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So ready to dive into the world of keys? Everybody goes through that dreaded First Purchase Anxiety, but don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re in this together!
A digital piano is an emulation of the acoustic grand piano. The best digital pianos do an excellent job at replicating the experience of a grand piano in terms of playing, hammer action of keys, sound output and even the tone of the original instrument. Better quality naturally comes with more cost but make no mistake, it’s fully worth it. But for those of you who are starting out, here are some instruments that will do an impressive job.
1. Yamaha P45B
Perhaps there isn’t a model better designed to deal with the beginner’s needs than the Yamaha P45B. It has all the accessories you need for practice. in one single package. The quality of the tone and the Graded Hammer System means you’ll have an authentic experience of playing the keys of a grand piano. It has basic effects, metronome, split and dual mode and a 64 polyphony that is meant for learners. It is best suited for the one’s, for whom ‘sound and feel’ is a deal breaker more than multiple features. Portability is an additional feature as it can be easily carried around. It is the ideal in this price range.
2. Yamaha P121B
A slightly more powerful version of the Yamaha Portable series. Situated at a higher price bracket this model adds on to the pre-existing features of the Yamaha P45B. When I say better piano tone, I specifically mean Damper Resonance and String resonance technology. An acoustic instrument like piano behaves differently in a symphony setting. The string resonance technology replicates that very phenomenon. Provided with this pack is the ‘Smart Pianist’ app for Iphone, an app that provides further music related controls when connected.
3. Roland FP-10 and Roland FP-30x
Roland by far provides a superior tone and feel, in comparison to other Keyboards in this price range. All the FP series work on the same engine. The only difference in the models are trade off between features and accessories but the fundamental feel and tone remains the same. Go for Roland if you are after a traditional and more accurate tone. For a little higher price FP-30x comes with a serious set of upgrades like a larger variety of tones in comparison to the FP-10 and more powerful speakers. Both of their functionality substantially increases with ability to connect to Roland’s partner 2 app. Last but not the least it supports the triple pedal system.
4. Roland RP-30 and Yamaha DGX
The reason I placed them together is because this choice depends on the personality of the buyer. The RP-30 isn’t supposed to be moved around but the DGX is portable. The RP offers you a much enhanced version of piano experience with pedals compared to its earliest versions. In addition there are 15 on board sounds for those looking for a bit of versatility. With a bit more price you could purchase the extra features that Yamaha DGX has to offer. The DGX is an arranger styles digital piano, if you get bored with a monotonous piano sound, the DGX has more tones, Rhythm and even microphone connectivity for you to explore. But keep in mind the Roland clearly wins in terms of offering a realistic piano experience. But if you are willing to trade off a slight bit of quality for more features go for the DGX series.
5. Yamaha Clavinova CLP735R and Roland RD88
This is the range were the tables slightly turn. If you are looking for a digital piano that is supposed to fit in your home space and doesn’t move around much, you will be presented with The Roland HP series and Yamaha Clavinova series. In plainly a test of sounds Clavinova beats the otherwise headstrong Roland. With almost same features, I would prefer the Clavinova as it sounds much more lively and lush. Roland RD88 has been popularly dubbed as the Gig piano. Reason being it’s extremely powerful features packed into a portable structure. The touch and feel of the Roland, different on board sounds and built to be on the move. Since it is performance and stage oriented, you will find functions tuned to that requirement. For example the 400+ scenes. A scene is basically an arrangement of tones that are saved and can be called back as it is, without requiring adjustments every single time. An extremely helpful feature for a gig piano.
There are multiple digital pianos in different price ranges and your choice will be a trade off between tonal quality, key action, features and accessories. However quiet definitely you will land on a balance point that suits your requirements. Happy purchasing!
By,
James Benny
Pianist
