Customer Reviews
great product 
2008-01-25
I've had this product for about 8 months. I started out knowing very little about the piano and was hestitant to get this keyboard due to some reviews stating it's hard to play quickly with this. I've found that I have no problem with speed on this keyboard. I may not be playing many songs with 16th notes, but for any person with under 2-3 years experience, this keyboard will suit you well.
The only drawback I've found is that the keys are just slightly harder to press than your more expensive keyboards and the pedal is almost completely useless. I've placed a board underneath the keyboard to set the pedal on, and it works to some satisfaction, in the future I will buy a better pedal though.
There are two headphone jacks, one can be used for speakers and one for headphones. This is great for not having to switch them out and get cords tangled. Haven't had any problems with the keyboard at all, sounds great after almost a year of heavy use.
Be careful which model you are buying 2007-11-19
I purchased the 88SX model based on the description on the site. However, portions of the description are for M-Audio's model ProKeys 88, the more expensive model. The 88SX has 7 great voices, is lightweight, easy to use and well worth the price. However, it does not have keyboard splitting functionality, 14 voices, sound layering capabilities or some of the other features mentioned in the description on line. I suspect that someone combined the descriptions of the two differnet models. I phoned Amazon and asked that they make a correction.
Bottom line - for a basic keyboard, the 88SX is wonderful. It fills my needs perfectly. I am a gigging musician who doesn't want to lug a weighted 88-key piano around. The 88SX has good voices, simple operation and is very easy to pack around.
This Beginner Is Now Playing Piano 2007-11-01
And what more could a beginner ask for? I believe the 88SX's keys are weighted enough for me to develop the appropriate touch. Just to keep it real, though, I make sure to play my pieces a few times every week on an upright piano to which I have access. The 88SX has not, apparently, "under-trained" me, as I find I play perhaps even better on the upright. Maybe someday I'll come upon some speed limitations that one reviewer has noted, but if I do get to that point, I'll be deliriously happy and most likely move up to something else. No speakers is ideal for the beginner, and there jacks for two headphones. I can bang away and know that I'm the only one hearing my learning curve.
Make sure you know... 
2007-10-03
When we first received this product I was upset to learn that it did not come with speakers. But after purchasing adequate speakers, I really feel that this product is worth the price. Its sound is rich and it has the most keys available.
it's good for the price 2007-08-27
The black notes are a bit shorter in lenght then needed for confort.
The sound samples are indeed good but are not uniform - for all of the 7 sounds i can clearly hear the changes between samples in every octave. For example Piano 1: Eb and E natural in the second octave sound like they were played on two different pianos. This may be a little distracting sometimes. The organ sound has a lot of that as well.
nice keyboard! 2008-05-20
playing this is close to real piano, and price is very reasonable. Sounds it has isn't that great but I should say it's fine unless you get some from other instrument.
Can't go wrong at this price even if it's essentially a "toy" 2008-05-18
Anyone who purchases a $400 piano expecting it to perform with the touch and sound of a Steinway is terribly naive or bluffing. No electric is fit for playing Liszt, Chopin, or Rachmaninoff--even the fully weighted and graded (heavier touch on bottom, lighter on top) models at ten times the price of this M-Audio. A keyboard like this one is OK for use with computer programs, midi work, and learning something about the lay of the keyboard and how to "flesh out" a lead sheet. You don't require more than 76 keys for jazz and pop music, or 61 for computer programming (88 keys is to impress the consumer). By all means pass up the keyboards with built-in rhythm sections, several hundred instrument sounds, recording capability, pre-installed songs and styles, auto-accompaniment. They're counterproductive. (You may as well play your stereo.)
As for touch, if you're a jobbing musician, you'll soon be all too happy to sacrifice weighted action in favor of the lightest, most decent -sounding keyboard available. Unlike an actual piano, you learn how to let the electrical contacts of the keyboard do the work and to use "finger" technique (instead of deriving power from the weight of the arm and shoulders). Moreover, if you occasionally want to use an organ voice, weighted action will simply drag you down.
