get a piano DS, nothing can sound like a real piano.
i am taking piano lessons too since 1 year, and used to do my trainings on GEM workstation and a Kurzweil K2600, but nah, it's not the same thing, that realistic hammer action and response cannot be emulated. So i decided to take a 2nd hand piano, not a Steinway tho, just a simple little descent piano i can train myself on.

Acoustic piano is great, but it has one con: It really sounds clearly to a flat below. No problems if you live on a first floor, but if you have annoying neighbours below getting a piano can be a mistake.

good point. plus factor in the misery of trying to get an upright piano up a flight (or two) of stairs to your apartment!! Last week I got a couch stuck in a flight of stairs. We worked every angle for over an hour but to no avail. That is until one of my friends show up with a power saw. The couch finally made it in the apartment . . . minus four legs.

Hey! That's just like many of the couches you can buy here in Japan. I've even seen recliner leather chairs that literaly are at ground height. :D

Now back to the Piano thread.....

I say buy a real one DS. If you have the space that is.

Sounds like a dilemma appearing in Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency". ?hih. Classic.

I really wouldn't recomment acoustic piano, unless DS is living in an own house, which I doubt.

Edit: It's always good to think the cons of the different solutions. Pros of the real piano are the sound and the touch, the rest is more or less a big con - Huge (hard to move around), can't play late due noise, requires mainetance from time to time (tuning), recording it is a nuisance...

That Roland RD-series stage would be a good option because it really has great touch, not a spongy, but hammer action keys. Also it's light as feather (easy to carry around to a other studio or even a band rehersals if DS ever ends up in one, you never know), recording is a breeze, also more great sounds in addition of the brilliant piano.

If you dont intend to start giging right away,
you should consider a wigthed midi controler keyboard like fater or kurzvil and a piano module Vst plugin like steinberg's grand or NI's acustic piano.
i belive you might even get a better sound this way and will cost much cheaper.

What is it about the FantomX8 that you guys think is appealing? Ive heard the action and piano patch ('Ulitmate grand') have the best feel and realism....but then I hear people complaining elsewhere.....awe what bugger.

Head fuck time

An acoustic pianop is out of the question for me......so I have to get a workstation (i want other sounds apart from piano too!). Still mulling this one over :(

DS

I've tried out the RD-300 SX. Great sound and touch. The best weighted keyboard I've played on.

Sounds appealing, but no thanks at this moment.

Yup. But hey, go and try out the workstations by yourself! There's no such workstation/keyboard that would have only positive reviews. One likes the daughter, other likes the mother, you see.

I have NO problems playing piano. I hate the girl that lives in the flat below me. She comes home with 10-15 people shouting and being noisy and playing hip-hop all night long (her stereo is by the way right under our bedroom) on normal weekdays where people has to get up an go to work. This happens about once a week. Once i meashured about 70-75 Db in MY bedroom and 3 weeks ago they where partying until 13:30 in the afternoon and started fighting in the street about 12:00. One having blood all over his face. We have tried to tell them to turn it down about every time but that only help for half an hour. Them they turn it back up. Now we made a complain and they have turned it down a bit. Hope it lasts. So you can see why i can?t fell sorry for her when i?m playing on my piano...