When you decide to buy a digital piano and delve into the complex world of musical instruments, it can often be overwhelming and stressful. Musical instruments are often pricey, so making the right decision is very important. You must decide on the type of digital piano you want to purchase based on different factors, such as your musical experience and your needs. Read on for a simple breakdown of the qualities to look for when purchasing a digital piano.
Digital Piano Style
The first thing to consider when looking for a digital piano is the piano’s physical style. There are three basic types: Slab, Console, and Grand digital pianos. The slab digital piano is a keyboard without a stand to place it on. If you don’t have a table to put it on, you will also need to buy a stand for it. Furthermore, check its weight if you intend to move it around to make sure it isn’t too bulky. The second type, the Console type, the keyboard has a stand and a pedal. This pedal, called a sustain pedal, sustains the note played and keeps it going as long as the pedal is pressed down. The final type of digital piano, the Grand digital piano, closely resembles the fancy acoustic baby grand piano. It is best suited for those who want to use it as a decoration or perform on it. The instrument style you choose to buy depends on factors such as usage, price, experience, and the person’s age. It is also important to consider the place the piano will stand to ensure it will fit there comfortably, as digital pianos can sometimes be quite bulky.
Keyboard Action and Sound Quality
Other important features of digital pianos are keyboard action and sound quality. Keyboard or key action is the way the piano keys move when you put pressure on them. Musicians differentiate a good digital piano from a bad one based on how much the keyboard mimics an acoustic piano’s movement. For example, a good digital piano’s keys should vibrate and move as if the notes are controlled by keys tied to a hammer inside the piano (like a traditional piano). This mimicking is important because it helps you develop a decent playing style.
It’s also crucial for your keyboard to have high digital sound quality. In other words, they must recreate sounds created by acoustic instruments very closely. When choosing a digital piano, listen carefully to the overall reproduction of the sounds, along with the sustainability and fade of the notes played. The quality of sound produced by the digital speakers and amplifiers in the piano should also be of high quality.
Piano Brand Name
When choosing a digital piano, something else to consider is the piano brand name. It is closely tied to price, so keep your budget in mind while choosing a brand. If you’re just beginning to learn how to play, investing in a lower cost keyboard is sufficient until you become more advanced. It is useful to check digital piano reviews to compare brand names in association with price and quality based on your needs. Examples of good brands include Yamaha, Kawai, Korg, and Casio. Yamaha is arguably the most well-known digital piano brand and brands its pianos as dependable, flexible, and high-quality craftsmanship and music quality. Kawai provides digital pianos that feel like traditional acoustic pianos and also have neat sound quality. If you want a digital piano for studio or professional use, your best bet is a Korg piano as they tend to build the most digitally advanced pianos. Casio provides the best digital pianos for a lower budget but still has a very high-quality level.
External Storage Features
You may want to also look at other features, such as external storage options. These allow you to store and record the music you play along with other files on USB flash drives or memory cards; they are plugged directly into keyboard ports. Some digital pianos also come with wifi or internet compatible options to back up your saved music or upload songs to your keyboard to recreate them yourself or add them to your music tracks.
Vocal Support Features
Some digital pianos also come with a voice support option. This option is perfect for people who love to sing as digital pianos have a microphone feature or the option to attach a microphone to them. Digital pianos with vocal support features use the piano’s audio system as a Public Address (PA) system for the singer. These systems are typically made up of a microphone, loudspeakers, and amplifiers to increase the singer’s voice volume and clarity. For those who will use their digital piano for vocal performances, this feature is essential.
Educational Features
Educational features offered by some digital pianos are especially useful for beginner keyboard players. These educational features could be digital piano lessons or teaching apps linked to your smartphone to teach you keyboard notes or how to play certain songs. Although they wouldn’t be exact replacements for digital piano teaching lessons, these features are useful for those with limited budgets or who have restricted time and want to learn at their own pace.
Considering qualities, such as the style properties, brand, the quality of its keyboard action and sound, and a keyboard with extra features like educational or vocal support features will greatly narrow down the digital piano you want to purchase. Hopefully, this guide, which includes the most basic digital piano qualities, helps you buy the perfect instrument that serves your wants, needs, and experience level.