustic was to do with my hand position on the keyboard. I know I need to place my fingers towards the back of the keys rather than hanging off the front. However, because the pivot?/fulcrum? is very short on the digital piano keys, the black keys are quite hard to press down at the back. Is this the same on all digital pianos?

Especially for the cost, I've been very happy with it as a starter piano, and I like the way I can carry it round. It's got all the features I want and more besides. I've been learning on it for just over 18 months and I'm now around G1 standard. Had I not wanted an acoustic, I'm sure it would have got me to G2 and maybe beyond, although I don't know for sure how far it would take a student. My teacher has never suggested that I needed an acoustic though, it's never been an issue.

I think it's a brilliant instrument for kids or adults to start on to see if they're going to take to learning the piano. If they don't take to it, there hasn't been a huge investment, and if they do take to it and want to get an acoustic, it's still useful to take to the grandparents or whatever, and also if necessary to use it with earphones so as not to disturb the rest of the house.

Hope s/he gets on alright with it!

Many thanks Juniper and Skylark - some very helpful points.

I've got one too, which I keep in our holiday flat. I usually, not always, use it with headphones, and I don't have a sustain pedal. My main piano is a Yamaha U3 (? huge black shiny upright, bright tone, bought in about 1980). So I regularly alternate between the two. I'm grade 2 - 3 standard.

I'm very pleased with the NP 30, which I got at a small discount (£20?) from Chappells, when I told them I had seen it cheaper on the internet. I believe it has "sprung" rather than weighted keys and is definitely lighter in touch. The keys are also slightly narrower than on my acoustic and this is the main thing I notice when switching, but it doesn't take long to adjust. I haven't noticed Skylark's point about difficulty with striking towards the back of the black keys but I know that I tend to strike the black keys too far forward anyway.

In Chappells at least, there is a big jump between the NP 30 and the next level up (which I think is supposedly weighted) - c. £200 cf. £500. I didn't see that much difference between the two, certainly not £300-worth. I'm sure it's different if you don't want / can't accommodate an acoustic at all and are prepared to pay £1000 upwards for a top-of-the-range digital.

Anyway, it's ideal for my purposes, and I completely agree with Skylark that it would be fine for someone starting out, and would still come in useful later on as a portable / headphones piano. I'm also pleased with the stand which isn't a Yamaha, haven't got the papers here to look it up but I think it was recommended on Amazon, although I bought it at Chappells. It's very sturdy.

Btw, anyone know where one can get a decent cover for it? I don't need to be able to carry it around, more for when it's sitting still.

PatC

Depending on what you play, you might find that you need the full 88 keys sooner than you expect. I think the only region of the keyboard I haven't used at all so far is the area of top B and C (although I may be wrong... have to check some sheets when I get home as I think "Good Morning Melody" hits the top C).

My niece has a 61 key (I think) keyboard and that drives me absolutely barmy!

I made the following post in the thread asking "Do you have a lovely thing you really like?" ...





I had it made by, I think, pianocoversonline, and I think it was around £20-25. There's a choice of colours as well.

I use an np30 fairly regularly. I would say that it's about the cheapest instrument worth upgrading to for anybody who wants to move on from a keyboard. It is also very portable as others have said. However Casio were doing an 88-key weighted digi piano (CDP100) for only £250 and this seemed to me a much better value product. I use the casio every day and it is definately superior.

Skylark - about a cover for the NP 30 - I looked at Piano Covers Online:

http://www.pianocoversonline.co.uk/yamaha-...vers-p-262.html

but it didn't seem to match up to your description ...?

PatC

I don't think they do a standard cover for the NP30 but I had one custom-made. This is what pianocoversonline say:

We have a wide range of versions to fit ANY Yamaha Keyboard! If your keyboard is not shown just tell us the model during checkout and we will custom manufacture a bespoke cover at no extra cost. It really is that easy!

I've taken a photograph of mine and I've to go out now but I'll load it this evening.

Here it is (the label says Yamaha) ...

Giving an outdoor concert to the neighbours, Skyers?

Where did you get the stand skylark - I've got NP-30 which I have to use on my desk at the moment, after clearing all the rubbish off the desk.

The audience was just out of the frame



I got it from Gear4Music, it's called the "X-frame keyboard stand by Gear4music". It's the second one down on the list but I'm not sure if they've changed the design since I bought mine - as you can see on mine, it's got a lever which you pull down to adjust the height, and then push the lever up to lock the "teeth" in place. On the one on their web site, I can't see a lever, although it may be hidden. It does say it's height adjustable though, so they may have improved the mechanism.

http://www.gear4music.com/search/keyboard%20stand/filters=d:,

Because it's designed for a keyboard, it's a bit deeper than it needs to be for the NP30, which is a slight nuisance because it takes up more space than it needs to, but it was the best one I could find. I'll post the measurements in a minute...

Front to back at the top: 41.5cm
Front to back at the base: 49.0cm

I got a similar stand from Chappells, it has the double legs (so probably more stable than those with single legs). It's adjustable but doesn't have a lever. The NP 30 seems to fit quite nicely on it. I think it's called a Stagg but I can't check as I'm not in the same place as it at the moment.

PatC