Living in a small house with a baby, headphones were a game changer. Also, as a beginner and a big fan of Bach, I've really enjoyed switching between the piano, organ and harpsichord voices of my P145.
Absolutely! A digital piano is a very helpful tool in that regard. Total practice convenience and the ability to experiment with different instrument sounds to play things in a more "period correct" manner. :)
And I reckon the P45 sounds as good as it gets. Its older technology is nicer to the ears than the clinical sounds our friend here is talking about. With a decent stereo amplifier, that little joanna of yours would be made.
I would bet that a big part of the surge is people like me who learned piano growing up and had to abandon it when we left home and went on with our careers. As I got older, the urge to get back became stronger and stronger. And now with digital piano quality having skyrocketed. it was irresistible. Having done so, I was surprised by the reactions of friends when they learned I used to play piano and now bought one. Many of them felt the same way or played on old pianos, especially spinets, they were bored with. Like me, they had no idea of how the quality, portability and affordability the new pianos have become. I know of at leas 5-6 who have since gone out and bought new digital pianos. I would guess this might eventually spill out to their own children who would like their children to learn piano too. A kind of domino effect going on. I used to assume that if I could afford a digital piano, it couldn't be very good. That goes away fast when you hear them. I'll be upgrading in the next 3-4 years for sure. Maybe sooner.
Thanks so much for sharing that! This is a very excellent point and observation. In any case, the exciting thing is that great digital pianos make playing piano more accessible in all respects. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
A lot of people on here rubbish the digitals. I am 64 and up until November, last year I could not play a note. I decided to give learning a go, and I did a lot of research on the different types available. Quickly I realised that the most important thing for a learner are 88 keys and graded, weighted hammer action with touch sensitivity. I took a deep breath and got the Roland fp10, keeping it basic in case I gave up and wasted my money. 10 months on and my progress is coming on in leaps and bounds. Last week I added an equaliser, amplifier with dual channel inputs and mic mixing, and a pair of external speakers. The sound quality now is truly phenomenal, with all the power you will ever need. If I had been limited to acoustic, it would probably have been a second hand battered throw away that needed a fortune spending o it. I'm sure I would have given up on learning to play it by now.
Thanks for sharing your story! It is awesome to hear that you've taken up the piano and that you've been enjoying it so much. I think you bring up a great point here. Accessibility is huge. Not everyone is going to want to shell out $5000-10,000 on a nice used or new upright acoustic piano right out of the gates. Being able to access really great digital pianos at price points that feel like more manageable investments can be the very thing that leads to more aspiring musicians taking up the craft of playing the piano. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
@@MerriamPianos Thanks. For me the versatility wins hands down. Even the amplifier unit came from my old redundant hi fi set up, so at no extra cost. I can now mix in other channels (I have an electric guitar), and save the recordings onto my digital recorder. The equaliser helps perfect the tonal balance between the lower and higher ranges. I don't think I shall ever need to upgrade, as it is solely for home use as a retirement pastime. Your channel has certainly played a big part in my decision. 👍
I would never never have started to play the piano if there had not been the digital revolution. I have always lived in flats. I bought a Roland FP-4 , 13 years ago, at the age of 60 , and I have been taking lesson ever since , and I am sure it will shock some when I say that my lessons have been on zoom since 2020, and I love them because a good teacher on Zoom is worth 1000 mediocre teachers in face to face. At the age of 73 , I am so annoyed at people who don’t learn to move on with changes and cling on to some past imaginary ideals. They use all kind of arguments but mainly it is pure snobbery ! By the way , this Roland digital is still going strong, and has never needed any technician. And I have used it every day !
i agree with philip i started on a 100 dollar 61 key electrick piano with d.a.w abillity cus i poor as fudge and even on the 100 dollar piano i made great progress and have all the great piano flavours and sounds although id like to have a acoustic im sure if i bought one when starting out at the price range id be looking at even when saving the shit out of my small income id be playing a piano that would have been a horrible sounding and horible looking and horible weight and horible sized piano. now i have just enough to stay with it and the posibillity for headphones and im sure my neighbours and housemate would agree that that is a great feature cus ofcourse since im poor i live in a very smal house even for european sized houses mine is on the tiny side with thin walls. right now im saving up for a 88 key slightly more expencive piano with all the jazz like weighted key's and thousants of sounds and settings but still way below 1000 bucks. its an awesome way to get playing and at my piano teachers place i can play all the great acoustic piano's so i can compare the experience and make better informed choices about what would fit the best into my income and housing situation. and even compared to the great piano's my teacher has id have to say for a 100 bucks and a bit handycapped because the 61 keys my electrick piano isnt even that bad compared to acoustic. for the price and what you get a decent electric piano is unbeatable and has the easy plug in and play whenever playing on stage without having to deal with expencive mic setups that add onto the total price
I own a Kawai GX-2 and a couple of digital keyboards. I do agree that the ability to use headphones and connect to the digital world are real benefits, and there are other good points about digitals. But let's be realistic. A good acoustic piano is a completely different experience as a player and as a listener.
It is certainly going to be a tall order to find a digital piano that can even scratch the surface of a GX2 in terms of the musicality it is able to provide, but digital pianos still have their place of course. Different tools for different jobs as they say! Congrats on your GX2 and happy playing! :)
There is a Korean RUclipsr who is doing phd in piano in Germany and he bought a hybrid grand Yamaha and he said there is no need to buy an acoustic grand piano, his hybrid is so good.
I've been very lucky to be have been able to transform from being a lifelong digital piano owner to acoustics. I have a new C. Bechstein Concert 8 and a 1927 Hamburg Steinway A. Once I received my first acoustic, I couldn't even touch my beloved Roland hybrid anymore, which I'd had for years. I completely understand the need and use of digitals. But there's no comparison. And luckily for me, I got a silent system built into the C. Bechstein Concert 8, so I can practice for hours with headphones and not bother my neighbors. But yes, I get it. Digital pianos are fantastic and can be really useful.
Congrats on your C. Bechstein Concert 8! Having the Vario silent system onboard is quite convenient. That is certainly a best of both worlds solution. Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)
@@samuelarba6695 I think blanket generalisation, as in many things, is unhelpful. For one thing, it ignores the depth of quality in digital pianos now, let alone midi keyboards, VSTs and associated software. A digital keyboard can work with sampling from the very best pianos in the world. Generalising also ignores the players themselves whose ability to get the most out of any instrument is far more likely to be limited by their own skills set, expression and interpretation abilities than the unique qualities of a particular instrument. If you bought the best analog or digital instrument of every type and had a virtuoso player play them, I'd lay money that a fair proportion of listeners wouldn't be able to tell the difference. If they listened to me, they'd just wonder what how I managed to make them all sound horrible.
Former sax player who was out of music for a lot of years. Had basic knowledge of the keyboard. When I retired I decided to really learn the instrument from the bottom up. I asked some friends about a digital piano with the most realistic action and response. I found a teacher and bought ES 920. My hearing is not what it used to be. I take my lessons on a stienway upright. Well the problem became apparent when I could not clean up overlapping notes because I can't hear the end of the decay very well. I couldn't hear the overlap. So I started using one of the organ settings that do not decay and don't stop until you fully release the key. It cleaned up my legato in short order. The Kawia has a very good keybed and response. I was amazed at what it could do. It's hard but you can silently press a key and hold and when you do and strike a note a 12th below and that pressed keys note will sound as a harmonic I was sold. That is their second tier keybed. The one you showed is their top tier. It may be exclusive to them. Yes the resonance of an acoustic is richer. No getting away from that. But through headphones the digital is quite beautiful.
Congrats on your ES920! We're happy to hear that you've decided to take a deep dive into learning piano. You are quite right in saying that the headphone experience via the ES920 is quite beautiful. The SKEX Concert Grand samples are very impressive and rewarding to play. Thanks for tuning in! We appreciate it. :)
I want to thank you for your videos that are so very informative with not just your explanations but also playing the different pianos. I studied and researched several after stumbling upon your videos on RUclips and on August 20th i purchased a Roland FPE50. I'm in love with it! I am a church pianist and since covid the trend of not having enough musicians and backup singers in churches has appeared. Let me tell you that this Roland is just amazing to play and the sound quality is unbelievably wonderful especially for the price. I've played piano since I was 8 years old, I just celebrated my 64th birthday. 🥳 I've always been partial to acoustic pianos, I've played many, many brands, from console to upright to 7 ft grands. Other than the Yamaha Conservatory grand I played at a previous church I used to attend, there is just no comparison to the enjoyment of playing my Roland!. I stepped out in faith and ordered the Roland without playing it to get the feel of the keys and I was amazed at what I now own, both in sound and the feel of the keys. Your in depth video on the Roland helped me a lot to make my decision. It is the perfect answer for my church worship services as I can have as many or as few additional sounds I want without stressing over not having other musicians to fill out our sound. So, if anyone is looking for a recommendation from a seasoned pianist with well over 50 years of experience playing so many pianos, I will state emphatically that digital is the way to go, especially on a Roland.
