Technics SX-P50

This is a no brainer... all important functions make their appearance on the front panel. Less important functions (that I never use) can be hard to get at, but are documented in the manual.

For a practice piano in an apartment where I need to play with headphones most of the time this is a perfect Axe. Sometimes I wish I had more sounds, but I play the piano sounds 98% of the time anyway. I give it a high rating for features because it has what I need (excellent touch, sound, expressiveness) and not what I don't (1000s of sounds, sequencers, synthesizers, or zeros at the end of the price tag).
This keyboard is HEAVY. It always surprises me when I pick it up. But in this sense, the action and expressiveness also feels well built. Compared to some Yamaha keyboards that are a bunch lighter, this keyboard feels like it puts its weight where it is needed: key action.

This is a Digital piano not a synthesizer. It works very well when a real piano would work well except with a weight savings of over 900 pounds and the ability to play with headphones. Other uses are way less flexible, but the piano is beautiful. I got this for a bargain used, and it has been one of my best purchases ever just because I can not use a real piano.

It has been mentioned before that this keyboard needs an equalizer when amplified. I agree with this although this also depends on the quality of the speakers. When I played mine through a friend's set of Yamaha studio monitors, we both were surprised how good it sounded. He has a MOTIF and said that my Technics was comparable in sound quality and surprisingly much smaller. Also, played mono just doesn't cut it. The stereo samples need to be heard to be believed. It is worth it to get another speaker.

I bought mine used. It has been a studio instrument, and moved little but gets played often. So far, more reliable than my previous Yamaha PSR-GX76, which had system board problems throughout its life (and required solder numerous times to return to working order). For me it has been very dependable even though it was bought used. I have had it for over a year.

Have had no reason to call the factory (yet- fingers crossed)

I bought this used, and I am very very very satisfied with the bargain I received. Invest in a small mixer with an equalizer if you plan on amplifying (Don't even think about mono... it's a waste of your time- even with an equalizer).

Compared with my previous keyboard, the Technics just makes me want to play. By taking all the distractions out and providing clean, meaty piano sounds this keyboard provides everything I want in a keyboard with nothing I don't.

I have been using this keyboard for 7 years. I am a working musician playing 2-3 nights a week. The first 5 1/2 years was a house gig, the last 1 1/2 years have been on the road every weekend. This keyboard is a TANK! I use a Yamaha Motif,Hammond XB-2 and a Korg X5DR Tone generator in my gig setup. I use the P-50 for all my piano work and as the controller for the Korg.

I use the rock piano sound mostly and one of the ep sounds with reverb. The key action is like playing a piano. I have had nothing but rave comments from other players at how good this piano sounds.

I have noticed the internal midi function is getting a little difficult to punch in, I use the string and piano combo sometimes. I assume this is just wear on the contacts.

This machine is the most dependable keyboard I have and it is the cheapest one I have.

I have never had to use customer support, there have been no problems.

If this keyboard got lost or stolen I would search out another one just like it.

* What software version are you using? (Please try to find out before completing)
a: unknown
* How do the presets sound?
a: Primary piano sound is what it's all about.
* How hard is editing patches? Does a patch editor make a big difference?
a: Set it to heavy touch.
* How is the manual (if there is one)?
a: They didn't give me one at the store, though I found one online somehow.

This category is a minor one for me but, still, I would say this is easy to use.

* What is the polyphony? How is the keyboard action?
a: No clue about polyphony. I'll never understand how so many people quote a number or claim to be able to understand this quantification without actually having technical knowledge of the sound chips. Keyboard action I find quite usable. It's got a satisfying little kick you can feel as you press down. Funny, but it actually makes playing easier than those more smooth key presses available in yamaha, roland. My rating here is only due to the touch. In a way, I consider a simple interface a feature of its own.
* Does it have any built in effects? Are they easy to use?
a: Some effects, yes. But they are not really for use (too simple, too few adjustable steps) past the touch adjustment to heavy, IMO. There's also a sus-pedal that works alright.
* Does it have expansion capabilities? (i.e. can accepts cards, new boards, more memory, etc.)
a: No.
* What MIDI capabilities are there? (pressure senstive keys, )
a: In and Out, pressure sensitivity, yes. MIDI is of discounted value in any instrument simulator, however, as the midi connection will always have a slight delay before triggering the sound in my experience.
* Does it have an on-board sequencer? How flexible is it? Easy to use?
a: No sequencer.

* Are some instruments very realistic? Bad? Easy to use?
a: I first heard a version of this keyboard in an upscale bar. It was black and mine is gray, but it's supposedly the same, and I remember thinking it sounded delightful. The guy was playing a piano sound and that's what the thing's for-- a digital piano. The other instruments may or may not be good, to me it doesn't matter. If I wanted an electric piano sound or an organ, I would look for a board specifically supposed to act and sound like that. Same thing for a synthesizer. If I wanted something for shaping wave forms and weird sounds I would have bought something designed for that.
* What types of music does it work well for? Rock? Classical? Dance?
a:My first listening was jazz, and it's very good for that kind of piano that stands out in a small ensamble. I've been transcribing rock tunes to play on it with a small group and I've found it flexible enough with the settings I use (see above). There are a couple of amateurish recordings using this piano in freely downloadable mp3s online, which I think are very much worth ignoring. The caruso piano recording is not so bad, I might have to post my copy if their site stays down any longer. They also have a recording in which the piano is layered note for note with a string sound, which is not especially worth listening to, unless you are willing to try to ignore the string sound.
* Are the onboard effects good? Very bad?
a: The onboard effects are useless for me, (except as described above,) though other people may have different opinions.
* Does it react to your playing, or is it static?
a: I've found the piano to be very responsive to different types of touch. Flexible for use with comping and solos.
* How does it react to velocity and aftertouch?
a: Very mysterious questions. These are highly technical questions, more answerable by synthesizer wizards who are not just capable and experienced musicians, but who are also aware of the technical inner workings of such boards. I don't know.

* Can you depend on it?
a: Hmm. At 1200$ and no U.S. sales support, how long should I expect it to last? I don't know.
* Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
a: Interchangable 1000$+ back ups are for professional touring musicians and I certainly don't have the funds to support that. Add this to the fact that just finding one of these to buy new in the U.S. was something of a challenge, considering the fact that the manufacturer is no longer marketing it here.

* If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?

a: I called panasonic U.S. a year before buying and someone called me back a couple of days later, talked to me about the board, the fact that it's no longer marketed here, told me honestly about some people's criticisms. I can't remember the rest of it.
* Ever get an upgrade, or try and get it repaired?
a: No, neither of these. I don't have any guess to how it might go.

* If it were lost or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else? Is it worth what you paid?
* Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
a: There's nothing I would do if it were lost, except maybe look more seriously into clavia stage 88, perhaps try to find another one, maybe tried to look again at all the major brands and types I've tried and listened to over the past few years, including especially Yamaha p series and s90 series, Roland RD series and F series, maybe even combo deals like the Nord Stage 88, or the Korg Triton. When it came down to it, I decided that I wanted the one that had the best sound in performance to my own ear. This was it.
* How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
a: I've been playing for a while now, used to play regularly on a Clavinova (kind of a dead sound despite the reviews, maybe it was the speakers?), a range of Yamaha and Steinway grands, an awful Estey, and some other cheap keyboards and pianos in bands.
* what do you love about it? What do you hate?
a: What I love about it is that sound. I like the finish on the keys and I highly appreciate the kick despite the easy action. I hate the fact that the mp3s of this keyboard available on the internet are in the majority an embarrassment.
* Anything you wish it had?
Is this a wishlist or a review? There's stuff that it could have but I'm not sure that any single digital piano combines this kind of sound with all the stuff that it might have in a totally usable way.
* Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way?
Ha!
* Anything else you'd like to share?
a: From the research I've been working on for the past 5 years or so.

The 3 types of keyboard you'd want as a performing keyboardist are:

1. Piano - This one
2. Organ
3. Synth

Midi-triggered computer or rack sounds can be very useful as well, but there will generally (if not always) be some kind of a noticable delay, as opposed to an instrument built specifically to internally trigger sounds. I admit that I need to look closer into this option, and I'm excited by the development of the Muse Receptor and similar technology.

I also admit that there are most likely differences between professionally tuned performance grands and the 300$ gigasamples-- and between these sounds and the onboard samples of the top keyboards coming from major brands. Nevertheless, I'm saddened by over-simplification that this can lead to. That is, piano "experts" simply stating that digital pianos just don't sound as full or responsive as an acoustic, and apologist synth reviewers not seeking that most-full sound. These marketing-oriented approaches can make purchasing decisions a much greater challenge. Perhaps this is by way of an explanation for how I chose the sx-p50. There just wasn't the salesman pressure trying to get me to chose, for example, a rebuilt Kurzweil because it's cheap or a Roland RD700sx because it has the ultimate piano sound. Such claims are respectively off the point at best and simply deceptive at worst. I could have spent much more or less, and I would have if I had good reason to suspect that I could be getting anything better. My decison was helped by sound advice from a large number of honest performer-reviewers on this site and elsewhere, so I hope this is of some use as well.

Just updating the review that is below by Amiel

After much more use, I did find that the pianos were a bit lacking in brightness and were too full of bottom end. This I believe is what has made some people think that the p50 isn't that good. Recently I bought a 24band digital graphic equalizer, and after boosting everything over about 2khz and cutting under about 300hz the sound is like heaven :).
So for those of you who have a p50 and find it too murky, try and equalizer on it and you will be pleased!

Easy-does-it

Press on, and you're ready to go. Shame it has a voltage adapter but otherwise great. Easy to move around.

64 note polyphony.
Keyboard action for this price range is very good. Beats the RD-170, which key action is too light.
There's a digital effect which is handy for the e-piano's, organs etc.
Digital reverb room, stage, hall, concert (adjustable reverb). Brilliance in 5 steps : -2, -1, 0, 1, 2.
No sequencer, or metronome, all more of that bullshit I don't need. I am buying a digital piano. Keyboard action, sound, and easy-of-use is what I am interested in.

Sometimes I seem to hear something at the 5th octave which seems a bit ....aaahh my brain is adapting constantly. The piano and especially the 2 grands layered sound excellent. When I open a window and close my eyes I can imagine I am in a concert hall. Which I frequently am because I am a professional pianist/wunderkind/genius. Some people are talking about the sound being rubbish. Lets get things clear YAMAHA SUCKS!! And I hate the fact that they sometimes prevent musicians to play their own instrument during festivals, it has to be yamaha (North Sea Jazz for instance) F.O. Yamaha
Roland is OK, but the action of the RD170 is way to light and the samples (beside piano) suck.
In this price range it is probably the best.
Action is OK.

