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A
digital piano is made up of a keyboard exactly like you find on an
acoustic piano. Weighted keys action with hammers that hit electronic
sensors, which detect the force you use to strike the keys. You can
play softly or you can press harder and play
loudly.
Usually the sound of each note is played and sampled sometimes more
than 7 times to get the exact sound and feel and the microchip produces
the note with corresponding loudness they are made with keys resembling
the keys of a grand. When you press the keys of a grand piano the
hammer is pushed up toward the string, when you let up on the key
gravity pulls the hammer back down. On an upright piano the hammer is
pushed into the string from in front, when you let up on the keys the
hammer returns to starting position. If you try to press a key quickly
on the upright, you will find the hammer quits responding as quickly
and the key stays in a down position for a second. If you press a key
on the grand quickly, gravity immediately causes the key to return to
position and you can press it again and again. That is why the digital
manufactures use the grand piano movement as a model, you can play,
more easily with this action. The piano keys are weighted so that you
will feel the least resistance at the top of the keyboard just like an
acoustic piano.
Most digital pianos offer sounds other than piano.
You may
want strings, you sound like you are playing with a full orchestra. You
may enjoy harpsichord, you will find the digital piano remembers the
harpsichord without the velocity in the piano an no sustain.
The
organ is also a favorite of many with the sound of a huge cathedral
organ responding to your touch. You may also find learning
features on various pianos, some teaching rhythm and some actually
showing the music score that you can play along with.
You can listen to the piano through headphones instead of speakers,
allowing you to play the piano while the rest of the family watches TV
or just wake up in the middle of the night and enjoy yourself!
Digital advantages are:
- No tuning
needed…ever!!!
The cost of tuning is going up. If you are tuning your piano, as you
should, twice a year, the Digital will save you at least $100.00 a year
from now on!!
- No maintenance.
All you need to do is put your digital piano on a surge protector as
soon as you get home. Allow no food or drinks around the piano. Keep it
out of direct sunlight (protect the finish) and dust it once
in a
while!!
- Portability.
An acoustic piano usually weights 450 to 500 lbs. You bring it into
your home and it stays in one place. With a digital you can change
places as many times as you change your mind!! The weight is from 100
to 200 lbs.
- Headphones.
From now on you don’t have to worry about the family
complaining
because they can’t hear the TV because Johnny is practicing
the
piano. Johnny can play without disturbing anyone else. You will only
hear the keys move. This is great for those who live in an apartment or
close quarters.
- Many Voices.
Most digital pianos come with several piano sounds, strings, organ and
harpsichord. The ability to combine 2 or more sounds makes playing more
fun. Rather than telling Johnny he has to practice for 30 minutes, he
can practice his piece with the piano, harpsichord, vibes, strings,
organ, piano and strings and by that time, he has practiced an hour! He
can also record himself and play along with himself. Most digitals have
metronomes to help keep the student playing correctly. As you move from
the less expensive digitals, you will find more and more ways to make
playing fun and encouraging to the student.
- Electronic Interface.
Most digital pianos have a MIDI interface capability which allows you
to connect your piano to the computer and enjoy the benefits of digital
technology. Download your favorite songs and learn to play!!
Digital Drawbacks
- If
you sit down at an acoustic piano and then sit at a digital piano,
there are still differences in sound just like you will find
differences in the nuance of an electric guitar and an acoustic
guitar.
- For
the very accomplished pianist they will find the digital piano limits
their ability to add as much color as they can with a
“real” piano.
- Electronics
may fail. By placing your digital piano on a surge protector, you will
save yourself from a major cause of problems with the
electronics. If you have a surge in your electricity from a
storm
or “brown out” it may ruin the main CPU board of
your
piano. The most you will pay is around $700 for this part plus
labor. If you figure the money you are saving from
no
tuning, this isn’t bad. Some of the
problems we have
seen are the CPU board needing replaced, springs under keys needing
replaced. Springs under pedals need replaced. Someone spilt juice in a
keyboard and the pet hair may end up under the keys after a few years
requiring a cleaning. All of these problems are very few and far
between from our experience.
- The
technology of electronics changes constantly. After 4 or 5 years
(especially with a digital ensemble) you may find your piano may become
obsolete. An acoustic piano can be handed down from parent to child if
the piano is maintained correctly. BUT a digital piano can be taken to
college, to a new apartment and moved with ease.
What to Look for in a Digital Piano
Listen to the piano through headphones. If
it does
not sound like it is surrounding you and you don’t ask those
standing beside you “can you hear
that?” Then you need
to keep looking. Listen to the piano as someone else
plays. Stand across the room. Do you like the sound?
Each
digital piano brand is sampled from a different 9 ft. grand
piano. You may or may not like that
sound.
- Play
a note, play it loudly hold it and listen carefully. how long does it
take to decay into silence? Does it sound natural? Does it
last
too long?
- Does
the sound move realistically from side to side on the
keyboard.
Do the sounds of the music come from where you are playing the note??
Bass notes to bottom of keyboard treble notes at top. How
loud
and how soft can you play?
- Polyphony
Digital pianos used to boast of having 8 polyphony. You could
play 8 keys without losing any sounds. Now polyphony has grown to 190
on some. If you have a question about polyphony play two
lowest
C’s, then play a glissando about 5 octaves or more
long. Low quality models will drop notes that you
can hear
clearly. The worst models will drop one or both bass
notes.
The best models will play all the notes you played much like an
acoustic.
- Design:
how is the control panel laid out. Can you move through the
buttons easily? Could you accidentally hit the buttons
because
they are too close to the keys?
- How
many bells and whistles do you want? Do you want rhythms? Do
you
want recording capabilities? What are the effects on the instrument? Is
there a keyboard cover? Do you want a disk drive or a flash
drive?
- How
powerful is the amplifier? Bigger amplifiers and multiple numbers of
speakers spaced appropriately on the piano will give you better sound.
You may not use all the power but you will have more balanced sound.
- What
do the pedals do? Right sustains, left is for softness and the middle
pedal is for sostenuto. The look for a piano that is not “on
and
off” pedal.
What
do different manufacturers offer?
- How sounds
are sampled
- Design of
key action
- Output
design
- Overall
appearance
Many
times you will find a digital “deal” that appears
beautiful
but the action and sound leaves much to be desired.
The
differences in the various models by one manufacturer are:
- Weighted
key action
- Amplifier
power
- Number and
size of speakers
- Polyphony
- Sequencing
capabilities, metronome etc.
You may not
want to hear this, but the more money you pay for a digital, the more
closely it will imitate an acoustic piano.
The
good
news about digitals is that you can have a better sounding, easier to
move, more fun piano in your price range that you don’t have
to
have tuned, or worry about change of season. Cold and heat do not
affect them!
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