Alesis Melody 54 & M-Audio HDH40 54-Key Digital Piano Keyboard with Built-in Speakers, 300 Sounds, Microphone & Headphones - Perfect for Beginners, Home Practice & Music Lessons

Now, I have seen the negative reviews as they are the first thing that I turn to. I used to own an Alesis QS8 which was a full 88 keys and fully weighted hammer type keyboard. It was built like a tank and felt like it weighed as much at 55 pounds. Even though it was classified as portable you really needed to have two people to move to a gig. I got rid of it for that reason alone as lighter keyboards came out. It was still a great keyboard when I sold it.This Alesis Melody 54 is nowhere near the QS8 but it serves the purpose that it was intended for. I have two other keyboards, a Yamaha Mod X7 and a Casio PX560. Both are decent in their own rights but are only middle of the road keyboard without the fully weighted hammer action. I bought the Melody 54 so that I could sit in front of the TV and if it was boring, I could practice fingering which is something that I lose if I don’t practice.The Alesis sound may be light sounding compared to either of my other keyboards but it only has enough polophony notes to create basic sounds with no real timber whereas my Casio has 256 polophony notes which can make any note sound richer. The Alesis Melody 54 still doesn’t sound as tinny as the video suggested but it is nowhere near as good a quality as either my Yamaha or Casio.Now, for the action, it has a synth action like my Yamaha but actually heavier, which means that you only have pressure and no little ‘kick’ feel to simulate a piano like my Casio. In case you are wondering why I have two keyboards is that it is easier to play organ and light sounding instruments like flute, trumpets, etc because of the smoother action on the Yamaha, plus I can have it set up and ready to go for certain songs. I am just a middle of the road musician and by no means promote any keyboard. I am just trying to set people straight on what to expect for a $70 keyboard.Also, my Melody 54 keyboard came undamaged and worked perfect right out of the box.If you want a decent hammer action keyboard, expect to pay a minimum of $2500 for something like a Kawaii MP11SE or a Korg. They have passed down some of their top of the line features to more basic models. I would be wary of pawn shop deals unless you have a friend that understands keyboards and pawnshops. Most people that I know or have known wouldn’t pawn a great instrument except as a last resort.If you want a good practice keyboard for learning, I feel that this is a good choice. You can always move up to a higher quality if things take off. I suggest asking online stores as they are usually helpful and not pushy. If you are lucky enough to have a local music dealer, most of them are helpful as well. In fact, you may be able to get this locally at the same price.