I play in a voice/piano duo and those cheap onboard speakers enable the piano player to hear themselves so they don't need an amp or monitor if you are plugging directly into a channel on the mixer. They definitely have a purpose.
I've had one of these and used it mainly as a controller on a few gigs and makes a half decent practice keyboard at home. The thing I should warn anyone about is be careful when transporting this keyboard to gigs. Even in a case (unless it's a flight case), it's possible that the keybed can get warped due to it flexing. I gotta say even with this happening, the playing action was still good and all of the keys worked fine. I just wanted to put that out there to consider. To be honest, when I bought this keyboard at Guitar Center, I bought a Road Runner case to go with it to be used later that night for a gig. One of the employees had inboxed it for me and transferred it into the case for me so I'm not sure if it was a pre existing issue or if it had happened during the transport to the event. Luckily I had bought an extended warranty with it so they replaced it. I eventually gave it to a friend of mine because his board stopped working.
$300 is great value for money. I have a Yamaha PSR- 6700 and wouldn't give it away for today's canned music. This keyboard in the video is great as is, albeit the price. All you need is a MIDI synthesiser and you will have a goldmine of beautiful voices and back stage instrumental sounds. Connect it to a 5 channel amplifier and large speaker boxes with midrange and tweeters speakers and you will be an instant orchestral Maestro. The sound you will hear is amazing. Choose Stage, Hall, Arcade, etc., For a truly heartstopping orchestral sounds.
It's a simple thing, but I love how you used the knobs on your Akai just as volume knobs for an 8 way layer. I suppose you could have used the pads to mute and unmute sounds, rather than doing program changes, but I really like how you can do arbitrary layers with any/all of your 8 AUs. Stuff like Kontakt (samples) tends to be pretty low CPU on my old Mac, but some of the soft-synths burn up too much to run very many instances. Must not be a problem for you, or you wouldn't do it. Cool trick.
Thanks for sharing, am putting this clip on a reference point in my youtube for later envelope. I never realized how an audio-in could sound and how something like what I have, a Yamaha PSR 225, could have an infinite number of excellent tones.
Thanks so much John! I bought the Allegro 2 for a couple hundred bucks (Guitar Center sale) ... hooked it up to my iPad2 with MKSensation and Korg Module and my Roland KC amp. Sounds great! And the feel of the keys rivals the keyboards I have that cost way more than the Williams. Thanks for what you do and the videos you post!
So I'm looking into a piano soley for home practice for college. I'm looking for fully weighted or hammer action, just as long as it resembles a real piano. Also looking for as cheap as I can get. Would this be a good buy? If not, any recommendations?
I was looking for this keyboard but didn't see the "I have talent" button that would let me play chords like you do .... so I didn't buy it... any thoughts where I can find one of those?!?! :-)
You can buy it with time patience and determination. You can choose this. Professional skill - Practice 40 hrs a day. LingLing skill - Practice 40 hrs a day and Teacher.
@@pianohelper8873 Sad that in my reality - there are only 24 of those things called hrs in a day... I suppose you are correct that I could reach this level if I were to practice 40 hrs a day! Thx!!
Most people aren't born with talent. They get good at something because of putting in time practicing. I just got bought a piano less than a year ago and I'm decent at it but it's an everyday learning experience. There's infinite songs to learn.
I have an old Fatar Studio Logic SL-990 and the only reason I still have it is that it's fully weighted and it feels great. So I feel you on this one. I might look into it. Thanks, JM!
I just watched this video again..because it is tax time again and once again I am looking for an electric piano, last year I bought the cheap Williams legato and like they say ...you get what you pay for..the legato was no good ..the keys felt light and plastic however the Allegro is like night and day compared to the legato...John Mike you are right the hammer action keys make all the difference!!
My wife bought me the Allegro 2 already (at my suggestion )and I don't think its that bad, I actually like it way better than my Roland ep 7 but I will admit the Legatto sucks big time though, plus we got the Allegro for 200 bucks even at guitar center.
This is a good video. I know it's old but if you still read this, can you set up the LPD8 so that you can press the pads (say 1-4) to toggle to the instrument you set for it in Ableton, then set other pads to start/stop recording so you could live loop multiple instruments?
