Good review! I just bought it and I love it. I had originally bought an Artesia AM1 which felt and sounded terrible. I paid a little more for the Medeli but the difference is immense and well worth it.
Awesome playing, you nailed it. I also had the opportunity to play on that model and it's awesome. I think it's the best digital piano made in China, the action is is great, it exceeded my expectations.
Cheers Jimmy, yes I am yet to find another stage piano that does everything that the SP4200 does, even when looking at keyboards that are in a higher price bracket!
Regarding sustain pedal: The Thomann SP-5600 has one included. I got the stand with the 3-pedal unit though (a sturdy piece, and easy to detach the keyboard), so the sustain pedal became a bassdrum pedal for the MD-90 instead :).
nice video sound really good quality,medeli pianos are amazing I own medeli A 1000 I will like to come 88 like this one,they have grand 1000 but is to big for my house this will be nice option for play around good video.
Cheers Sam; I like your piano rendition of Elton John's 'Your Song' - one of the first songs I learned to play. Am looking forward to his concert next year here in NZ.
Thanks Craig. That was very informative and helpful. I've just today seen this Panio in the Dunedin Rockshop and never seen this brand before. The price and features alone made me want to research more. Looking at the Roland and Korg in a similar price bracket you are literally only getting a basic piano. I think you have convinced me. It was also a bonus getting a New Zealand review, which I didn't expect to see. Cheers! Keep up the good work👍🤠
@@sayuas4293 Hi, yes I did end up getting it. It's got a lovely feel to the key bed, nicely weighted. I'm not a Pianist primarily, I brought it for my daughter who loves it. Other members of my family who are very experienced with keyboards/organs and pianos have been very impressed with feel and sound. Hope this helps.
I watched all your video's and it made me to buy this one today (for me that's the Thomann SP5600). It's hard to find reviews online. But I guess as a middleaged beginner this is better than a Yamaha P45 or Roland FP-10 electric piano. The brands are propably better for piano but lack a lot of features and sounds. For a beginner you convinced me to buy this one. Also it's much cheaper. I got a bundle with homestand with 3 pedals, a good pianoseat and a headphone for 500 euro. Hope I will learn piano/keyboard on this one and that it will serve me for many years to come.
Hi, yes it is stacked with features and for the price it stands out in my view. Enjoy your purchase and progress as a musician. Feel free also to check out some of my piano tutorials on my channel if you want to learn some piano tricks - in fact I will be posting a new one soon. Thanks.
Craig-I play several Casio Privias (350/560/575), an Alesis Fusion 8HD and several older Ensoniq hammer-action keyboards. I don't see any info on the keybed mechanics on this anywhere. Can you compare this action to any other weighted action workstations-such as the Studiologic's, Nords-kurzweils-many of which use a Fatar keybed action. i am understanding that even the much more expensive newest Kurzweil-the PC4-may actually be using a Medeli keybed-since the Kurzweil weighs in at about 17Kg's-very lightweight-I'm wondering what your opinion is re the key action of the Medeli. I prefer actions closer to a real grand than to a spring-action instrument-or a compromise between, i have plenty of spring-action keys for other styles of playing.
Thanks for this video. I've been waiting for a good video for about 6 months now. If possible, can you demo some of the other sounds like the E-pianos etc. Thank you
You're welcome Daniel, I'm glad you found this video useful. I will see about putting together another video showing some of the other sounds as suggested. Suffice to say some do sound better than others.
Hi Craig. I have just bought a SP4200 and your video helped me make up my mind. I am very happy with it but I wish the manual was a bit more comprehensive. How do I hear the piano styles191 to 230? When I switch them on I cannot hear the sound but the display shows that they are playing. Any other style below that comes out the speakers. One other question - is their any way of changing the input volume on the microphone jack?
Hi in reply to your query, the piano rhythm patterns are used in conjunction with the 'Auto Accompaniment' feature. If you select Style 191 (Pianist 1) for example, then press the A.B.C button followed by the Start/Stop button, the Medeli will play the corresponding piano rhythm (and chords) in the LEFT hand, when you press the keys in the lower half of the keyboard. You can then play along to this with another piano or any other sound in the RIGHT hand; e.g organ, guitar, brass, strings etc. As for the mic input volume, no you cannot adjust this unfortunately. As good as it would be for the Medeli to have a 'mic mixer' function , this can only be achieved using an external console. I got around this by using a Sennheiser e835 mic instead of the Shure SM58; the Sennheiser is a much more sensitive mic and therefore better suited to direct connection to the SP4200.
thank you for this. i am debating between medeli sp4200 vs yamaha p45. There are many more reviews on yamaha p45 (71) than for Medeli... I was wondering if you were to pick one of this based on the grand piano sound and the feel of the keys, which one would you prefer? Would really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
Hi, good question. If based on just those two things, I'd probably head more towards the Yamaha since it has the graded hammer action, though note that Medeli's new SP201 has graded hammer action also, rather than just the weighted keys of the SP4200. I can't really comment on the piano sound as I haven't played a Yamaha in a while, but the grand piano sample on the Medeli is very good, and beats pretty much all its other included sounds, in terms of authenticity. I suspect you would be quite happy with the Medeli, but you might be more satisfied with the Yamaha in terms of overall feel.
@@Songwriter74 I thought the Medeli 4200 had a graded hammer action and the Yamaha had a pretty bad action for the price? don't tell me the Medeli has no graded hammer action, my search will never end.
Hi Craig... thanks for making the videos on the sp 4200... apart from you, there's almost nothing on the internet about this keyboard... that's sad. Am currently buying it... Do you in which year it was made? How about styles creation? The specs say it's possible... but i don't know how to...
