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88 key Weighted Digital Piano – a major trend in these days
20
Oct
Oct
Introduction to Digital Piano
Music as we know has changed a lot as compared to what it was in the past. During this evolution, we have seen a great change in the kinds of music and instruments that were being used and were replaced by new ones.
As new technology was being introduced different brands and companies started making different musical instruments that gained a lot of popularity and were being used by famous artists.
One such instrument that is being used worldwide is a digital piano and not just any piano. The famous 88 keys keyboard digital piano is one of a kind and is becoming one of the greatest music sensations for artists.
Keyboards with 88 keys have become a major trend in these days. There are different variations from singe star rating to five star rated keyboards.
So what is a digital piano?
In this article, we shall take a look at the famous 88 key weighted digital piano, its aspects, and some of the famous keyboards that are being sold in the market.
Table of Contents
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What is Digital Piano?
The famous digital piano is a basic replacement of the large-sized acoustic pianos with a wide range of features.
A digital piano is an electronic musical instrument that can operate just like a traditional piano but it has weighted action.
It is considered better both in terms of voice and playing as compared to acoustic pianos because of its built in speakers. An acoustic piano has to be played by the professionals with great delicacy and care as a single wrong key press can destroy the whole rhythm.
On the contrary, digital pianos can be used to make new rhythms tunes and polyphonies by manually playing them or by playing a recorded rhythm on a higher tune as a digital piano is equipped with built in loudspeakers.
Saying that a digital piano is the same as a keyboard is completely wrong. Let’s take a look at the differences between these two.
Difference between a digital piano and an electric keyboard
Features of a digital piano
So this is not a difficult question that can’t be answered but surely there are a few complications between a digital piano and an electric keyboard.
To be simple with words, a digital piano is a replica of an original acoustic keyboard and because of that, it can get you close to the real experience of playing the piano it has weighted keys so that you could get the practice of playing an acoustic piano while keeping it inside your financial limit.
- Weighted keys to give a real-time experience
- Lightweight and easy to transport
- Easy to maintain and special designs that make it inexpensive.
- A hammer action to support better sound
Features of an electric keyboard
On the contrary, keyboards were created to be used by the pros and expert musicians to help them record their music easily and make a wide range of sounds using them. It is quite an unusual thing to use a keyboard and create a similar sound that can be heard from a traditional acoustic piano.
- A keyboard is usually lighter as compared to a digital piano
- It is not built with weighted keys that are used in a digital keyboard and are mostly used by skilled musicians and singers.
- An electric keyboard has quite a technical interface with tens and thousands of tones that can be played.
Types of digital piano
The digital pianos can be found in any house that loves music and if you are willing to buy a digital piano with weighted keys you need to have complete info about them.
There are different types of 88 key digital pianos.
The main types that are being sold in the market are
- Standard Digital piano
- Upright Digital Piano
- Stage Piano
Standard Digital Piano
Standard Digital Pianos were mainly created to practice and give the real-time experience of playing an acoustic piano.
The standard digital piano is lightweight and easier to handle as compared to other digital pianos and is often recommended by the professional music teachers to be used in homes for practice.
As the name shows the digital piano is not equipped with all the great features but is built in a way to provide the best sound and effects.
Upright Digital Piano
Upright digital pianos are almost similar to a real upright piano and for the best results, it is also built with a hammer key action and a great sound system.
The upright digital piano almost occupies the same space as an acoustic piano and for it to give the same playing effects it is built with a large cabinet.
An upright digital piano also has a tone generating engine to create the best sounds. In terms of size, it occupies the same space as an acoustic upright piano, but does not require the same level of maintenances.
They also have a pedal to get a better sound acoustic system.
Stage Digital Piano
Stage digital pianos are the most equipped ones and are used by musicians and artists during their live shows to create the best sound rhythms and effects.
In comparison to a simple piano, they are sturdier and well-built with weighted keys in most cases and a unique design to attract the audience in its appearance.
How much does a digital piano cost?
The price of a digital piano mostly depends on the manufacturing company and the features that it offers.
More the features that the keyboard provides greater will be the price but a rough idea in the markets is that an 88 key weighted piano mostly ranges from $125 (110 EUR) to $4500 (3800 EUR) depending upon the latest model and features that it can offer.
The price can also vary depending upon the size but in the case of digital pianos, it doesn’t matter if it’s a huge-sized piano or a small as authenticity is what matters the most in this case.
Does my piano need to be an 88 weighted key?