Firstly, happy belated birthday from the Merriam Music family! Thanks so much for your incredibly kind words. We're very happy to hear that our videos have been helpful and that they led you to purchasing a Roland FP-E50. The FP-E50 is an absolute powerhouse for the money. It is feature-rich and provides an excellent core piano experience. We are so happy to hear that it has been serving you well for your church worship services. Thanks again for the support and happy playing! :)
I would like to guess even before I see the video and read comments, let's check how many of them matches with Stu. 1. Price, 2. Space, 3. Maintenance, especially no tuning (especially in Canada this is a nightmare for acoustic pianos), 4. Silent/headphone, 5. Recording ease (midi output), 6. VST (or getting other piano tones easily), 7. Technological progress (hybrids etc.), 8. Availability (I had to go to Toronto to get a C. Bechstein, or a Estonia), 9. Different tunes (all the honky-tonk and other sounds), 10. I have thought more than 5 minutes on this, can't find no. 10. All in all, valid reasons, However, once you find your acoustic piano (the tone and touch that you love), unless you are forced to (life circumstances) you are never going back.
This is an excellent and very valid list! But, I do agree with your sentiments about finding a piano tone that you truly fall in love with. It is hard to go back once that has been discovered. :)
10. The ability to play harpsichord and pipe organ. I used my Roland for church when we were displaced. Its versatility allows for performance of many styles of music. At home my Roland FP90 sits across from my 7'3" Schiedmayer and I use them both every day.
I have a higher-end Kawai digital piano that I've owned for 7 years. But 4 years ago I bought a 7' grand piano. While I agree with much of what was said, I gotta tell you, when I go into the living room to play, 99 times out of 100 I head for the acoustic grand. When I got the acoustic I didn't think the difference would be that stark, but I really don't think my digital piano competes with the sound and the feel of my acoustic piano even though it has all those customization features mentioned in the video. I'm sure progress has continued on digital pianos over the last few years, but I'll take a good acoustic nearly every time!
That is certainly fair! While tech has improved a lot. The real thing is the real thing of course. And, for some players, it is tough to go back to a digital piano.
@@FelipeVillelafdbva The digital was in the $5k-$6k USD range in 2017. The acoustic is a 2010 model. Let's broadly say less than $100k but well over the $50k usd. If I had bought it new, it would have been over $150k.
@@marcusvaldes I 100% agree, under certain conditions. If it’s a fairly good instrument and in tune, and the sonic difference outweighs all of the other practical considerations, including price, I’ll be the last person trying to make the argument that an acoustic piano doesn’t have a place in this musical world anymore. I love the feeling of sitting and playing a great acoustic grand or upright piano, but I no longer have any acoustic piano in my home for the 10 reasons I listed. Always a balancing act! Thanks for the comments, -stu
Also their capabilities regarding recording, sequencing, adding effects, and in general making music would be another reason to choose a digital piano.
I play a nice Yamaha grand at my piano lessons and there is definitely a charm and different experience with an acoustic instrument, but the convenience of a digital instrument and just how good they’ve become is too attractive. I just went from a DGX 660 to a CA901 and am absolutely in love!
That is a very good point! Convenience is...well...convenient! Congrats on your CA901! It is a remarkable instruments and one that meaningfully bridges the gap between a digital and acoustic piano experience. Happy playing! :)
We bought a CA901 a couple years ago. Our reasons were: size, volume control, and no need for tuning. It's been a joy to play, and we've been very pleased with it so far.
That's amazing to hear! Congrats on your CA901! It is an amazing instrument and one of the finest digital pianos on the market. We're glad to hear that it has been serving you well. :)
For sure! That is definitely a perk of using VSTs. You can constantly expand your sonic palette with new virtual instruments as new sample libraries are introduced to the market.
They serve each person in a personal way, since they are portable. With an upright or grand, you have to arrive at the spot they are stationed at. A digital can be taken along. Tuning is indeed consistent and not affected by temperature changes. More technology to simulate real pianos had been added. Thank you, Mr Harrison, for your musical fluency, not only playing but also expressing trends, updates, and understanding of the musical revolution. God bless!
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in! We appreciate it. That is a very good point! The decision will always be a personal one that will depend on the needs of the player and the context of use. I will be sure to pass on your kind words to Stu on your behalf. :)
I still have my Baldwin Hamilton but it needs to have regulation, hammer reshaping, and voicing. The reason I got a Kawai ES120 is because it is consistent and right now I just do not have the budget to repair my piano. I also like that I can pack it around if I want to. For me there is no comparison between a good acoustic and digital but my acoustic needs work so the digital playing and sounding good enough consistently is better for my practice time.
That is an excellent point! Having a digital piano handy makes for an excellent backup when circumstances prohibit your acoustic piano to be in a musically viable state. Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! :)
For me it is price, space and fun technology. Able to change tones/voices and layer them is engaging. Plus the ability to record my performance to USB drive.
Great video! I think it's mainly that they're just getting better. I've always played an acoustic piano, but during the pandemic I bought a digital so that I could record easier with a better sound than just my iPhone. I loved playing it and thought that it might even replace my acoustic. It felt so easy to play and sounded so good. I almost completely stopped playing my acoustic (a good Charles Walter upright) for 18 months. But over the last two years, though, I've picked up a grand piano (Schimmel K213) and gone back to the acoustic, and, wow, there's still a big difference between the better acoustic and most digitals. But, no doubt about it, you can really enjoy playing most digital pianos, which just wasn't the case 20 years ago. So, I think this digital revolution is great and am glad I'm lucky enough to have both around to enjoy these days.
Thank you! Very good points all around! The accessibility factor of digital pianos is quite exciting. It is allowing more people to take up the craft. Also, congratulations on your K213! It is a remarkable piano with a gorgeous tone. I know it will serve you well for many years to come! Thanks again and happy playing. :)
Hi Stu, thanks for your video. I retired recently and had to say goodbye to my 1906 6' Bluthner grand (which was somewhat painful) because we were planning to move into an appartment. Having done considerable research I ended up buying a Roland HP 704 which I love. Being a bit of a purist, I thought that I could never be satisfied by an non-acoustic instrument but I'm now a convert. I enjoy the additional features a digital instrument provides such as the ability to record myself making duets accessible, the ability to play music through the speakers system via bluetooth and the headphones which makes my wife happy. I'm amazed by the technology and I'm now practising every day.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for writing in! I can certainly understand the difficulties with having to part ways with an instrument like that, but I am happy to hear that you have been enjoying you Roland HP704 and the amazing musical experience it offers. The tech has come along way and, as you've pointed out, it really does offer some very exciting features that acoustic pianos do not. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
I live in an old apartment, with relatively thin walls. The biggest reason I've been looking at digital pianos is indeed the headphones, and their ability to be a lot quieter... And of course the fact I miss having a piano in the place. Not having to worry about how much I'd have to pay to get it up a flight of stairs (or down when I move), or having to get the condo board involved in order to have things like railings temporarily removed so it could be brought into my place in the first place is also massive thing. Then there's the fact that the mechanisms are so much better than they used to be, topping it all off. Oh yeah, two other big things: hubby wants to learn, but is super shy about others listening in, so him being able to just put a pair of headphones on and give it a whirl allow him to just try things out as he wants to. And the other is the whole simplicity of it all - if one wants to play at two in the morning, you can, without having to worry about waking up the rest of the house - or your neighbours. Okay, another one - I was looking at MIDI controllers, but was told by my local store (who deals mainly in Roland digital pianos) to look at spending just a few hundred more to get a full on digital piano. At first I didn't understand why, until the realization hit me that you get so much more in the package, AND it can still be used as a MIDI controller. Sucks that if I want to try a Kawai I'll have to go down to Calgary, as it seems nobody in Edmonton carries their products in store. I'm curious on their take regarding pianos.
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! These are all excellent points. It sounds like a digital piano is well aligned for your needs. Volume control and headphone capabilities are amazing features for those needing to practice late at night, or privately without anyone else in the home hearing them play. I certainly recommend checking out the Kawai line up if you have the opportunity to do so. They make wonderful pianos! :)
Great video, Sir! I had an RD-300 that sounded horrendous and the keys felt dancing in quicksand. That was 1987. Then the PCM keyboards came at about 1990, still not good enough. Then Yamaha came out with the P-90 , the P-120 and the P-250. Finally something portable that sounded and played realistic to me and others. I used to own a 9 foot 1929 Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano from the custom shop in New York. I now play a Yamaha P-515 and have the great Spectrasonics “Keyscape” Piano software. I have no space to even play my 1904 grand upright, and so a Grand Piano is out of the question until I get some more spacious Digs! Again, great video. Clear informative and valuable information! Cheers!