Hi, the SP4200 first became available here where I am back in 2015, and I purchased another last year which had a few minor improvements (mostly cosmetic I think). As for 'styles' - I assume you're referring to the rhythm patterns of which there are 230 presets and 10 so-called user settings; the manual is a bit vague and doesn't explain how to record/upload user presets, however it is possible to create/record either your own rhythm pattern or tune (up to 5) and then store this as a 'song'. Personally I think it is just as easy to use recording software in order to record rhythms/patterns etc, and then play them back via a laptop.
Hi Lousie, thanks for the suggestion; I could do a video for that, but honestly it is the simplest of operations - 'SHIFT' then press the 'TRANSPOSE' buttons (up or down). The only limitation I see is that unless the transposition point is saved on one of the one touch memory recall buttons, it will be lost when changing to a new stored sound. This can actually be a problem when performing live - for example if you decide to take the Grand Piano down one semitone, then decide to switch to, say, a piano/string combination mid-performance via a one-touch button, then unless the latter has been stored on one of these buttons in the same pitch (i.e. down one semitone), you will end up in the standard key. So please be aware that the transposition remains only while the relevant instrument sound is being played, UNLESS it is permanently saved on a one touch button. Cheers
Hi, I want to buy this piano for christmas, I just have a few questions: 1. Is it worth it after a few years? 2. Is the quality of the sound good? 3. I plan on using it for recording songs. Will it work well? Thank you :)
Hello Barbora; yes to all of your questions - you will find plenty of additional info in follow-up videos I have done on this product. I use mine for both recording and live performance - the piano sound in particular is good. I got 6 years out of my first SP4200, before I ended up dismantling it (a video of that is on my channel) - that was after much rugged use at home and out on the road.
Hi, could you maybe help me understand the USB function ? I want to get OLAFUR ARNALDS spitfire soundbank , can that be loaded onto a USB memory stick and then be played through the 4200 or do I plug a laptop in and do it that way ?, please enlighten a noob? Thanks for your videos , very helpful.
Hi Aaron, typically the USB is used for backing up data and pre-programmed sounds from the Medeli, then either restoring the saved data (e.g. after a factory reset or to fix an issue), or playing back MIDI files created on the SP4200. I have never had much success with trying to play back files via USB that were created/loaded from an external source. It sounds to me that what you are wanting to do would be best achieved using a laptop and/or digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Hopefully that answers your question, thanks.
@@Songwriter74 yes it answer my question, thank you . Yes I will hook up a laptop via midi to achieve what I'm wanting to do. And by the way I don't know if you don't know Olafur Arnald's his soundset is amazing he has beautiful piano sounds so you should check those out I think you would love them , also his music .... Oh wow!!!!thanks again
Hey Craig... i noticed that when i plug a jack cable in the Aux out of my sp 4200, the sound still comes out from the keyboard built in speakers. How can fix that? What if i don't want to hear it from the built in speakers?
Hi Ben, thanks for your query; all you need to do is insert a quarter inch jack into the right hand side headphone socket on the front of the keyboard. That will solve your problem. I look forward to hearing how you find using the keyboard. Cheers.
Thanks for replying. So by saying "you can use a music software on a laptop, then record the beat as a song"... does it means i can make a beat with my laptop and have saved for ever in my keyboard as a user rhythm?
No problem. Actually what I meant was, record a beat/rhythm on your laptop (using music software) and simply store it on your laptop, not in the keyboard. Since the manual doesn't make it clear how to upload and/or store a preset within the keyboard, and because I haven't yet figured it out either, this seems like the best way, and in fact is what I do here with 'backing tracks' that I create myself. You can then connect the laptop via 'audio in' on the SP4200, and play back the beats that way. While it is possible to create and store a 'song' on the SP4200 (as I mentioned in my previous reply), this is not the same thing - i.e. you can't play along to it, it is simply a stored recording of something you have played/created on the keyboard. So in a nutshell my suggestion is this: The SP4200 has various drum kits built in, so you can play the drum parts on the keyboard, and then record these with your music software - again easy enough to do (I recommend using a mixer with USB capability; see this link to another one of my videos: ruclips.net/video/lF-BDXg6OXo/видео.html) and then connect via the USB port on the SP4200 - as long as your software supports this (Cubase is an example). Or, if you want to go the cheaper route, simply record via 'audio out' on the keyboard using a cable connected to 'mic/audio in' on your laptop (if your laptop hardware supports this method). I hope that helps.
Thanks for your time... I appreciate. I must admit that's it's quite confusing. Medeli support services told me i should download a software called pootute V2, then connect the keyboard to my computer... I assumed there's a way from there. There's the link... www.mecldata.com/download/apps/ hopefully you'll figure out how it works. I'll also keep trying in the following weeks... I'll be back here if i find something
Hi, yes I've got that software on my computer here (downloaded V2.2 a while back) - I tried using it to upload all my stored user data from my old SP4200 to my new one when I purchased it last year, but couldn't seem to get that to work, so I just entered it all in by hand. As for using this software to upload a 'style', well I have had a go here as it does appear to give that option. I tried uploading a drum pattern (that I played on the SP4200, recorded using Cubase, and then saved to my laptop as a MIDI file), but the Pootute software is looking for a '.sty' file, not a '.mid' file. There is a section for 'editing/converting' file types within the software, but in the case of 'style', the only file it will allow you to import is a '.mid' file, and then after doing so, it comes up with a dialog box stating that this file type is not supported! So if you are able to get this to work, or find out any more from your end, please let me know. Cheers!