See you when I get there.
No troubles as yet.

Never dealt with them

I'd replace it, but I might save an extra 1000 to buy in a different league. For this price range and for my goal (to compose and practice and dream at midnight on the balcony or in the garden) it serves very very well. With my laptop I can also midi it so I can record etc.

As I am 23 and having been a musician for 19 of those years, I enjoy aranging songs rather than writing music of my own. I have had many keyboards from different manufacturing companies. At first I didn't think much of technics- Never in my life have I had so much enjoyment in arranging when I recently bought a technics SX P-50 and MIDI-connected it to my SX-KN6500. The 88-note weighted key capability with the numerous functions of the KN6500. Technics, I have to say you completely out-do roland or Korg- two manufacturing companies which I have ben familiar with over the years. Korg, the only sound that you can possibly win over in technics is the hammond organ sound. I have never in my life experienced such realism of sound than is produced by these two instruments. as someone else said, A majority of the technics instruments are play stations- a recreation station for simply making music.

One quick look at the user's manual was enough: this thing is plug-and-play! Selecting the preset voices (i.e. piano sounds) is accomplished by pressing the appropriate LED button (there are 10, for the 10 voices). Adjusting the other features (transpose, brightness, etc) is as simple.

The P50 is not a toy, but a digital piano. Hence there are no unnecessary features: what you see is what you get. You have three pianos (grand, pop, and upright), two electronic pianos, one harpsichord, one vibes, one strings, one vocal, and one organ. That's it, that's all. But that suits me fine, because that is exactly what I wanted: I don't need 5000 other sounds, just one good piano sound. Polyphony is 64 notes, more than enough, and there is also a MIDI terminal, althought I'm never going to use that. There are five reverb modes (none, room, hall, stage, concert), one digital effect mode, and one brilliance setting. It takes a matter of a few seconds to set them all.

The sound? Outstanding! I owned a Yamaha electronic piano before, and also played on two different upright pianos, and I couldn't believe my ears when I first tried the P50! The sounds are rich, clear. With the three piano voices (concert, pop, and upright), it is possible to play any type of music. The reverb is amazing, especially when used in combination with a headset: the sound is overhelming, and you really think you are playing on a stage! The key action in itself is like a real piano, but I try to avoid using the sustain pedal, because I feel the sounds are carried for a bit too long. That's why I prefer to keep my fingers on the keys a bit longer. The touch sensitivity is acceptable, tough you need to crank the sound up a little bit for a good effect. All in all, the three pianos, the harpsichord, and the organ are superb, but the two electronic pianos, and the strings and the vocals are lame, and I never use them.

The alumunium casing makes it look robust, and I would trust it without a backup. The buttons are solid, and the piano keys look good enough. Even though, I will avoid to bang it on a wall or worst, to drop it. There are 35 lbs of electronics and mechanism in that thing, and I don't feel it can withstand such a beating, same as I wouldn't want to drop my DVD player on the floor.

I've never had to deal with the company. One thing though: there is no customer support number in the user's manual, unless mine was missing a page or something.

I'm still very satisfied with my P50, and I own it for almost 6 months now. I'd buy another one, or any other Technics product, should this one stop working. Before I bought it, I have tried some Yamahas, and I have to say the sound of the Technics is far better, but that's a personnal opinion. There is only one minor problem that I have experienced with my piano, and maybe other people have had the same glitch: once in a while there is a subtle static noise when I play, especially when keying a chord. Looks like it's electric noise that comes from the piano through the cables, because I checked my speakers (which are a bit expensive) with my audio system, and no such thing happened. Funny thing, if I let the piano warm up a little (like for 15 minutes) before I play anything, the sound is flawless and crystal clear, even at a high volume. I've had this problem since the beginning, but that doesn't bother me that much: the unit works real fine otherwise. I didn't dare to send it back to Technics for repair, too scared it's going to come back worst than it is now!

This is in response to the review posted below. Technics sells it's digital piano's through acoustic Piano dealers. If you had a problem with the unit you should have contacted the dealer and had them replace it- as they will deal with any warranty issues for you. From personal experience- when we've had customers come into our store with a broken powersupply or Whathaveyou- we replace it on the spot- You should have contacted your dealer- and not even worried about Panasonic.

Very simple to use. Just plug it in and it plays nicely! The manual is pretty basic. However, there's not a lot to be said. Other than the piano sounds, the other sounds are useless! There's 3 acoustic piano sounds

If you don't want all the bells and whistles, this is the keyboard. the action is as close to a real piano as you could get. There are no expansion capabilities, unless you use a module. There's no sequencer. Looking at it would not intimidate the average user.

On the piano sounds are great. They wasted their time with the vocals, organ, and vibes! It's as though they had to justify the price by adding those sounds! The velocity and aftertouch are superb!

Totally undependable keyboard mechanically! I'll explain later. If it's working, it's a great keyboard to gig with. As I said before, it's a great keyboard for acoustic piano sounds. So yes, I use it for gigs. However, I'd never take it without a backup keyboard and neither should you if you own one!

Technics is the WORST, WORST, I REPEAT, WORST company you'd ever want to deal with. They're helpful because they want your money, not consumer satisfaction! When I contacted them for an adapter and explained to them why I was purchasing it, they failed to inform me that I couldn't return it until I called them back to tell them the adapter wasn't the problem. I had to get the keyboard serviced because of some small internal part that snapped! Thankfully, it was still under warranty. This the 2nd keyboard of this model that I've had problems with! If I was smart about it, I should have returned the keyboard when I first had problems -which was 2weeks after purchasing it! Avoid Technics with all your might!

This keyboard has been nothing but a headache! Never purchase a hefty keybard that requires a detachable adapter, that lesson #1. Secondly, stick to a company that stands by their products and are interested in a long-term customer, that would be Yamaha, Korg, Roland. Roland's products work and work well! Their support staff know what they're talking about and Roland cares about it's customer! It's best to buy from a company that's knowledgable about the field! Technics is the worst company I've every dealt with! I'll never purchase their products. It's unfortunately, because the keyboard has a great touch and sound.

Easy to use, wish the settings stayed after it was disconnected

I've been playing jazz piano for over 30 years and have had several digital keyboards, the last being the Roland FP-8. I wanted something lighter so at a large store I tried Yamahas, Rolands and whatever else I could find. Price was not an object, but I wanted something easily portable and the best piano feel and sound. The Technics P50 was easily the best. You feel like you're playing a light action grand and the tone is very good. It is very responsive to the touch. My only complaint is that the dynamic range is nowhere near a real grand (but neither are any other digital pianos). I can only assume that the increase in volume and the accompanying harmonics that makes it realistic, is a difficult thing to achieve. Add the fact that it's relatively low priced, you just can't beat it.

I use it regularly on gigs...solo, trio, quintet and big band

never needed it

this is just a couple tips for anyone with sxp50 who have noticed any notes that lose some tone as a couple others have mentioned.I've owned mine for a year and when I first used it I ran one cord out of the output and noticed that about 3 notes,(c,c#,d) in the second octave above middle c sounded as though the bass and middle of the tone dropped out.Figured I'd live with it as is,but eventually tried running two lines out of it,I have an amp with 6 inputs. I noticed that by adjusting volume of each output one side had the tinny sound on those three notes and the other sounded fuller.So now I just run the two lines with the volume set higher on the one side.One other tip that the store gave me.Its okay to stand on end,or carry sideways as you would in a bag or case with a handle,just dont turn upside down for any eason. theyve found that it messes up the action. I love the sound of this keyboard and at this point wouldnt consider replacing it with anything else. Jim

very easy funtions

no any features,but easy!

the touch is good! but unreliable. I bought it,and found two serious machinery key problems at the second day.
The sounds are so so, you can hear a "hum.." sound by headphone.

I returned goods at second day.

I returned goods at second day. But paied for some money(total*1/11 ).
The price in my country is too too expensive!!

I will not buy it again.
The quality of p50 manufactures are so terriable

I purchased this instrument in April 2001, pretty much the time it was released. That accounts for the relatively premium price I paid for it. The prices for this model I?ve noticed have been plummeting like a lead balloon which is probably accounted for by a stronger Aussie dollar and/or Technics are about to unleash a new baby on us?

Easy to use, pretty much. The controls are layed out logically and there?s not a great deal involved there, buttons & LED display are used in place of sliders or knobs which are visually more direct, still, once you?re used to the sleek button-style operation it?s fine and easy. Manipulating organs can be a finicky process as only one button activates them, then you need to either keep the button pressed for 5 seconds and use the < > buttons to scroll around them, or, otherwise press your fingers on both. On the whole though, quite easy to use, except that when you remove the power jack from the keyboard all personal settings are lost. Sometimes that can be annoying, especially if you have many preset mixes on dual-layered sounds.

The sustain pedal is flimsy and boxy and can be awkward to use freely; it?s worth taking the time to paste down with gaffer tape on stage, it can make performance a lot easier rather than constantly expending the mental effort dragging your foot forward to locate the pedal to move back into position!

Note too, be careful of resting your hand when altering the volume on the fly. It?s happened to me in rehearsal a few times (but not on stage ThankG!) where by I?ve turned the machine off as the ?On/Off? button is located directly to the left of the volume slider, be careful there!

I believe the Technics P-50 to be the most aptly featured of all the digital stage pianos in this price range. The range of sounds is concise, excellent and functional for what I believe to be are most players? needs: 3 acoustic pianos, 2 electric pianos, harpsichord, vibes, voice, strings, and a further 9 organs including 4 church organ & 5 jazz organ sounds. No relatively superfluous wood basses or guitar sounds here. Demo is available, and midi too though I never use the midi. 64-note polyphony is fine.

You are able to layer any two sounds (except any two organs together) and mix them accordingly with any desired degree of balance. That mix function is fantastic and allows the user a myriad of sound choices, ie, you can mix piano and organ and lean it heavily towards piano etc etc, rather than just a 50/50 layer. Brilliant! This machine doesn't offer split levels but I don't care about that myself, nor do I care about silly sampling and recording options which this instrument does away with. Feature-wise, the P50 is very attuned to being a comprehensive stage keyboard without the bells & whistles, for that reason it's excellent. It fits nicely into a Technics bag as well!

