Kurzweil SP88X Piano User Reviews at zZounds

"Unpack and Play" submitted January 12, 2006

By a customer from sbcglobal.net

Overall

Sound

Musical Background: Active Musician, Band Director

Music Style: Rock, Blues, Praise and Worship

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Sound: The piano sounds are top-notch, the strings are good, but all ensemble (I like some solo sounds), and the ballad organ is very good. The rock organ is pretty good, but not if you are looking for a B3 sound; the perc organ is not for me. The electric piano sounds are very nice, especially when cutting through the competing sounds of a band. Overall, the sound is a very good, although this is not to be confused with a dedicated organ--more a piano with some organ sounds. Feature: A single sustain pedal came with it, but a double pedal (with full sostenuto...ok, spell it however you like) is available for $30--and will worth it! The most useful features are its presets: 32 of them. Besides them, the rest of the options are darned difficult to figure out. It needs a good volume pedal; I have tried 3 so far, and none of them have worked. I am still looking for a usable volume pedal so I don't have to work the lever. The overall look is beautiful and professional. Quality: This is a solid, beautiful piano/controller. It looks, feels, and sounds professional. It seems to be rugged, because minor drops and spills haven't hurt it at all. Two years of regular use later, and I still think it looks and sounds like new. Value: At about $900, it is a great deal. It should come with some type of cover, though. Manufacturer Support: I haven't had any problems, so I haven't needed to contact the company. Although if I don't find a usable volume pedal soon, I will be calling them and getting loud! The Wow Factor: There is something kool 'bout the Kurzweil name--it has cache. It looks good with my Korgs on stage, and I get lots of comments about it from musicians and non-musicians alike. It just looks "pro". Overall: I love this board, and I will have it a long time. I will supplement it with a better organ, though, This instrument would be perfect for me if 1) the organs were a little better, and 2) it was easier to program and set parameters. I have always loved Kurzweils, and wanted to own one since my cousin played one years ago. In the past they were too expensive for me, but now they are priced where most musicians can afford them. If I lost this keyboard, I would no doubt get another one as soon as the insurance paid off!

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"Fantastic Stage Piano-I Love Mine" submitted August 29, 2006

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Musical Background: Professional Musician for 35 years

Music Style: Rock n Roll, Country, Gospel, Blues

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

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Sound: This is a great stage piano. The piano sounds are incredible, the others sounds are acceptable. Don't buy it unless you have or plan to buy a good amp. I use mine through a Peavey KB5. It lacks some sustain on the high end but that is not a problem with me and can be programmed for longer sustain if you want it. I love the fully weighted keys and the overall responsiveness. Some will disagree with me but I have owned a Steinway baby grand piano and I'll put this keyboard up with it for piano sound. Feature: Standard single pedal is OK but I bought a dual pedal which I like much better. Display is very hard to read but once you memorize the function buttons it is of less concern. Ease of Use: Very easy to modify the sound, transpose, etc. Quality: Excellent overall construction. It's a workhorse and heavy. Value: It's worth every dime. Manufacturer Support: Have not used support. The Wow Factor: I own the black one and it looks like what it is...a fantastic stage piano. I'm proud of it and I love it. The only thing better is two of them! Overall: I spent a lot of time shopping for stage piano's before buying the Kurzweil. If I ever buy another keyboard it too will be a Kurzweil.

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"it the pianos player piano" submitted March 24, 2006

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Sound: as far as myself it as close to the real thing as you can get.it has one of the best piano sound i heard.it fit well in gospel music and not loaded with sounds that we do not need.it sound good live and in the studio.we used a midas mixer klark eq's ev qrx speakers and lexicon reverb. Ease of Use: it very easy to get great sound run every thing flat on it channel.some time have to boost the bass a little. it very easy to used and no need to modify it sound.mamual is good and like i said it plays very nice. Quality: my first kurzweil was a k2000 and it played great for years no real problem with it . and this one will be no diffence .it great for the road playing 50 weekends a year. Manufacturer Support: kurzweil was very easy to deal with had a key or two to quite working and they fix them at no cost to me.that was on the k2000 no problem as of now. The Wow Factor: i real not sure what you are after here i love the way it plays , sounds,it a piece that hard to beat. Overall: i well never buy any thing else i don't think.