Hi, thanks for your query. Put it this way, if I hadn't been able to get hold of the Medeli SP4200, I would probably have gone with the Yamaha P255, or possibly the Casio PX 350. This is because these are the only other stage pianos I can find that offer the following additional features I look for (along with the usual features such as weighted keys etc) - these being: 1. In-built speakers; 2. AUX IN (Line-in for connecting an external music source); 3. At least 128 note polyphony; 4. Lightweight (under 18Kg). The PX 350 is closer to the Medeli in price, but without having played around with either this Casio or the Yamaha P255, it is difficult to say which is most similar overall (or better for that matter); ultimately I was sold on the particular piano that offered best value for money - i.e supported the above functionality (and more), at a competitive price-point that matched my budget.
Hi, you have to press 'SHIFT' then hold down the 'LOWER' button (i.e. the 'secondary' function of the FUNK EP button to the right of the LCD screen). This enables 'lower mode' - you can then select the 'voice' you want by either using the scroll wheel, or YES/NO buttons. Once you have selected your lower voicing (the upper will be whatever voicing you had set initially), you then need to select the 'split point' by holding down the shift key, and pressing the 'FUNCTION' button(s) - located to the left beneath where STYLE is printed on the keyboard. The trick is to select the actual split point by pressing the key (say middle 'C'), but you must do this while the function option is enabled. If you aren't quick enough it will time out, and your split selection won't be saved. If you want to permanently save your setting to a one touch key, you can do so by pressing and holding down 'STORE' (below the FUNK EP button) and then the appropriate memory button, e.g. M1, for a couple for seconds. Your setting will then be saved under this button, even if you turn off the keyboard. Also you can adjust the relative volume of each section by pressing 'SHIFT' then the 'MIXER' button(s). In this field 'LOWER' refers to the lower keyboard part's volume, and 'UPPER1' refers to the volume of the upper part. To adjust either, you again use either the scroll wheel or YES/NO buttons to change the volume to a level parameter between 000 and 127. But again you must do this while the feature function is ENABLED, i.e. before it times out. Hope that helps.
Well for the price it's a sure bet; I personally like the AUX/MIC input capability, as well as the one touch pre-programmable buttons, which is great for live performance. The Yamaha/Korg are technically good pianos that sit in a higher price bracket, and so you would expect them to be an even sturdier option for on the road use, though feature-wise they might be a bit lacking in comparison.
Lots of features for the price. But how are the electric piano sounds? A user review finds it is not very good. A wooden stand with 3 pedals is available. I am buying an AC powerbank: 100 Watt continue. This will make any digital piano "wireless". You don't need an extension.
Thanks for your query. The EP's are OK; overall some sounds are better than others. I use Bank048 (FunkEP) and Bank021 (Harpsichord) quite a bit - keep in mind you can adjust effects such as chorus and reverb for each which is useful for creating your own patch, which you can then store on a one touch key. I'd recommend you check out my video which goes through some of the available options: ruclips.net/video/Atr-kRQpLhU/видео.html Good call with buying the powerbank - one less cable to trip over!
Yes you can. Piano & strings is a combination I have programmed under a one-touch button. See this video for more info: ruclips.net/video/CsQnkHHi0rk/видео.html
Hi, I've not tried out this model, but I see that it is sold here in NZ. The specs of the Casio look pretty promising - I do like how they go with the 'textured' keys which can help give a more authentic feel. The fact that there are one touch programmable keys for storing user settings is a huge bonus (the Medeli SP4200 has this also yet is still the cheaper option). The advantage might be that the Casio is a more compact instrument. I prefer the fact that the Medeli has a separate head phone/line out jack. I am not so sure about the 64-note polyphony on the Casio; if you are doing a lot of rapid playing with large use of sustain, I think 128 note polyphony would be a better consideration (to help eliminate 'note drop-out'). I don't think there is a lot to separate these two keyboards; if I get a chance I will have a proper look at this keyboard myself instore.
@@Songwriter74 Thanks, I really have a dillema here. So it's up to the quality of the "extra" sounds then...Also interested in key action... and speaker pereformance. I'll wait for your follow up :)
OK cheers. It is safe to say that the onboard speakers won't be as good as the Medeli, but if I come up with any other info I'll post it here. I think the Casio is a bit overpriced in NZ, however it's much cheaper/competitive in the US and European market I believe.
Hi, out of interest I swung by the music store today and tried out the Casio CDP-S350 and have to say it feels like a pretty good quality keyboard. The keys are weighted nicely, aren't noisy, and it is generally comfortable to play, in my opinion. If I hadn't already invested in a couple of Medeli keyboards I would almost pick one up myself. The only let down really is the onboard speakers - they're nowhere near as good as the SP4200. The Casio has some good voice samples - the pianos aren't bad, I thought the Grand Piano (voice#16) was the best out of the pianos. Whilst the textured keys felt natural, I think I prefer the smooth ones on the Medeli - it doesn't feel then like my fingers are 'gripping' the keys. Dollar for dollar the Medeli is a far better deal (at least here in the NZ market). If I had to choose between the SP4200 and the CDP-S350, my pick would be the Medeli. If however it was between the newer Medeli SP701 and the CDP-S350, I'd go with the Casio. I did briefly try out the Casio CDP-150, but at only $200 cheaper it lacks all the features and sounds of the 350, so isn't really a contender, in my view. Cheers
Hi, thanks for checking out the video. In response to your question, I will assume you have recorded a song already (if unsure, see 'record' in the user manual). If you have done that and saved it as a 'user song' in the memory of the SP4200, you will then need to connect a USB device, and make sure it is formatted (see 'formatting USB' in the manual). Once you have done all that, you can access the USB drive by pressing the 'USB Device' button; then using the data wheel, scroll to the right until it says 'Save' on the LCD screen. You will then need to press the 'Yes' button until it says 'UserSong'. If you press the 'Yes' button again, it will give you the option to name the file - use the keyboard to select letters and/or numbers (see 'Keyboard Table' in the manual); finally press 'Yes' twice more, the file will be saved on the USB as a MIDI track, which you can then play back using the 'Play' option under the 'USB Device' button. Personally I recommend saving files directly to a laptop computer, but of course the above is good for portability etc. Hopefully that helps.
