Product Info

How To Choose / Useful Information

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• Why buy electronic drums?
  • Electronic Drums are virtually silent when played- practice anywhere, anytime with complete privacy
  • With Digital Drums you can add digital effects that simulate the greatest concert hall settings
  • Electronic Drum Kits have dozens of totally different drumkit sounds to play with- Rock, Jazz,...
  • Electric Drum Sets are compact, lightweight and portable
  • Electric Drum Kits offer hundreds of percussion sounds as well as drum sounds
  • With Digital Drums you can play as loud as you want using headphones
  • Most Electronic Drums modules have dozens of songs built-in to play along with
  • Most Digital Drum modules can record your performances
  • With an Electronic Drum Set you can plug in a CD player and play along
  • With an electronic drum, drummers can actually turn down the volume in live sound venues vs. acoustic kits
  • With electric drums you can fine edit your performance easily using the midi data and a sequencer editor
• Electronic drum comparison chart
  Electronic Drum Comparison chart
• The first decision- what pad feel do I want? rubber or mesh?
  Rubber Pads feel like a practice pad, usually cost less and have a smaller design. Not all are created equally- the best are foam rubber over a harder rubber for more give and have a more natural bounce quality and generally last longer. Mesh heads are more realistic- they feel more like a real drumhead including the rebound and have more give. They generally offer better positional sensing and can be tuned like acoustic drums for the feel and rebound desired. As opposed to rubber heads, mesh heads will eventually wear out and need to be replaced.
• Number of 'zones' on a pad
  Rubber Pads feel like a practice pad, usually cost less and have a smaller design. Single zone- some simpler kits will have one zone per pad which means only one sound/recording will be triggered which usually will sound softer at lower strikes and have a harder sound when struck harder. They can sound more one dimensional. The kick pad only needs a single zone as it strike in on place only. Dual zone- two physically different areas on a pad like ride edge and bell, head and rim, choking cymbals,.. Triple zone- allows for rim, middle and bell of a ride cymbal or tom center, rim and a latin percussion sound,…
• Pad Size
  Rubber Pads feel like a practice pad, usually cost less and have a smaller design. More of an issue for acoustic drummers due to smaller head size who have to adjust their playing style to work with the usually smaller electronic pads versus drumheads
• Velocity sensing
  Simplest is volume of pad increases with harder strikes. With better modules or some drum sounds or samples (recordings) in lesser modules, the actual sound or timber changes as the pad is struck harder for better realism using ‘multisamples'. It could be a simple crossfade from a soft hit to hard one or could have more samples in between to offer more subtle changes as the pad is struck progressively harder.
• Positional sensing
  With better kits the sound will change as you move the drumstick over different parts of a pad or cymbal for better realism- typically the snare and ride. With the snare hit in the middle of the pad it will be a thick full sound and grow brighter and thinner as you move towards the edge.
• Drumrack
  How well built and sturdy is it? Will it hold up well? Will the pads not slip around?
• What do I look for in the drum module?
  Quality and variety of sounds- listen to the demo's, listen to a cymbal decay- does it fade too fast? drums strong and clear? Number of trigger inputs- room to add more cymbals and pads? will they be single or dual zone possibly using more trigger inputs. Editing capability- to tweak each drum sound and effects which can include tuning, pan position, decay, EQ, amount of fx level, .. all the way up to the material the drum is made of, tension level,… CD input- so one can play along with their favorite songs Teaching- to dheck one's timing, training exercises, etc. Internal songs to play along with- the drums can usually be muted or not to play along with Ease of Use/Display- is it intuitive? Is the display understandable or too difficult? Number of outputs- 2 is usually enough except in a studio or live sound setup where the engineer would like to have the kick, snare, separated to process separately for more control of the elements Recording- using a midi sequencer- how many tracks or instruments can play simultaneously? How many Songs and notes will it hold in memory? Number of effects- does it have all the effects you might want and how many simultaneously?