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! Spatial restrictions are a limiting factor sometimes - that is for sure. Thankfully, there are some exceptional digital pianos and VST plug-ins like you've mentioned that can meaningfully bridge the gap musically. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
Another great video Stu ! I bought a Kawai ATX4 acoustic hybrid piano (after watching your videos) and connected it to a couple of 8” JBLs. It is a best of both worlds experience. I get pure acoustic, pure digital on headphones and speakers and then get to layer the acoustic and the digital. It’s been a year now and couldn’t have made a better decision. Kawai ought to pay you a cut for my purchase Stu 😀
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! That is awesome! We're glad to hear that you've been enjoying your Kawai ATX4 and that you've been extracting all of the possibilities from it. And I will be sure to pass that along to Stu for you! ;)
I would add a #11,... and that is versatility, you can play a beautiful sounding piano or make it sound like a fender rhodes, or an organ or many other instruments. Love the videos!
I got a Yamaha P120 about 20 years ago. It still works great and i thought it made more sense than a real piano at that point. No need to tune it, option to switch to other tunings, and lighter to press keys. So how much better is a new digital piano now? Maybe I should consider an upgrade.
Digital pianos have come a long way over the last decade in particular. The authenticity digital instruments are able to simulate is very impressive. Companies have been focusing on the development of digital piano actions and tone engines, which have led to some very meaningful leaps and bounds in the industry. :)
@@lsorense I am in the same boat. The comment was actually made by a budding concert pianist who , due to space constraints, installed an electric piano because she couldn’t fit her acoustic in. When moving to larger accommodation, she noticed how weak her fingers had become. Slot game designer and programmer here.
Great video Stu ! as always , portability, price, maintenance, you are definetily right ,i'm a classical trained pianist and switch to digital pianos a few years ago !
Absolutely agreed. I really liked where you talked about how digital piano sounds are getting quite good. That also leads me to want to talk about three things things. Let me start off by talking about recording. When recording piano playing, for most people digital pianos are actually better because it's much simpler (just hit record and play). And it'll sound pretty good. With an acoustic piano, you can record and play, but being honest it won't sound as good, unless you take the time to mic it up properly. With that, it can also be expensive to mic it up. Second thing I want to talk about is how most digital pianos are simulating a concert grand. Concert grands are big instruments that are expensive and hard to fit inside people's houses due to big size. A digital piano is only a tiny fraction of the price and requires a tiny fraction of the space. Lastly I do want to talk about VST's. Being able to play other sounds is game changer. First off, most digital pianos have multiple "pianos" in them. And not only that, you can "play" other instruments. Not only that, many digital pianos even let you switch the tuning of the instrument. For example you want baroque tuning, you can easily change it and change it back. On an acoustic, you can change it, but it is a lot of work, and if you want to change it back, it is even more work. Compare this to an acoustic piano, where all you get is 1 piano sound.
Brent from Merriam Music here! These are all excellent points! Recording an acoustic piano is one of the trickiest things to record. Microphone selection, placement, room design, and more have such a massive impact on the overall sonic experience. The ability to play an unlimited number of instruments via one digital piano is also quite attractive for some users. In addition to different types of pianos (e.g. upright, baby grand, concert grand, etc.), you can access any instrument sound you can imagine through VST plugins as you've mentioned. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
what I really like about digital piano is playing musics in simply piano connected through USB. All sounds equalized through the same speaker just feels very good, excellent immersion in the music. And I can swap to headphones or just lower the volume and have the same experience. Another interesting point is doing exercises with Yamaha Accompaniment Styles. The Bass of the band in the background following your changes just feel good even on simple scale exercises. I haven't played much with acoustics, only some older upright pianos and the action feels uneven and a bit clunky, compared to the digital I'm used. Awesome video =)
I’m learning piano for the first time in retirement. I’ve always loved music and had a big music collection. I got a Roland FP-10 and after suffering with a tinny sound added a Roland KC-80 piano amp which I have facing me right above the piano. It only has headphone output (not electrically isolated so I had to get a highly insulated AUX cable). It sounds great and as loud as a grand piano. And of course the keyboard has a natural feel. Continuing to be fussy I added a M1 ipad Air with Apple logic pro and Pianoteq pianos and now it sounds even better. Plus a little DAC dongle to improve the output quality from the tablet. Maybe 600+500+ 400+100+150+50=$1,800. That’s not a lot of money as great pianos go or as hobbies go in general. Just sharing my details.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips! That sounds like quite a nice setup to optimize the sonic experience from your Roland FP10. It is a very impressive piano for the money. :)
A lot of the comments below seem to express what I have long understood to be the case - possession of a traditional grand piano - the more grand, the better - is seen as an overt signature of wealth. People brag about their instruments - a lot. If you play, play what you have. Don't buy an expensive instrument thinking it will make you a better player. Get better first.
New acoustic grand pianos are certainly more expensive than many digital pianos, which makes them far less accessible. With that said, there are some performance benefits to a grand piano action because of the physics involved. These differences can help a player's advancement.
I sold my acoustic Zimmermann from the 70s to buy a Kawai Es520. Best choise I've made about my playing! It improved a lot! Love the Kawai Es520 it's everything a pianist needs pro or amateur its perfect price/'quality
We're happy to hear that you have been enjoying the Kawai ES520! It is a fantastic piano that provides a wonderful touch and tone. That is great to hear! :)
@@MerriamPianos I actually bought the fp90x at first but returned later for the es520. But the action felt quite slow on the way up , and had like a clay-ish soft feeling on the way down. As if the keys dip in quicksand and need to to unstick to go up. The sound of the fp90x is much more superior to the ES520 , but the Roland action is not my thing. Probably good for jazz/pop but thing like thrills and fast technical passages were absolutely impossible on the FP90x and I got a pump in my forearms from 5-10 minutes of playing. If I kept force playing classical technical stuff after that my whole hands start feeling sore and I was definitely going to get an injury if I kept the FP90x. I wish there was a piano with action of the ES520 and sound of the FP90x. I would pay 3000$ for such a thing. Also the fp90x mechanical noise is much much quiter than the es520 , feels a lot more expensive and pressing individual keys is amazing. However the black keys on the fp90x felt 2 times heavier than the whites which is unbearable. I miss it's sound and configurations and app , but not the action.
It can be quite handy, particularly for vocalists that may need a lot of flexibility on that front depending on where their voice is at on a given day. :)
Two thirds of people here in Los Angeles live in apartments, and for $1.4 million or $2 million plus, you would get a tiny moldy 100-year-old house. After college, I had no piano for my first 14 years here in LA. Then I finally bought a $500 Alesis piano a few years ago, and this year I upgraded to a $2,000 Roland FP90x, which I love. It would still be fun to have access to an acoustic piano though. Wish there were more options for piano practice rooms with a membership…
Congrats on your FP90X! It is a powerhouse instrument with a wonderful touch and tone. I know it will serve you well. And that is a great point. There are not a lot of options when it comes to acoustic piano rentals or piano practice rooms out there unfortunately.
@@MerriamPianos I can’t say enough wonderful things about my FP90X. My playing immediately became less sloppy / fewer mistakes because of the improved touch. Thanks for making this excellent video. I wasn’t aware of this trend.
By God, I got a keyboard for my birthday a few weeks ago and now RUclips recommends me piano-related videos all the time. Weird. OK, I'm only a beginner, and my keyboard isn't really an electric piano (it doesn't have hammer action), so I'm not sure if my opinion matters, but there is something that literally everyone in these discussions seems to forget: Classical music isn't the only genre out there. If you're interested in playing rock or metal like I am (and I am a pretty good guitarist, if that matters), an acoustic piano won't suffice. You need a lot more sounds, and a MIDI function to use VST instruments is preferable. Other than that - everything is covered in the video.
Congrats on your keyboard and happy belated birthday! That is a very good point. There are tons of amazing musical genres out there. Many of them demand a larger palette of sounds outside just a standard acoustic piano. To that point, a keyboard with a large assortment of non-piano patches can be the preference and necessity. :)
I'm an early music musician, early baroque really. Modern piano's aren't any good for early music and early keyboards can require a mortgage to acquire. So saying that I got a midi controller and a vst synth and I'm loving it. I'm loving programming my own clavichord, and primitive keyboard sounds, and then I made an organ out of the sound of a bullfrog croaking. It's awesome. I haven't had so much fun in ages.
