Context is everything. I needed an 88-key with hammer action to step up my practice, but already have plenty of synths. I found a used SP1 for dirt cheap and it fit the bill way more any of the keyboards others mentioned in these comments: Simple operation, both USB and 5-pin DIN midi, lightweight, and decent sounds. if I need more detailed sounds I can just boot up a plugin. As a controller and practice tool it’s perfect.
I have seen a lot of people in the comments saying that this keyboard is tinny, thin, bad, pathetic, etc, but as a producer, and musician who works in mixing, I must say that it is almost impossible and inappropriate to judge the sound of any instrument without knowing what equipment the video was recorded with, if it was recorded with a cell phone, a camera, a camera and an external microphone , etc. And yet we should specifically consider which camera, cell phone, microphone, cables, speakers intervened in the recording. We must also take into account what equipment we are listening to. On our cell phone? With headphones? Without headphones? On our computer with or without headphones? Which computer? Which cell phone? What speakers? All this leads us to the opinion that we give of the sound of the instrument by this means will be absolutely vague, either to say that the sound of the instrument is good or bad.
I agree. I’m listening to this on my above $3000 stereo system with subwoofer and I like the sounds. Also keyboard is velocity sensitive and would be good as a controller.
Without speakers, this is recorded with line out; this is going to be the sound you hear with your headphones. Do the buttons change the sound? I've heard 2 reviews of this piano, and one had better sound.....just by adjusting the buttons?
I have to disagree with the majority of people on here. I know it's all a matter of opinion, but this keyboard is a great deal and I seem to love the piano sound of every Kurzweil (including this one)
This has to be the first Kurzweil that I have found the voices to be uninspiring. However, the price of this keyboard is nowhere near that of the Forte or PC3-K8.
I wouldn’t say this is great for students though - it doesn’t have any speakers, which means extra cost. My Casio PX-S1000 is lighter, has built in speakers and even Bluetooth audio.
Darren Field That’s a great plus that it doesn’t have speaker! Therefore you pay for good build-quality and good connectivity (midi, audio). Sounds and active-speakers, etc. one can decide upon oneself!
@@nickvledder Really? Extra speakers, stands, connecting leads, more power plugs, input issues. No thanks. Only if you have wads of cash to spare perhaps. Most students don't. Built-in speakers are so convenient.
I'm iffy about the sounds, but with five-pin MIDI (which the comparable Yamahas don't have), audio ins (which the Korg D1 doesn't have), and a more intuitive UI (which the comparably-priced Rolands kinda fall short on), this really isn't a bad deal. You could use it as a perfectly good controller for a laptop with Pianoteq, or a sound module, or something like the Roland MC-101, and it's probably good enough on its own for the times when you don't feel like screwing around with extra wires and dongles and boxes.
how does the sustain actually work in this keyboard cause I don't see that it should be switched by buttons manually, should I just have to apply some pressure for the sustain to function?
I don’t care for the piano much. The SP6 and above are better. Honestly as a student piano with that sound quality and no built-in speakers (speakers can get expensive really quickly), it’s missing a lot in my opinion. Korg D1, Roland FP30, and Yamaha P125 are better I feel, for that price range. I’d have to play in person to really judge this one, but listening through AKG K240 Studio headphones, I don’t care for the sound. Strings are ok. Nice playing however, no complaints there. 🙂
I was thinking about the phrase "good for students." Parents probably like that because they may feel intimidated stepping into the enormous piano-for-beginners-market looking to buy something for their son or daughter. But if I were the son and very much into piano, I'd hate for a good-for-students-piano to show up at my house. I'd be disappointed to outgrow it so quickly, to be stuck with an "inferior piano" while waiting hopelessly to grow up and buy a good-for-professionals-piano, and then having no place to put it because I moved out rebelliously and can only afford a cardboard box to rent. On the other hand, there are many students who learn music and instruments because of school and don't pursue music after graduating.
Kurzweil is now a Chinese company and its going up against some well established and trusted Japanese brands like Yamaha, Korg, Casio, Kawai. Sound matters but so does quality of build and components. Will it last?
