Technics SX-P30

Very easy keyboard to use. Just turn the switch on and play- I've never opened the manual.

I bought this keyboard because I wanted a very simple, portable, piano that feels like a piano. I got exactly that. Anything else I wanted I bought as a module.

The keyboard feel is pretty good and is the closest thing I found to a real piano out of all the keyboards I tried which were portable (and in this price range). The piano sound is also very good and realistic.

Never had any problem with it - I'd I've had it a couple of years.

Never dealt with these guys.

For piano players, that need portability and a great piano feel - I would recommend this keyboard

Actually I would rate it 9.5. Literally plug and play. I docked it a half point because all the control are on the side and hard to find. Even the on-off switch I can't find simply by feeling for it.

Polyphony is adequate. Only two sounds (plus two hidden sounds), no expansion capabilities. MIDI in and out, no thru, can transmit on all 16 channels but you cannot easily switch between them. No sequencer. In fairness, however, the P30 was designed as a portable piano, nothing more. I have played it, as a piano, for a number of gigs and it has performed very nicely. The P30 is perfect for a beginner or for someone who only needs the acoustic piano sound. If you are looking for a cheap controller, go with something (e.g. Fatar).

I've seen good and bad opinions about the piano sound. I think it's rather good (I play classical). My good opinion of the piano sound, however, is offset by the velocity sensitivity or lack thereof. As an experienced concert pianist, I can get a decent dynamic range. However, as a controller I need an average key on velocity of 100, and I can barely get 70.

Very reliable. I have never dropped it (like another review) but I have banged it occasionally and it has never failed me. Ruggedly built. I would use on a gig without a backup.

I happened on this survey while I was trying to find a website with a phone number I can call for help in replacing one of the footpads, because the manual has no contact information.

I won the P30 in a contest; if left to my own devices I would have gotten something else. That is not a reflection on the quality of the instrument (remember that is was designed only to a be a portable piano), but rather that I need a more sophisticated MIDI controller.

I would recommend the P30 to anyone who needs a portable, space-saving no-frills piano for not a lot of money. If anyone out there is interested in buying mine, please email me.

Very easy to use, except the annoyance of having the switches all on the side.

Not a very feature filled piano but does make up for that with the realistic piano touch and a good piano sound. Only 32 note polyphony which can cause some issues when you need to sustain over a period of time. No real expansion capabilities but that isn't its real purpose anyway, its more of an playing tool for a computer etc to do the effects.

The default piano sound is brilliant but don't even try the electric piano sound. I find it very good for classical piano playing and its great for jazz as well. A very good touch.

Very dependable so far.

No need to.

A very good piece of equipment, could do with a few more sounds and a higher polyphony.

Easy enough but if you're playing live you'll need to invest a few minutes pasting a couple of white sticky labels onto the side panel to label all the plugs & options etc which are hidden from view.

Polyphony - good enough, not too bothered.
Action annoys me greatly, I find it - as others have said - slippery & flimsy. Still, the weight's there but it seems to come through during the second half of the keyboard stroke.....the initial hit of the keys is rather weak (flimsy), especially on the black keys. I much prefer a chunky, firm action like say, a Yamaha Clavinova (which I also own). Keys are a touch wider than the average piano...still, with its action there's scope for good expressive playing on this instrument.

Velocity sensitivity is quite good, I think the best sound is the Fender Rhodes (and thanks to this website I wouldn't have known about it, like many others. It may have been worth Technics' while to print this information in their manual for godsakes.) The concert grand sound, although genuine and well-captured I tend to find rather drippy and 'wet'. After a while of playing it gets on my nerves and with this keyboard there's no way out. Midi is good but you still have to contend with the keyboard's action.

Reliable, but be very precious about the chord because going by what others are saying, Technics will slug you for heaps! Use it for a gig without a backup sure, I've bumped it around a bit and it's fine.

Never had to deal with them.