True, the upside of digital keyboards is how great the sound and touch have evolved. The downside is that they can be too technologically cumbersome which is why I gave my Roland with so many bells and whistles to the Salvation Army. I now have a Yamana that I turn on and start playing. Roland made a digital harpsichord and fortepiano--I don't know if they've upgraded it---but it doesn't compare with my Flemish single Ruckers in touch, sonority, or the click of the jacks when I lift my fingers at the end of a Bach prelude.
That is a good point. For some users/players, simplicity is key. With that said, there are some very excellent streamlined models out there that are quite user friendly. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and happy playing! :)
Space and portability were our top priorities. I took piano for 10 years when i was a kid and I was looking to get back into it after decades away from it. And when the little one expressed interest we jumped at the chance to pick one up. The feel and sound of the digital piano we purchased was exactly what i remembered on my childhood acoustic, i was blown away.
That is awesome to hear! Space requirements and portability can be very big factors for a large number of customers of course. Thank you for tuning in and sharing your thoughts.
@@MerriamPianos Sure thing! And, thank you for all your videos, especially the reviews. They were definitely influential in our decision to finally purchase one (Roland FP30X). My only complaint about the piano is the small music stand. I guess people nowadays love to use tablets, but I like having physical copies and I can barely fit 3 8.5x11 pages across on the stand that Roland includes.
Just when I was thinking of buying an acoustic, I see this video, lol. I like my entry level digital, but am thinking of getting a K500. Let's see when that will be possible.
Haha fair enough! The K500 is an exceptional piano! If you're looking for a best of both worlds solution, there is always the K500 Aures 2 to consider. ;)
I’m a beginner with just 22 months of lessons. At home I play a Roland FP-10 which I may never outgrow. When I travel, I play a Carry-On folding piano. For all of its shortcomings, it is full size and great for working on my fingerings. Yet it fits in an old CPAP case. I would pay $750 for a piano that is as compact as the Carryon-On yet have the keyboard action and sound of my Roland.
Congrats on your Roland FP10! It is a wonderful instrument with a great touch and tone. While the FP10 is still fairly portable, the fact that it is a full 88-note keyboard makes it a bit tricky to travel with in certain cases. Perhaps, there will be a travel piano that fits your description in the future. :)
I've been very pleased with my Kawai MP10, played through 8" studio monitors, and using Synthogy Ivory Steinway concert grand piano running on an old headless Mac Mini. I've used this setup for the past 13 years without modification, and find it just as satisfying as the Baldwin grand piano I played for my entire childhood. The key to recreating the comparable experience is: 1) the Kawai action, 2) the high-quality Synthogy Ivory samples, and 3) big enough speakers. I've tried with less on all three and it's just not the same.
That is awesome to hear! The MP10 is a powerhouse instrument with a fantastic touch. We're happy to hear that you've still been enjoying everything it has to offer musically. :)
I agree with most of the points. For Myself playing as a non-performer it is hard or impossible to beat the standard piano by customizing it furthermore all the parameters like hammer noise duplex scale etc do change very little and play a role in the sale process rather when practising aftersale
It’s an interesting point you bring up… If you haven’t played a wide variety of pianos in enough situations where the emotional connection is the difference between a great performance or a dud, then the ability to customize the instrument would be more novelty than necessity. Since I have such a specific character and behavior that I’m seeking every single time I sit down in front of any piano - be a digital or acoustic - the ability to modify the instrument digitally gives me the freedom to get as close as possible to that ideal… But that only means something if you already have an ideal established in your head that’s different than what the default parameters already provide for. But as the thrust of the video suggests, it’s features like this that are precisely the reason that more established musicians and even classical pianist are accepting high-performing digital pianos into the life. Great comment! -Stu
Good summation of the reasons for the digital shift. My first good digital piano most definitely had better action than my entry level acoustic piano, and smaller and cheaper. No contest at that level.
Thank you kindly! That is a good point. Newer digital pianos have excellent actions and tone engines that can often outcompete some cheaper acoustic instruments.
As a harp player I can say I spend more time noodling about on my little electronic keyboard than I do on the harp. Having to tune the instrument every time you play is a real PITA and makes you avoid the instrument. Having to call in a piano tuner a couple of times a year would be an even bigger PITA I imagine. I love my little synth because I can play piano, harpsichord, organ, some space age thing I designed, strings etc. Plus the space and weight reduction is awesome. I play on a 37 key keyboard (it's great for early music) even better is that it's only slightly larger than a computer keyboard and lives tucked away in a corner of the room when I'm not using it. I also played brass and woodwind and can tell you, keyboard is by far the easiest instrument to learn. I thought harp was easy, but keyboard is even simpler.
Thanks for sharing your insights! The convenience factor of a digital piano/keyboard certainly makes it an appealing option. Plus, the musical experience these pianos/keyboards offer is becoming quite impressive. The accessible price point is also quite helpful. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
Thank you for the very informative and interesting video. While I am not a professional piano player, I have found no digital piano (as far as I tested) can replicate the feeling of an acoustic piano touch. I have both digital and acoustic pianos at home and I have played on many different pianos from a restored 19th century grand piano that is used by many famous musicians ever year at Montreux jazz festival to modern digital pianos and even the best hybrid pianos and they are not comparable with acoustic pianos touch. They simply cannot produce the touch of the hammer directly on a string. I cannot explain what I experience and what my fingers feel but I can say they are not the same. Do you disagree? Is there any digital piano out there producing the same feeling?
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in! We're happy to hear that you found the video informative and interesting. Touch preferences are a highly subjective matter of course. I think it is difficult to capture every single nuance and detail of an acoustic piano touch, but models like the Kawai NV5S and NV10S come quite close. They both utilize actual acoustic piano actions, but, due to the fact that hammers are not striking strings, there are some nuanced differences in the overall touch.
I bought a donner dep-20 a couple years ago as my first piano. got through level 1 books and taught myself 1st movement of moonlight sonata. but the short comings of that piano was starting to get to me. it was good for a starter piano. But I need something more reliable, and better quality. So I got a Roland Fp-30x coming next week and cant wait to get back into learning piano on it.
That is awesome to hear! The Donner pianos are solid instruments, but I am very confident that you will be thoroughly impressed with the improved touch of the FP30X's PHA4 action. It will be an excellent musical companion for the next phase of your journey. :)
I would say ease of access to lessons. When I bought my first entry-level digital back in the early 2010s. I had trouble finding a teacher to give me even some setup lessons due to time constraints and an unwillingness to take on adult students due to a kind of stigma that adult students quit (which is sadly true) and that the cost of the acoustic piano represented a more serious investment and commentment. A similar thing happened back in the 90s when I was in HS. Since resuming in 2020 I've had no trouble finding instructors due to the availability of things like remote lessons. Today, I take a mix of both in person and online lessons.
That is an excellent point! Thank you for sharing. Accessibility of lessons is an important consideration for some players. The digital age has offered a plethora of resources on that front, which is quite exciting. At the end of the day, if more people are getting to experience the joys of playing piano, the world is a better place. :)
To each their own. I bought a hybrid digital with Fazioli sample in grand piano. Loved the tone. So real, so rich in sound. Action was great but something was off. It just wasn't that feeling of controlling an acoustic and having an understanding with your action. I bought a baby grand and fished out the Ole tuning wrench. There's just something more to the feeling of playing when you have an acoustic. ❤❤❤❤ But I get it. The digital was better than the spinet I had at the time.
I can certainly understand where you're coming from! The magic of a nice acoustic piano is tough to fully match or render in a digital piano. But, technology is causing the gap between the two to close a little bit. It is exciting to see where things go in the future. :)
I wonder about the emotional connection to acoustic pianos. To me they seem like a living breathing thing...., that yes, have requirements to remain at their best.
That is a very relevant point. For some players, an acoustic piano and the magic it provides is an absolute necessity to ensure musical fulfillment. :)
A piano tech and side hustle musician here. I've often said that the difference between real pianos and digitals is like the difference between real fruit and artificial flavours. I've also said that I'd a thousand times rather play a good digital than a crummy acoustic (of which there are many). They each have their own merits. I live in a semi-detached dwelling and believe in being a good neighbour much of my practice is on a digital through headphones. But there's nothing like the feeling of taking a passage I've been working on and playing it on the concert grands I work with. When I had one of my 6ft grand at home I still often hammered away at the digital to reduce the need to voice and regulate my acoustic. You know the old adage about "the shoemaker's kids go barefoot". Sadly I do believe that the home piano is going the way of the steam locomotive. It's a good time to be an old piano technician.