I've had a K2000 for a couple decades now and it has lasted alright. The display has been replaced once as these types of screens from this era tend to burn out, or the back light burns out at least. The keys on the K2000 also initially felt squishy to me, but I got used to them fast enough.
Very fair and balanced review Jack. Have to say I was not impressed with the sounds available in the SP1. Casio's PX-S1000 and S3000 are far better all round. Better build, better quality sounds and superb quality keys. I just don't think the SP1 is value for money. I think even Kurzweil fans might be disappointed with SP1?
hello some possibility to change the frequency of the Kurzweil sp1 keyboard from 440hz to 432hz I mean instead of transporting it in half tone less take it off -32 hundredths? Tanks!!
@@sundancer7381 True 256 is nice, there are always a number of features that have to be considered, if it was 128 like a lot of more affordable digital pianos then I might think again, but 192 is enough
Decades ago Kurzweil was top notch, but if 'budget-brand' Casio comes up with a lighter, smaller, better sounding and more practical (Piano Partner app for students and adjustments) piano, I see no sense why you should buy this ancient monster.
Context is everything. I needed an 88-key with hammer action to step up my practice, but already have plenty of synths. I found a used SP1 for dirt cheap and it fit the bill way more any of the keyboards others mentioned in these comments: Simple operation, both USB and 5-pin DIN midi, lightweight, and decent sounds. if I need more detailed sounds I can just boot up a plugin. As a controller and practice tool it’s perfect.
Thanks for the awesome demo and talk-through. I was thinking this keyboard checked all the boxes for me and you confirmed it
I have seen a lot of people in the comments saying that this keyboard is tinny, thin, bad, pathetic, etc, but as a producer, and musician who works in mixing, I must say that it is almost impossible and inappropriate to judge the sound of any instrument without knowing what equipment the video was recorded with, if it was recorded with a cell phone, a camera, a camera and an external microphone , etc. And yet we should specifically consider which camera, cell phone, microphone, cables, speakers intervened in the recording.
We must also take into account what equipment we are listening to. On our cell phone? With headphones? Without headphones? On our computer with or without headphones? Which computer? Which cell phone? What speakers? All this leads us to the opinion that we give of the sound of the instrument by this means will be absolutely vague, either to say that the sound of the instrument is good or bad.
I agree. I’m listening to this on my above $3000 stereo system with subwoofer and I like the sounds. Also keyboard is velocity sensitive and would be good as a controller.
Without speakers, this is recorded with line out; this is going to be the sound you hear with your headphones. Do the buttons change the sound? I've heard 2 reviews of this piano, and one had better sound.....just by adjusting the buttons?
I have to disagree with the majority of people on here. I know it's all a matter of opinion, but this keyboard is a great deal and I seem to love the piano sound of every Kurzweil (including this one)
This has to be the first Kurzweil that I have found the voices to be uninspiring. However, the price of this keyboard is nowhere near that of the Forte or PC3-K8.
Agree.
I wouldn’t say this is great for students though - it doesn’t have any speakers, which means extra cost. My Casio PX-S1000 is lighter, has built in speakers and even Bluetooth audio.
Darren Field That’s a great plus that it doesn’t have speaker! Therefore you pay for good build-quality and good connectivity (midi, audio). Sounds and active-speakers, etc. one can decide upon oneself!
@@nickvledder Really? Extra speakers, stands, connecting leads, more power plugs, input issues. No thanks. Only if you have wads of cash to spare perhaps. Most students don't. Built-in speakers are so convenient.
@WeeBazTheTrucker Sure. But why not have the option of built-in speakers too?
Px 5S is even better ;)
Nah only cheap bois want speakers
I'm iffy about the sounds, but with five-pin MIDI (which the comparable Yamahas don't have), audio ins (which the Korg D1 doesn't have), and a more intuitive UI (which the comparably-priced Rolands kinda fall short on), this really isn't a bad deal. You could use it as a perfectly good controller for a laptop with Pianoteq, or a sound module, or something like the Roland MC-101, and it's probably good enough on its own for the times when you don't feel like screwing around with extra wires and dongles and boxes.
how does the sustain actually work in this keyboard cause I don't see that it should be switched by buttons manually, should I just have to apply some pressure for the sustain to function?
