NAMM 2006 Winter Show Update: M-Audio announced shipment of the ProKeys 88sx digital stage piano. This new keyboard offers many of the features of the popular ProKeys 88 in an lightweight package.

“Many players need an ultra-lightweight stage piano without sacrificing great sound quality,” said M-Audio’s Adam Castillo. “The finely-tuned multi-velocity layered samples on the ProKeys 88sx deliver better sound than anything in this price range.”

The ProKeys 88sx features an 88-note keyboard with high-quality semi-weighted action, allowing the unit to weigh in at under 20 pounds—ideal for gigging musicians.

Where most digital stage pianos cram all their instruments—sometimes 128 or more—into as little as 16MB of ROM, the ProKeys 88sx employs a generous 32MB to do much better justice to 7 sounds players rely on constantly. The ProKeys 88sx’s multi-velocity layer stereo grand piano samples of a Yamaha C7 alone are 17MB—more than some units’ total memory for all sounds.

Piano 2 is designed to really cut through in popular music. Electric pianos are covered as well, including a classic Yamaha DX7, a sweet Fender Rhodes and a vintage Wurlitzer. There’s also a percussive Hammond B3—and the Clavinet has “funky” totally nailed. On-board reverb and chorus are available to further customize these sounds.

Unlike most stage pianos, the ProKeys 88sx also doubles as a USB MIDI interface and controller for recording and playback with PC or Mac—including class-compliancy with Windows XP and Mac OS X without installation of additional drivers. The ProKeys 88sx also incorporates MIDI performance controls that are rare on digital stage pianos, including pitch wheel, modulation wheel, two footswitch inputs (both sustain and sostenuto), and expression pedal input. A standard MIDI Out jack allows control of outboard MIDI gear as well. The unit ships with an M-Audio Sustain Pedal.

The ProKeys 88sx includes two 1/4” stereo headphone jacks right up front—perfect for practicing or teaching privately. Audio spec highlights include 20Hz-20kHz frequency response and 108dB dynamic range.

The ProKeys 88sx carries an MSRP of $449.95.

More information is available at the M-Audio site.