Glossary

• What is a Trigger?
  connects the pad to the drum module via an audio cable to send midi control voltage messages
• What is a Module?
  houses the actual sounds, editing and brain of an eelectronic drum set. The pads connect to it via cables.
• What are Velocity Curves and Velocity Sensitivity?
  Curves- usually several to choose from to determine a curve for soft to loud. It can be linear or proportionately louder as struck or be more nuanced allowing a wider range at high velocities and a narrower range of sound at soft velocities,… Sensitivity- adjusts for how hard or soft the user strike the pads with sticks
• What is MIDI?
  an interface to connect a keyboard to the computer like USB port for printers. It sends note and other data from the keyboard to the computer or vice versa. Basically says play this note at this time at this volume level- it is not an actual audio recording. It also makes it possible for one keyboard to play another keyboard.
• What are Effects?
  to modify and enhance the sounds in the drum module. e.g., reverb will put the drum set in a small room or up to a large concert hall
• What is polyphony?
  the number of simultaneous notes that can be played, though if it’s a stereo sample/recording each note can use 2 notes at once. Its important for anyone who plays a lot of notes at the same time and holds down the sustain pedal. The earliest notes played will cut out when the limit is exceeded. This can happen with pianos with 32-note polyphony especially.
• What is a Sequencer?
  the number of a recorder with 1 to 16 tracks usually so that multiple instruments can be played back for fully orchestrated songs and can have elaborate editing capability. These can be downloaded to the computer with a midi interface.

Don't see the answer to your question?
Call us toll-free at 1 877 778 7845 and speak to our electronic drum experts

How To Choose / Useful Information for Pro Keyboards

Click a question to see the answer.

• Why a Pro Workstation keyboard vs.a Portable/Electronic/Arranger keyboard vs. a Synthesizer?

  Pro keyboards offer a multitude of additional features such as audio recording, detailed sound editing, a 16+ track sequencer with detailed editing, and a panoply of synth sounds. They will run 4 to 18 simultaneous higher quality effects such as reverb, and have no arranging or styles other than possibly arpeggiators or drum patterns. A fully orchestrated sound/song can be accomplished with a pro keyboard, but it assumes you want to create each part or instrument sound in a song much more closely (from scratch) than a portable ++

  Portable/arranger type keyboards are more for fast songwriting, for backing tracks when you play or for a one person band with drum patterns, bass, and other sounds with the accompaniment having different song style genres (blues, swing, rock,...) with different patterns for the verse, chorus,... of the song. The song styles and performances are very educational as well for learning genres that you may be unfamiliar with. You can have many instruments follow what your left hand plays in real time and chord recognition for fast performing. Portables have more "meat and potato" sounds and fewer synthesizer sounds.

  Synthesizers- typically do not have workstation features such as sequencing, recording audio, having all types of sounds, but rather focus on doing a few sounds extremely well which usually are not acoustic or real world instruments but "other worldly" sounds with many ways to manipulate the sound.

• What affects the price you will pay and what should you look for?

  The level of realism and selection of the sounds- each keyboard typically does some sounds better than others so decide which main sounds are important to you and play each model (or listen to sound files) you are interested in to find the one that sounds best to you. Does it have all the sounds you are looking for to make a completed song?

  Ease of use- hardware knobs, buttons,... how many controls are there, and are they conveniently placed?

  Display size- touchscreen, color, icon based, easy to read, backlighting not too dark,...

  Sequencer- Check the depth of editing features and ease of use, as you could spend most of your time here. Also, does it allow linear recording only or pattern based recording also?

  Quality and number of effects- reverb, EQ per part, compressors, master FX, number of part insert FX, master/global FX, does it have enough DSP to finish a 16 track song without needing external processing

  Audio recording/sampling -2 to 8 tracks or more- how easy is it to actually record and play back, does it have enough recording memory/time- (roughly 10 meg a stereo minute)? How is the recording backed up?

  Drums- does it have "easy to chain" patterns or is the arpegiator easy to use? Does it have pads on top of keyboard or none at all?

  The number of simultaneous notes the keyboard will play (polyphony)- important if you write denser arrangements or use instruments that use a lot of polyphony (piano,...)

  Control computer software via hardware sliders, knobs,...

  Computer control the keyboard with editor/librarian- as VST plug-in, standalone, 100% editing. The visuals on a big computer screen can shorten the learning curve (much more intuitive)

  Operating system- is it intuitive or obtuse?

  Maximum RAM memory- will determine possibly how much recording time is available or how much room you will have for adding external samples/sounds

  Connectors- # of audio outputs, balanced or unbalanced input, data storage- memory card, jump drive, USB to computer connection

• Comparison Chart

  http://www.musiciansbuy.com/workstation_comparison.html

• How good do these pro workstations sound?

  Please notice that almost every keyboard on our site has a sound file you can play on your computer to hear for yourself.

• What about speakers?