Here's something interesting. A RUclips blind test of expensive digital pianos, 4 of them priced £2600-3700 all top brands (Yamaha, Roland etc) and the 5th was a wild card, a £314 Casio S100. The Casio came 2nd place beating 3 branded £3000 pianos. Now on websites where both the Casio and Medeli (in this video) have more than 100 reviews each, the Casio averages 4.4/5 and the Medeli 4.6/5. So potentially this could have beaten the Casio and been clawing at the heals of the winner of a blind test for £3000 piano's. Now the Medeli is more expensive than the Casio but the Medeli is also rebranded as Thomann SP5600, which is much cheaper than the Medeli even though all that differs is the logo. The 5600 comes in at £336 (inc VAT), just £22 more than the Casio. Anyway, just ordered a Thomann 5600 today, with a posh stand for an extra £66. I cannot wait. £402 for a beast that is going to look great too. I didn't hear you mention in the video, I might have missed it but this also has 128 polyphony. Big plus point. Edit: Thanks to Brexit and our useless government the import charges are actually £97, which is extortionate but still the cheapest way to get this piano and stand.
That's interesting, but not altogether surprising; I haven't been overly impressed with the piano sound on more expensive digital keyboards, although I will say that the keybed on some of them feels a bit better to me, which you would expect when paying more. Yes the 128 note polyphony on the Medeli is a key selling point. Thanks.
@@Songwriter74 the key bed has been my only complaint on the medeli , still love my 15 year old Yamaha Clavinova when it comes to sound and the key bed , Medeli for portability though .
@@2KSnSLifestyle your right. The funny thing is that the only part of the Clavinova that actually functions (the key bed and electronics within) are about the same size as the Medeli, so really you can compare them unless we're simply speaking on portability. All that aside I have grown to love my Medeli , the sound is different than the Clavinova but that doesn't mean it's not good it's just another experience.
@@aaronhadley8121 The Clavinova is not just about the keybed and the electronics. The speaker placement and the cabinet create the beautiful sound of the Clavinova, The Clavinova keybed is also made of precision mechanical device, whereas the SP4200 is just a simple keybed. A stage piano is meant to be carried around for its portability. The top of the line Clavinova costs more than 10 times than the SP4200. You're comparing apples and oranges.
Price of course depends on where you live; here in NZ it retails for around NZ$900, which is about US$600. It is likely to be found for a lot less in the larger international markets. Cheers
On the whole, good; I would recommend you check out a couple of my recent Medeli repair videos however. I have had a few issues come up through constant and repetitive use out on the road.
Hi, it is doubtful. I notice in the specs that the Casio CDP130 only supports up to 48 note polyphony, which is not so good for passages of music featuring a lot of notes and requiring large amounts of sustain. The speakers/amp in the Casio aren't near as good either; not to mention the fact that the Medeli SP4200 has a vast array of 'voices' to choose from (sure, some of these sound better than others). That said, for a little bit of extra money you could look at the Casio PX-360 which has textured keys and a nice piano 'feel', and a really cool interactive LCD screen. Dollar for dollar though, the Medeli comes out on top, in my view.
Hi, yes the SP4200 has touch-sensitive hammer action keys. The degree of touch sensitivity can be adjusted to 3 different levels, or turned off completely so that the same volume is produced regardless of how the keyboard is played.
you have done a fantastic review mate! Very well done, thank you!
You're welcome, thanks for the feedback. Cheers.
Good review! I just bought it and I love it. I had originally bought an Artesia AM1 which felt and sounded terrible. I paid a little more for the Medeli but the difference is immense and well worth it.
Can you play many keys at the same time?
@@yasyasmarangoz3577 128 Voice polyphony. Same keyboard as Thomann SP-5600.
@@veghalexandru4514 Thanks, but I already got mine :D
Awesome playing, you nailed it. I also had the opportunity to play on that model and it's awesome. I think it's the best digital piano made in China, the action is is great, it exceeded my expectations.
Cheers Jimmy, yes I am yet to find another stage piano that does everything that the SP4200 does, even when looking at keyboards that are in a higher price bracket!
Regarding sustain pedal: The Thomann SP-5600 has one included. I got the stand with the 3-pedal unit though (a sturdy piece, and easy to detach the keyboard), so the sustain pedal became a bassdrum pedal for the MD-90 instead :).
nice video sound really good quality,medeli pianos are amazing I own medeli A 1000 I will like to come 88 like this one,they have grand 1000 but is to big for my house this will be nice option for play around good video.
it sounds great , excellent piano skills right there. keep this channel going :)
Cheers Sam; I like your piano rendition of Elton John's 'Your Song' - one of the first songs I learned to play. Am looking forward to his concert next year here in NZ.
@@Songwriter74 thank u ;) , hope u enjoy the concert.
Thanks Craig. That was very informative and helpful. I've just today seen this Panio in the Dunedin Rockshop and never seen this brand before. The price and features alone made me want to research more. Looking at the Roland and Korg in a similar price bracket you are literally only getting a basic piano. I think you have convinced me. It was also a bonus getting a New Zealand review, which I didn't expect to see. Cheers! Keep up the good work👍🤠
Cool no problem. It's a good choice, enjoy your purchase if you decide to go ahead with it. Cheers.