I was wondering if you could elaborate on how you used your midi controller with the keyboard. I have this keyboard, and want to get into one man band looping. If that midi controller can truly provide a wide range of sounds then I'm considering getting it.
You got me debating Legato 2 vs Allegro 2, turns out they are both up to MKIII at great prices. I ordered up the Allegro III, shipped and taxed less than $300... Thanks for the review. I bought up Reaper 5.9 $60, and am interested in plug-in VSTi's - I'm a PC guy, not a Mac guy.
Definitely looking forward to the video detailing the way you set up your sounds in ableton. I have and LPD8 too and wanna learn some different ways to use it.
Great review man! Could you talk more about the internal sounds? Williams has advertised they're using the "Vintage Keyboard Collection" or whatever, and apparently the Rhodes, Wurly, etc... all sound insanely realistic. But I've yet to find a video proving this. Could you do another video showing the internal sounds, and talking about them in detail? Thanks!
@@Johnmike don't sleep on those Williams pianos, if you have a decent bass guitar amplifier with a tweeter(Genz Benz, EV, SWR), the sound will definitely impress you, personally, I have a williams overture that I regularly gig with right along Side my 4×10 Hartke cabinet with my David Eden head, and it Rivals any $1,500+ digital
I went and tried one out. Yes, the touch and feel is great. Now, I am totally needing to know, what do I do to get those sounds? If you can answer, please explain in as layman terms as possible. I have an Audio box interface and I am using Cakewalk.
Harry Dial I get my sounds from native instruments( if you google that name their website will be the first result)they have a software plugin they make call kontakt that houses the sounds....think of it as a virtual sound module...you can buy the sounds for different prices(as you will see on the site) and load them into kontakt
Can someone help me with choosing an electric piano? I don't need all those sound effects or other tools. All i want is hammer action keys and original piano sound for classic music. Thanks
What speakers were connected to this? I have the same piano and unfortunately the right speaker went out so I'm looking for a new setup because the internal sounds are pretty bad anyway.
The internal sounds are bad coming through the speakers on the machine, hook it up to a quality amplifier and the internal sounds on this machine rival higher-end keyboards...
Hey John, do you have a video up of how you set up the Allegro 2 + LPD8 with your laptop ? I have an allegro II and just got an LPD8 but have no real clue how to actually set it up as a midi controller to work around the crappy internal sounds lol
I don’t...but it’s a matter of plugging them up to your computer via usb and setting up the sounds to be controlled by the LPD...setup is going to depend on what software you use
What’s John Mike. I have that same keyboard and I’m trying to use it as a midi keyboard to plug it in to my laptop using Ableton. Do you have a video of how you did all the settings on this specific keyboard so that you can run it to your laptop? Thank you
I bought the Allegro III about a month ago and it is perfect for what I was looking for. Key action is pretty good, much better than the cheap plastic MIDI keyboards, which I have two of. I think I have seen the III online for just over $200, a really good deal. Here you go: tinyurl.com/y2gcuwd8 I use studio headphones, only occasionally use the speakers.
I'm using an IMAC with reason. I am really appreciating your videos. I like weighted keys. Are you done with the M Audio now that it has failed you? I'm debating the Nektar, M Audio and Aurietta and now the Williams. I'm not a techie dude. Plug and play but my other board is an Ensoniq EPS Midi so you see where I'm at.
The Williams is weighted unlike the M-Audio Keystations and Oxygens, and Nektar Impacts, but the fact it's so cheap comes with drawbacks-cut corners. There's a lot of negative reviews of the whole Williams line of digital pianos, whether it's the Legatos, Allegros, or Symphony Grands. The Allegro being the focus here (since we're on the topic of the cheapest weighted keyboard), I'll single it out: it's prone to velocity inconsistencies with certain keys and is known to have its keys and speakers start going out only half a year in. This is going to vary on a case-by-case basis, of course, but I wouldn't take the risk. You're better off either getting a semi-weighted keyboard at a similar pricepoint (I recommend the Impact GXP88) or saving up for a higher-quality weighted keyboard; the lowest price for an actually-decent one tends to be in the $400-$500-ish range.