There are 4 reverb levels which are very effective, and a digital effect button which is something of a chorus effect which is great for all sounds except for piano where it's unnecessary. The sympathetic response is nice too but it's a shame you can't use that with reverb, although if the amplification has reverb, maybe use it there and forgo it on the keyboard. Three levels of touch as well, I use medium but light may help with producing a brighter sound...

The keyboard action is good, like that of a grand piano, although lighter. 'Natural response action', graded hammer action etc. I have a preference for a firmer action on the piano but taken into context, ie, 9 organ sounds, the action caters well for piano and is just light enough for comfortable jazz style organ playing. So for that reason, it's extremely versatile. The keys themselves are a let-down, not so much the black keys but the white keys are a touch flimsy and croaky and seem to be made out of a light plastic. (My 'D' directly above middle 'C' croaks heavily - damn annoying!) A better keyboard would make for a better action and a far better 'feel' of the piano, ie, it would make the 'Natural response action' feel a lot more genuine. Unfortunately, the Technics feels like a keyboard rather than a true piano, even taking into account that this is a digital and not acoustic piano.

People seem to either love the piano sounds on the Technics P50 or they don't. I don't. Tonewise, they are quite beautiful with the Concert Grand probably having the boldest and most present sound of the three of them - a rounded grand piano sound. However, the overall tone nonetheless tends to be wet, "washy" & woolly, a touch murky even, especially in the baritone register. I find the pianos tend to lack sparkle and presence, and the brightness only remedies that to a small degree. The Pop Grand is the least murky sounding piano although it seems to gravitate between being too sharp and yet still possesses that anemic wetness, it's ok, but not convincing enough. The Upright seems to replicate that classic sound you get on 1950's recordings of Schubert's Winterreise etc but practically it's not of any great use, after awhile it starts to sound very mushy indeed... (look, when I bang an Am7 chord in the baritone register of the keyboard, I want to hear it in all its glory - and you don't with this instrument!...what you hear is a sound that seems to come out of the washing machine...). On the whole, the pianos tend to come out sounding "weak", chords are on the wet and muddy side (although admirable tone-wise), and sometimes I notice passages come out muffled...could have something to do with the sampling, I'm not sure.

A comparison to my criticisms would be with the other digital piano I own (since 1999), late model Yamaha Clavinova CLP-820. It has only 1 piano sound (with variation) that to me is perfect. It's a simple, yet true piano sample that delights me and suits all styles of playing, with an action I consider to be perfect. I've recently tried out a Yamaha P-120 at a store and having the Technics right next to it, one can see clearly why the Technics is the cheapest of the lot.

People have complained about the Yamaha P120 as having terrible piano samples - I can see what they mean but I still feel that those sounds (and samples) are far more convincing and truer than those of the Technics. Basically when I practice on the Technics I found myself often frustratingly changing sounds and settings to get the 'right' sound and I never do. The action and piano sounds do not "delight" me to the extent that I want to keep playing for hours.

To me, this instrument suits light, expressive classical performance, or various jazz styles. I myself like to play with a chunky do-wop blues style and the keyboard action is simply not to my taste when it comes to this style of playing. My Yamaha Clavinova, yes. The Yamaha P120 would do the job but yet, that has nowhere near the amount of functionality, simplicity and practicality that the P50 offers, compromises have to be made somewhere. And I'm not about to sell my P50 to buy another friggin' piano!

The other sounds are good, organs especially, but they are 'wet' sounds rather than dry which, (I'm talking 'subtleties' here), make them sound a touch plastic-y rather than warm and true - yet, they are good samples and overall makes for a wonderful stage instrument. Note the digital effect really enhances most of the sounds (not the pianos though). A major plus of the P50 is its functionality of sound options, you don't have a lot of the unnecessary sounds you find on other digital stage pianos, like wood bass & guitar, sounds you wouldn't need etc.

In the two years I've owned this beast, no problems, it's gone around a bit too, I use two piano bags, the Technics bag, plus a bigger bag I put those into.

Never had to contact them, doubt I will. I notice in their website they have a link as to what would your perfect keyboard be like if you could design one. Well, I'll tell them now - for me, same instrument, but, with the exception that I'd like the keys, action and piano samples to be replaced by those used on the Yamaha P120, simple!

On the whole, you can't go past the functionality of this instrument. For a slim-line fully weighted stage piano it's one of the best. Better looking and more functional than all the ones I've seen anyway, Roland RD150, Yamaha P80, Kawai, Korg etc. The piano sounds are a departure from the rest of them which is a good thing in many ways and would suit those wanting a keyboard that emulates a tone-full grand piano sound - but be warned, try it out and see if it's right for you before buying because it is different, maybe better for some, but not better for others. I don't think I'd buy this instrument again if I had the chance, I'd go a Yamaha as that suits me a lot better....but I'd miss the ease and wonderful proportion of good sounds you get on this instrument. I admire and appreciate the Technics P50, but I don't love it.

I've been playing 12 years, on then off then on again...(since the age of 20, a late bloomer!) I've played keys in a band but don't anymore as the bass player left and now I'm playing bass. The P50 I found didn't suit my style of playing, as mentioned, do-wop chunky bluesy style, I like to hit the thing HARD! Remember too, the white keys are a disappointment and do not lend themselves to giving the instrument a genuine 'piano' feel. I want to keep playing keys in bands and this instrument admittedly is a one-stop shop given all the organs etc. At the moment I use it for practice (along with my beloved Yami Clavi!) and Bach & Beethoven go nicely with it, but I'm not happy with the piano sounds. Make up your own mind on those.

Not much features, no menues so easy to use. But changing midi channels ? Upss i don't remember. Manual . :((

Power lost..Brain lost. Settings are los't after 1 or 2 hours with out power.

Action is great for me. Not many features.I could be happy with it...see later.

No overtones(don't know if this is the right word my english is not very well) but it sounds a little dead. I don't know how so many people can say it sound's good.

Sounds like recorded wit 22Khz sampling frequence. Ok not that bad, but not very well.(PIANOS)

1 key stopped working after 4 weeks. Caned pressure air helped.

Maybe better for non smokers.

i don't know have it since 8 Weeks

No i wouldn't buy it again. I was in here and thought so many piano players say it's a good one. So i bought it over the net (didnt listen to the sound), i never do that again.

It's not bad but the sound of the pianos (what was importent for me) is a little dead.

Plug it in and turn it on - your away. Everything is simple to get to. The manual is simple and straight forward.

The audio/midi/power connections on the end of the unit make it easy repatch and neat for when your on the stage. It is easy to carry! Lightest Stage Piano in its class.

I took a couple points off the rating because when it is disconnected from the power for > 10 mins it loses your settings. This, however, isnt that bad becuase to reconfigur it is as simple as about 3-4 button presses.

64 note polyphony is plenty! I haven't had a note dropout yet. The reverb is fine. I like to play with the reberb off so I can enjoy the Sympathetic resonance. One feature that I would have liked would be the ability to have a different midi channel for transmiting than the one it recieves on.

Overall I think the features are pretty good. Sure the Roland has a metronome and a two track sequencer. - but isn't this a piano??? I have a Workstation/Synth with all that jazz. (Kawai K-5000W).

Lovely Piano patches!! The sound of the P50 is wonderful. The Grand is great for solo playing when you want a full, well, Grand sound! In a band the Pop grand works a treat - or also for solo playing if you like a brighter piano. The Upright is very mellow - I dont use it a lot but it is nice to have. The EPianos are quite nice. Some people have said that they are not that good - but what style are they tring to play with them? They sound great if you play funky/bluesy/jazzy stuff they sound pretty good.

The P-50's sound is superious in my opinions to the Roland RD-150 and the Yamaha. The Roland's main piano had a horrible "plonky sound." The rolands pop and rock pianos were so bright and tinny they were useless - they sounded like any other cheap "midi" sounding piano.

I almost forgot the organs! I love them - the Jazz organs that is :).

I have had it for a few months and taken it various places with me and it has worked fine.

I haven't had to deal with any customer support because it works perfectly!

Overall I think this is a great instrument. I would defenitely get another one if it were lost or stolen - unless technics brings out a new model.

For me, the Technics easily beats the Roland and Yamaha (and the toy Casio with the light up keys - for goodness sake aren't you trying to sell professional instruments?)

I've been playing since I was 8. I'm now almost 17 and learning jazz and contempory improv. I play for my school performing arts (Chior & Stage Band) and at church. The P50 complements my Kawai K500w - one for piano, the other for all the rest.

It has the features I need without the gimmicks and does exactly what it is supposed to - emulate a piano. I prefer it to many repectable accoustics (including grands) I have played.

It's easy to use, there are not many variables or buttons.

64 polypony is adequate. The action is fairly decent, sort of like a light grand.

I was all set to order this digital piano after I tried it three times in the store with my Sony headphones. But now I have cahnged my mind after listening to all the online demos of the SX-P50 at Jinx Chin's music page thru my Sony MDR 7506 Studio Headphones:

I noticed the same problem with the SX-P50 piano as with the SX-P50 piano demos online at Caruso: A lack of high frequencies.
The hi-frequency "sparkle" is not present, dare I say the P-50 sounds "boxy." It also sounds sort of "muted", like when I used to drape a thin piece of felt inside my upright piano between the hammers and string to make it softer so as not to bug the people in the next room. Also the notes seem to cut off to abruptly, sort of clunky sounding, you can notice it especially during the fast runs and the bouncy comping. The vocals and all the other instruments seem to have plenty of "highs" just the P50 sounds lacking in "highs".
You can especially get a good idea of how the P50 sounds on the instrumental piece titled: "Jinx's Three-Note Drunk Song." I do notice some highs in the last three high notes of the piece where it sounds like Jinx is striking the keys at maximum velocity of 127.

The 3 different P50 audio demos online at CarusoMusic.com. I don't hear much high frequency in those either.
I'm concluding that the P50 lacks high frequencies in it's piano samples.

Question:
If you turn up the treble with the internal EQ, does it open the filter up and let new hi-frequencies come thru?
Or does it just boost the existing treble that I already hear in the sample?

Here is the link where you can access the demos on Caruso.

Hard to say...

They sometimes answer emails, sometimes not.