Did you end up getting it? What was your experience with it?
@@sayuas4293 Hi, yes I did end up getting it. It's got a lovely feel to the key bed, nicely weighted. I'm not a Pianist primarily, I brought it for my daughter who loves it. Other members of my family who are very experienced with keyboards/organs and pianos have been very impressed with feel and sound.
Hope this helps.
Euro price is, with the brand Thomann sp-5600, €379 January 31th 2022.
I watched all your video's and it made me to buy this one today (for me that's the Thomann SP5600). It's hard to find reviews online. But I guess as a middleaged beginner this is better than a Yamaha P45 or Roland FP-10 electric piano. The brands are propably better for piano but lack a lot of features and sounds. For a beginner you convinced me to buy this one. Also it's much cheaper. I got a bundle with homestand with 3 pedals, a good pianoseat and a headphone for 500 euro. Hope I will learn piano/keyboard on this one and that it will serve me for many years to come.
Hi, yes it is stacked with features and for the price it stands out in my view. Enjoy your purchase and progress as a musician. Feel free also to check out some of my piano tutorials on my channel if you want to learn some piano tricks - in fact I will be posting a new one soon. Thanks.
Full warm piano sound, Craig. Pretty inexpensive for such a great sound.
Hey Sal, cheers for checking it out. Yes it's a good keyboard given the cost, my other one has served me well over the past couple of years!
Craig-I play several Casio Privias (350/560/575), an Alesis Fusion 8HD and several older Ensoniq hammer-action keyboards. I don't see any info on the keybed mechanics on this anywhere. Can you compare this action to any other weighted action workstations-such as the Studiologic's, Nords-kurzweils-many of which use a Fatar keybed action. i am understanding that even the much more expensive newest Kurzweil-the PC4-may actually be using a Medeli keybed-since the Kurzweil weighs in at about 17Kg's-very lightweight-I'm wondering what your opinion is re the key action of the Medeli. I prefer actions closer to a real grand than to a spring-action instrument-or a compromise between, i have plenty of spring-action keys for other styles of playing.
Those are good questions my friend.
Thanks for this video. I've been waiting for a good video for about 6 months now. If possible, can you demo some of the other sounds like the E-pianos etc. Thank you
You're welcome Daniel, I'm glad you found this video useful. I will see about putting together another video showing some of the other sounds as suggested. Suffice to say some do sound better than others.
Thank you very much.
I'd like to hear the grand and electric pianos mostly and any other sound that you think sounds good.
Hi, you can check out a video I have just posted here: ruclips.net/video/Atr-kRQpLhU/видео.html
Craig Hallen thanks a lot
Hi Craig. I have just bought a SP4200 and your video helped me make up my mind. I am very happy with it but I wish the manual was a bit more comprehensive. How do I hear the piano styles191 to 230? When I switch them on I cannot hear the sound but the display shows that they are playing. Any other style below that comes out the speakers. One other question - is their any way of changing the input volume on the microphone jack?
Hi in reply to your query, the piano rhythm patterns are used in conjunction with the 'Auto Accompaniment' feature. If you select Style 191 (Pianist 1) for example, then press the A.B.C button followed by the Start/Stop button, the Medeli will play the corresponding piano rhythm (and chords) in the LEFT hand, when you press the keys in the lower half of the keyboard. You can then play along to this with another piano or any other sound in the RIGHT hand; e.g organ, guitar, brass, strings etc.
As for the mic input volume, no you cannot adjust this unfortunately. As good as it would be for the Medeli to have a 'mic mixer' function , this can only be achieved using an external console. I got around this by using a Sennheiser e835 mic instead of the Shure SM58; the Sennheiser is a much more sensitive mic and therefore better suited to direct connection to the SP4200.
Thanks Craig. Much appreciated
thank you for this. i am debating between medeli sp4200 vs yamaha p45. There are many more reviews on yamaha p45 (71) than for Medeli... I was wondering if you were to pick one of this based on the grand piano sound and the feel of the keys, which one would you prefer? Would really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
Hi, good question. If based on just those two things, I'd probably head more towards the Yamaha since it has the graded hammer action, though note that Medeli's new SP201 has graded hammer action also, rather than just the weighted keys of the SP4200. I can't really comment on the piano sound as I haven't played a Yamaha in a while, but the grand piano sample on the Medeli is very good, and beats pretty much all its other included sounds, in terms of authenticity. I suspect you would be quite happy with the Medeli, but you might be more satisfied with the Yamaha in terms of overall feel.
@@Songwriter74 I thought the Medeli 4200 had a graded hammer action and the Yamaha had a pretty bad action for the price?
don't tell me the Medeli has no graded hammer action, my search will never end.
@@couchcamperTM The SP4200 has a weighted hammer, not graded.
@@2KSnSLifestyle thx
Hi Craig... thanks for making the videos on the sp 4200... apart from you, there's almost nothing on the internet about this keyboard... that's sad.
Am currently buying it...
Do you in which year it was made?
How about styles creation? The specs say it's possible... but i don't know how to...
Hi, the SP4200 first became available here where I am back in 2015, and I purchased another last year which had a few minor improvements (mostly cosmetic I think). As for 'styles' - I assume you're referring to the rhythm patterns of which there are 230 presets and 10 so-called user settings; the manual is a bit vague and doesn't explain how to record/upload user presets, however it is possible to create/record either your own rhythm pattern or tune (up to 5) and then store this as a 'song'. Personally I think it is just as easy to use recording software in order to record rhythms/patterns etc, and then play them back via a laptop.