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"It is what it is." submitted September 6, 2006

By a customer from hotmail.com

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Musical Background: Proud amateur (Gigging with multiple ensembles)

Music Style: Many, including Classical, metal, dance, funk

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Sound: The main piano sounds are great. Warm, rich - they don't have the nuances of some of the multi-multi sampled top end pianos, but they're plenty fine for ensemble recordings; better than you'd ever need for a jazz gig. The organ sounds are limited, but thick, functional, fine for most things. The pads and strings are fine for ensemble functions. The only shortcoming is the E-piano(s). They're great for what they are, but they're the cheesier style e-piano, nothing at all like, say, a rhodes. Overall: Great, providing you understand that This Is Not A Synth! Feature: This is a _stage_ _piano_. Nothing else. As a piano, the lack of half-pedal function makes it useless for much "classical" playing. The lack of diversity of sounds means that it's not sufficient for some applications. However, it makes a great controller for any other instrument / module / whatever, and that's partially what it's designed for. For example, the ribbon pitch controller doesn't control any of the internal sounds! The bottom-action is nice and hard - not as hard as the Yamahas, but much harder than the rubbery-feeling Rolands and Korgs. The dynamic control is excellent. Ease of Use: The interface is easy but not intuitive. There's not much scope to modify the sounds. There's almost no scope to modify the tone, only the reverb, velocity sensitivity etc. Setting up MIDI zones for multi-instrument interface is slow, but simple. Quality: This seems like the best-build digital device I've ever encountered. Period. Value: It is what it is, and no more. Richer, fuller piano sounds than the competition. Way warmer than most of the alternatives. If you only want a stage piano, and you care about feel and sound, it's either this or the Yamaha, or move to a way higher price bracket. Manufacturer Support: N/A The Wow Factor: The richness of the bottom end gives me aural pleasure. Thick, fat, but not boomy. The hard action keeps me punchier. Overall: This is a fantastic controller; although for many applications, you'll need an extra module, this is the best cheapest controller around, and the piano sound is fantastic anyway. Although I do plan to get more synthesisers, I doubt I would be replacing this for at least a couple of decades. If a calamity should happen before then, I'd probably buy the same model.

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"Workhorse Piano!" submitted August 20, 2003

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Sound: Solid sounds - record well. Cuts through the mix. Feature: I like the basics - no frills Manufacturer Support: Check out the website's tutorial. Overall: Perfect instrument for me. I am in a "back to basics" mode. This is just what I needed. Midi for organ clone. Plenty of solid piano and ep sounds. No fluff.

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"better than the triton" submitted January 17, 2005

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Sound: I have found theat the Kurzweil piano sounds to be fantastic. I have had a Korg Stage piano and a Triton and kurzweil smoked them both. I have played several keyboards including the Yamaha Motif but never has there been a piano sound and feel than that of the kurzweil. The bad thing is that is all the Kurzweil has. I hate the rest of their sounds. What I think is the idea setup for my curch is to have a Kurzweil keyboard and a Triton Synth stacked on top. That way you have all the synth you want on top and all the great piano on bottom. not to mention the B3 in the corner. I love that thing. Feature: don't know

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"Good value, good buy." submitted February 14, 2008

By a customer from gmail.com

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Musical Background: Active Musician