Very easy to use. This is designed as a digital piano not a full fledged synthesizer. The chorus effect is adjustable on or off only, and there are 4 reverbs and each has 10 levels available to the user. Two sounds can be layered but how to adjust the level of each requires the manual,as does setting string resonance levels and basic midi implementation, but it is simple.
I didn't give it a 10 because you have to set your levels each time the keyboard is turned on.

At 64 notes, there is more than enough polyphony. The keyboard action is very good and it translates the fingers to strings response very well. There are no expansion capabilities, but anyone buying this instrument should be buying it for its piano sounds.

I purchased this instrument for the acoustic piano sounds, the keyboard action and how well integrated they are. That's it!! All 3 pianos are very good from top to bottom. I use the concert grand most of the time, which is good for solo piano (classical or jazz) acoustic jazz ensembles, solo singing and folk or soft pop groups (the upright can also be used as a substitute, but it more mellow and doesn't speak nearly as brilliantly and the concert grand). For rock or loud ensembles the pop piano is much brighter and along with the brilliance control can be used to cut through just about any mix. There are 2 electric pianos: I don't care for the Rhodes piano, but I do like and have use for the DX7 piano. It is warm at low key velocities but gets much brighter with a heavier touch. The other sounds I have no use for so I won't comment except to say that if you need those sounds get a module. I do however give the sounds a 10 because I am only interested in the pianos.

N/A I have only had the instrument about 6 weeks.

N/A Have not had to deal with Technics.

This Digital keyboard excels as far as its action and acoustic piano simulations are concerned, and that is the only reason I purchased the Technics P-50. I have been playing piano for about 10 years and it is the best digital piano in respect to sound and touch response that I have tried. The nearest competetion in my mind was the Yamaha Clivinova I used to play, but it falls short as do all others.
The acoustic piano is a majestic instrument and sitting behind one and playing it brings out the most of ones ability and creativity, the P-50 and a good sound/monitoring system is as close as it comes for me.

No software all pretty basic.

This thing has no editing, only basic presets. Their sound is good, but that will be discussed further down.

I don't own it, but a church i attend does, and I have played it a bit. But I haven't read the manual.

Its basic, and really really easy to use.

Polyphony is 64: more than adequate.

Keyboard action: I personally own a Roland RD700 and the Technics keyboard action is definitely not as nice as that. That said, it is better than many.....it is well weighted, but I'd have to say it feels a bit plasticky next to the RD700 (although note the price difference, the RD700 is more than twice the price)

Built in effects are reverb and chorus. The previous post with the sympathetic resonance mentioned is interesting. I will have to try it (I always use reverb)

MIDI capabilities are basic, and there is no sequencer.

Piano sounds are great but not as good as the RD700..but thrash anything in this price range. Played it next to Roland RD150 and the technics one easily. But the RD700 had too much over it. Still it is very good. I originally didn't think much of it, then one day I heard it played by someone who was very very good and my perspective on this model changed.....now I appreciate the "realness" of it.

The other sounds are all good but not perfect, although I don't understand why it has harpsichord and not.....maybe more pad sounds.

The onboard effects are basic...Its not like I record with it or something so you can't say much from basically hearing it live.

I would depend on it although I must admit all digital pianos I find hard to trust as they are heavy and a drop would be fatal.

no dealings

I don't own it....

But if i were a rich man I would buy one to complement my roland. Maybe if the roland got stolen, I'd consider one of these for economy.

Wish it had a keyboard split.

I have also noted the silver duco doesn't look so good now.

Basically, of course, you turn it on and start playing. Not a lot of sound editing possible, but that's not why someone would be looking at this unit. Reverb type and depth, not much else, which is fine since the presets sound good as is. I did knock off a point in my rating, though, because if you do changes any settings, it does not retain memory of them when unplugged for more than a few minutes. I, like most people I would imagine, use this keyboard primarily for a handful of sounds, and it only takes a couple button pushes to get things to the state I want (turn off reverb for the piano sounds to enable string resonance), but still, I'd prefer not to have to do this each time. Someone wanting more control over the sound would find the lack of permanent memory an additional slap in the face.

Also in the "ease of use" category, I like fact the jacks are on the side. The controls are clearly laid out as well; perhaps no more so than its competition, but better, I understand, than the predecessor to the SX-P50 (the SX-P30).

This unit has essentially two features - the keyboard action and the preset sounds. Both are, in my opinion, the best in its class (Roland FP-3, Yamaha P-80, etc).

The keyboard action in particular "feels" like a real piano (not that all real pianos feel the same!) in a way most other weighted keyboards don't. It isn't just a matter of the right resistance, but how that resistance modulates throughout the travel of the key. I would say the Technics resembles a grand piano with a relatively light action, which I happen to prefer anyhow. The Yamaha P-80 has a heavier action that some might prefer for that reason alone, although I think it is not as realsitic an emulation of a heavy action as the Technics is of a lighter one.

Soundwise, it has the basic effects processing you'd expect (reverb plus a patch-dependent chorus-like effect), and one you might not dare hope for - emulation of the sympathetic resonance of the undampened piano strings while the sustain pedal is down. The latter only works with reverb off, which takes some getting used to, but I suspect the main reason keyboardists rely so much on reverb is the lack of any natural resonance in other synths. Ultimately I find the contrast between the dry sound with pedal up and rich sound with pedal down very convincing. I should mention that GeneralMusic has had this capability for years, and also deals with the sympathetic vibrations between notes played concurrently even without the pedal. But the basic piano samples are not as good on the GM in my opinion. Yamaha also has pedal-triggered resonance on the P-80 & P-120, but it doesn't seem to work nearly as well (it uses a different sample set whereas Technics uses digital processing). Yamaha's resonance does work in conjunction with reverb, but I found that lessened my perception of the effect; if anything, it just made it sound muddy. Hearing how the sound just opens up when you put the pedal down on the Technics was one of those "wow" moments for me. This issue is one of the biggest reasons I was looking to replace my old setup (Fatar controller with Roland Sound Canvas).

Polyphony is more than adequate for virtually all purposes at 64 voices. MIDI implementation is basic but functional. You'd probably want to make up your own labels to remind you which keys to press to generate which patch change, etc.

One thing you might complain about is the included sustain pedal, which is one of those generic guitar pedal box types rather than any sort of realistic-feeling lever. However, I am thankful that it accepts the Roland sustain pedal with the heel extension - my Fatar was wired the wrong way to be able to use that, so I was constantly chasing my pedal across the floor.

Ultimately, again, I decided to knock off a point in my rating because of a few things the Technics lacks that other likely customers might wish for - a soft pedal jack, keyboard split function (and a bass sound to go with it), on-board sequencer, and any capability for expansion. Including all of these would put the unit into a different category, but I'm sure many people will miss something from this list. I've noticed others complain about there being only one headphone jack, which seems an odd complaint to me. A splitter is a few bucks at Radio Shack; I can't imagine why most people would need two headphone jacks enough to justify including them.

I got this for the piano sound, and after comparing it to similar Roland, Yamaha, Kurzweil, Kawai, Korg, and GeneralMusic models, I found the Technics superior in all virtually respects. I already mentioned the resonance as a big factor in what I like about the sound, although you give this up if you decide you can't live without reverb. I also liked the basic samples, although I discovered the concert grand is a bit dark for playing in a noisy context (for example, a Latin jazz quartet in a loud room) or through a PA system that cheats the high frequencies. I found switching to the "Pop Grand" fixed that right up, better than turning up the "Brilliance" control. So now I'm happy to have both options - Concert Grand for solo or duo playing, Pop Grand for larger ensemble.

What else do I like about the sound? Thunderous bottom, woody top. Huge dynamic range, and the way it responds to velocity seems very natural at the default setting (you can also adjust for heavier or lighter sensitivity). The balance across the keyboard is nice too - plenty of presence in the middle range, and the top is not too harsh. The different sustain/decay characteristics across the keyboard is a nice touch too; the top octave, as you might hope (but don't always find) is damperless. Speaking of the damper, while there is no half-pedalling capability, you can "pump" the pedal to soften the release of notes, and this works pretty well. With respect to pedalling issues, the Technics' only real competititon in my eyes were the Yamaha P-120 and GM keyboards, both of which arguably do better in this regard. That's probably the only area where I found any other keyboard did anything better than the Technics, which is remarkable in itself.

Aside from the piano, the other sounds seem competent enough. I have rarely used them on other keyboards, and don't expect that to change. There organ presets on this (nine of them) do seem noticeably better than what I have heard on other synths, but I suspect a real organist would prefer something that more accurately emulates all the controls (including the keyboard and pedals) of a B-3 or other organ. The electric pianos sounds are nothing special - a decent imitation of the old DX-7 "tine piano" and something more like a Rhodes (but not as convincing in the details as the piano sounds). Given the lack of a keyboard split, I don't miss a bass sound, but the two together would be an obvious enhancement for a followup product. That plus a soft pedal jack and you'd meet just about everyone's needs who would be looking at a unit like this in the first place.

Regarding some of the issues raised by other reviewers - I did notice a slight harmonic distortion in a couple of the mid-register notes when test-driving at the store with headphones. Presumably the same ones others mentioned. However, this is pretty much unnoticeable in real playing situations - especially if, like me, that means gigs. Even at home with headphones, unless you are playing a piece that exposes those couple of notes - a whole note all by itself, for example - you are not going to notice.

Sorry, I was unable to resist posting after only a week with the keyboard (hey, at least I waited that long!). It seems sturdy enough despite its light weight. I'll probably hold on to my Fatar/Roland combo for a little while just in case...

I am fortunate to have a dealer a couple of miles from my home, and they have been good in the past about service. I'm hoping they can shield me from having to deal directly with Technics. Not that I have anything against the company - just that most large manufacturers (especially foreign ones) are notoriously slow.

I've been playing the piano virtually all my life, and I've been a professionally jazz pianist for the last 20 years. I wanted a portable digital piano to replace my Fatar/Roland gig rig that was affecting my playing more and more noticeably. After spending a couple of weeks driving all around town to try different models, I found the Technics had both the best action *and* the best sound. Plus it is about the lightest keyboard in this class. No brainer for me. I'd buy another immediately if it were lost or stolen.

I love the action on the Technics, and the sound - in particular, the resonance, the dynamic range, and the balance across the keyboard. My biggest quibble is probably the lack of permanent memory for settings, but this is pretty minor.

