Today, along with conventional acoustic pianos, their electronic counterparts are popular. They cost, of course, much more, but any digital piano has both its pros and cons. Now we will focus on the basic understanding of what such tools are, and at the same time consider a few of the most popular models.
What is a digital piano?
Tools of this type have appeared on the world market for a long time. This was due to the fact that in most cases the synthesizers of that time were equipped with a soft keyboard, which could not compete with the piano mechanism for transmitting all the subtleties of the sound of an acoustic instrument.
On the other hand, the synthesized sound itself from the standard General MIDI set was completely different from what could be obtained from a real piano or piano. The first digital piano, according to history, was created back in the 30s of the last century by Harold Rhodes. However, such tools gained the greatest distribution by the 90s.
What is the difference between a digital piano and a synthesizer?
As already mentioned, the synthesizers of many musicians did not like the keyboard. It was on the creation of a full-sized weighted keyboard that the main efforts of almost all manufacturers of equipment of this type were directed.
In this case, one must take into account the fact that an ordinary piano has a hammer mechanism, and sound is extracted by hitting a hammer on strings. Actually, the main task was the problem of how to create an electronic instrument in such a way that it exactly repeats the mechanics of an ordinary piano, and even at the same time it allows you to reproduce all the subtleties of the game and has an absolutely indistinguishable sound.
I must say that such attempts were ultimately successful, and today you can find quite a few serious models that are not inferior in quality to โliveโ tools. However, here you can immediately note the most important drawback of absolutely all models. The fact is that, due to their design, electronic pianos are equipped with speakers through which, in fact, we hear the reproduced sound, while the real instrument is acoustic, that is, we perceive the sound immediately after the hammer hits the string. At the same time, in different rooms the sound is different, depending on the vibrations of the string, resonance, etc. But modern digitalized sampler solutions compensate for this with interest, because many instruments combine the capabilities of an ordinary piano and synthesizers with a huge number of tones and superimposed in real time effects.
Classification of Digital Pianos
If we talk about the classification, here you can divide the tools according to professional standards (entry-level, training tools, semi-professional and professional models), the type of keyboard used (with or without a hammer mechanism), by the presence of additional banks of sounds or effects, by the presence of sequencer with the ability to record played parts, as well as the type of performance (desktop or floor) or the type of outputs and interfaces through which instruments can be connected to sound amplifiers her technique or to the computer.
Now, we will dwell in more detail on several models from the most famous manufacturers of such equipment. Weโll make a reservation right away: only models with 88 full-sized weighted keys that respond to the force of pressing will be considered. In addition, the question of what to prefer a digital piano will be considered. Price, reviews and basic characteristics will also not be left without attention.
Yamaha
Let's start with a simple model. This is a digital piano Yamaha P95. This desktop type tool belongs to the initial level, its price is about 23 thousand rubles. Among the main advantages, it is worth noting the use of Graded Hammer Standard technology, which, when using a special microprocessor chip, allows you to simulate different keystrokes in different octaves (lower ones require more power than upper ones).
The same technology is also responsible for the ability to adjust the resistance of the keys to pressing. Judging by the reviews of many teachers of music schools, this can be useful if a young child is learning to play the piano. Over time, the setting can be changed in the direction of emulating a real keyboard.
More serious models are the Yamaha DGX series. They come with a fairly large bank of sounds and effects, and are also equipped with a sequencer for recording your own compositions. The cost of one of the most popular models of this class Yamaha DGX 650 ranges from 76-77 thousand rubles.
Even more advanced models are the Yamaha CVP601 and Yamaha YDP-142C. These are already full-fledged instruments of the floor type with three pedals, like a real piano. They have a hammer keyboard, and the sound is almost indistinguishable from the real one.
In addition, the instruments have their own bank of sounds and effects, 128-voice polyphony, the ability to record your own compositions and an LCD screen to control parameters. The cost of such models is quite high and starts somewhere from 200 thousand rubles.
Rolling
Roland is one of the leaders in the keyboard market . In their line you can find tools for every taste. So, for example, two instruments can be especially distinguished - Roland RD-300NX and Roland RP-301RW.
The first instrument belongs to the desktop type, it has a built-in sound bank for 200 tones, effects (90 pcs.), A built-in sequencer and the presence of auto accompaniment. Such a model will cost somewhere in the range of 120-125 thousand rubles.
The second modification is a real digital piano of the floor type with three pedals. Its main feature is the ability to record up to 600 thousand notes in the device memory. Polyphony - 128 votes. As for the cost, it is in the range of 75-80 thousand rubles.
Casio
Casio does not focus on high-end synthesizers and workstations, but the Casio digital piano is not just a tool, but even a work of art with a natural, incomparable sound. Among these products you can find both entry-level instruments and a complete likeness of a real piano.
To begin, consider the Privia PX-350 digital pianos. In general, this is a pretty simple tool from the entire line. He cannot really boast anything, but for learning to play a real instrument or to use it as a MIDI keyboard, it works very well.
More interesting models are the Casio PX-850 and the Casio Celviano AP-650BK digital piano. In both cases, we have an outdoor type of instrument with three pedals. The first model is interesting in that it has a special function of acoustic resonance, which gives the instrument exactly the natural sound that is appreciated by connoisseurs. For such a Casio digital piano, the price fluctuates around 67-69 thousand rubles.
The second instrument (Celviano) is characterized by 256-voice polyphony, the presence of 240 tones, accompaniment in the form of 1802 styles, a wide range of settings for resonant characteristics, but most importantly - powerful acoustics (60 watts per speaker). If the PX-850 is best used at home, the Celviano is suitable even for small concert halls and venues. In terms of price, this is somewhere around 97-100 thousand rubles. The younger model AP-420 will cost about 45 thousand rubles.
Korg
Another eminent keyboard manufacturer is Korg. The company is mainly focused on the production of professional workstations, but here you can also find digital pianos such as Korg LP-380WH.
This floor type instrument is of interest in terms of using a hammer keyboard with Real Weighted Hammer Action mechanics, that is, it is on this instrument that you can play all the nuances of the game, like on a regular piano. In addition, there is a special function Stereo Piano System, which allows you to achieve an unsurpassed effect of the expansion of the stereo base. Such an instrument is worth around 100 thousand rubles.
Kurzweil
Another no less famous manufacturer of professional workstations, the company Kurzweil, has not disregarded digital pianos.
So, for example, the full-fledged digital piano of the floor type Kurzweil MP-10 looks very interesting, having in its arsenal not only a solid set of tones, 78 accompaniment styles and a complete imitation of real piano mechanics at the keyboard, but also 9 tracks for recording, as well as a very powerful sound.
Digital workstations
Finally, I want to say a few words about workstations. Among the most interesting models can be identified, say, Yamaha Motif, Korg Triton, Korg Trinity, Roland Fantom, Kurzweil PC3X and many others.
As already clear, these are professional tools of the highest class, so they are inexpensive. By the way, although they belong to the class of workstations (Workstation), nevertheless they can also be called digital pianos, but only with the most advanced features.
Conclusion
Now itโs probably clear what digital piano is. Feedback from professional musicians, teachers and even parents suggests that for training you can use simple models, although it is desirable to use the floor type (especially for children). In addition, sometimes it is advisable to choose exactly those models that are equipped with an output for connecting headphones (so the child will be able to play, and parents will stay in silence). However, for serious musicians, semi-professional or professional models are better, but it all depends on how well the musician is prepared and where he is going to use a particular instrument.