Craig can you please show how to use the transpose functions. Thanks
Hi Lousie, thanks for the suggestion; I could do a video for that, but honestly it is the simplest of operations - 'SHIFT' then press the 'TRANSPOSE' buttons (up or down). The only limitation I see is that unless the transposition point is saved on one of the one touch memory recall buttons, it will be lost when changing to a new stored sound. This can actually be a problem when performing live - for example if you decide to take the Grand Piano down one semitone, then decide to switch to, say, a piano/string combination mid-performance via a one-touch button, then unless the latter has been stored on one of these buttons in the same pitch (i.e. down one semitone), you will end up in the standard key. So please be aware that the transposition remains only while the relevant instrument sound is being played, UNLESS it is permanently saved on a one touch button. Cheers
Hi, I want to buy this piano for christmas, I just have a few questions:
1. Is it worth it after a few years?
2. Is the quality of the sound good?
3. I plan on using it for recording songs. Will it work well?
Thank you :)
Hello Barbora; yes to all of your questions - you will find plenty of additional info in follow-up videos I have done on this product. I use mine for both recording and live performance - the piano sound in particular is good. I got 6 years out of my first SP4200, before I ended up dismantling it (a video of that is on my channel) - that was after much rugged use at home and out on the road.
Hi, could you maybe help me understand the USB function ? I want to get OLAFUR ARNALDS spitfire soundbank , can that be loaded onto a USB memory stick and then be played through the 4200 or do I plug a laptop in and do it that way ?, please enlighten a noob? Thanks for your videos , very helpful.
Hi Aaron, typically the USB is used for backing up data and pre-programmed sounds from the Medeli, then either restoring the saved data (e.g. after a factory reset or to fix an issue), or playing back MIDI files created on the SP4200. I have never had much success with trying to play back files via USB that were created/loaded from an external source. It sounds to me that what you are wanting to do would be best achieved using a laptop and/or digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Hopefully that answers your question, thanks.
@@Songwriter74 yes it answer my question, thank you . Yes I will hook up a laptop via midi to achieve what I'm wanting to do. And by the way I don't know if you don't know Olafur Arnald's his soundset is amazing he has beautiful piano sounds so you should check those out I think you would love them , also his music .... Oh wow!!!!thanks again
Regarding playing MIDI files from other sources: I've found it to work well for classical music. The instruments mostly sound the way they should.
@@AndersBorgSweden agreed
Hello, I have a question.
What's the difference between this sp and thomann sp5600? Is it the same keyboard?
It is the same keyboard rebranded, I am looking at a beale stageperformer1000 that is exactly this rebranded.
Yes, exactly the same.
Hey Craig... i noticed that when i plug a jack cable in the Aux out of my sp 4200, the sound still comes out from the keyboard built in speakers. How can fix that? What if i don't want to hear it from the built in speakers?
Hi Ben, thanks for your query; all you need to do is insert a quarter inch jack into the right hand side headphone socket on the front of the keyboard. That will solve your problem. I look forward to hearing how you find using the keyboard. Cheers.
Thanks for replying. So by saying "you can use a music software on a laptop, then record the beat as a song"... does it means i can make a beat with my laptop and have saved for ever in my keyboard as a user rhythm?
No problem. Actually what I meant was, record a beat/rhythm on your laptop (using music software) and simply store it on your laptop, not in the keyboard. Since the manual doesn't make it clear how to upload and/or store a preset within the keyboard, and because I haven't yet figured it out either, this seems like the best way, and in fact is what I do here with 'backing tracks' that I create myself. You can then connect the laptop via 'audio in' on the SP4200, and play back the beats that way.
While it is possible to create and store a 'song' on the SP4200 (as I mentioned in my previous reply), this is not the same thing - i.e. you can't play along to it, it is simply a stored recording of something you have played/created on the keyboard.
So in a nutshell my suggestion is this: The SP4200 has various drum kits built in, so you can play the drum parts on the keyboard, and then record these with your music software - again easy enough to do (I recommend using a mixer with USB capability; see this link to another one of my videos: ruclips.net/video/lF-BDXg6OXo/видео.html) and then connect via the USB port on the SP4200 - as long as your software supports this (Cubase is an example). Or, if you want to go the cheaper route, simply record via 'audio out' on the keyboard using a cable connected to 'mic/audio in' on your laptop (if your laptop hardware supports this method). I hope that helps.
Thanks for your time... I appreciate.
I must admit that's it's quite confusing.
Medeli support services told me i should download a software called pootute V2, then connect the keyboard to my computer...
I assumed there's a way from there.
There's the link... www.mecldata.com/download/apps/
hopefully you'll figure out how it works. I'll also keep trying in the following weeks... I'll be back here if i find something
Hi, yes I've got that software on my computer here (downloaded V2.2 a while back) - I tried using it to upload all my stored user data from my old SP4200 to my new one when I purchased it last year, but couldn't seem to get that to work, so I just entered it all in by hand. As for using this software to upload a 'style', well I have had a go here as it does appear to give that option. I tried uploading a drum pattern (that I played on the SP4200, recorded using Cubase, and then saved to my laptop as a MIDI file), but the Pootute software is looking for a '.sty' file, not a '.mid' file. There is a section for 'editing/converting' file types within the software, but in the case of 'style', the only file it will allow you to import is a '.mid' file, and then after doing so, it comes up with a dialog box stating that this file type is not supported! So if you are able to get this to work, or find out any more from your end, please let me know. Cheers!
I will... thanks again Craig
Hi Craig
What other Keyboard can you compare the Medeli sp4200 to ?
