Roland VK8M Organ Sound Module

How To Choose a Digital Piano / Useful Information

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• 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.

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