I don’t care for the piano much. The SP6 and above are better. Honestly as a student piano with that sound quality and no built-in speakers (speakers can get expensive really quickly), it’s missing a lot in my opinion. Korg D1, Roland FP30, and Yamaha P125 are better I feel, for that price range. I’d have to play in person to really judge this one, but listening through AKG K240 Studio headphones, I don’t care for the sound. Strings are ok.
Nice playing however, no complaints there. 🙂
This at least has lots of connections though. 🙂
The Korg D1 doesnt have speakers either. And no usb. The SP1 has more functionality and I like the sounds. The keyboard is also velocity sensitive.
I was thinking about the phrase "good for students." Parents probably like that because they may feel intimidated stepping into the enormous piano-for-beginners-market looking to buy something for their son or daughter. But if I were the son and very much into piano, I'd hate for a good-for-students-piano to show up at my house. I'd be disappointed to outgrow it so quickly, to be stuck with an "inferior piano" while waiting hopelessly to grow up and buy a good-for-professionals-piano, and then having no place to put it because I moved out rebelliously and can only afford a cardboard box to rent. On the other hand, there are many students who learn music and instruments because of school and don't pursue music after graduating.
Kurzweil is now a Chinese company and its going up against some well established and trusted Japanese brands like Yamaha, Korg, Casio, Kawai. Sound matters but so does quality of build and components. Will it last?
It's actually Korean.
I've had a K2000 for a couple decades now and it has lasted alright. The display has been replaced once as these types of screens from this era tend to burn out, or the back light burns out at least. The keys on the K2000 also initially felt squishy to me, but I got used to them fast enough.
12:30 "Don't go expecting smooth delay swipes on there" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The piano sound in SP1 can be better than in Korg D1 or Roland FP10? thank u very much
El SP1 tiene el sonido de piano en mono, es un error horrible que hace para mi que cualquier piano existente sea mejor que el SP1
Speakers? Or just use speaker monitor L & R?
Hello, does anyone have a suggestion on which speaker to buy? Thank you!
Very fair and balanced review Jack. Have to say I was not impressed with the sounds available in the SP1. Casio's PX-S1000 and S3000 are far better all round. Better build, better quality sounds and superb quality keys. I just don't think the SP1 is value for money. I think even Kurzweil fans might be disappointed with SP1?
Can you have a layer piano and ep with chorus only on the ep?
Casio ct x700 has much better sounding patches and far more of them...for $175!
250 Euro
Very outdated sounding keyboard. On a budget you would be better off buying something second hand or maybe one of the new Casios.
What ? No stereo piano samples ! All real piano samples sound mono to me. Electronic instruments are stereo, but not the real pianos.
hello some possibility to change the frequency of the Kurzweil sp1 keyboard from 440hz to 432hz I mean instead of transporting it in half tone less take it off -32 hundredths? Tanks!!
I have more respect for Kurzweil instruments now.
For the same kind of money I would rather get the Casio Privia PX-S3000
However, 256 note polyphony.
@@sundancer7381 True 256 is nice, there are always a number of features that have to be considered, if it was 128 like a lot of more affordable digital pianos then I might think again, but 192 is enough
@@watchtheskies True.....doesn't have many voices.....and have to add speakers.
I've never heard such boring and outdated sounds the last 20 years. As if Kurzweil stood still after the K-2000 in 1992...
Decades ago Kurzweil was top notch, but if 'budget-brand' Casio comes up with a lighter, smaller, better sounding and more practical (Piano Partner app for students and adjustments) piano, I see no sense why you should buy this ancient monster.
You need to hear a Forte. This is their entry level after all.
Casio trash Yamaha piano to bright Roland piano or too fake sound korg is ok and nord is ok also but kurzweil
But I’m gonna admit it not good even for it price point there are way better pianos
You got to pay more money cheap boi just do it nowe
No offence but the piano sounds cheap and pathetic...dull...Casio PX 3000 is hundred times better than this ....in every aspect ....
Totally outdated keyboard