Hi, thanks for your query. Put it this way, if I hadn't been able to get hold of the Medeli SP4200, I would probably have gone with the Yamaha P255, or possibly the Casio PX 350. This is because these are the only other stage pianos I can find that offer the following additional features I look for (along with the usual features such as weighted keys etc) - these being:
1. In-built speakers; 2. AUX IN (Line-in for connecting an external music source); 3. At least 128 note polyphony; 4. Lightweight (under 18Kg). The PX 350 is closer to the Medeli in price, but without having played around with either this Casio or the Yamaha P255, it is difficult to say which is most similar overall (or better for that matter); ultimately I was sold on the particular piano that offered best value for money - i.e supported the above functionality (and more), at a competitive price-point that matched my budget.
Hi. How use split voice on the piano Medeli SP 4200?
Hi, you have to press 'SHIFT' then hold down the 'LOWER' button (i.e. the 'secondary' function of the FUNK EP button to the right of the LCD screen). This enables 'lower mode' - you can then select the 'voice' you want by either using the scroll wheel, or YES/NO buttons. Once you have selected your lower voicing (the upper will be whatever voicing you had set initially), you then need to select the 'split point' by holding down the shift key, and pressing the 'FUNCTION' button(s) - located to the left beneath where STYLE is printed on the keyboard. The trick is to select the actual split point by pressing the key (say middle 'C'), but you must do this while the function option is enabled. If you aren't quick enough it will time out, and your split selection won't be saved. If you want to permanently save your setting to a one touch key, you can do so by pressing and holding down 'STORE' (below the FUNK EP button) and then the appropriate memory button, e.g. M1, for a couple for seconds. Your setting will then be saved under this button, even if you turn off the keyboard. Also you can adjust the relative volume of each section by pressing 'SHIFT' then the 'MIXER' button(s). In this field 'LOWER' refers to the lower keyboard part's volume, and 'UPPER1' refers to the volume of the upper part. To adjust either, you again use either the scroll wheel or YES/NO buttons to change the volume to a level parameter between 000 and 127. But again you must do this while the feature function is ENABLED, i.e. before it times out. Hope that helps.
is this worth buying over a regular stage piano like yamaha 125 or korg D1
Well for the price it's a sure bet; I personally like the AUX/MIC input capability, as well as the one touch pre-programmable buttons, which is great for live performance. The Yamaha/Korg are technically good pianos that sit in a higher price bracket, and so you would expect them to be an even sturdier option for on the road use, though feature-wise they might be a bit lacking in comparison.
Lots of features for the price. But how are the electric piano sounds? A user review finds it is not very good. A wooden stand with 3 pedals is available.
I am buying an AC powerbank: 100 Watt continue. This will make any digital piano "wireless". You don't need an extension.
Thanks for your query. The EP's are OK; overall some sounds are better than others. I use Bank048 (FunkEP) and Bank021 (Harpsichord) quite a bit - keep in mind you can adjust effects such as chorus and reverb for each which is useful for creating your own patch, which you can then store on a one touch key. I'd recommend you check out my video which goes through some of the available options: ruclips.net/video/Atr-kRQpLhU/видео.html Good call with buying the powerbank - one less cable to trip over!
Sells for $99 in the US. Can you layer the sounds, piano and strings for example?
Yes you can. Piano & strings is a combination I have programmed under a one-touch button. See this video for more info: ruclips.net/video/CsQnkHHi0rk/видео.html
499 not 99
How does it compare to CASIO CDP-S350 and wich one is a better choice by your opinion?
Hi, I've not tried out this model, but I see that it is sold here in NZ. The specs of the Casio look pretty promising - I do like how they go with the 'textured' keys which can help give a more authentic feel. The fact that there are one touch programmable keys for storing user settings is a huge bonus (the Medeli SP4200 has this also yet is still the cheaper option). The advantage might be that the Casio is a more compact instrument. I prefer the fact that the Medeli has a separate head phone/line out jack. I am not so sure about the 64-note polyphony on the Casio; if you are doing a lot of rapid playing with large use of sustain, I think 128 note polyphony would be a better consideration (to help eliminate 'note drop-out'). I don't think there is a lot to separate these two keyboards; if I get a chance I will have a proper look at this keyboard myself instore.
@@Songwriter74 Thanks, I really have a dillema here. So it's up to the quality of the "extra" sounds then...Also interested in key action... and speaker pereformance. I'll wait for your follow up :)
OK cheers. It is safe to say that the onboard speakers won't be as good as the Medeli, but if I come up with any other info I'll post it here. I think the Casio is a bit overpriced in NZ, however it's much cheaper/competitive in the US and European market I believe.
@@Songwriter74 Yes, it's priced only about 70 EUROS more than the Medeli. I believe key action will be the decisive factor here.
Hi, out of interest I swung by the music store today and tried out the Casio CDP-S350 and have to say it feels like a pretty good quality keyboard. The keys are weighted nicely, aren't noisy, and it is generally comfortable to play, in my opinion. If I hadn't already invested in a couple of Medeli keyboards I would almost pick one up myself. The only let down really is the onboard speakers - they're nowhere near as good as the SP4200. The Casio has some good voice samples - the pianos aren't bad, I thought the Grand Piano (voice#16) was the best out of the pianos. Whilst the textured keys felt natural, I think I prefer the smooth ones on the Medeli - it doesn't feel then like my fingers are 'gripping' the keys. Dollar for dollar the Medeli is a far better deal (at least here in the NZ market). If I had to choose between the SP4200 and the CDP-S350, my pick would be the Medeli. If however it was between the newer Medeli SP701 and the CDP-S350, I'd go with the Casio. I did briefly try out the Casio CDP-150, but at only $200 cheaper it lacks all the features and sounds of the 350, so isn't really a contender, in my view. Cheers
Hi thank you for this awesome review, can you show me the demo of how to get the recorded music to my usb device?
