So, You Want to Buy a Digital Piano
BY JASON BORISOFF
In the days before radio and TV, a piano was commonplace in every household that could afford one, with at least one member of the family who knew how to play. Basic musical training was much more important because singing and playing music provided much needed entertainment. Even now, with recorded music, movies, and television at our fingertips, not much compares to the joy of making your own music.
An acoustic piano, while beautiful looking and sounding, is a big, heavy instrument that presents its owner with both large upfront costs and expensive maintenance fees over time. A more feasible option for most people is a digital piano, an instrument that goes to great lengths to feel and sound like an acoustic piano, but without the size, weight, need for periodic tuning, and hefty price tag.
The first digital pianos were introduced in the early '80s, when digital sampling technology made it possible to reproduce a convincing piano sound. Since then, manufacturers have made great strides in recreating an acoustic piano's subtle nuances of touch and sound.
If you're worried about introducing a technological eyesore into your home, you're not alone. Manufacturers have responded to the demand for pianos that not only sound and feel great, but also feature beautiful polished-wood cabinet designs. We have highlighted some popular models that will bring years of classic, trouble free entertainment to your home.
KEYS:
The traditional piano has 88 keys, which is also available in many digital piano models. There are also space-saving 76-key options that work for most styles of music. But, if you play jazz or modern classical music, you might run into problems with the condensed keyboard. If you're not sure that a 76-key piano would work for you, stay on the safe side with the full 88. Also, most piano teachers suggest a full range keyboard.ACTION:
The action of a piano is how the keys feel as they are depressed. Acoustic pianos have varying degrees of weight and travel, depending on the lever and hammer mechanism responsible for striking the strings.Some digital pianos feature graded hammer weighted action, where a system of levers and hammers attached to the keys offer a feel similar to that of an acoustic piano. The weight of the keys also changes from the bass to treble side of the board. Weighted action keyboards are a less expensive alternative to graded hammer weighted action, and simply feature a weight attached to each key. Nonweighted keyboards are the least expensive, yet offer no authentic piano key resistance.
POLYPHONY:
On an acoustic piano, there is no limit as to how many notes can ring out at one time. With digital pianos, however, there are limitations based on how many notes the processor can produce at one time, which is known as polyphony. Thirty-two note (sometimes called voice) polyphony means that 32 notes can ring out simultaneously. For some players, a lower polyphony count is fine, but if you play classical music or jazz with lots of glissandos and extended arpeggios, look into models with 64-note polyphony or more.
SOUND:
The most important feature of a digital piano is how convincingly it reproduces an acoustic piano sound. High quality samples are recorded from acoustic pianos, digitized, and stored in the digital piano. Try out several different brands and models to evaluate tone. Listen for balance, or how the bass, mid, and treble frequencies come together on each note, without any of the three overpowering the sound.
Roland DP-990RF
Roland's Designer Pianos offer modern sleekness and multi-functionality. When closed, the flat cabinet is a piece of polished furniture. When open, the DP-990RF assumes it's role as a natural sounding and feeling digital piano. The DP-990RF has a full 88-key, PHA II Ivory Feel keyboard with escapement, 337 onboard tones, 72 play-along songs, and a Twin-Piano function for teaching purposes. The DP-990RF takes advantage of Roland's SuperNATURAL Piano technology to deliver an authentic acoustic piano experience.
MSRP: $3,499
www.rolandus.com
Yamaha CLP 470
The CLP 400 Series is a continuation of the first Clavinova models pioneered by Yamaha in the early '80s. The CLP 400 Series reaches new heights of piano realism with Yamaha's Graded Hammer 3 action, automatic EQ adjustment to ensure full-bodied sound at any volume, and Panel Reveal Key Cover, which hides all traces of technology for a sleek, acoustic piano look. Additionally, you can record directly to your computer via USB, a standard feature on all CLP 400 pianos.
MSRP: $4,799
www.clavinova.com
Kurzweil MP-10
The MP-10 represents Kurzweil's improvements to their home digital pianos. It features 88 hammer weighted action keys with adjustable sensitivity, 64-voice polyphony, 88 sounds, a two-track sequencer with nine song presets, and a USB port to connect to sequencing software. Other features include 78 rhythm patterns and three favorites presets to store your custom layered sounds with rhythms. The MP-10 comes in either satin rosewood or polished ebony finish.
MSRP: $2,495
www.kurzweil.com