I'm selling it to purchase the new P50 which has an altogether firmer action and a great array of organ sounds, perfect for live performances. Sorry but I can't take the P30 seriously, I'm glad to be ridding of it to get something that's altogether more decent. This instrument is best used for musak/easy listening, it's hopeless for practicing drill's and exercises etc. Just when I thought Technics were going to get the eternal flick from me out comes the P50 which puts the Roland, Yamaha, & Kawai alternatives coming out second best. I've been informed that the P50 is actually superseeding the P30. Fair enough, the P30's had its day.
This instrument was something of a pioneer I recall but too many instuments have come onto the market in the past two years which render the P30 obsolete. For a little more money you can get many more sounds & a firmer action, without having to fork out a housing deposit style figure on the RD-600 or P200.

Not jam-packed with features, but the features on it, are satisfying and if they aren't want you need - stop whinging and go look for something else. But because it's got an output - just think of all the possibilities you can have if you own or have access to effect units, etc.

I have it running through an Yamaha EMX640 mixer with a standard pair of Yamaha SV15's... Listening through the headphones, it sounds abosolutely fantastic, but trying to EQ it through the system is a bit daunting at times. If you have similar problems, try using a spectrum analiser to help you EQ the mixer.

It's light, portable, and not too big.

The piano sound is quite authentic, especially in the lower middle range. I think it compares well the RD 100 from Roland. The manual reflects the simplicity of the functions. I think Technics are on the right track with this keyboard but they need to take it a step further now by producing a 76 note version to reduce the weight even more, double the polyphony and for gods sake offer a truly excellent couple of electric piano sounds. It always amazes me that it seems so difficult to do that. As far as reverb goes I think they should not bother. Most studios have superior reverbs as do sound engineers and a dry sound never lies.

Could use twice the polyphony but not if its going to cost heaps. Effects a token gesture. Probably the most natural feeling piano action I've owned, just the right weight and bounce.

Velocity sensitivity is excellent, also works well with my old MKS 20 which I love.

Hang the small weight, put a standard jug cord connection on the back and put the transformer inside. Its only a matter of time before that tiny plug craps out before a gig. Also lets have the volume control on top where I can see it, its fiddly having to grope around the side for it,, totally clean lines aren't everthing.

Yes I would buy it again. As I said before, its shortcomings can in most cases be overlooked and with a bit of development it could be an exceptional keyboard. After 30 years playing all sorts of gigs I think I long for the following things all in one keyboard;
(1) Minimum weight
(2) 76 notes..
(3) Superb piano action.. the ideal would be 76 note actual yamaha acoustic piano mechanism with lockdown facility for transportation.
(4)A beautiful classical piano sound and a good bright punchy rock sound along with a couple of really huge electric pianos .
(5) The ability to combine two sounds and the balance of them.
(6) Volume slider on the top.
Anyway even getting some of these features next would make me want to rush to my local music shop. Well done Technics, I think youve got the basics right and it would be a shame not to build on that .

Very easy to use. Plug and play !

Only three sounds:
1. Piano (very good)
2. E-piano (bell-like, don't use it)
3. Rhodes (THIS IS THE "SECRET SOUND" - hold the highest key (the c on the right) while pressing the power button to get it instead of the normal e-piano sound)
The Rhodes sound is very good, a little to flat maybe. I own a real Fender Rhodes and I know what I'm talking about.

You can switch Reverb on or off.

On of the best features of this piano beside the good sound and action is it's weight and it's size. If you play many gigs you will love it. It also looks quite sophisticated. No problem to use it at "high-society-locations"...

It doesn't have any effects or GM sounds or anything. But the few features it has are very good !

The only thing missing is a pitch bend. I don't need it for the internal sounds, but when I use it as masterkeyboard for synthies it might be useful.

I used a doepfer/roland combination before and I hated it. I play twice as good on the technics. If you need a REALISTIC keyboard action, you're right with it.
The Rhodes sound is pretty cool, I use it mostly for Jazz gigs.

Never had any problems.

I spent two afternoons at a music store that had almost every e-piano you can think of. I'm not a "keyboarder" but a jazz-pianist. I want to say, I really hate to play on e-pianos. But this one has the best action I know, beside the Kawai MP9000. But the Kawai costs and weighs twice as much !