Music Style: Modern worship

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Sound: This keyboard has the classic Kurzweil sound which I used to be more fond of, but now the sound of the keyboard in the mid-range sounds a bit too synthesized for my taste. I don't use many of the sound options, I usually stick with the sustain piano. I wish it had a better organ sound! I use this at my church for worship and it definitely does the job. I get lots of compliments on the sound. Feature: I have owned this keyboard for 5 years and I still have not been able to figure out all of the features. The user interface to get things done is very difficult-- you have to press certain combinations of keys but there is no display to tell you that you're doing it correctly. The sustain pedal that I got with it is great-- very nice quality. Ease of Use: Very clearly marked for where to plug in what. The interface, as I stated under features, is difficult because the display only tells you what sound setting you're using. If you want a stage piano-- something you can plug into an amp or sound system and use as a piano, then this is a great buy. Quality: I have had an issue with a key sticking for the past year. Also I had to replace the power supply after about a year of use. The power supply was somewhat difficult and required splicing a new power supply onto my old chord because the right sized input for the keyboard is hard to find. This keyboard has taken some abuse, though, and keeps on going so I can't really complain too much. Value: I got this on clearance so I got this at a great price for what it is. I have not regretted my purchase. Manufacturer Support: It is difficult to find replacement parts for this keyboard (such as a power supply) since you have to find an authorized dealer and a lot of music stores are phasing out Kurzweil. The Wow Factor: I love the color-- it is purple which is awesome. How many purple keyboards are out there? Not many. It is very streamlined, sleek, and nice looking. It feels great to play and was the main reason I bought it. I am looking to upgrade this instrument but I am too attached to it to get rid of it just yet. Overall: I have kept this for 5 years and have been very happy with it. I would love to upgrade but in order to get anything better I have to spend quite a large sum of money. This is not just a beginner instrument-- it gets you through to an intermediate and I would say advanced intermediate and meets all your needs. The only thing is now I have started paying attention to the actual sound of keyboards now and want something that sounds a little more like a real piano and less synthesized, particularly in the mid-range. I have found that I can tell if an artist is using a Kurzweil without even seeing it because of the distinct sound. If you love that Kurzweil sound then this is the keyboard for you!

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"Very good buy, Just don't drop it." submitted April 5, 2005

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Musical Background: Active Musician

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Sound: The sound of this keyboard is very nearly like a real piano, but I gotta say I was sad to see my up-right go. Not too much, though. The feel of the SP88x, is very good, it'll take a while to get used to after a real piano. I get along with it pretty good. I like the variety of sounds, and the transposition has come in handy too. Manufacturer Support: I haven't needed to yet, and I've had the keyboard over a year.

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"Great stage piano for live gigging...Solid made beefy keyboard...Sweet sounds...It's my" submitted July 5, 2003

By a customer from NETZERO.NET

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Music Style: Blues, 50's & 60's Rock-n-Roll, Classic R&B, Ballads, Etc...

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Sound: Great for live gigs...I use mine in a blues band in Dallas... Feature: Came with wall-wart power supply (very cheesy)..Oh well, Other than that, it's great...I had to buy a hard shell case for it (not cheap)...That purple color has me "plum crazy"...Very solidly made keyboard...Easy to use...Good feel on the keys... Quality: The keyboard is extremely well made...Very sturdy...It's a road warrior...The wall-wart power supply is a little cheap looking though... Value: In this price range it's not bad... Manufacturer Support: First time owning a Kurzweil...Their keys aren't cheap...Very professional sound and quality...I hope they continue to produce more keyboards in the future... The Wow Factor: One of a kind purple color...Solidly made metal body...Great feel on the keys...Looks nice and sounds great with it's piano patches...It turns me on...It's my "Purple Passion" !!! Overall: This will be at every gig I ever do...I like it...It's a big beefy keyboard and delivers the goods...Very sweet sound...Awesome stage piano... And it can be used as a midi controller too...Cool ribbon controllers (don't have to worry about damage to those)...This is my signature sound now...15 years later, I'll still use this beauty...