For those expressing disappointment: never buy a keyboard without trying it, and don't expect it to sound the same at home as in the store--or on the job as at home. (So much the better if the seller has a return policy.) A previous reviewer is partially right in insisting touch is all that matters--but only because 50% of an electric's tone quality is dependent upon the amp. I've been looking for many years for electric keyboards that come close to delivering what they promise (above all, a musician wants to have a sense of "control" of his instrument at all times), and I can't say we're closer to the goal (Kurzweil was almost there in 1988 with the K1000, but then the company was bought out by Korean giant Young Chang). Just be patient, stay with it, and don't let the "gear" become more important than the music. And bear in mind that electric keyboards are merely a "necessary evil" for us lowly, week-end jobbers. The real pros--from Oscar, Ahmad, and Bill Evans to Jarrett and Mehldau would quit music before playing a concert or even a 30-minute jazz set on an electric.
Warning: Amazon advertises this instrument as being capable of splits and layering. I frankly don't recall it having that capability (check with the manufacturer). Even so, a mere seven instrument sounds would make either feature pointless unless you were midi-ing the keyboard with a another keyboard or an external tone generator. Still, at Amazon's current price, this 20-pound instrument is a useful and affordable controller, computer accessory, and even occasional jobbing ax (e.g. big band dance jobs, where the pianist, at most, gets a couple of Basie fills or Peter Duchin arpeggios).
Decent piano; good as a midi controller. 2008-04-13
I'm using this piano for two purposes -- regular old playing and also as a midi controller for use with Propellerhead Reason 4.0.
As a piano, it's a good full-sized keyboard for the price. It's a light unit (17 lbs) which is good for convenience sake, but sometimes it's nice to have something a little more substantial. The action on the keys is fine -- it's not like a real piano but for 300 something dollars, it's not bad. The action on this piano is lighter (keys push down more easily) than on some of the other M-audio keyboards I've tried, btw.
As some reviewers have noted, in order to hear the piano, you'll need to buy either a pair of headphones with a 1/4" jack or external speakers.
I'm using this keyboard as a midi controller with Reason, and it's worked perfectly well. The software and drivers are easy to install, and it's really just plug & play. Very simple.
One last thing, this unit comes with a sustain pedal, so don't make the mistake I did and order a sustain pedal, b/c you'll just end up returning it. You should, however, probably buy a keyboard stand (I bought the World Tour Single X Keyboard Stand which is working great) and music stand.
Great Value but need to know about add-ons 2008-04-05
I researched and was impressed with the great reviews of this piano. Reviewers noted that it didn't come with speakers and that you'd have to get those. I didn't think it would be an issue as I have a few sets of speakers we use with laptops, etc. The problem is that the piano input jack for speakers is 1/4" and most of the remote electronic speakers use a smaller jack. I wound up giving my 7-year old a piano she couldn't hear for her birthday (NOT a good Dad move). I wound up going to a local music store and buying a keyboard amplifier for about $150. With that, everything is fantastic. My daughter is taking lessons and the teacher has commented on how nice the keyboard is. It has the important features like full keyboard and weighted keys. I recommend the keyboard, but know what you're getting into with the need for speakers!
No complaints 2008-03-24
I bought this thing for two reasons: to teach myself to play piano (despite 20 years grounding in music theory and various instruments, I've never sat down and learned the instrument), and to help with my computer compositions using things like Garritan Personal Orchestra. As a piano for a beginner, it seems great. I have it hooked up to a computer speaker since I'm not terribly worried about stage quality sound while I'm plinking away at Canon in D, but even so the samples all sound great to me. As far as its functions as a MIDI controller, I can't speak to the advanced functions yet since I haven't learned how to use them. The basic function--that of inputting notes into Finale or whatever program you use--works great, and will greatly speed up your note entry. The included pedal is a nice touch, although put something hard underneath it (like a book) if you're using it on carpet.
The only thing that irked me was the 1/4" jacks for audio, necessitating a trip to Radio Shack to purchase a suitable connector.
All in all, well worth the price. I'd buy it again any day.