Thank you:))
Hi, thanks for checking out the video. In response to your question, I will assume you have recorded a song already (if unsure, see 'record' in the user manual). If you have done that and saved it as a 'user song' in the memory of the SP4200, you will then need to connect a USB device, and make sure it is formatted (see 'formatting USB' in the manual). Once you have done all that, you can access the USB drive by pressing the 'USB Device' button; then using the data wheel, scroll to the right until it says 'Save' on the LCD screen. You will then need to press the 'Yes' button until it says 'UserSong'. If you press the 'Yes' button again, it will give you the option to name the file - use the keyboard to select letters and/or numbers (see 'Keyboard Table' in the manual); finally press 'Yes' twice more, the file will be saved on the USB as a MIDI track, which you can then play back using the 'Play' option under the 'USB Device' button. Personally I recommend saving files directly to a laptop computer, but of course the above is good for portability etc. Hopefully that helps.
Here's something interesting.
A RUclips blind test of expensive digital pianos, 4 of them priced £2600-3700 all top brands (Yamaha, Roland etc) and the 5th was a wild card, a £314 Casio S100. The Casio came 2nd place beating 3 branded £3000 pianos. Now on websites where both the Casio and Medeli (in this video) have more than 100 reviews each, the Casio averages 4.4/5 and the Medeli 4.6/5. So potentially this could have beaten the Casio and been clawing at the heals of the winner of a blind test for £3000 piano's.
Now the Medeli is more expensive than the Casio but the Medeli is also rebranded as Thomann SP5600, which is much cheaper than the Medeli even though all that differs is the logo. The 5600 comes in at £336 (inc VAT), just £22 more than the Casio.
Anyway, just ordered a Thomann 5600 today, with a posh stand for an extra £66. I cannot wait. £402 for a beast that is going to look great too.
I didn't hear you mention in the video, I might have missed it but this also has 128 polyphony. Big plus point.
Edit: Thanks to Brexit and our useless government the import charges are actually £97, which is extortionate but still the cheapest way to get this piano and stand.
That's interesting, but not altogether surprising; I haven't been overly impressed with the piano sound on more expensive digital keyboards, although I will say that the keybed on some of them feels a bit better to me, which you would expect when paying more. Yes the 128 note polyphony on the Medeli is a key selling point. Thanks.
@@Songwriter74 the key bed has been my only complaint on the medeli , still love my 15 year old Yamaha Clavinova when it comes to sound and the key bed , Medeli for portability though .
@@aaronhadley8121 Can't compare the Clavinova with the Medeli. The Medeli is a stage piano whereas the Clavinova is for home use and more expensive.
@@2KSnSLifestyle your right. The funny thing is that the only part of the Clavinova that actually functions (the key bed and electronics within) are about the same size as the Medeli, so really you can compare them unless we're simply speaking on portability. All that aside I have grown to love my Medeli , the sound is different than the Clavinova but that doesn't mean it's not good it's just another experience.
@@aaronhadley8121 The Clavinova is not just about the keybed and the electronics. The speaker placement and the cabinet create the beautiful sound of the Clavinova, The Clavinova keybed is also made of precision mechanical device, whereas the SP4200 is just a simple keybed. A stage piano is meant to be carried around for its portability. The top of the line Clavinova costs more than 10 times than the SP4200. You're comparing apples and oranges.
Nice one . ..
Well whats the price
Price of course depends on where you live; here in NZ it retails for around NZ$900, which is about US$600. It is likely to be found for a lot less in the larger international markets. Cheers
Where did you purchase it from?
The SP4200 is sold locally here in NZ through the 'Rockshop'. There are numerous dealers in other countries throughout the world however.
Who made it? , what country? if you know
These stage pianos are imported from overseas - my understanding is that they are designed and assembled at the Medeli factory in China.
How is it faring after 3 years?
On the whole, good; I would recommend you check out a couple of my recent Medeli repair videos however. I have had a few issues come up through constant and repetitive use out on the road.
is it good than casio
cdp 130?
Hi, it is doubtful. I notice in the specs that the Casio CDP130 only supports up to 48 note polyphony, which is not so good for passages of music featuring a lot of notes and requiring large amounts of sustain. The speakers/amp in the Casio aren't near as good either; not to mention the fact that the Medeli SP4200 has a vast array of 'voices' to choose from (sure, some of these sound better than others). That said, for a little bit of extra money you could look at the Casio PX-360 which has textured keys and a nice piano 'feel', and a really cool interactive LCD screen. Dollar for dollar though, the Medeli comes out on top, in my view.
Great review!
But next time please talk a little bit faster,
would make big difference :)
You can speed it up on youtube.
@@2KSnSLifestyle Ok but could you back then?
@@yasyasmarangoz3577 You can adjust the playback speed on RUclips.
@@2KSnSLifestyle Ok, but could you back then?
Two years ago? On Android?
@@yasyasmarangoz3577 of course.
is touch sensitive
Hi, yes the SP4200 has touch-sensitive hammer action keys. The degree of touch sensitivity can be adjusted to 3 different levels, or turned off completely so that the same volume is produced regardless of how the keyboard is played.
The touch sensitivity is pretty bad i find it hard to play very quiet notes but for the price this board is OK
Your play is nice, the weighted keys for this price is great. Thank you for this review.
You're welcome. Cheers.