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Kurzweil SP88X Piano Customer Review submitted April 4, 2005

By a customer from sbcglobal.net

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Musical Background: Active Musician/Band Director

Music Style: Contemporary Christian, Modern Praise and Worship

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Sound: This keyboard has about the best acoustic piano sound that I've ever heard for the money. Before I bought mine, I had been looking for a stage piano for about a year and a half. I was introduced to this thing right when it first came out and I got to play with it at a music store. I instantly fell in love with it. I like all the various piano and electric piano sounds. I also love the piano and strings sound. I am not too impressed with the organ sounds, but they're OK. But if your looking for great piano sounds... this is the one! It smokes Yamahas, Rolands, and Korgs any day. I didn't like the factory settings, the sounds seem to have too much reverb and sustain. But with a little patience, I manually set the sounds and EQ myself to my liking. It sounds great and it saves the settings without any problems. I play on stage with it and I get a lot of compliments on the way it sounds live!! Feature: The keyboard came with a sustain pedal and a DC Plug (which you can plug and unplug - very convenient for packing). Quality: I would say that this keyboard is made well and is very sturdy. Just last weekend I was carrying the keyboard into a building from my car outside when I walked in I slipped and fell...hard! The keyboard pretty much broke my fall. The end piece at one end of the keyboard broke off since it hit the tile floor first. The last two high keys chipped. When I got up I thought that I was going to be sick. Here I am at a gig and my keyboard is busted ( This is what I get for not having the right size case for it). People of course were helping me up and was trying to make sure that I was alright, but my big concern was that busted keyboard. As soon as I plugged it in and struck the first note it worked... what a relief!! This is living proof of the tuffness of this keyboard!! Value: Awesome value for the price!!! Manufacturer Support: I haven't dealt with the company becuase I haven't had ANY problems AT ALL!!

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"Great piano if the keys and action don't break prematurely." submitted January 2, 2004

By a customer from NODAMNSPAMyahoo.com

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Music Style: Improvisational rock, jam, jazz, blues, in the style of Dead, Phish, Hornsby, Little Feat

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Sound: Very good piano sounds; organs are so-so as are strings Quality: In less than 18 months, I have already broken the D above middle C. This is simply unacceptable for a company with Kurzweil's reputation. Value: If I can get more than 18 months out of it, it's a 10. If this is the best they can make for the money, then it's a 3. Manufacturer Support: The sales rep I wrote to about the borken key said "There's no company that can guarantee its items 100%. Nice attitude, huh? I did find a service tech willing to hear my case, though, and expect to have the key repaired without charge, though the inconvenience is annoying. This is my gigging keyboard, even though it only gets played 10-15 times a month. The Wow Factor: THe SP-99x is a deep purple color - pretty cool. Overall: I'm already looking for a replacement - likely a Yamaha P-series piano. I had a Yamaha Clavinova for 13 years and it was built like a tank and NEVER BROKE.

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"Nice board, but you might want to wait until the summer." submitted March 11, 2007

By a customer from mac.com

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Musical Background: Professional Keyboardist

Music Style: Musical Theatre, Rock, Classical

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VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: I bought this instrument on brand name alone, which I thought I would never do, but I wasn't necessarily let down. It's a good sounding instrument, but it's getting on in the years. Kurzweil is finally offering a SP2 this summer. The SP88/76 came out in 1999/2000, and the sounds from it come from a module from the mid-90's. Considering all that, this instrument sounds great. Many of the voices sound very similar, but they are solid. Contrary to what some may say, there is an EP that does sound a good deal like a Rhodes, but once you hear what say the PC2 has to offer, you'll believe the voices in this instrument a lot less. Feature: For a stage piano, this baby does pack in more features than the competition. It's a great MIDI controller, and can do splits and you can program the sliders. That's about it. I was hoping for more patches, but the SP2 will offer all of that and more. Ease of Use: For many users, this would be an easy piano to use. Plug it in. Turn it on. Select a patch, and play (with an amp, of course). The advanced features of this unit require some manual reading to decipher what everything on the 2 character LED mean. Quality: I've had this instrument for just about 3 years now, and it has held up quite well. It has taken a few tumbles but it keeps on going. I was having a problem with one of the keys about 2 years ago, but the problem gradually went away. I'm thinking maybe something fell into the keybed. Value: Kurzweil has a high list price for their products, but most resellers lower it considerably. Considering the age of the product and the upcoming release of the SP2, it's still a bit pricey. Manufacturer Support: I've never had to contact Kurzweil about this particular instrument, but I have emailed them before about another product, and they were prompt and helpful. The Wow Factor: It's a nice looking product. I'm proud to have it on stage or in the pit with me. Overall: I've been lusting for a PC2 since I bought this keyboard, but its powerful MIDI features allowed for me to control a Kurzweil ME1, and now a PC2R for less of a cost of buying a new board. If it were lost or stolen, I would probably buy a PC2 or PC3.

