Some options I considered:
- Korg G1 Air - great action, great sound, nice speaker array. I haven’t demoed one in person yet, but reviewers consistently think this is one of the best values in electronic pianos. Ideal for the living room.
- Kawai MP7SE - possibly the best digital piano, but would need a stand and monitor setup. Better suited for the studio than the living room.
- Korg Kronos 2 88 / Roland Fantom 08 / Yamaha MODX 8+ - expensive workstations that would fit well into my studio, would need a stand and monitors and would want to connect to my mac.
- Arturia Keylab 88 Mk2 - a pure controller, so would need to be in the studio/office next to my Mac. The wooden legs are really cool and probably 75% of why I was fixated on it for a while.
I decided to wait on the e-piano / workstation ($2k+ budget) for a few years and go with a nice controller keyboard to use with my synths and mac. I ordered a Novation LaunchKey 61, but received a 61SL Mk3 instead. After a few minutes playing with the 61SL, I called up the shop and told them that they sent the wrong keyboard and I wanted to be billed for the difference. Despite blowing up my budget, I really like the SL61.
Personal note: I thought my wife would prefer the G1 Air, but she loves it when the SL61 goes into “Vegas Mode” and does its light show.
Casio Privias were also on my list, but I received the 61SL before I was able to demo any of the current Privias.
It is possible to run Pianoteq on a Raspberry Pi. You would want a good DAC to go with it. Pianoteq on a Pi or other compact computer and a nice 88 key controller like a Studiologic SL series or M-Audio Hammer 88 may be the best budget option if you don’t mind hacking around with computer stuff.