Upgrade FROM CLAVINOVA CLP 123

[pianopaul]

I have a 15 year old Clavinova clp 123, that is in good working order. However I wish to upgrade it to get better polyphony and better hammer action. I have been looking at the DGX 630 AND 640. Is the piano sound and touch better on these portable grands than my existing clavinova? or do I have to look at newer clavinovas to better my existing instrument?

[markymark]

The CLP-123 had a touch sensitive keyboard action with three levels of reverb as far as I can tell and only has 32 note polyphony. Almost any keyboard nowadays will have at least 64 note polyphony and if I am right about the keyboard action on a CLP-123, then almost any weighted action keyboard will be an improvement.

How much do you want to spend? What do you need your instrument for?

[pianopaul]

I haven't got a fixed budget, but am looking to get a good piano sound and piano like keyboard action without spending money unneccesarily on a fancy cabinet.

[markymark]

For a good piano sound I would suggest either Roland or (and in particular) Yamaha.

The benefit with the furniture digitals is that they often have a good built in speaker system and provide a sturdy frame for heavier playing however you can achieve this with a variety of other stands suited for portable keyboards.

In Roland, you may want to look into a FP-7 or one of their HP digital ranges (unfortunately I have very little contact with the Roland furniture pianos because I favour the Yamaha piano sound). In Yamaha, consider looking into the P-155, P-95 for portable instruments, the Arius range or even the CLP range from Clavinova - the latter is much more expensive than the others but I would recommend you hunt these ranges down to try them for yourself. You may well appreciate the sturdiness of a furniture grand over the portable models.

[Cat]

I'm also considering upgrading from my semi-weighted stage piano to the Yamaha DGX 640. It has all the features I want - and a fair few more - and most importantly, graded hammer-action keys.

Tbh, that's what I've felt the lack of in my current keyboard, the keys. I first learnt on an acoustic then had to give up due to moving about too much (and having to leave the piano behind). Now that I'm learning again, I enjoy the flexibility of a digital - also the space factor in my current flat and the fact that I can practice at any time of the day with headphones. But I do miss the keys from my old acoustic, so I'm going to take the plunge and upgrade relatively soonish.

I've done a lot of research and for my budget and the features I want, the DGX 640 seems to be the best deal.

Also, yamaha seemed to have nailed a decent piano sound a bit more than their competetors unless you want to get really expensive so, unless my further researches come up with something better for my budget, it's a foregone conclusion that this summer will see a Yamaha DGX 640 take up residence.

As they say, watch this space....