That is a very good analogy! And, depending on one's living situation, digital pianos can be very attractive solutions. Volume control and headphone capabilities provide wonderful flexibility to allow players a chance to practice at all hours of the day. With that said, the magic and nuance of a nice acoustic piano is something quite special and hard to replicate. Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! We appreciate it. :)
I have a Yamaha U1 and a Yamaha P515. There is simply no comparison. I feel like that is probably the case when comparing and good keyboard with a good acoustic. I went to my piano dealer and asked him to sell my acoustic and told him I wanted a digital piano. Specifically,a Yamaha CLP785. He refused to sell one to me because he knows how particular I am. I bought the P515 to supplement my learning progress since it does more closely resemble playing an acoustic grand, but still, an acoustic simple feels and sounds better than a digital piano.
Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing your experiences! I can certainly appreciate the sentiment though. The real thing is the real thing at the end of the day. :)
To me - both acoustic and digital sound great. The person doing the driving certainly contributes. Neither acoustic or digital are 'overall' better than each other. They're all pianos. Real pianos. Piano-forte - adequate and independent soft loud control of the notes - shortened to piano. Both acoustic and digital pianos have this capability. Both types are very powerful for music. I have two P-515 and one P-525. Absolutely love them both.
I thought the digital revolution started in 1980s when Yamaha released DX7. You just noticed it now 🙂. I was not able to find any statistics, but I suspect sales of MIDI controllers are much higher than either digital or acoustic pianos.
We're focusing a bit more on digital pianos specifically. Electric and digital instruments/synths have been making waves for quite sometime, but the ability for modern digital pianos to emulate an acoustic piano experience has improved exponentially in recent years.
I value all the 10 reasons, but I would highlight the low or no maintenance at all in digital pianos. I have had my Yamaha Clavinova CVP-303 for 20 years, and it still works perfectly, no signs of failure. It has not needed any maintenance at all.
I love my digital stage piano and my grand, and I tried these new console digital pianos. They are still not at all acoustic replacements, but have all the disadvantages of acoustics - non portable and price - and digital - not the same live sound of a good acoustic. I don't understand why they are even made, aside from furniture appeal. But stage pianos are amazing for what they are, still very expressive and portable.
Thanks for tuning in! We're happy to hear that you have been enjoying your pianos. Console digital pianos are by no means a full analogous replacement to an acoustic piano, but they do have their place in the market. For customers that need the convenience of a digital instrument, but seek a more attractive aesthetic, they can often be the ideal solution. :)
There is really only one advantage to accoustic piano- a big wooden sound box that amplifies the vibration sounds bouncing within. The sound is more complex than any digital piano can re-produce. However, it takes quite a bit of skill to keep the sound under control and so the digital scores another easy point here. You can just leave your foot down on the pedal and let the limited polyphony do the work for you
That is very true. It is tough to capture all of the complexity and nuance of an acoustic piano with a tone engine and speakers. With that said, some companies are finding very innovative ways of bridging this gap. Kawai's soundboard system on the CA901 and NV5S models is quite impressive and offers a lot of tonal nuance, richness. :)
Another issue is, sadly, as we age. We need to downsize. I've known a few people, excellent pianists, who have digital instruments now, in Retirement villages, one in Aged Care!! I have moved from a large grand (Grotrian) to an upright (K-800) recently - regrettably - in preparation for an imminent shift to something smaller and closer to family. I considered high end digital - may still be forced that way.
This is also a very good and relevant point. While it can be difficult to part ways with amazing pianos like a Grotrian grand or Kawai K800, digital pianos offer the ability to continue playing and enjoying piano even when having to downsize. Thank you for tuning in and writing in! We appreciate it.
I have not switched but I own Roland Fantom8 and it it's fantastic in every way. The piano sounds are one of the best and so is the keyboard and then I can of course also use software. But one thing I have done a lot is to play Baroque pieces using Harpsichord sounds etc. It makes me understand the music in a different way been able to hear my own playing in a very close approximation of the original instruments. I can also design my own piano sound and change the tuning as I please.
These are excellent points. For players seeking "period correct" interpretations of pieces, a digital piano can be a very critical tool. Thank you for sharing the excellent insight. :)
Had the opposite experience from most. Classically trained on grand pianos I finally bought one and dragged it up to Namibia's Skeleton coast. But the sound was so unsatisfying - I hardly ever played it - and after three expensive tunings it was time to switch to digital. For less than the cost of the grand I have both a Kawaii CN29 which I play every day, and at my mother's house, a Roland FP10. I can't stand the imperfections of the acoustic sound any more and love the satisfaction that the digital pianos give me. You didn't mention transposing, which has allowed me to literally sing when I play (dropping down a few semitones to suit my voice). That is something I could never do on an acoustic.
We're very happy to hear that you've been enjoying your Kawai CN29 and Roland FP10! They are both excellent instruments that present wonderful cost-to-value ratios. It is true that modern digital pianos are able to outcompete some older acoustic pianos. And, as you've pointed out, some features are quite convenient for certain contexts of use. :)
It really depends on how often the piano is played and how heavy handed the player is. Whether you are gigging with the instrument will be a factor too. For average home use, I think 10-15 years is a realistic expectation. But, some basic maintenance/repair to the action may be required within that time frame.
I grew up playing acoustic pianos, so I'm picky when it comes to digital pianos. Only on the higher can digital pianos replicate the acoustic experience very well. They are listening to picky pianists like me and implementing things that mitigate those issues. Keys vibrate under your fingertips, multiple speakers produce sound from the right direction, adjustable hammer and damper noise, even the keyboard slightly shifting left and right when using the una corda. And sample libraries can be over 100GB, with dozens of round-robins and velocity ranges, even true staccato samples (I even have a library that replicates a silent note strike when you play at a low enough velocity, which mitigates the development of bad piano technique.) Eventually, I would absolutely love to have the best of both worlds and purchase a hybrid, but they're just so expensive 😅
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! These are all very good points. Companies are certainly working hard to bridge the gap in meaningful ways. I agree with your sentiments about hybrid pianos too. They're very exciting instruments! The Kawai Aures pianos in particular are very cool. The fact you can use the digital system in conjunction with the acoustic piano leads to a whole new realm of possibilities. :)
i sold my K300 because a hassle for tuning, maintenance, and cleaning. also it is not easy to record a clean piano samples with a mic for recording purposes. i change to CA 901 primarily because novus still got a discontinued onkyo chips. and i feel like i have a bigger room instantly because a tiny size that kawai offers. if i choose the sampling sound to upright, i feel like playing the same k300 with a lighter action. it is behaving the same. instead no more tunings.
The CA901 is a truly impressive instrument and the new SK-EX Competition Grand samples are excellent. We're happy to hear that you're pleased with it after making the change from the K300. Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)
I literally couldn't _give_ my 50's Betsy Ross spinet (I wonder how many millions of those things that company cranked out) away, which had been in my family since the 50's, and so I wound up disassembling it (WAY harder than I thought it was going to be) to get rid of it. You haven't lived until you cut up the thick harp on one of those with an angle grinder. And that's just the start. So I laugh when I see people locally on Craig's List, etc. trying to sell one for hundreds of dollars. No, you have to PAY someone hundreds of dollars to take it off your hands. Times change. Back in the 50's, every girl took piano lessons growing up (including my two sisters). Now, they're more concerned with staring at their phones. My current setup involves a Korg Triton Pro 76-key from around the year 2000 (great Yamaha-supplied FS keybed on that one, and the reason I bought it used), and a few soft synths - piano and otherwise - in a very powerful PC capable of running them without a lot of glitches. Tip: NO ONE - except the most accomplished classical pianist - needs 88 keys, and that includes church pianists. More is just a waste of space and money, not to mention the extra weight. But everyone needs at least 73. 73-76 keys is the sweet spot for most ANY genre of music, esp. pop music. Tip: AVOID weighted hammer-actions, which do NOT adequately mimic real acoustic piano actions. That's a physical impossibility, regardless of how companies boast about their "real" piano actions. Ain't gonna happen. Tip: AVOID high-priced current overhyped flagship keyboards like the Yamaha Montage M or one of the $5k+ arrangers and scale things way back and do like I did, and pick yourself up a good used 76-key synth with a Yamaha-supplied FS keybed - not one of those dedicated midi controllers with lousy, cheap keybeds! Use that keyboard as a midi controller and hook it up with something like Pianoteq (excellent) or one of the the Production Voices brand pianos (another excellent choice, and relatively inexpensive). There are lots of YT videos about both - give 'em a look-see and listen. Tip: AVOID these 5 GB or so sampled pianos that flood the market - they aren't worth it at any price. You're going to have to up it to around 50 GB's (in some instances much higher) or so to enter the realm of true realism and tweakability. The exception is the modeled Pianoteq, which carries a tiny footprint as far as resources go. I'm referring to _sampled_ pianos. The LESS you spend now, the less of a bath you're going to take financially when it comes to getting rid of that four-thousand plus-dollar piano if you realize it's just not your thing. Some of these digitals are priced in the $15-17k range! Example: spend four grand on a whiz-bang Montage M and you'll be stuck with a nightmarish four-grand paperweight that you'll have a tough time selling on the used market. And do you want to gig with that (admittedly) beautiful high-dollar keyboard? I wouldn't want to let it out of my sight, for fear it might get scratched. Not so with the Korg Triton - one of the ugliest keyboards ever produced - but with a GREAT action. I'm looking at a computer screen anyway - not the Korg's dashboard.
Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for taking the time to tune in and share your thoughts. It is all a matter of preference and context of use of course. It sounds like you have found a reliable setup to satisfy your specific needs. With that said, I would push back against some of these tips in some cases. For students that want to study classical/jazz piano or are eventually planning on transitioning to an acoustic piano, there are many benefits to playing an 88-note fully-weighted keyboard action. While no digital piano action will capture every nuance and detail of an acoustic piano action, there are a lot of amazing digital piano actions out there that bridge the gap quite meaningfully (even in the entry level categories). At the end of the day, every player has to make their own determinations in terms of what type of instrument is suitable for their needs and musical ambitions.
To me the one game changer for a digital piano is the headphone. As we learn, repetition is the game and frankly, my wife would not stand for me playing a piece over and over and over again on an acoustic piano. Of course, the maintenance free aspect, connectivity and price are also major reasons for choosing a digital piano.
Everything that is said there is perfectly accurate and well-reasoned. We can however add that what is true for digital keyboards is also true for electronic wind instruments (EWI) of which one of the best representatives - if not the best to date - is the extraordinary AE-30 aerophone from Roland. It is true that the AE-30 Pro benefits from the musical excellence of the Jupiter keyboard from the same Company.
For sure! There are a multitude of digital instruments that are gradually giving players alternative (and, sometimes, more flexible) options. We will see what the future holds in this regard. :)
I would love to upgrade from my kawai CN35 to an NV10s or even go part way - a higher end keyboard like an RD-2000. I don’t think I’ll ever have the right spot for an acoustic. Also, I am excited by the new wave of digital equipment - seaboard, lumatone, linnstrument etc. The way sampling and modelling has evolved, we could be close to seeing people who’ve learned music on an alternative keyboard as their first instrument.
The CN35 is a very solid piano of course, but the NV10S would be a meaningful step up. In my opinion, it is one of the top digital pianos on the market. I do agree with you regarding the evolution of sampling and modelling technology. Things have come a long way. It is exciting to see where it all leads. :)
Less noise for the neighbours and perfectly intune always is why I have a middle of the range digital piano - just below intermediate piano player is me so item suits my downsized lifestyle.
Thanks for your excellent videos. For me, digitals don't cut it. Regarding the piano patches in my experience under the MSRP USA, $4500.00 they all have crappy voicing relative to other keys and terrible individual soft & loud volume keys. The RD 2000 has the "tone designer" that help a great deal, but other brands can't be adjusted. Those issues are annoying to me. Probably many people don't notice or it may not bother them. I hope the high end digitals are better.
The high end digitals, such as the Roland LX series and Kawai NV series instruments are quite impressive. They offer wonderful authenticity as well as adjustability to custom tailor the sonic experiences to your desires. In some cases though, there are players that are simply used to and comfortable with acoustic pianos, which is a totally fair stance. Every player will have their own opinion of course. :)
This is an interesting subject. 20 years ago I was a bit on the anti-digital side. I am a concert caliber tuner, and even smaller pianos have resonances and other things happening as they are played that makes them sound like a "real" piano. In the past few years with better processors, sampling, modeling technology, and modeling technology applied on top of sampling, some brands of digital pianos have gotten to be astoundingly good, particularly as a signal source for recording or practicing with headphones. I see people on Facebook post videos playing their pianos at home, or sometimes at the church where they play, and due to the quality of the pianos and the fact that they are almost never in good tune, the videos sound awful, and are made even worse by the abysmal audio capture of their smartphones. Pianos in my area don't stay stay in tune from week to week at certain times of the year, and I'm finding that with many pro or semi-pro "stage slab" digital pianos (even a couple that are $1,000 or slightly less), you can run a stereo cable into a Zoom audio recorder and have a far nicer recording than you'll ever get with a cheap 5'-1" grand piano that isn't in tune, and with all the VST piano software available, you can get quite a few very impressive choices in addition to the ones native to your keyboard. If I had the money and space, I'd love to have a German Steinway or Fazioli concert grand,....As a concert tuner, I could even keep it in shape for when I want to record something, but as is the case with most of us, at-will access to such an instrument just isn't an option, and as Stu has mentioned in other videos, in a lot of home living situations, it's hard to play on an acoustic piano without disturbing a spouse, a sleeping baby, or a neighbor. Digital pianos are definitely useful in these situations!
Thanks for the incredibly insightful thoughts! I think this is an excellent and on-point take. Digital pianos have come along way and are now capable of supplying even high-level, discerning players with a truly enjoyable musical experience. The real thing is still the real thing of course, but there are many life circumstances that can make the flexibility of a digital piano more appealing. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
I feel as though the sad reality is that the price of an upright of even modest quality is so high that it might not be affordable to many people and only a justifiable investment for someone who has both achieved some level of ability and demonstrated a commitment to continue playing regularly. I’ve accepted the fact that the pianos I really covet-Steinway and some of the well-known German makers-will never be in my price range. So, I agree with your video-the considerably lower price and convenience made digital the better option for me, even if, sentimentally I’d really like to have a nice upright sitting in the living room.
Thank you for watching! It is true that some acoustic pianos are quite expensive. Fortunately, digital pianos keep getting better and better. This makes achieving a rewarding piano experience far more accessible, which is a very great thing for the craft in my opinion. :)
I have a Roland lx708 it’s absolutely incredible of course I would still prefer a real piano but I live in a skyline so being able to control the noise level or wear high quality head phones is a big deal. In addition it’s like having a super high quality amp in my apartment which when I throw parties the artist I gig out to play at my parties can hook right into the lx708 and produce an incredible sound
That is awesome to hear! Congrats on your LX708! We're happy to hear that you've been enjoying it. It offers excellent musicality, while still being super flexible. :)
Although this video reports on increasing sales of digital pianos from a commercial perspective, it remains the case that digital pianos are not useful for classical playing (and I'd suggest probably other styles of playing too) except for practice when headphones can be used which can be very useful. Ask any advanced or professional classical player. Its impossible to sample an acoustic piano accurately because the effect of the damper pedal introduces chaotic sympathetic vibrations - not only when any individual note is struck but varied and individual sympathetic vibrations when any two or more keys are struck simultaneously. So every key combination potentially introduces variations. More importantly, an acoustic piano is a "live" instrument, it requires coaxing to produce its best sound, there is a direct mechanical connection between the players fingers and unlimately the sound producing mechanism (hammers and strings). The variety of tone and volume and touch is potentially unlimited. Digital pianos are a substitute instrument where circumstances are difficult, not a preferential choice. Sampling technology (eg for orchestral instruments, for orchestral mockups and compositinal aids) has advanced rapidly but solo instrumentalists are not abandoning their acoustical instruments! Are you serious?!
While I agree with the sentiment that even the very best digital pianos cannot fully replace and compete with high-quality acoustic pianos, it is important to note that some players have no choice but to buy digital because of their living situation and needs. Volume control and headphone practice can be a critical need for those living in shared spaces, condos, and apartments. While every acoustic nuance is difficult to emulate, the gap is being bridged slowly. Also, I would recommend watching our follow up video to this one, which states the argument for acoustic pianos. This video was part of a series. ;)
Good video! But... There are a couple of important aspect that weren't mentioned... Now days Beginners are starting to connect their digital pianos to their iPads or Tablets to learn through an app. Me as a piano instructor, I recommend digital pianos to new students because of that reason. I can actually send their homework in a MIDI file format via email or assign their homework through an App. But also, there are a lot of piano players that create videos for Social Media and they want to be able to edit their performances before releasing to the public. For me, I do prefer an acoustic piano over a digital piano and I do recommend it for students that are more serious and amore advanced.
Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing! These are both excellent and relevant points. While there are always some downsides to new technologies, there are usually some tremendous positives. The pedagogical capabilities that digital instruments offer are quite attractive to many aspiring players. :)
@@MerriamPianos It's my pleasure and thank you for your response! And yes, I agree with you, there's always the good and the bad when it comes to technology!