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"Almost perfect..." submitted October 1, 2004

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Sound: The sound is beautiful in a general sense. I especially like how the lower notes cut through with authority. I have one complaint and that is they need to work on the sustain aspect. A real piano rings significantly longer after a note is struck and you hold the key or pedal down. Feature: Well, if you're just wanting it for its name "stage piano," it's cool...but it's not a synthesizer. As others have said, it could use a nice church organ...but I do think it makes an excellent "base" piece of equipment. You could hook a separate synthesizer module up to it and still not pay the price of one of the frill-laden Kurzweils. Quality: Well so far, I've had no problems with it, but I haven't really put it to the test, and heard someone else broke a key, so I'm kind of ambivalent here. It seems sturdy though. Value: Unless I find a superior keyboard for just as cheap or cheaper, which I'm doubting, I'd say the value is very good. Manufacturer Support: I haven't bothered with this bit :P. The Wow Factor: The aesthetic nature is excellent. I can think of a few things I would do different as a designer, but overall I am pleased that the company at least made an effort to not cut financial corners (save those already mentioned) and try to get away with cheap engineering. I wouldn't want to be hit in the head with this keyboard... Overall: I'm hangin' onto this thing until I either get a copious amount of money, or see something incredible I can at least afford. It's a solid product, and all I ever wanted out of a keyboard was being realistic and feeling like a real piano so I don't have to learn how to play the piano...and the plastic piano...

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Kurzweil SP88X Piano Customer Review submitted January 19, 2007

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Sound: The voicing gradient across the keyboard is not smooth and consistent. Some keys have low volume relative to the adjacent key. The man-to-machine interface is very confusing, as is the manual. The sound is OK, but to be a product of a piano company is not up to par. I could not get rid of the tremelo on many settings. The screws underneath are not recessed, hence the rubber "feet" must be depended on, but they don't last (the customer sticks them on). The keys are rather loud, but the musical sound helps to cover it up.

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"good for a start" submitted August 30, 2004

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Musical Background: active musician

Music Style: jazz, rock, latin and classical

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Feature: it

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Kurzweil SP88X 88-Key Stage Piano (Fully Weighted)

User Ratings

"Unpack and Play" submitted January 12, 2006

"Fantastic Stage Piano-I Love Mine" submitted August 29, 2006

"it the pianos player piano" submitted March 24, 2006

"It is what it is." submitted September 6, 2006

"Workhorse Piano!" submitted August 20, 2003

"better than the triton" submitted January 17, 2005

"Good value, good buy." submitted February 14, 2008

"Very good buy, Just don't drop it." submitted April 5, 2005

"Great stage piano for live gigging...Solid made beefy keyboard...Sweet sounds...It's my" submitted July 5, 2003

Kurzweil SP88X Piano Customer Review submitted April 4, 2005

"Great piano if the keys and action don't break prematurely." submitted January 2, 2004

"Nice board, but you might want to wait until the summer." submitted March 11, 2007

"Almost perfect..." submitted October 1, 2004

Kurzweil SP88X Piano Customer Review submitted January 19, 2007

"good for a start" submitted August 30, 2004