  For home or studio use we prefer powered studio monitors for the best audio quality without spending a lot and keep the sound in stereo (versus a mono keyboard amp) which is much better with full orchestrations,...

  All have headphone jacks if you prefer not to be heard.

  For stage, keyboard amplifiers come in all sizes depending on the size of the venue

• What accessories should I consider?
  • Stand- stands come in many shapes and styles- X style, Z style, ...
  • Bench- consider a more sturdy 4 leg bench if you do not need portability, X style if you do -- the wider the better.
  • Headphones- full size will be more comfortable and quieter and may offer better quality audio
  • Pedals- most come with a sustain pedal, some have jacks for more control - volume, expression, etc.
  • Bag or case- we recommend the manufacturer bags and cases first, then Gator Cases and bags. Do you need wheels? Will only you be carrying it? Will it be on planes? (should have ATA rating)
  • Jump drive/Storage card for audio, midi ...
  • Computer interface if no USB connection- need multi-port midi, how many channels of audio?
  • Dust cover

Glossary

• What is a Style?
  combination of sounds like drums, bass and keys with rhythms and chord progressions in a certain genre (rock, big band, jazz, etc.) which create backing tracks that you can play a lead part over
• What are Song Sections?
  These are divisions of a song that portable arranger keyboards identify as an intro, verses, choruses, bridge, fills, outro, etc., which when performed by musicians reflect the mood/feeling of each of those sections that enable faster song arranging
• What is MIDI?
  MIDI is a standard interface for communicating musical information among electronical devices, (e.g., between a keyboard and a computer). MIDI sends note and other data from the keyboard to the computer or vice versa. It basically says play this note at this time at this volume level- it is not an actual audio recording, but a digital representation of the kind of information that woud be included in a written score.
• What is polyphony?
  the number of simultaneous notes that can be played, though if it’s a stereo sample/recording each note can use 2 notes at once. Its important for anyone who plays a lot of notes at the same time and holds down the sustain pedal. The earliest notes played will cut out when the limit is exceeded. This can happen with pianos with 32 note polyphony especially.
• What is a sequencer?
  a recorder with (usually) 1 to 16 tracks, so that multiple instruments can be played back for fully orchestrated songs and can have elaborate editing capability. Typically digital pianos have only 1 or 2 tracks for playing back a piano performance and archiving another. These can be downloaded to the computer with a MIDI interface
• What is sampling/samples?
  a short audio recording of a note. For more realistic sound, digital pianos can be recorded at different velocities so that when you strike a note harder, the timbre changes for better realism
• What are effects?
  to modify and enhance the sounds in the keyboard including non- piano sounds. e.g. - reverb will put the piano in a small room or up to a large concert hall.

Don’t see the answer to your question?

Call us toll-free at 1 877 778 7845 and speak to our piano experts

Understanding Electronic Keyboards

• Why a Portable/Electronic/Arranger keyboard vs. a Pro keyboard (WorkStation)- how are these different?

  Pro keyboards (also called synthesizers or workstations) can have up to 88 keys and some offer realistic piano action and excellent piano sound. They also will feature a multitude of other features that you may not need including audio recording, editing the sound to the most elemental part of the sound, a 16+ track sequencer with detailed editing, a lot of synth sounds.They will run 4 to 18 simultaneous higher quality effects like reverb,but many will have no built in arranging capability or musical styles other than arpeggiators and drum patterns. Some workstations do offer a small menu of preconstructed patterns usually require the player to construct each part (track)individually. This is a good feature for composers, but requires a ground up approach to composition. Because of the depth of features, workstations can be intimidating for a first time user. Portable/arranger type keyboards are generally easier to use and are an excellent means for much quicker songwriting ; also great for use as a "one person band".