If it had the mod wheels and an expression pedal input, it would be prefect. The internal sounds aren't too bad. The piano is the only usable sound on it though.
Hey John Mike, Are you going to be doing a video on you Ableton set up with the Williams and the Akai? I would really appreciated. I play guitar and lead worship at my church. But I am finding that I need to learn piano/keys with some great sounds. My church and band would appreciate your input. And could you go more into the internal sound and USB port set up as well?
I think I need to clarify. I already have an Akai for another purpose. But saw you video and realized I could use it with this set up you have. I am also going to purchase the Williams Keyboard in about a week or so. So I am wondering how to set it up with the sounds that you are using. Looking into price to see if the sounds are very expensive. Please help.
Hi John, I like the review of the ALLEGRO 2 U did. But I am not very knowledgeable about the the akai pad, that is sitting on Ur keyboard, my question is can I use the akai and keyboard together only, without the computer that u have. I do like many piano sounds, but I am a little unsure on what to do. Could U please inform me if I just have to use the computer, along with the akai and keyboard , for I am not as knowledgeable as U....what ever U can tell me will help. Thank U so much. SMILESSSSSSS... NEW BEGINNINGS. Ms Tee😊
It worked great for me for almost 2 years...then I moved to a different city and I gave the keyboard to the church so they wouldn’t be without one...as far as I know it’s still working
John, I am just getting into this sort of thing, I am trying to figure out how do you connect all 3 devices? the Williams, LPD and the computer? don't they all have a single USB-MIDI ? are you using some sort of mixer or a USB hub?? you are also giving a link for a Berhinger Mixer but I don't see it having any sort of MIDI/USB connections, how do you use it? with this setup??
Yes I am using a usb hub connect all them. And the mixer doesn’t have any midi connections it’s being used purely to send and receive audio... check out this other video where I go in-depth into how I connect everything. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x_ZaharCp6s.html
John, you reviewed the Williams Allegro 2... Does the modulation button and transpose button replace the need for a mod wheel and pitch bend??.... I am disappointed it doesn't have the wheels, but it seems that those buttons may replace the need for them.. what do you think???
if you aren't using the internal sounds, what is your source? Is the source available for PC computers. I was thinking of getting one of those keyboards, so knowing what I'd need in addition to enable better sounds would be helpful, plus the cost of the library of sounds or whatever. Thanks. :)
Hey Thanks for the video! I am looking to get another controller for my home studio so that I don't necessarily have to pack up every time I have to play. I am stuck between getting another 61 key controller, or going with the option you laid out in this video. I want the weighted key feel, but I also want to be able to play any sound I may need to. Another keyboardist I talked to said the fully weighted keys are great for piano, but not necessarily for strings or other sounds. I realize many producers will use a fully weighted 88 key for piano, but for other sounds use their 61/49 key controller. I don't exactly have the space for that so I want something that will give a good all around experience. I was leaning toward the akai products mpk261 or mpk88, but for lower than those price points I could definitely get a digital piano and the laptop pad controller. I also wanted to avoid the plastic/loudness that can be common with controllers. Do you have any suggestions on what the best option is? Thanks!
Hey John....so your sounds are from the software on the Macbook? or the Akai. I have a Legatto that I would like to go through my pc with FLstudio ..would I just use the usb on the back of the Legatto to my pc and play using the Fl studio software through the pc speakers?
+Jan-Martin Ulvåg I thought about it but the nektar impact doesn't have weighted piano style keys...they are semi-weighted...I wanted a weighted action keyboard for piano stuff
just saw one at guitar center, but they only had the floor model left for sale since the Allegro 2 is discontinued with the 2 plus replacing it. The keys felt very loose and the hammer wasn't as heavy as other keyboards I was testing out. Is that how they feel normally or is that because it's been getting beat up as a floor model?
The sounds on the Williams pianos are crap? Holy cow, has his guy ever used a decent bass guitar amp with one of these? Or is he going just by the onboard speakers? Real shame....
I been wanting one but will not pull the trigger if I can’t use my own headphones with it. That being said can I use my own headphones with it or do I need to buy the cheap (bad) ones?
