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Joined: Jun 2021
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Just curious what your thoughts are.
I don't care about onboard sounds as I'll be using vsts's
Research has brought me to

Roland Fc-10, FC-30

Yamaha cp4

Note: affordable meaning sub 700€ new and used

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"Most affordable" action is not "best action"...
Best for price could be Studiologic SL88 Grand (800€)...
But Kawai VPC1 seems to be much better (1300€)...

Better actions are in Roland FP90 / FP90x (1800€) or more expensive...

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The CP4 does have a great action and finger to ear connection in its AP and EP sounds. If you can get a lightly used one within your budget, go for it!


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SL88 Studio. Similar to the SL88 Grand but it's just a Fatar TP100LR (no wood) for around 400€ in new condition.

Last edited by Tyr; 06/26/21 06:15 PM.

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As Georg already said ... an affordable (cheap?) piano has a crappy action.
And a piano with the best action is among the most expensive.

You can't have both ... unless you can score a bargain on a top-shelf used piano.

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You guys know what I'm saying. Best for the price. No need to be nitpicky.

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Originally Posted by MacMacMac
As Georg already said ... an affordable (cheap?) piano has a crappy action.
And a piano with the best action is among the most expensive.

You can't have both ... unless you can score a bargain on a top-shelf used piano.
And there are many many good keyboard beds that are affordable. I'm not asking for luxurious grand piano action for 2k+ or even 1k+
I'm a producer/guitarist who also loves piano.
I had a studiologic sl73 but got rid of it because it was stiff and hard to play.
I've got the grand now and it's much better. But I'm asking because I'm endlessly curious about other keybeds.

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OK, so if you want a "good keyboard" instead of the "best action" then there are many choices.

Originally Posted by Dallon426
You guys know what I'm saying. Best for the price. No need to be nitpicky.
Yes, of course. But there exists at least one best-for-the-price piano in every price range.
Opinions as to which is best will vary. But anyone can try the many $500 pianos and decide which is best.
Or try the many $1000 pianos and decide which is best. Many of these will be better than the $500 pianos.
Or try the many $5000 pianos and decide. All of these will be better than the $1000 pianos.

I think it would help if you stated a budget.

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I think people are missing that you did ask for best within a budget of 700€. In new models, probably Kawai ES110 and Korg D1 would be the top contenders. Though Roland has its fans too.

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roland fp10 has the same action as the fp30x and fp60x in and is a good choice for a MIDI controller

heaps of threads on the entry level keyboards here, all of which can be used with vsts

es110 kawai
fp30x roland
fp10 roland
d1 korg
b2 korg
p125 yamaha
p45 yamaha

not sure of the prices in euros but these are the cheapest contenders from the big brands with fully weighted keys

casio also has models that would fit the bill but i haven't researched those myself

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Originally Posted by MacMacMac
OK, so if you want a "good keyboard" instead of the "best action" then there are many choices.

Originally Posted by Dallon426
You guys know what I'm saying. Best for the price. No need to be nitpicky.
Yes, of course. But there exists at least one best-for-the-price piano in every price range.
Opinions as to which is best will vary. But anyone can try the many $500 pianos and decide which is best.
Or try the many $1000 pianos and decide which is best. Many of these will be better than the $500 pianos.
Or try the many $5000 pianos and decide. All of these will be better than the $1000 pianos.

I think it would help if you stated a budget.
I did state a budget and you're not really helping here.

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The Roland FP10 is one on the most affordable and has a decent keyboard. Perhaps it answers the question.

But the feeling is quite personal : why not going in a shop and test by yourself ?

Last edited by Frédéric L; 06/27/21 03:00 AM.

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I spent several months researching the same question recently. Bought FP-10 for £428 in the end.

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Best price / performance ratio here is studiologic as mentioned by many. I tried extensively the grand 88 and it's just good, VPC1 better but not much better.

Good luck.

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There is no best. You have to try the pianos and see what works for you. It is very subjective. Also the genres of music you play may influence the choice.


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Last edited by Burkey; 06/29/21 08:29 AM.

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There are many, many, many, many, many, many, many threads titled "Best SOMETHING".
That SOMETHING could be a piano, or a virtual instrument, or a set of headphones or speakers or monitors ... or anything.

This is the answer to every one of those threads ...
Originally Posted by Sweelinck
There is no best. You have to try the SOMETHING and see what works for you. It is very subjective.

Also ... any proper notion of "best" should be built upon a set of criteria.
Some criteria may be measurable and objective. Others may be entirely subjective.
But ... lacking any such criteria the notion of best simply vanishes.

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It's not so complicated. OP asks for best action for playing VSTs in a board under 700€, new or used. Of course it's subjective, but a thread like this can provide a shortlist of likely candidates. New, the leading contenders are probably Kawai ES110, Korg D1, Roland FP10.

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Originally Posted by anotherscott
It's not so complicated. OP asks for best action for playing VSTs in a board under 700€, new or used. Of course it's subjective, but a thread like this can provide a shortlist of likely candidates. New, the leading contenders are probably Kawai ES110, Korg D1, Roland FP10.



There we go, now we're getting somewhere! I have been demoing the SL-88 Grand from Studio Logic and I think it feels pretty damn good. I will say that. perhaps that might be the best bang for the buck type of controller. I would like to try the three mentioned above. I do not know how the different brands feel. I can say this

In the past I have had M-audio 88 key hammer (the old version and it was terrible)
Arturia 88 Mk1 (Also bad)
Studiologic Numa (Felt good, but it broke with a firmware update)
Studiologic Sl 73, 88 (Felt ok, but too stiff and smooth on the keys, not enough texture) For the price though! A great Option
Akai MPK 88 (Really stiff, but an interesting controller with lots of features)


Studiologic sl88 Grand is a few steps above the rest of these for sure!

That is pretty much all the full weighted controllers I have had. As you can see I am more producer based than pianist based, but I have gotten better at piano over the years and would like to take it more serious, albeit the questions smile

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On a recent road trip, I took a Yamaha P45 with me. For the price and my demands, it performed really well and I didn't miss my N1X/Acoustic action much. What I mean by that is I didn't really compare the two actions - I just decided not to think too much about it. The thing that bothered me was the pedal (a foot switch really, that came with the P45) really. I didn't order the FC4A in time for my trip.

Also, I bought the P45 only because the FP-10 isn't available in the US. Having played the PHA-4 action (I believe this is the PHA-4 Standard) on other Roland models, I absolutely love this action. For under US $500, I have no complaints regarding the action of P45/FP-10.

I don't see why either of these models won't suit your needs. I'd probably get one of these, and invest the difference in one great VST.


A man must love a thing very much if he practices it without any hope of fame or money, but even practice it without any hope of doing it well. Such a man must love the toils of the work more than any other man can love the rewards of it.
G. K. Chesterton
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