For the answer to this question its better you ask your music teacher about what suits you or what is need however if you are asking for the opinion from a professional, the answer would always be a yes and that’s because learning and playing and 88 weighted key digital piano helps to get a grasp of a traditional acoustic piano.
You can also learn to use different modes of sound and how the up and down rhythms are to be used. On the other hand, you can also buy a piano with 66 keys or fewer but an 88 weighted keyboard is one thing that is always preferred.
Salient features of an 88 weighted key digital piano
The main thing that distinguishes an 88 key weighted key digital piano from any other electric keyboard is the features that give it the upper hand.
For a musician, the best instrument is the one that supports him in every moment, and in the case of digital pianos, it’s all based on the features. Let’s take a look at the prominent features of the weighted keys digital pianos.
Musical keyboard
The major thing that a digital keyboard has is the keyboard. The keyboard consists of 88 keys with a weighted function.
This helps to produce the same effect as an acoustic piano and the keys are velocity-sensitive.
This effect is the main thing that makes a digital piano sound like an original acoustic piano. The keys pressed produce sound and tune depending upon the force with which the key is pressed. The sensitivity effect can help make several tunes that make it a reliable instrument for the musicians.
Hammer Action
The digital pianos to mimic the grand effects of an acoustic piano have phenomena called the hammer action that is responsible to create an elegant and nice sound.
The hammer action present in devices can help feel like playing a real acoustic piano while its absence can cause quite a significant effect on the sound of the instrument.
Compactness
A digital piano is always well built and compact in structure. The body structure and design are one of a kind and can easily be transported from one place to another with ease.
Buying a digital piano means you would be moving it more often so it should be as light as possible. Fortunately, digital pianos are light weighted and easy to transport that makes them an important instrument under consideration when thinking about buying one.
Also, digital pianos come with a removable stand that can also help in moving your piano easily from one place to another.
Polyphony and sound quality
As a digital piano is to be used by professionals it has the best sound quality and polyphonies. Polyphonies are the textures of music more like a high pitch and the low dim sound. Similarly, tones are also important.
The digital pianos have a great sound system and a built-in mechanism to help the artists in setting the polyphonies and tones in his way and how he likes.
Over time the polyphonies have been increased in the pianos to make them one of a kind. Even when the first digital piano was manufactured the first polyphony was only between 32 to 64 notes.
The loudspeaker built in a digital piano with the best amplification circuit provides the best and clear sound even in crowded places.
Cost
A typical 88 key digital piano is usually very cheap as compared to an acoustic piano and easier to handle. Sometimes people tend to buy acoustic parts with it that can affect the price but a digital piano is quite in an affordable range and can give you the best features at a minimal price tag.
A normal digital piano ranges from $700 (590 EUR) to $3500 (2900 EUR) . The price varies from features to features and models manufactured by the company.
Versatility
A typical 88 key weighted digital piano produces sounds of volume depending upon the amount of force that you have been applied on the keys while playing it.
Generally, a volume control system is also installed in it so you can deal with the extra voice yourself. For silent practicing, you can use the headphones and enjoy your music with ease.
Using headphones, you won’t have to be scolded by anyone at home. Just kidding.
Recording function
Many digital pianos come with an option for the musicians to record their tunes and music. Many artists want to record their made tunes and want others to hear them.
The recording option gives you an edge as you can easily make your sounds and let people know about, and they can hear you too.
Connectivity
Many digital pianos have different connectivity option to let the users avail themselves with many other accessories and enjoy themselves to the fullest.
A normal digital piano comes with an HDMI port to allow you to connect with a music video game. There is also an option for an AUX cable to allow you to connect with a speaker or something for greater sound.
Sometimes a digital keyboard also has a Bluetooth connectivity option to allow you to connect with wireless headphones and enjoy your tunes and have fun at home or anywhere you want.
The digital pianos have so many functions that you cannot even think about what to do first during your first experience. There are also some issues that people face while selecting the right digital piano for themselves.
Still, there is a bit blunt condition while selecting the best keyboard. You have to keep an eye on the reputation of the manufacture, the features that have been offered, the piano’s condition, and much more.
Seems a great hassle, right?
Don’t worry we will tell you about the top ten best-selling digital keyboards along with their features, their cost, and their reputation and market standing.
How to select the best digital piano for me?
The selection of a digital piano is based truly on the perspective of the buyer as you have to check a lot of things like how the piano will look like in your room or office?
Can it be transported easily?
So you don’t have to worry about all this fuss and tension. We are going to show you the best picks of modern-day requirements about the best pianos that can be used for professional purposes along with usage at the home.
Depending upon the sizes and features following are the best 88 key weighted digital pianos and their pros and cons so you can decide the best for yourself.