I've played it at home and on gigs for the past week. My old digital system constantly reminded me of its limitations - lack of resonance caused me to compensate by filling up too much space with notes (and excessive reverb); balance and EQ issues caused me to rely overly on the upper end of the keyboard; not quite realistic action affected my technique. On the Technics, I find I can play it just as if I were on a piano, and *sound* like I am on a piano. Actually better in practice, since the pianos at most jazz clubs are in such bad shape. I might start bringing this with me on some of those gigs...

While it wasn't an issue for me, I wish there were more dealers for Technics and more visibility for this keyboard. I found it interesting that virtually everyone responding here tried the Technics against the Roland FP-3 and Yamaha P-80 (and almost invariably chose the Technics), while people reviewing the latter keyboards seemed unaware of the Technics (and those few that did try it often admitted the Technics was the equal of whatever they ended up choosing).

Very easy to use for basic items. MIDI, volume, and a few other features are not readily apparent and require the use of the manual. A few more buttons could have helped it out.
I was able to render the P-50 unplayable while setting the reverb depth.. not sure how I did it, but I had to restore factory defaults to get it to go again.

Several people have asked to have the P-50 reviewed against the P-30, so most of my comments will concern the two.

Effects are 'yes-no' for each sound (and in the case of the organs, it defines the leslie rate). They are very simple to use and in most cases are exactly what you want.

The keyboard action is brilliant. The best I've seen anywhere.

This is a tricky one.
Compared to the P-30, the P-50 has a much more developed high register. However it lacks the realism in the mid and lower registers that the P-30 has. The sound seems to linger in an unrealistic fashion.

At medium to loud volume ranges, the sound is superior to the P-30, but is seems to have no 'soft' piano samples - only "medium key strike played more quietly". It just doesn't sound right.

The P-30 has considerable 'guts' in the octave below middle C. The P-50 is thin there.

If you're playing this in a band setting with lots of musicians, the sounds will be great for you. If you're playing in a setting where you could USE pianissimo, you'll find the depth lacking.

The dynamic playing range on the 50 seems more flat than the 30. On the 30, you could sting a single key, and it would tower in volume above all others. The 50 has a smoother response that doesn't allow for heavy dynamics.
I have the response set to "Heavy" and I wish there were a few even heavier settings. On a real piano there is a distinct difference bewteen 'moderately loud' and 'very loud'. Using the same effort on the P-50 will yield no difference.


Jazz organs are amazing.
Strings are... not useful on their own - you need to layer them with something - and even then they're dodgy.
Vibes; nice - I use them.
Harpsicord ; reasonable... but if you're buying this for the harpsicord sound, it is probably sub-par. (nice touch on the release, though)
Vocal; I don't have a use for them. No comment.

If I hadn't had a P-30, or always played moderately loudly, I would have probably rated this a 10. The piano sould IS very good - I'm just very fastidious.

When I fired mine up today, several of the keys didn't work.
Reboot. More worked. Reboot. More worked. etc, etc...
After 5 minutes, only 2 keys refused to function, after 7 minutes they all worked with no problems.
What caused this? I don't know.
I know I've never had a problem with the P-30, that thing was a tank.

n/a

This has the best manual, coupled with the second-best piano sound, coupled with an amazing jazz organ. Excellent for most applications. I can't believe they didn't keep the P-30's piano, though (or the special hidden EP in the P-30). Now I have to haul around 2 of these monsters, one for the keyboard manual, and one for the piano sound generation.

Yes, the keyboard manual IS that much nicer.

Just press the on/off button, select your preset sound(s), add some reverb (or just use the great string resonance without reverb), change the touch and brilliance settings on-the-fly with very few buttons. It's that easy. After a few minutes of practice, you'll only need the handbook for changing some exotic MIDI-settings....... One negative remark: all organ sounds (9!!) are preset under one button, so it takes more time to browse through the list and select the right one than with the other one-touch preset sounds.

The keyboard action of this one is great; not too heavy (like the Yamaha P80) and very precise and responsive.

It has no expansion board capabilities, no on-board sequencer, etc., etc. I am using the sx-P50 together with a keyboard (and a PC with MIDI at home), so I am not so much worried about the lack of bells and whistles on the sx-P50.

I'm only interested in the piano, electric piano and organ sounds and those are fantastic or even incredible. Making sound-layers and adjusting the relative volume is a breeze.

I would say if your sx-P50 sounds crappy then check your headphone and/or speakers. If you have low-end equipment then you might need to do a lot of equalizing to get a decent sound. Only using high-quality speakers will give the great piano sounds the right amount of depth, presence and realism!! A chain is as strong as it's weakest link.

When you drag the sx-P50 around (only 16kgs and just fits on the backseat of my car, which is very convenient) it feels very rugged. You get the feeling that it's made for pro's, but I didn't drop it yet, so it's difficult to rate.

Didn't need those guys so far. Let's keep it that way!

Yes, I would buy it again. Definitely. Let's make one thing clear: if you are looking for a great piano, electric piano and organ sound then go for the sx-P50. If you want to have more sounds (like synth pads, wind and brass, acoustic and electric bass) and maybe rhythm (and a build-in sequencer) then you have to spend at least 3x as much money to get the same overall quality. Beware, most of those alternatives are a lot heavier.......

very easy to use. doesn't take rocket scientist to figure out how to switch sounds. Not a lot of options to edit patches like Roland keyboards. That's ok for me because I have a keyboard that does that and don't like to edit patches too often anyway. The manual is sufficient. there's really not a great need for it anyway because you just plug it in and play!

I love the action! it's like a real piano. you can change the action to from light, normal to heavy. That's great for me to strengthen the fingers. No on-board sequencer. this definitely isn't a workstation. 88 keys! The effects are limited - what you see is what you get.

I LOVE the piano and electric piano sounds! it's great for classical, jazz, and other contemporary styles. the string sound sucks and unfortunately, I need strings often!! (my major dissapointment with this keyboard)

I gig with it often. It's portable, small and yet produces a big sounds. it looks great, unique.

if stolen, I don't think I'd buy another one because of the poor strings. Also, the vibes and vocals are useless! I've played for 15 years seriously. If you want a portable , basic, great piano sounding, feeling keyboard, this is worth purchasing.

For simple playing, it's impeccable -- turn it on, choose a sound and let it rip. There are a couple of nonobvious features, though, that can't really be accessed without consulting the manual. Technics should have silkscreened a little "cheat sheet" on the instrument so people could turn string resonance on and off or select their MIDI channel without having to look for the manual.

Polyphony is adequate (64 voices), keyboard action is simply great -- I compared this to the Korg SP-200 and the Yamaha P80. It blows them out of the water; the Korg feels like a toy and the Yamaha is too mushy in comparison. The P-50's action is crisp and responsive, better than a bad wooden piano, that's for sure. The LIGHT/NORMAL/HEAVY setting for touch sensitivity is great, too.
Thre built-in four-level reverb is pretty useless to me as I don't like reverb; the reverb DSP does string resonance when reverb is turned off, though. There's a "digital effect" button that gives you things like a detuned effect for the pianos, a "coupled" sound for the harpsichord, candy chorus for the e-pianos, vibrato for the vibraphone and the fast Leslie speed for the organs. There's no way to turn off the Leslie altogether for the organ patches, though.
MIDI is okay, there's no splitting, but the thing can serve as a multitimbral sound generator with each of the 16 patches responding to a different channel.
All the connectors are on the left side of the instrument, which makes the back look prettier, yet is unfortunate if, for example, your amp is on the right-hand side and your cable is too short.

The sounds are wonderful, plain and simple. Great acoustic and electric piano, a harpsichord that has the sound of plucks falling back and is not velocity sensitive (which is great). IMHO, this instrument is the best solution for anyone in need of a portable piano in the mid price range. It's a piano emulator. Full stop.
It should have a jack for a soft pedal; at the price it comes at, you shouldn't ask for more advanced sustain pedal features such as modelled string resonance or a pedal that does more than just on or off.
The instruments sound so good over headphones you will quickly notice any flaws in your amplification system. One case in point: Playing the predecessor, the P30, over a Yamaha MS60 monitor sounded great to me. With the P50, things are different -- I started to notice the MS60 doesn't do enough treble to do this great piano justice.

This instrument's top and back side are made of extruded and brushed aluminium, but the rest is plastic. It's pretty sturdy, though. I never dropped it, but I suppose it would keep on ticking.

So far I've never dealt with Technics support, but my dealer says they're OK.

This thing is great. I plan to have it serve as my only piano for the years that I'll be living in an 11 m? dorm room. Of course it's not perfect, but it's as close as you get at that price.
I've been playing the piano for nearly 15 years now. The P50 takes the lower level on my stand, with a Roland RS-5 atop of it and a Viscount D9e to the side, which I have reviewed separately. I'm still looking for the ideal way to amplify it -- at the moment, I'm making do by playing it through my Allsound rotary cabinet, and for piano-only gigs, I lend my father's Yamaha MS60, but I think this baby needs a real high-end keyboard amp to exploit its sound completely, and I've yet to find that amp.
The P50's greatest asset is the wonderful keyboard action, but it has great sounds to go with it, too. The Yamaha P80 is a good deal inferior in every way, while the Korg SP-200 is completely inferior, except for a bank of nice Rhodes, Wurlitzer and Clavinet patches.

It's as simple as turning it on and playing.The piano sounds are very good.I,myself prefer the pop piano preset because it's a little brighter over my P.A. system.However,through headphones all are excellent.As one of the other folks mentioned,I too compared it to the Yamaha P-80.This piano is far superior.The only sound that I consider to be weak is the harpsicord,but frankly that's a sound that I wouldn't use anyway.
There is very little in the way of editing capabilities in this unit.It is primarily a "bare bones" instrument,which by the way is exactly what I was looking for.
The manual is decent with the typical,sometimes humourous Japanese to English translations.

I love the action.There are three options for touch sensitivity.The unit has four reverb presets,all of which are nice.They range from a small room ambiance to a concert hall.Although these reverbs can't be edited,you can adjust their depth,which makes them very useful.They are as easy to use as pressing a button.
The unit does not have a sequencer in it.Although it's got the typical (and annoying,in my opinion)"DEMO" mode to audition the sounds. I do like the way they set it up though.The user has to press a series of buttons to activate it,thereby preventing any embarrassing moments on stage when "Tiny Bubbles" starts spewing out of your keyboard because you accidently hit the "DEMO" button.