For me it's mainly portabilty and volume. Even though my piano is on a stand. Together with the stand it is quite light and I can easily move it. When I want to watch a movie/TV series etc. so that there is at least some benefit, I take it out to the TV, put an earphone in one ear (or set the volume low) and do mechanical practice (scales, arpeggios, hanon and other mostly braindead exercises).
That is a very excellent example of multitasking! I actually had a teacher in university that was a big advocate for "distracted practice" when trying to establish pure muscle memory. Naturally, we want to be fully engaged when we're performing to ensure that the emotional intention is present and well presented. But, when it comes to solidifying fingerings or other basic mechanics like that, distracted practice can work for some players.
12 years ago I bought a Kawai CN23. It lacked the volume range. After the warrant expired I got the problem of notes intermittently going dead. A scale had holes in it and then the note later sounded. And it wasn't predictable about which notes would do this. I found no help anywhere other than "try this" and "try that." I stopped playing because of that. Then this spring I bought a new Yamaha b3 upright. It's got the issues of a new piano with tonal inconsistency. If you have any tips on finding a good piano tuner/technician who knows how to help even out the tone I'm all ears.
Hi! Brent here! While I'm sorry to hear that you've run into some issues with your Kawai CN23 and Yamaha B3, I am glad to hear that you have decided to restart your piano journey. That is exciting! Generally speaking, finding a guitar technician comes down to word of mouth referrals. Alternatively, there are many dealers that have a rolodex of local technicians that they trust to service their instruments. I would inquire with your dealer about who they would recommend to service your B3. Best of luck and happy playing! :)
@@MerriamPianos I watched Josh Wright videos and he advocated playing acoustic piano occasionally if all we have is digital. But then the digital went glitchy during the pandemic and a lot of research showed me I was not alone with the Kawai CN23. The Yamaha b3 is a great piano but still needs breaking in for the tone to sound better. I think you meant piano technician and not a guitar one. The Yamaha comes with a 10 year warranty and a free tuning. They sent a tuner from a major regionals piano tech company. The first tuner did his thing on a late Tuesday afternoon. I had guests coming Wednesday for dinner and several play piano well. One noticed "pitchy" inconsistency. I texted that tech back that I had issues with his tuning. The owner of the company called and a few days later sent their top tech. He spent over 45 minutes retuning. He also got a wire comb and did some work on the felt pads and those few notes sounded much better. But there are 88 felt hammers. He said I'm good for a year on the tuning. I was hesitant to ask them for help in evening out the tone. And didn't know if there are techs that specialize in this. I'm new to the acoustic piano world so have these sorts of questions. Thanks.
I feared you tell me about, due to piano maintenance in concert halls, replacing Grand Pianos with E-Pianos. Like always a great presentation; myself bought a Roland FP30X, but I've seen a super interesting hybrid piano (3,000 Euro) from Kawai: It played really awesome, rich piano tone facettes and details even at highest notes - it felt like touching the notes when just listening (like in sampling comparing a $ 20 Interface with a one from Metric Halo).
Thanks! We appreciate it. We're glad you enjoyed it. Congrats on your FP30X! It is an excellent instrument to learn and practice on. I do agree with your thoughts on the Kawai hybrids though. They are dream instruments. Fingers crossed you'll be able to get your hands on one soon. :)
I'm really curious, after watching this, and especially aspect #7, whether I am the only person in the world who connected a Ketron K-8 Midi Bass Pedal to his electric piano (in my case, a Roland FP-9)? With this setup I am able to add a simple bass line to my piano improvisations. This way I can also start to learn pieces I later will be playing on a church organ.
Do digital piano have harmonic resonnance ? (I do not speak about the natural harmonica series : that can be sampled, but about the propagation of energy from one string to other strings of the piano that have a resonant frequency with it, through the structure of the instrument : that is part of the sounding of a piano… especially when combining special chords sequences). Or effects like re-strucking notes… Note : I play both, for different purposes. The energy and vibrations you get with an acoustic piano, and the way you send energy in a room or a house are quite different… And with a (some) digital piano you can change the tuning system with one button ;-). Or explore sounds with different when plug on you midi installation (but that is no more a piano, just a keyboard). And for the energy, with an acoustic piano, you still feel that this is a percussion instrument, this is lost with digital piano, you do not have the vibration returns in your body. However, budget, usage, recording, digital music installations, etc. are of course all aspects to consider (best is to have both ;-) or more ;-) ).
Hi there! There are some high-end digital pianos and VST plugins that start to tackle these types of nuanced details of an acoustic piano experience. More specifically, modelling-based tone engines are starting to get into a greater degree of detail on this front. It will be exciting to see what the future holds on this front!
Very informative videos! What do you think about Hybrid Digital pianos? I am getting back into piano after a long time and my first priority is to work on my fingers to regain strength and speed. I have been looking at the Yamaha NU1X, how does it compared with digital pianos on that price range?
Hi there! Thank you kindly! Hybrid pianos are excellent options for players that require the convenient functionality of a digital piano, but are looking to bridge the playing experience gap to an acoustic piano as much as possible. The Kawai NV5S and NV10S models are also worth consideration. They have amazing feeling actions!
My list in order of importance before watching: 1. Ability to play on headphones (next to my neighbour) 2. Learning software 3. Size 4. Versatility of sounds 5. Ability to record to MIDI 6. Aesthetics 7. Your review After watching: I think that sound editability on a sub £1000 keyboard is not important. What do people playing in that price bracket (assuming beginners) know about tone, acoustics, hammer action sound, etc?
After traveling threw different comment sections of different videos there are people who find models like the P125, ES110, and FP30X expensive simply because they can't afford such an instrument. Some times I come across comments like. "what keyboard do you recomend for 100 dollars?" "what 88 key digital piano do you recomend for 300 dollars?" So you can't blame some musicians for looking for a good digital in that price range🎹🎶
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights! That is certainly an excellent list. Needless to say, every player will have to make their own checklist based on their own needs and context of use, but it is a great idea to have a framework of what you're prioritizing when making a purchase for any product. :)
I had the opportunity last week to purchase a Feurich upright, 1983 German made, one owner immaculate condition with a bargain price. Had to look the other way, I live in a flat I am a beginner and my neighbour's would certainly hear my attempt at murdering music. Plus costs of upkeep and removal. So I bought a roland hp and I can control the volume, play whenever I choose etc. Case of means to an end. Yes I am happy with the roland. Thank you.
While that sounds like a very compelling option, there are other things that factor in of course. It sounds like a digital piano is more aligned to suit your current needs and situation. We're happy to hear that you've been pleased with your Roland. :)
Living in a small house with a baby, headphones were a game changer. Also, as a beginner and a big fan of Bach, I've really enjoyed switching between the piano, organ and harpsichord voices of my P145.
Absolutely! A digital piano is a very helpful tool in that regard. Total practice convenience and the ability to experiment with different instrument sounds to play things in a more "period correct" manner. :)
And I reckon the P45 sounds as good as it gets. Its older technology is nicer to the ears than the clinical sounds our friend here is talking about. With a decent stereo amplifier, that little joanna of yours would be made.
I would bet that a big part of the surge is people like me who learned piano growing up and had to abandon it when we left home and went on with our careers. As I got older, the urge to get back became stronger and stronger. And now with digital piano quality having skyrocketed. it was irresistible. Having done so, I was surprised by the reactions of friends when they learned I used to play piano and now bought one. Many of them felt the same way or played on old pianos, especially spinets, they were bored with. Like me, they had no idea of how the quality, portability and affordability the new pianos have become. I know of at leas 5-6 who have since gone out and bought new digital pianos. I would guess this might eventually spill out to their own children who would like their children to learn piano too. A kind of domino effect going on. I used to assume that if I could afford a digital piano, it couldn't be very good. That goes away fast when you hear them. I'll be upgrading in the next 3-4 years for sure. Maybe sooner.
Agreed. I got my digital during lockdown when I wanted to reconnect with music.
Thanks so much for sharing that! This is a very excellent point and observation. In any case, the exciting thing is that great digital pianos make playing piano more accessible in all respects. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
Story of my life.
I would love to try a Bechstein. I have a Steinway M. It's responsible for my reclusiveness.
Lovely closing remark; “The best instruments are instruments getting played”.
That’s so true.
Absolutely! I think most musicians will agree with the sentiment. Any instrument in the right hands is capable of immense expressivity. :)
A lot of people on here rubbish the digitals.
I am 64 and up until November, last year I could not play a note.
I decided to give learning a go, and I did a lot of research on the different types available.
Quickly I realised that the most important thing for a learner are 88 keys and graded, weighted hammer action with touch sensitivity.
