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ericthegreat « user friendly »
Published on 10/24/11 at 22:57I bought a Keytron XD8 to use primarily for stage. I was looking for an 88-key controller that feels good, with at least decent piano sounds, without paying for other bells and whistles I didn't need (sequencers, audio recording features, etc). The Keytron XD8 fits the bill very well.
Most importantly, it feels really good. As a lifelong keyboard player, I'll say that I'm very comfortable playing it. The acoustic pianos are good and responsive, and with the velocity curve set to 2/3, they perform smoothly and predictably. Smooth sound, not canned or pinched like a lot of these types of keyboards are. I don't spend much time with the electric pianos, so I don't have much to say about them, except to say that the wurli is only fair. It's usable, but not so good, really. Indeed, a wurli sound was a prerequisite for me in buying this keyboard, so I'm glad there's one at all. Also glad I've got a 200A in my studio.
As for gigging, the SP250 fits into a 'slim' case very well, and in general it's reasonably compact. But it's not what I'd call 'light'. It's not nearly as heavy as some other behemoth controllers I've used in the past from Yamaha and Kurzweil, but I suppose that's the tradeoff for good piano action.
UTILIZATION
Editing or manipulation the sounds are very easy, a beginner could catch on really fast with this keyboard. They made sure there was nothing to hard to understand when creating it. There really is no set up required just turn it on and start playing!
OVERALL OPINION
I like the built in speakers. They sound good, and having them makes it so that I can set it up in the house between gigs, and always have a 'piano' to hop to quickly when the mood strikes. Im happy with choosing to go with this for my band, we all enjoy it and I take it home and play for the kids with it and try to teach them some stuff as well.
Most importantly, it feels really good. As a lifelong keyboard player, I'll say that I'm very comfortable playing it. The acoustic pianos are good and responsive, and with the velocity curve set to 2/3, they perform smoothly and predictably. Smooth sound, not canned or pinched like a lot of these types of keyboards are. I don't spend much time with the electric pianos, so I don't have much to say about them, except to say that the wurli is only fair. It's usable, but not so good, really. Indeed, a wurli sound was a prerequisite for me in buying this keyboard, so I'm glad there's one at all. Also glad I've got a 200A in my studio.
As for gigging, the SP250 fits into a 'slim' case very well, and in general it's reasonably compact. But it's not what I'd call 'light'. It's not nearly as heavy as some other behemoth controllers I've used in the past from Yamaha and Kurzweil, but I suppose that's the tradeoff for good piano action.
UTILIZATION
Editing or manipulation the sounds are very easy, a beginner could catch on really fast with this keyboard. They made sure there was nothing to hard to understand when creating it. There really is no set up required just turn it on and start playing!
OVERALL OPINION
I like the built in speakers. They sound good, and having them makes it so that I can set it up in the house between gigs, and always have a 'piano' to hop to quickly when the mood strikes. Im happy with choosing to go with this for my band, we all enjoy it and I take it home and play for the kids with it and try to teach them some stuff as well.