The sounds are very realistic in my opinion.If I could change only one thing,I would like to be able to edit the decay of the piano presets.It's not a serious problem,but it's something that I will have to adjust to.
I do not like the sustain pedal that comes with the unit.However I've got a bigger Yamaha pedal and it works fine with it.
I should mention that the piano uses a "wall wart" for power.Having an internal power supply would be a big improvement.But as we all know,this is what helps make a product cost-effective.
I think this piano is very versitile,and would do well in any musical situation.

I haven't had it long enough to drop it yet.

I am happy with this piano.I would buy another one if something were to happen.The Technics P50 is a solid value.I own a Roland RD-500 as well and although the p50 is a simpler unit,the piano sounds absolutely stand up.In fact they are better over a P.A. system.There's more presence and less of that "electronic plunky" sound.
I have been playing music professionally for over twenty years.
If there's a love-hate thing goin' on with this piano,I'd say I love the weight>sound>value.I hate the external power supply.

This has to be as close to idiot proof as humanly possible.Its nice to have all the plug in points(midi, power, headphones,output)at the
side rather than round the back.I dont really care what it looks like
its nice and compact,but personally the slightly curved top of the casing should be flat bieng as im English and i need somewhere to put
my teapot/tankard.

This is sold as a stage piano and that is exacly what it is.The action of the keyboard is nicely weighted infact you could forget your playing a digital piano. All the buttons are within easy reach.
one small improvement that would make a huge difference would be
an on/off footswitch for the digital effects.I couldnt here any drop out of notes even when overusing the pedal

I cant imagine there is much room for improvment on the piano sounds
all of which have great depth,maybe the Electric piano sounds could be
a little dirtier.One pleasant suprise was just how good the jazz organ
settings were,5 ranging from lovley thin leads right up to a crunching Jimmy Smith fattness . ive been using a dedicated module(oberhiem/viscount drawbar add on which is excellent)up until now but i can get by just using the technics.effects simulate a nice rotorcab
sound that slow out and speed up when swiched on just like they should! This is were a dedicated foot pedal would come in handy.The vibe sound is also worth a mention,it has that proper fullness that you dont get on a lot of other keyboards as well as a lovley slow vibrato when the effect button is used.I dont use the other sounds much(strings harpsichord church organs and voice but they all sound up to scratch, if you go for that type of thing.

it hasnt fallen apart yet. ill get back to you on that one.

I think it is the best piece of electronic equipment i have ever bought, brilliant sound the keyboard is the best ive ever played,so nicely wieghted responsive(which has got to be the most important thing with any musical instrument).Its all you need if you just want
a beautiful playable piano.I cant imagine getting rid of it.

Sound (through good quality amp/ speakers) amazing
Don't know what editing patches means
Manual - straight forward.

Touch sensivity - very good, better than my old upright piano.
Effects - great - more advanced if you can be bothered to go through the manual.

All piano options are really realistic, again you need a good amp/ speakers. I got low end Roland built in speaker apms $79. They are great for home use.
Great touch sensivity.
All reverb settings are further adjustable after the presets, so if you don't like how it plays, you can alter it further. The standard pedal in my opinion could be a little more than it is.

Very dependable, but only had it a few months. Wouldn't know about gigs.

If it was lost/stolen, I would buy the same again.
Been playing 15-20 years, with 4 year break.
Love - design, sound, touch.
Dislike - can't think

Very easy to use, just a couple of buttons to give you direct access to the sound you want, only the right organ (9 in total) is a little difficult to get to. It always starts at the default (not my favourite) organ.

Midi in and out, a sustainpedal, nothing much, nothing really fancy but nothing lacking eather!
Pressure sensitive key make it play close to the real thing!
Just a few basic effects, still nothing is missing!

All intruments are warm and quite realistic
there are only a couple of onboard effects but no weird stuff like flangers or so, anyway just enough to use the instrument the way you really one... close to the real thing

never lets me down, no problem using it on a gig

Really excellent piece of work, awsome warm and realistic sounds
The pressure senstive keys make it play quite like an accoustic piano, and the piano sounds gets very close to the real one!
And aside you get two great electric pianos, some strings, a hapsichord, nine organ sounds and more and more... all very beautiful!

Interface if very simple and the manual is well laid out. I use the piano 99% of the time and since that's what I bought it for. I don't really use much of the other features (other instruments, reverb, etc.)

Polyphony : With 64-note polyphone I never notice notes cutting out since I don't layer (select 2 instruments simultaneously).
The other reviews state it all : bare bones digital piano. It's fine for me because I woudln't want to pay for extra features - I just wanted their beautiful sound (more below)

The Concert Grand piano is fantastic. I compared it to the Yamaha P80 and the Kurzweil SP88X and the Technics just blew them away. Between the P80 and SP88X, I preferred the SP88x but it (SP88x) didn't have as good a touch/feel as the SP50. It's still far from perfect, especially since I'm used to practicing on a baby-grand at home but for what I paid, it's good enough.

My biggest complaint would be the on/off switch of the sustain pedal. When I want to end a note gently, I have to "pump" the sustain pedal because if I let go slowly, the not will just cut off. If I leave the pedal down, the note is sustained too long. "Pumping" doesn't sound great, but its much better than cutting off a note.

Only bought it recently so can't say.

It's definitely worth what I paid for. I don't see anything else in the market at this price that is comparable. If you're basically looking for a digital piano without the frills, this is the best one in the market today. If you're looking to mix, then look elsewhere.

I bought this at a Costco roadshow btw. I got them to price match with an online shop.

The keyboard is very straight forward as far as selecting sounds. There are some parameters such as the acoustic resonance adjustment and "instrument balance" when playing using two sounds simultaneously that I either didn't know existed or how to use (depending on the feature) until I read the manual. However, don't get me wrong, a quick glance at the manual and I was well on my way in a matter of minutes. The midi features are really basic and also just as easy to use. The preset sounds are great "right out of the box", especially the piano sounds, which I bought it for in the first place.

The keyboard has 64 note polyphony, a chorus/leslie depending on the sound selection, acoustic resonance, brilliance adjsutment, reverb, transpose, sustain pedal, and best of all, weighted/hammer action keys. The action is the best i have found in many test drives. I tried the mp-9000 and this one felt a little more heavier(action) and had a true feel of a grand piano. Midi responds to incoming key velocity/pressure data. The incoming midi response can be set to omni, activating whatever sound is currently selected on the p50, or can be channeled to a specific sound. Each channel 1-10 corresponds to one of the sounds on the p50. This allows for multi-timbral from the p50, playing one tone from another keyboard. It's about as compact as any other 88 key that I have played and weighs in under 50 lbs.

The piano sounds are the best I have heard. I believe the samples are taken from a steinway (so says the salesman). The "grand" "pop grand" and "upright" piano each reflect their acoustic counterparts with no noticible glitches in the samples that are typical of many digitals. The acoustice resonance of the sound board and neighboring strings is produced quite well in that the you can actually hear the hammer hittingthe strings. One thing that i wish it did come with however is a soft pedal. The brilliance and key response can be turned down to accomoplish this, but it won't do it on the fly with a pedal. The organ sounds are good, covering some typical classical stop combinations, paired with the on board reverb, give a cathedral sound.

It seems to be built well, extruded aluminum front top and back, wood base, plastic ends. Compared to other keyboards I've seen, I would call it average. I would play out with it no problem. Haven't had it that long to break it though.. : )

I had a few general up front warranty questions (1 year in home bumper to bumper, and then a few years after that, limited coverage. Customer support seemed to be very responsive and cooperative in the little that i had to deal with them. Can't say much more on that. However, I do wish they would have more dealerships.

I've tried the mp-9000 and a few other rolands and yamahas in the same price range (1000-1500$) and overall I don't think the sound of any of them compared to that of the SX-P50. The mp-9000 is much heavier than the p50, and side by side, well, it was like comparing a tank with a sports car.. (no offense kawai... i like my k3). I think the midi can be a little more flexible, but i think it will do the job. I wish it had a soft pedal. I would strongly advise trying this one out before buying another digital piano. I sound is really impressive, and other than having to drive 1 hour, 45 min to the nearest dealer, I am really glad I gave this one a shot. No regrets on this buy.

I just tried this out today in a local music shop and the salesman gave me a pair of headphones and let me go to town. I was there for mabye 30 minutes just messing around with all the different features, and while there aren't that many, the ones the keyboard has are very useful. Everything was very easy to figure out and I only needed a little help to figure out how to access the different organ sounds. Besides that I went through basically everything the piano had to offer on my own. VERY easy to get into and use

I was exteremely impressed with the keyboard action. I was out all day driving to different music shops trying out digital pianos and for me, this was the only one with an authentic touch. There isn't any room for expansion, and it's a little light on features, but this doesn't matter to me because all I want is something that feels and sounds like a piano. In this respect, this piano cannot be beat.

The piano sounds were amazing!! I plugged in a pair of headphones and after the first note I was hooked. This was by far the best sounding digital piano I tried. It reacts almost exactly like a real piano, and gives you full ability to be expressive with the action. I tried out all the different sounds and although the pianos were AMAZING, the rest were still good. Again, the sound of the pianos and action is where this keyboard really excels

very easy, plug in and play, even a drummer could do it!

fantastic action, feels like a real piano. Very few options with regards to sequencing but that isn't what this is intended for. I rarely use the onboard effects apart from the leslie effect for the organs.

Sounds are excellent. Works well as a solo piano or as i use it, in
a rock band. I have even plugged straight into a desk and recorded with it. Very rewarding keyboard, responds exactly how you want it to. Headphone sound is especially good.

i've gigged twice a week for about 5 months with it now, had no problems,

It't the best stage piano on the market all things considered. The only thing it lacks and i miss occaisionally is being able to split the keyboard, although the layered sounds are good. Overall it's a great piece of kit for either silent practising or gigging

Just as simple as it could be. Plug and Play !

Keyboard action is wonderful. It gets so close from the real thing that you may forget you're playing an electronic instrument. I did not expect that much. Moreover, the three levels of dynamic response help adjusting it to your taste.

The piano presets are great. To my ears, the best I have found on any digital piano or expander. Playing it through headphones is pure magic. When it comes to amplifying it, some dramatic EQing may be necessary to get a good result (the first try can be a little disappointing). But it is worth it. Play it through an EQ and an external reverb processor, you will not regret it
The other presets are OK, but do not replace dedicated modules.
The reverbs are OK, but I would have liked to tweak them a bit. I rather use no reverb : when you turn it off, you get strings resonance instead. And this is good stuff.

It feels rock-solid, but I have had it for two weeks only.