• What affects the price you will pay and what should you look for?
  • The level of realism, quality and number of sounds- are they extremely realistic or a close approximation ?
  • Start with the grand piano sound, then strings. These are the most difficult to emulate
  • Arranging- Song Styles (how many and quality) and Song Sections (how many) and musical parts (how many)?
  • Does it sound like it was designed by a world class musician?
  • Display size- bigger the better to view info, makes it considerably easier to use
  • Score display- does it also have Lyrics/Text display?
  • Number of simultaneous effects, number of different effects?
  • Vocal Harmonizer- adds harmony backup vocal to your voice through a mic input
  • Polyphony- the number of notes that will play simultaneously IMPORTANT !!
  • How can you backup your tracks/compositions? Hard drive, CD burner, audio recording-
  • Will it sync with non audio tracks?
  • Does it have USB to device for optional jump drive or floppy drive for storage, USB to computer for saving sequences and styles
  • Does it have a Video output? This is very useful for lyrics display
  • Multiple audio outputs ?- more is better in order to separate different sounds sent to a mixer or computer for mixes
  • External controls- total number, logical control panel layout -- touch screen? Complexity might mean more menu flipping,
  • Music Search- how easy is it to find the style of music you need quickly?
  • Ease of Use- how quickly can you assemble a new song, find a patch to play, tweak a sound, chain patterns together?
  • Recording or Sequencing features? Most feature built in multiple ( at least 16) track recording sequencers with detailed editing and standard midi file
  • Playback- how many tracks does it have, how detailed is the editing?
  • Are optional sounds available? Third party sounds/samples? How can you store these? RAM memory? RAM is volatile so you will need a backup like a jump drive or memory card to do this.
  • Will you need a Computer editor/librarian software package? They can offer great visuals and are usually much, much easier to use.
  • Saving sound edits, song edits, style edits, sliders, switches, Easy to use?
• What about speakers? Do I need an amp

  Almost all portables have built-in speakers except a few very high end stage models are designed for performers and will require a keyboard amp or other external amplification.Most onboard speakers are generally loud enough for home listening or monitoring yourself. All have headphone jacks if you prefer not to be heard. Keyboard amplifiers or portable powered speakers are on the site if you have play in a big venue or with other louder instruments, choirs, or just want more bottom end bass frequencies, . . .

• How good do these sound
  Please notice that almost every portable on our site has a sound file you can play on your computer to hear for yourself
• What accessories should I consider?
  • Keyboard amps/powered speaker systems- if you play on stage for bigger venues
  • Headphones and home stereo speakers can suffice if you play at home only
  • Microphones may be plugged into some models. You may also need a microphone stand
  • Keyboard Stands come in many shapes and styles- X style, Z style,
  • Bench- consider a more sturdy 4 leg bench if you do not need portability, X style if you do, the wider the better
  • Headphones- full size will be more comfortable and quieter and may offer better quality audio
  • Pedals- most come with a sustain pedal, some have jacks for more control- volume, expression,etc
  • Bag or case- for portable models, we recommend the manufacturer bags and cases first, then Gator Cases
  • Dust cover
• Comparison Chart

  Electronic Keyboards Compared

How To Choose a Digital Piano / Useful Information

Click a question to see the answer.

• Why a Digital piano vs. an acoustic piano?
  • Digital pianos are never out of tune.
  • Electric pianos use headphones so you won't bother anyone when playing or practicing.
  • Piano keyboards won't break your back moving them and they take up less space in your home.
  • Most Electronic Pianos include songs like a player piano and a sequencer to record your performances.
  • Digital pianos include many other instrument sounds besides pianos .
  • Electronic Piano Keyboards have become extremely realistic in sound quality in recent years.
• Whats the difference between a stage piano and a home piano?
  The stage piano is built to better withstand the rigors of the road but not necessarily to look good in a living room
• What affects the price you will pay and what should you look for?
  • The level of realism of the piano sound
  • The number of simultaneous notes the digital piano will play (polyphony)
  • The quality of the cabinetry- is it simple and portable or a finished living room look
  • The 'feel' of the keyboard's keys- almost all digital pianos have 88 keys with graded hammer action like a real piano but they are made differently to simulate the true wood hammers of an acoustic piano.
  • The feel can be lighter or heavier from model to model and from brand to brand. It is mostly asubjective issue which is better but more expensive models will have a better feel.
• Digital Piano Comparison Chart
  See our Digital Comparison Chart
• What should I get for my child who is just starting to play piano? Do I need to spend a lot?

  The Casio CDP100 and the PX120 both start at $499. Yamaha's P85 starts at $599. Where budget is the primary concern, we highly recommend any of these models for a beginning student. They all meet the two basic requirements of an instrument suitable for the study of piano -- a good sound and 88 weighted action keys.