Roland RD-2000
The Roland RD-2000 is one of the best and incredibly awesome because of its two super sound systems. One is the SuperNATURAL and the second one is the V-Piano.
As the sound system specs show it is super to be used in both homes and on stage. Being a high-end digital piano it is often recommended by the professional musicians.
The system allows you to create eight different patches of songs that can then be overlapped to create the best sound. The keyboard has an internal memory that can be used to store any kind of music or sound produced.
The keyboard having weighted keys and a self-controlling system enables you to manage all your sounds on your fingertips. The LED lights embedded enables the piano to stand out even in a dark stage.
Pros
- A great soft touch
- Extremely fun to use
- works well with other party software/DAWs
- Latency level zero in the processor
- Supernatural and V-Piano sound engines
Cons
- Not so good for beginners and intermediate piano players
Yamaha p515
The famous Yamaha p515 features the best sound and features that you can ever possibly imagine. The super sound system installed inside the Yamaha p 515 enables you to create high volume sound without any difficulty.
The Yamaha manufactured p515 is the best one because of its wooden made weighted keys that enable you to produce a combination of sounds and polyphonies. The sound system can create some interacting and great sound.
The digital keyboard creating the best music sensation as it is one of the best music creational instruments.
Pros
- Best CFX engine
- Smooth hammer action graded keys
- Authentic piano
- Pianist app usage
- Elegant design
Cons
- Not so solid or strong
Yamaha YDP-184
The Yamaha YDP-184 is mainly revolving around Yamaha’s CFX series grand digital pianos and is one that can stay on top of the preferences of a great musician for quite sometimes.
There are high base speakers that can spread music to all the places without creating a shrill sound. This is one of the features that make its demand high in the industry.
Another interesting feature is that you can enhance this experience by controlling some specific parameters through the virtual control settings that enable you to add some extra fun to the ongoing party.
It is often suggested as one of the best digital keyboards to be used at home.
Pros
- High-quality sounds
- A separate section for each voice record
- Having a great organ control
- Real digital effects
Cons
- Not so strong as compared to other digital keyboards
Yamaha CP88
The famous Yamaha CP88 is one of the best digital pianos that has been recommended for the stage play as they can easily use it to create the best of the sound onstage and make a top performance.
Because of its top performance, it has been considered as the best thing that can be played easily because of its great design.
The keyboard used in a digital piano is the best one that can be used to play soft music and the best sound is produced as the keyboard has great smooth and soft keys.
On the other hand, it can also take up to a few hard shots on it as it has a protective casing under its buttons. These amazing features are the main reason this digital keyboard has been given a rating of 4.7 on Amazon.
Pros
- 3 amazing grand pianos.
- Wide choice of high-quality voices.
- Simple user interface.
- A virtual Circuit modeling system
Cons
- Not so strong as compared to other digital keyboards
Kawai MP11SE
Kawai is one of the most well-known manufactures known for its great digital pianos whose 88 keys can produce sounds that rival that of a grand piano.
In such cases, you can never forget the MP11SE as it is one of the best that has been introduced in the market.
It is considered as one of the best and the most suitable keyboards that can be used for both homes and professional music concerts and it would be wrong to say they cannot be used in this way.
There is an increased timing for the hammer action that helps the digital piano to be at the same level as a grand piano. The piano has been used so much that you can find it easily without any hard looking with an overall ranking that is both great in features and sound quality.
Pros
- Very realistic hammer action keys.
- The luxurious sound feels like ones from acoustic piano
- Simple user interface.
- MIDI controller functions.
Cons
- Limited content for voices and tones
CASIO CGP-700
Unlike other CASIO instruments that are quite expensive, the CASIO CGP-700 is quite the opposite as it comes at a simple effective rate and contains some of the best features that have been introduced by CASIO.
With different voices and rhythms, this is quite a bundle that you would get.
The voices and rhythms that are already present inside the digital keyboard can only be accessed by using the touchpad available at the center top of the digital keyboard.
The keyboard is equipped with an adjustable sound system that enables you to locate the place where you want most of the sound.
Pros
- A wide variety of voice notes
- A large functioning touchpad
- 17-track sequencer.
- USB recording.
- Adjustable speaker system
Cons
- Limited content for voices and tones
Conclusion
The digital keyboards with 88 weighted keys are no doubt one of the best you can get for getting the best feel as an acoustic piano.
Look at the features, the model, and the one that feels the best for you by looking at the pros and cons.
Choose the one that suits you the best as 88 keys weighted keyboards are one of a king and can give the best experience.