I guess this keyboard is too simple to justify any support.

I would buy it again. It is worth more than its price.
I've started playing when I was 5. I own a Wurlitzer EP, a Roland XP-30 & a few sound modules + a PC based setup (Cubase + virtual synths).
I've chosen this one because it sounded better than much more expensive portable pianos. It is perfect for most styles, very inspiring : I'm happy.

The p50 is an incredible piece of technology. The keyboard itself is very easy to use. Switching sounds, transposing, the digital effects. . .etc. The man who sold the keyboard to me was an old old man in his mid to late 80's, and he had just gotten this piano in that week, and he knew how to work it. Technics did a very nice job on making all of the features very accesible. Its very easy for say to switch from a Pop Grand sound to a string-vibe sound all the time while you're still playing on your first sound. If that makes any sense. Ease of use being 10, the frustration level is 0. well. . the technical part of the piano, not the playing as most know.

The p50 has 18 sounds, and you can alter all of them somewhat with digital effects, resonance amplifiers, digital reverb, that kind of thing. The keys on the keyboard are weighted just like a full grand piano, the touch is so incredibly realistic. The keyboard doesn't have spring keys like most keyboards up to $3000, it has fully weighted hammer keys that feel just like the real thing. Its something you have to feel for yourself. Well actually, if you've played a piano before, you'll know what this feels like. The midi connection works though your computer just like anyother midi supporting keyboard will. But i really would of liked to see an on board mixer so you can control the right left volume, and the volume when using more than one instrument. Well, you can control the volume of the mixing of two instruments, but i would of liked to see a dial instead of an interface which takes a couple of seconds to get to. But all in all, the p50 is packed with some great features.

The sounds on this thing are. . .well they aren't even funny they are so good. The pianos . . .concert grand . .pop grand. . .upright. . those 3 are just incredible. The strings and vocals are just as crazy. You can get a violin all the way down to a double bass with the string feature. The vocals creeped me out the first time i used them because they sound so realistic. The electric pianos are ok, they're not great. The harpsicord is great, just like a normal harpsichord, the keys are not pressure sensitive. So no matter how hard or soft you play, the sound level is the same. And and and, when you hold the harpsichord down on the keys, you can hear the release of the pluck when you pull your hands off. what detail ay. The organs are great, they're are like. . 10 of them, to many to talk about. Great sounds. . but the electric pianos might be improved upon.

Reliable, well, i've only had this for a very short time, but i've heard stories of older technics lasting hundreds of thousands hours and still going strong, so i am not concerned about the p50 breaking down or anything. Also, the older technics were plastic, the body of this piano is brushed aluminum, and damn does it look awesome. Its a matte silver finish that just looks great. But as reliability is concerned, it rocks.

yeah, i have a 3 year no questions asked warranty on it, and there aren't any problems that i've had to deal with so far. But when we called to ask about the warranty, they were very very willing to help, and weren't annoying, or in a normal microsoft tech support bad mood.

You can't beat this. . .maybe unless you have thousands and thousands of dollars, but i would rather take this, than a $3000 yamaha just because of the features, the sound, and the feel.

VERY,VERY ,EASY "JUST TAKE IT OUT OF THE BOX AND PLAY IT"

VERY NICE,BUT VERY HEAVY MORE WEIGHTED KEYS THAN THE ROLAND RD SERIES AND THE REAL ACOUSTIC PIANOS,LIKE THE BOSSENDOFER ECT.

VERY REAL PIANO SAMPLES,BUT THE XP80 PIANO IT SOUNDS MORE REAL FOR ME,THE ELECTRIC PIANOS ARE EXELLENT

DONT KNOW YET

NO PROBLEM YET

FOR THE PRICE RANGE ,IS THE BETTER CHOICE ,BECAUSE THE RD150,AND 100 THE PIANO SAMPLES SOUND TO ELECTRIC,THE ONLY THING I DONT LIKE IS THAT WHEN YOU PRESS THE SUSTAIN PEDAL AT THE ORGANS SOUND IT DECAES LIKE THE PIANO SOUNDS,WHITCH IS NOT NORMAL ON ANY KEYBOARD,THAT HAS ORGAN OR STRING SOUND,WHEN YOU PRESS THE SUSTAIN PEDALS,IT SHOULD KEEP THE SOUND UNTIL YOU RELEASE THE PEDAL.ITS A TECHNICS MISTAKE

This piano is being used as the primary instrument for a person who played for years as a child/teen, and then "lost touch" with the keyboard for a few years (~8). Buying it was my way of getting back into playing but having the versatility of practising on my own and having other sounds (like church organ) to use.

A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS THAT THIS PIANO DOES NOT HAVE BUILT-IN SPEAKERS. Therefore, you must either use headphones, or have speakers dedicated for the unit. That being said, the quality of sound from both headphones and speakers is phenomenal.

I am pleased with the variety of sounds available. I use mostly the grand, upright, and organ sounds. There are many different organ sounds to choose fromm - all sound fantastic.

The included music stand is strong, made of metal, and fits securely into two holes on the back of the unit. It has a nice "rippled" base so that sheet music will not slip away from the stand.

The manual is decent. The foot switch is adequate, but nothing special. I would have preferred a proper pedal, but I have been happy with the included pedal. The unit does not come with either a cover for the keys (I will be making one to protect the beautiful keys) or a carrying case.

I do use the MIDI capabilities to my computer as a sequencer. No on-board sequencer is included, although I would never use one in any case (I need more features than are typically provided with "on-board" sequencers).

I am floored by the sound from this unit. I close my eyes and truly believe I am using the old upright piano that I learned on, except now it is in tune all of the time, and I can actually play extremely high and low notes without hearing terrible noises! I use it mostly for classical piano playing, experimenting with current radio music, and organ for hymns. I can't state strongly enough how much I love the sound. Until I was shopping for this unit, I didn't realize how far digital pianos had come in the last 5 years. You will not be dissapointed if you are looking for authentic piano/organ/electric organ sounds. People needed a larger sound bank should not be looking at this unit.

I have been using the unit for one month. No problems.

No dealings have so far been necessary.

I would replace this unit the very day somebody stole it. It is beautiful to look at, fantastic to play, and is very portable, especially given its features. No other piano I could find could match its balance of price/features/portability. I am very happy with the purchase.

I did not buy this, although I very very nearly did and have only used it in a piano shop; it's easy to play and swap instruments, brightness etc.

Keyboard action felt just a little too light for a piano (the Yamaha P-50 was better). It had that 'keyboard' feel to it, rather than a piano feel, although it has graded hammer action (or progressive, I think they call it).
It only had one headphone socket; most have two.
It did not have a metronome built in.

The reason I am submitting this is because I think the sound is unparalleled as far as similar stage pianos are concerned. The sampling of the Steinway is so much more pleasant the the sampling of the Yamaha grands.
Not only was the sound the best, I like a mellow tone and this gave me the most mellow tone I found for electronic pianos. The range of mellow to bright seemed much wider than the Yamaha P-80. Incidentally, I didn't feel the Roland FP3(?) didn't come close to matching the Technics in sound.
I did just wonder if it would be too 'subdued' at the most mellow setting and if there would be enough power to get an ff sound. Without living with it for a bit, I can't comment on that.

N/A

The reason I didn't buy this product in the end was because I noticed most of the shops and magazines did not stock it. I asked around and the answer I had was that Technics weren't as good as Yamaha and Roland on support and spare parts took ages to come and also they didn't keep as many spares for older models as did the others. I was disappointed because I thought I'd made my decision to go with the P-50. In the end I bought the P-80 (Yamaha) despite the sound not being as nearly as good (in my mind).

I'm working for my Grade VIII and have an acoustic piano but also have neighbours next door and below so wanted a light-weight cheapish fully weighted 88 key piano to practise at night. I thought nothing beat the Technics for the sound; not even the higher end of the Clavinova range. I don't play Grand Pianos so wouldn't really know how it compares to those. It has the most mellow sound and was also the cheapest (#20 cheaper than the Yamaha P-80). The main reason I didn't buy it was because no-one seemed to stock it (only one place) and I'd heard reports of bad post-sales support and thought I'd listen to what seemed to me to be warning bells. (The Yamaha had a heavier touch, too, which I saw as a good thing).

Ease of use... you plug it in, turn it on, and play! The system remembers previous configuration even when unplugged for several hours, great for setting and heading out to a gig.

The power supply is hefty. It may cover several outlets.

The manual is decent.

Very few features, but that isn't a big deal for me. Stereo/L+R outputs, 18 sounds, sustain, headphone, MIDI in and out (including pressure sensitive keys). Reverb, three modes touch sensitivity, five steps brilliance. No expansion, really.

Suits me just fine. I call this the "keyboard for pianists" - great sound, easy to use, very few frills.

Three piano sounds are all beautiful. The upper sounds are nice and woody, and the bass is very rich. The middle range is good when hit very hard (nice crisp sound).

Upright is nice and mellow. Combine it with reverb and you've got a pseudo honkytonk sound great for rag. The concert grand (main) is perfect for classical and solo jazz. For a pop or rock sound, or when blending with other sounds, choose the bright sounding pop grand.

Sound through the headphones is beautiful. The stereo sampling makes this keyboard a delight for primarily acoustic pianists. When connected to a decent 50-watt amp or better sound system, the keyboard maintains a decent sound, rivaling any other keyboard I've ever heard. However, it starts sounding more like a keyboard again.

There are a few sour notes on the keyboard. The Ab, A, and Bb above middle C lack the "punch" the others give when you press them hard. The middle range also seems to suffer a bizarre "WOW" sound (repeat the word aloud to get the effect) when keys are pressed at moderate pressure. Perhaps this is a failed attempt at a more "genuine" sound? Whatever the case may be, these annoyances generally are tolerable and/or inaudible unless you attempt to listen for them.

The action is second to none. Although the action is a little too light for my touch, it feels just like a real piano! The weighted keys match a full sized grand.

I have used this keyboard for several gigs. It is currently my only keyboard, and therefore I never have a backup. It is dependable, rugged, and light (38lbs?). Technics did not have a custom-made bag for the keyboard at the time I purchased it (January 2001), however it fits fine in any full-sized padded bag.

I have never needed customer support.

I have had one dealing with Technics by e-mail. I asked them why the keyboard was not originally listed on their own website. They responded by saying that the keyboard was too new. That means the website is not updated frequently and is of little use. Let us just hope that their service is better than this.