I'd buy it again immediately !

I use it thoroughly for gigs and studio productions. It's perfect.

Extremely easy to use, except if wanting to change sounds in the middle of a performance it can be a bit fiddly having to reach around the side.

Having tried all similar current models - Yamaha S80, P80, Roland RD100, RD150, KORG SG pro X etc, I found the Technics to be one of the best keyboard actions of them all. Least favourite was the Yamaha P80, but that's just an aside, and it's subjective anyway. Midi capabilities could be a little better, as I am using my P30 as a master keyboard for a Korg Trinity as well as just a stand-alone electric piano, so mod wheel and pitch bend would have been nice, but I'm not complaining. I would have liked 64 note polyphony, but I have tried all my major classical pieces, using plenty of sustain, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. This was my main concern when thinking about purchasing the P30, as most of the other models did feature 64 note polyphony, but I'm pleased to say it hasn't turned out to be a problem. Expansion capabililties would have also been a bonus, but I can always get a rack mount. For the money (I paid #550), this is an excellent digital piano.

Again, I thought the piano sound was the best of the bunch of other digital pianos. This may be because the samples are from a Steinway piano. My parents have a Steinway upright (it's gorgeous) and the P30 is the piano that comes the closest to the Steinway sound (for the money), in my humble opinion. It works very well for classical and jazz, the reverb is good - not too much of it but just enough to enhance the sound. It has an excellent feel and the velocity sensitive dynamics are very good.

Having only just acquired the P30, I can't comment on this yet.

Again, no need to use this yet!

Overall, I'm very pleased with it and excited about taking it out and gigging with it. I won a Korg Trinity and a T3, and so the P30 will complement those 2 very nicely. It's great for classical (which is the main reason I bought it) and also for jazz, which I'm currently breaking into and learning. All these things are subjective, but I preferred it to all other similar digital pianos and don't understand some of the more negative reviews that have been submitted.

It would have been nice if 'Anonymous' (3 entries down) had bothered to tell us what he/she *does* actually use so that we could qualify their opinion. I find it very curious that this reviewer raves about the GEM Pro 1's action and sound when the only review for the Pro 1 complains about how awful it is in those categories. Which is not very helpful for a piano novice like me in trying to evaluate a suitable purchase.

I found the piano sound to be excellent through headphones, good when recorded and played back on cd - but unfortunately, very bass heavy, and a bit of a dirge in general, when it comes to putting it through an amplifier or P.A.

For me - the polyphony is fine - the only time it 's not good enough for me, is if I do an 'arm-crash' Ben Folds style - it can't handle the amount of notes - but I can live without the arm crashing.

Reverb works well, I prefer it to 'dry'.

The keys are weighted quite nicely, however, they are a bit slippery.

The biggest gripe with the keys, and indeed the biggest gripe about this whole electric piano, is that the keys are ever so slightly too wide. By this I mean, that if you measured from middle c to middle c on an average normal 'piano', and measured the same on the Technics, the Technics is slightly longer - only slightly - but it makes ALL the difference.

Having reasonably big hands, I shouldn't be having problems reaching from middle c with the right thumb, to the E 16 semitones up, with my little finger. On a normal piano, I can do it, and not 'quite' be comfortable - but it's just about ok. With the Technics, it's not ok, I can reach, but I am really stretching, and hitting the D as well.

I can't believe this was not realised by the makers, and what annoys me, is that it'll affect my piano playing. If an when I get enough money, I will have to buy a different electric piano.
A

It hasn't let me down.

I'd use it at a gig - with a micropiano attached, and I'd be very annoyed about the wide keys.

When my adapter broke, I was told I had to get a specific Technics sx-p30 adaptor, at the cost of about 50 pounds sterling (that's about $75 to you American folks!). Not good huh? No, not considering that is a normal kinf of 12v adaptor - obviously specificially produced, so if it broke, you'd HAVE to buy the special Technics one,'cos no other 12v adapors will work.

However, I got someone to modify my power socket on the piano, to accept any 12v.