[rreyes1979]

Came to ask exactly the same thing. Want to buy one for my kids to practice but I don't have an idea which would be the best given our budget and preferences so a matrix of compatible devices would be great.

[larrysalibra]

Just did research into this question...I'm someone that played piano as a child and wanted to get back into it. I wanted to get something that would integrate with apps, good action and sound without making a massive investment in case I don't stick with it. I also wanted something that was small and easy to move.

My digital piano just arrived a few hours ago.

I decided on the Roland FP-30X after trying several models in store.

Pro-tip: many of the big name digital pianos are half the price in the mainland China market than in the rest of the world. Often for an upgraded model as well.

FP-30X was 3850 CNY (~US$550) including the Roland KPD-70 three pedal unit and KSC-70 stand. Delivery (to Hong Kong) was ~400 CNY.

Another good option is the FP-18 which is a mainland market-only China model that's an upgrade overthe FP-10 in that it has more sounds and also supports three pedals. It's about ~1200 CNY cheaper than the FP-30X. Downside is slightly inferior sound and speakers compared to FP-30x

I also tried out the Yamaha portables...P-525 was excellent but about 3x the cost of the FP-30x. I didn't really like feel of the action of the cheaper Yamaha (P-225?).

So far FP-30X has been great...the bluetooth MIDI interface and bluetooth interfaces work seamlessly with my iPad. I haven't tried out Hanon Pro yet but it's been really thrilling to try out the various piano learning apps. If I had these back in the 90s, I'd probably be a much better piano player now! Better late than never!

[navbaker]

I would highly recommend Pianote if you’re looking for an online lessons resource. They have tons of YouTube videos you can check out to see if their style works for you, then you can subscribe to the actual site when you’re ready for a more structured learning path. It did wonders for me getting back into piano after a few decades off!

[nh2]

If you want kids to be excited about playing the piano, get a keyboard with light keys like the Yamaha EZ-300.

Combined with a learning software that can control the light (Synthesia, or the one from Yamaha itself, maybe also the one in the original post), it creates a huge amount of fun and motivation. Also works very well for adults.

Keyboards like this do not give you proper hammer-action piano keys, but it makes you discover you /want/ to be a pianist, cheaper and with fun.

(There are also a few hammer-action lit digital pianos but they aren't as fun, and already quite expensive.)

Also consider Synthesia's short list: https://synthesiagame.com/keyboards/info

(I'd get the EZ-300 over the PSR-EW310 listed there for that price class, I believe it didn't exist when that list was written.)

Pop in songs they like (e.g. Disney or Pokemon) from a MuseScore subscription for engagement optimisation ;-)

[mrbombastic]

Question from an adult because it seems like you have experience with some of these tools, I’ve been using SimplyPiano for a few months, which listens to notes you play and gives you feedback, and while it is satisfying to hear the music I can’t shake that I am not really learning just copying. For instance I can play some of the advanced songs in the app but I open a piece of sheet music and I am lost. Is there similar concern for synthesia?

[_def]

I think it's actually difficult to find a keyboard that does not do USB midi nowadays. What's more important is what keys and keybed you want, it's about being able to comfortably play on the thing, that has not much to do with this app (as at least USB midi is quite universal now, as stated)