This is the keyboard for acoustic pianists at heart.

I am mostly a classical pianist. I bought this keyboard for gigs and for MIDI recording on a computer (not professionally). I still prefer playing a full grand, but for gigs and recording, this can't be beat.

This keyboard sounds the closest to a real piano. It is portable, rugged and light. The action is second to none. The sound is more than adequate, and the best I've heard for a keyboard.

I've tried/owned keyboards from Yamaha, Korg, Roland, and Technics. This seems to be the best substitute to toting a full-sized grand piano.

Very easy to use. Manual is typical of Japanese-translated to English, but seems better written than some

64V polyphony, weighted action, built in effects, no expansion capability, transmits velocity via MIDI. Only comment is that the "F" keys, when you play right handed and hit them with your pinky, they tend to make a "klacking" sound. Other keys are quiet, only "F" keys do this. "Wall wart" power supply is huge inconvenience.

I hooked it up direct to Yamaha MSP5 active monitors to gave it a try in my practice room. Sounded good. I tried it at a gig with 2 Mackie SRM450 speakers, and was a little disappointed. The piano sounds very good alone, but there is some problem with using it live amongst a group of players. Not sure if it is compression of sounds, or effects, but it seemed to get lost in the mix. Also, there is a problem with velocity curve that somehow affects release of notes. Seems that some notes have no release at all if velocity is too light.

I have used it on a gig without backup, and it seems to be reliable. Not so sure about annoying "wall wart" power supply. May want to carry an extra one of those.

I have owned more than 30 keyboards and probably more than that many synth/sample rack mount units in the last 15-20 years of which I've played professionally. I keep looking for the best weight to sound ratio for a digital piano, as I stopped lugging a 54-lb. Roland RD600 piano plus the weight of a flight case. I used a Yamaha P80 before the SX-P50. Not sure if I would buy this keyboard again. Dealer offered to take it back. Not sure if I'll keep it or not. It does fit perfect into the great soft bag case that Yamaha makes for the P80. I did like the RD600 better, but it was too heavy. This is a reasonable attempt at a digital piano for gigging with very good sounds, but I have to say that I have some reservations about purchasing it.

This is a digital piano, in the same class as the Yamaha P80 and lots of others. I bought it about two months ago to use at home with headphones so I can play at night, and for playing out. The Technics P50 is a useful instrument that I can be expressive on. It was really easy to figure out; you will need the manual to access all the features by button-pressing.

I got this keyboard after trying the P30 and Yamaha P80 in music stores. I haven't had any trouble with polyphony so I don't really care how many notes it can play. The keyboard action took some getting used to but it is piano-like, which is exactly what I wanted. The touch adjustment (light, normal, hard) makes a big difference in the attack so I change it depending on how I want to sound. Compared with the P80 it seems a little "spongy" to me but the sounds have so much more presence to my ears compared to the P80 that I decided to go with the Technics. It has two effects, reverb (several varieties) and a "digital effect" which is sort of celeste-like. I haven't gotten into the MIDI capabilities at all but I am glad that it has MIDI in and out. I don't care about the sequencer. All I care about is playing live and recording. Right now I am recording through a mixer into my computer sound card and it sounds great.

All three pianos (Classical grand, pop grand, and upright) are useful and sound very present and realistic. The bass is great and is much more present than the P80. The notes sustain for a long time with a beautiful decay and I can't really hear any looping through headphones. The top end is nice and woody but most digital pianos have that down pat now. My personal favorite is the upright, which works well with most of what I play (jazz). The classical grand is also very nice; I hear that Technics samples Steinway and the bass sure sounds like it. The pop grand is very bright and I can imagine it would cut through better than the others but since I play solo a lot I haven't used it yet. The e-pianos (2) are also useful; one sounds like a DX ep (#2) and #1 has more of the octave plus a fifth overtone so I think it wouldn't blend as well with other instruments. Both have a nice bite when you hit the keys hard; if you want more or less set the touch accordingly and it will do what you want it to. The harpsichord and vibes are better than I expected but when would you ever use them? Forget the strings and voice. The organs are a pleasant surprise. The church organs would be useful in the appropriate setting (I play church organ too) and some of the jazz organs are useful. I like J3 the best. I can sound just like Ronnie Barron's B3 on Dr. John's version of "Big Chief" on the "Gumbo album using that stop with the digital effect on. An interesting feature is the tuning option. You can use a "stretched" tuning or a pefect "well-tempered" tuning. The stretched tuning sounds very realistic to me. It gives the sound some soul instead of the perfection of the other tuning which sounds too canned to me. The bottom line is I can be as expressive as I want to on this keyboard, dynamics, attack, useful choices for voices. Only flaw I have found is three notes in the acoustic pianos (Ab, A, and Bb above middle C) that sound a little tinny-- hard to describe. Maybe it's at the extreme end of a sampling range or maybe it was a mic placement thing during sampling. The better the amp and speakers, the more it shows up, but it is less noticeable through headphones. Maybe the stereo effect with the headphones helps. Would love to talk to the Technics engineers about this one. I don't think anyone else who has heard my piano has heard this so far.

I have used it on gigs without a backup. First time I used it was a memorial service for a friend who died. I had 10 minutes to set up. Everything worked out fine and I got compliments on the sound. It seems to be sturdy, cabinet is brushed finish aluminum; buttons seem to be durable. I almost forgot to mention; it is very light (36 lbs?) and easy to carry in a gig bag that the dealer had. Get a table stand, not an X stand, or you will have the "wobblies" if you attack like a piano player.

Technics is part of Panasonic, which is part of... You get the picture. It is actually nice to have a dealer (piano store) to work with. I lost the manual and it was nice to be able to call the store and get a photocopy right away. The Technics/Panasonic web site is fairly useless, however. I would go through the dealer every time.
No other problems yet, so I really don't know.

I would definitely consider getting it again, unless something new was better. I have been playing piano and organ for 42 years, jazz, rock, R & B, and church. I also have a Wurlitzer 140B and a spinet acoustic piano. I play the Technics through a small Behringer mixer into a Mackie SRM-450 powered speaker. If I could afford a second speaker I would get one, because the piano output is stereo and it would sound even better that way. Get something good to play this piano through or you will waste the money you spent on it. I love the instrument's expressiveness and the presence of its sounds. I don't like those three notes mentioned above, but in a way, it makes it more real (I don't know any acoustic piano that doesn't have idiosyncracies like that). I can be me on this instrument.

This review is based upon playing a unit at a store, reviewing
its specs, and thinking hard about its advantages and disadvantages.
As will be clear below, I like this keyboard a lot. However, I am
holding off on buying it because the action isn't
optimal for me. Also, in my area, Technics keyboards are only
being sold through piano stores rather than general music instrument
stores like Guitar Center. Piano stores are used to selling acoustic pianos and
console electronic pianos at high markup, and this keyboard isn't
worth the high markup they want (more than double the internet price).
So far there is only one internet outlet I've seen that sells this model.

The unit is extremely easy to use. The only thing that's not immediately
obvious is that to get different organ sounds, you have to hold down the organ present button the
same time as you hit the transpose buttons.

There are no expansion capabilities, beyond basic MIDI capability. There
no sequencer. There are few effects. For my purposes, these limitations
don't matter at all, as I'm looking primarily for a keyboard that I can
play out of the box, with acceptable action, and good piano, electric
piano, and organ sounds, that is lightweight enough to carry and set up
easily at gigs and practices. 64 note polyphony is more than adequate
for real-world use. At a little over 35 pounds, this is perhaps
the lightest portable 81-note keyboard that has an acceptable action.

The keyboard action is quite good. Obviously, this is a very subjective
area. For example, I find the Yamaha P-80 action to be too stiff. This action is lighter.
However, I prefer the action on Kawai keyboards -- it's lighter and more
responsive to my style of playing. While the action supposedly is adjustable,
I didn't find much difference in the different settings.

Again, in comparison with more complicated (and heavier and more expensive)
keyboards, capabilities are limited. There are only 18 sounds, and the
strings and voice aren't very good. That being said,
the sounds that are important to me as a musician are surprisingly good.
As is obvious, this is an extremely
subjective area and people will have different reactions,
but to my ears, two of the piano sounds are quite
acceptable, both of the electric pianos are very good, and several of the
organ sounds are more than good enough to use in gigs. There are easy to use
reverb and chorus effects (they don't call it chorus, but that's
what it is), and the amount of "brilliance" can be adjusted. I think
the keyboard would be great for rock applications.

Don't know.

Technics replied within an hour or two to some basic technical questions I
sent by E-Mail, which is impressive, although they didn't go into
detail. Can't tell how they'd be for more complicated problems.

I've played keyboards for over 20 years. I've played almost all of
the so-called portable ones. The SX-P50 is a great advance over the
SX-P30.

I didn't get this keyboard for the reasons listed earlier. I'm leaning
towards the Kawai ESX, which has better action. However, Kawai also
seems to choose acoustic piano dealers to sell its products, so
the markup is also excessive for their units.

Very easy to use, power on and play.

Keyboard 88 Keys (max. 64 notes polyphony)
Keyboard Action Natural Response Action
Sounds Generator New PCM (Stereo Sampling)
Sounds 18 Sounds
Piano: Concert Grand, Pop Grand, Upright, Electric 1, 2
Other Sounds: Harpsichord, Vibes, Strings, Vocal, Organ Presets (9)
Brilliance Mellow - Bright (5 steps)
Digital Reverb 4 Types (room/stage/hall/concert)
Digital Effect YES
Touch Sensitivity Light, Normal, Heavy
Transpose G - C - F#
Display LED (7 segments x 3 digits)
Demo 19 Songs
MIDI Multi Timber, Local Control, Omi ON, Program Change,
Pedal, Effect, Transpose
Mode Set Piano Tuning, Minimum Range
Others Play Switch, Main Volume, MIDI Terminals (IN OUT),
Sustain, Line OUT (R/MONO,L) Phones, DC, IN
Power Requirement DC 10V (using SY-AD8 AC adapter)
Power Consumption 7W (when the power is off: 3W)
Dimensions 136.5 cm x 11.5 cm x 29.8 cm *1
(W x H x D)
Net Weight 16.0 kg
Accessories Music Stand, AC Adapter, Foot Switch
Cabinet Color Millennium Silver

Impressive piano sound. Has anybody compared it with Technics P-30 ?

Seems to be solid construction.

At 35 lbs aprox. it's an ideal keyboard for piano gigs.