• How good do these digital pianos sound?
  Please notice that almost every piano on our site has a sound file you can play on your computer to hear for yourself
• Why would I want to spend $2200 on a digital piano?
  More expensive digital pianos normally sound more realistic than lower priced models. The feel and responsiveness of the keys will be much closer to that of an acoustic piano as well. More professional models often feature an expanded menu of sounds that can be played .Better digital pianos also have added  features such as USB interfaces, expanded recording and playback functions, transposition, variable tunings and automated accompaniment.......you can be a virtual one person ochestra. Finally, higher priced digital pianos often have  upgraded cabinetry and speaker systems which improves both the look and the sound of the instrument.
• What about speakers?
  All home pianos and a few stage electric pianos have built-in speakers loud enough for home listening and headphone jacks if you prefer not to be heard. Keyboard amplifiers (powered studio monitors are best if for home use only) are on the site if you like a model without speakers, play with other louder instruments, choirs, or some less expensive digital pianos may not have the best frequency response you desire without more amplification.
• What about pedals? Do I need 1 or 2 or 3?
  For most of us, a sustain pedal is the most we will use. Piano teachers and those who are classically trained will prefer 3 pedals for soft/half pedaling (play one of 3 strings only for each note) and sostenuto (select only certain notes to sustain).
• What other features do digital pianos have to consider?
  • Sequencer- a recorder to record midi notes which can have one or more tracks of instruments playing back at the same time.
  • The number of track scan be 1 or 2 with most digital pianos and up to 16 and 32 with other keyboards.
  • Auto accompaniment- drum patterns to pay along with, possibly a bass line based on what notes you left hand is playing and more in many different song genres/styles
  • Metronome- a repeating click for staying in time or rhythm
  • Music rest- for holding sheet music, sheet music stands are available if a model does not have one
  • Non-piano sounds like electric pianos, bass, strings,..- can also often can be layered with the piano sound
  • Songs to practice with, library of songs to be played back (guest pianist in your home)
  • Sliding key cover- good for protecting keys and reducing dust
• What accessories should I consider?
  • Stand- come in many shapes and styles- X style, Z style, manufacturer end legs (most sturdy).
  • Bench- consider a more sturdy 4 leg bench if you do not need portability, X style if you do, wider the better.
  • Headphones- full size will be more comfortable and quieter.
  • Pedals- most come with a sustain pedal, some have jacks to connect more pedals for sostenuto and half pedaling.
  • Bag or case- for portable models, we recommend the manufacturer bags and cases first, then Gator Cases.
  • Midi interface- as most computers now have a USB port, look for a midi to USB interface if the piano does not have a USB port already, like the UX16.
  • Dust cover.
• Portable/arranger and Pro keyboards- how are these different?
  Pro keyboards can have 88 key hammer action and excellent piano sound but have a multitude of other features you may not need including audio recording, editing the sound to the most elemental part of the sound, a 16+ track sequencer with detailed editing, will run 4 to 18 simultaneous effects like reverb, etc. Portable/arranger type keyboards are more for fast songwriting, for backing tracks when you play or for one person band with drum patterns, bass, and other sounds with the accompaniment having different song style genres (blues, swing, rock, etc.) with different patterns for the verse, chorus, etc. of the song.

Glossary

• What is MIDI?
  an interface to connect a keyboard to the computer like USB port for printers. It sends note and other data from the keyboard to the computer or vice versa. Basically says play this note at this time at this volume level- it is not an actual audio recording. It also makes it possible for one keyboard to play another keyboard.
• What is polyphony?
  the number of simultaneous notes that can be played, though if it's a stereo sample/recording each note can use 2 notes at once. Its important for anyone who plays a lot of notes at the same time and holds down the sustain pedal. The earliest notes played will cut out when the limit is exceeded. This can happen with pianos with 32 note polyphony especially.
• What are those pedals for?
  a sustain pedal to hold all notes played as lomg as the pedal is held down. The soft/half pedaling pedal plays one of 3 strings only for each note (softer sound) and sostenuto (select only certain notes to sustain).
• What is a sequencer?
  a recorder with 1 to 16 tracks usually so that multiple instruments can be played back for fully orchestrated songs and can have elaborate editing capability. Typically digital pianos have only 1 or 2 tracks for playing back a piano performance and archiving another. These can be downloaded to the computer with a midi interface
• What is sampling/samples?
  a short audio recording of a note. For more realistic sound, digital pianos can be recorded at different velocities so that when you strike a note harder, the timbre changes for better realism
• What are effects?
  to modify and enhance the sounds in the keyboard including non- piano sounds. e.g. - reverb will put the piano in a small room or up to a large concert hall.

Don't see the answer to your question?

Call us toll-free at 1 877 778 7845 and speak to our piano experts