I took a deep breath and got the Roland fp10, keeping it basic in case I gave up and wasted my money.
10 months on and my progress is coming on in leaps and bounds.
Last week I added an equaliser, amplifier with dual channel inputs and mic mixing, and a pair of external speakers.
The sound quality now is truly phenomenal, with all the power you will ever need.
If I had been limited to acoustic, it would probably have been a second hand battered throw away that needed a fortune spending o it.
I'm sure I would have given up on learning to play it by now.
Thanks for sharing your story! It is awesome to hear that you've taken up the piano and that you've been enjoying it so much. I think you bring up a great point here. Accessibility is huge. Not everyone is going to want to shell out $5000-10,000 on a nice used or new upright acoustic piano right out of the gates. Being able to access really great digital pianos at price points that feel like more manageable investments can be the very thing that leads to more aspiring musicians taking up the craft of playing the piano. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
@@MerriamPianos Thanks. For me the versatility wins hands down. Even the amplifier unit came from my old redundant hi fi set up, so at no extra cost.
I can now mix in other channels (I have an electric guitar), and save the recordings onto my digital recorder.
The equaliser helps perfect the tonal balance between the lower and higher ranges.
I don't think I shall ever need to upgrade, as it is solely for home use as a retirement pastime.
Your channel has certainly played a big part in my decision. 👍
I would never never have started to play the piano if there had not been the digital revolution. I have always lived in flats. I bought a Roland FP-4 , 13 years ago, at the age of 60 , and I have been taking lesson ever since , and I am sure it will shock some when I say that my lessons have been on zoom since 2020, and I love them because a good teacher on Zoom is worth 1000 mediocre teachers in face to face. At the age of 73 , I am so annoyed at people who don’t learn to move on with changes and cling on to some past imaginary ideals. They use all kind of arguments but mainly it is pure snobbery ! By the way , this Roland digital is still going strong, and has never needed any technician. And I have used it every day !
i agree with philip i started on a 100 dollar 61 key electrick piano with d.a.w abillity cus i poor as fudge and even on the 100 dollar piano i made great progress and have all the great piano flavours and sounds although id like to have a acoustic im sure if i bought one when starting out at the price range id be looking at even when saving the shit out of my small income id be playing a piano that would have been a horrible sounding and horible looking and horible weight and horible sized piano.
now i have just enough to stay with it and the posibillity for headphones and im sure my neighbours and housemate would agree that that is a great feature cus ofcourse since im poor i live in a very smal house even for european sized houses mine is on the tiny side with thin walls.
right now im saving up for a 88 key slightly more expencive piano with all the jazz like weighted key's and thousants of sounds and settings but still way below 1000 bucks.
its an awesome way to get playing and at my piano teachers place i can play all the great acoustic piano's so i can compare the experience and make better informed choices about what would fit the best into my income and housing situation.
and even compared to the great piano's my teacher has id have to say for a 100 bucks and a bit handycapped because the 61 keys my electrick piano isnt even that bad compared to acoustic.
for the price and what you get a decent electric piano is unbeatable and has the easy plug in and play whenever playing on stage without having to deal with expencive mic setups that add onto the total price
I own a Kawai GX-2 and a couple of digital keyboards. I do agree that the ability to use headphones and connect to the digital world are real benefits, and there are other good points about digitals. But let's be realistic. A good acoustic piano is a completely different experience as a player and as a listener.
It is certainly going to be a tall order to find a digital piano that can even scratch the surface of a GX2 in terms of the musicality it is able to provide, but digital pianos still have their place of course. Different tools for different jobs as they say! Congrats on your GX2 and happy playing! :)
Yes but not everyone aspires to giving concerts. Most musicians play for themselves and for that digital is an affordable and very good option.
There is a Korean RUclipsr who is doing phd in piano in Germany and he bought a hybrid grand Yamaha and he said there is no need to buy an acoustic grand piano, his hybrid is so good.
I've been very lucky to be have been able to transform from being a lifelong digital piano owner to acoustics. I have a new C. Bechstein Concert 8 and a 1927 Hamburg Steinway A. Once I received my first acoustic, I couldn't even touch my beloved Roland hybrid anymore, which I'd had for years. I completely understand the need and use of digitals. But there's no comparison. And luckily for me, I got a silent system built into the C. Bechstein Concert 8, so I can practice for hours with headphones and not bother my neighbors. But yes, I get it. Digital pianos are fantastic and can be really useful.
Congrats on your C. Bechstein Concert 8! Having the Vario silent system onboard is quite convenient. That is certainly a best of both worlds solution. Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)
No replacement for an acoustic piano if you play classical music but for other genres an electric one is maybe more advantageous.
Anche da parte mia congratulazioni per il Bechstein Concert 8 con il sistema silenzioso! Beato te ❤
Congrats! I love playing on acoustic pianos as well. What headphones do you use with your C Bechstein for silent practice?
@@samuelarba6695 I think blanket generalisation, as in many things, is unhelpful. For one thing, it ignores the depth of quality in digital pianos now, let alone midi keyboards, VSTs and associated software. A digital keyboard can work with sampling from the very best pianos in the world. Generalising also ignores the players themselves whose ability to get the most out of any instrument is far more likely to be limited by their own skills set, expression and interpretation abilities than the unique qualities of a particular instrument. If you bought the best analog or digital instrument of every type and had a virtuoso player play them, I'd lay money that a fair proportion of listeners wouldn't be able to tell the difference. If they listened to me, they'd just wonder what how I managed to make them all sound horrible.
Former sax player who was out of music for a lot of years. Had basic knowledge of the keyboard. When I retired I decided to really learn the instrument from the bottom up. I asked some friends about a digital piano with the most realistic action and response. I found a teacher and bought ES 920. My hearing is not what it used to be. I take my lessons on a stienway upright. Well the problem became apparent when I could not clean up overlapping notes because I can't hear the end of the decay very well. I couldn't hear the overlap. So I started using one of the organ settings that do not decay and don't stop until you fully release the key. It cleaned up my legato in short order. The Kawia has a very good keybed and response. I was amazed at what it could do. It's hard but you can silently press a key and hold and when you do and strike a note a 12th below and that pressed keys note will sound as a harmonic I was sold. That is their second tier keybed. The one you showed is their top tier. It may be exclusive to them. Yes the resonance of an acoustic is richer. No getting away from that. But through headphones the digital is quite beautiful.
Congrats on your ES920! We're happy to hear that you've decided to take a deep dive into learning piano. You are quite right in saying that the headphone experience via the ES920 is quite beautiful. The SKEX Concert Grand samples are very impressive and rewarding to play. Thanks for tuning in! We appreciate it. :)
I want to thank you for your videos that are so very informative with not just your explanations but also playing the different pianos. I studied and researched several after stumbling upon your videos on RUclips and on August 20th i purchased a Roland FPE50. I'm in love with it! I am a church pianist and since covid the trend of not having enough musicians and backup singers in churches has appeared. Let me tell you that this Roland is just amazing to play and the sound quality is unbelievably wonderful especially for the price. I've played piano since I was 8 years old, I just celebrated my 64th birthday. 🥳 I've always been partial to acoustic pianos, I've played many, many brands, from console to upright to 7 ft grands. Other than the Yamaha Conservatory grand I played at a previous church I used to attend, there is just no comparison to the enjoyment of playing my Roland!. I stepped out in faith and ordered the Roland without playing it to get the feel of the keys and I was amazed at what I now own, both in sound and the feel of the keys. Your in depth video on the Roland helped me a lot to make my decision. It is the perfect answer for my church worship services as I can have as many or as few additional sounds I want without stressing over not having other musicians to fill out our sound. So, if anyone is looking for a recommendation from a seasoned pianist with well over 50 years of experience playing so many pianos, I will state emphatically that digital is the way to go, especially on a Roland.
Firstly, happy belated birthday from the Merriam Music family! Thanks so much for your incredibly kind words. We're very happy to hear that our videos have been helpful and that they led you to purchasing a Roland FP-E50. The FP-E50 is an absolute powerhouse for the money. It is feature-rich and provides an excellent core piano experience. We are so happy to hear that it has been serving you well for your church worship services. Thanks again for the support and happy playing! :)
I would like to guess even before I see the video and read comments, let's check how many of them matches with Stu.
1. Price, 2. Space, 3. Maintenance, especially no tuning (especially in Canada this is a nightmare for acoustic pianos), 4. Silent/headphone, 5. Recording ease (midi output), 6. VST (or getting other piano tones easily), 7. Technological progress (hybrids etc.), 8. Availability (I had to go to Toronto to get a C. Bechstein, or a Estonia), 9. Different tunes (all the honky-tonk and other sounds), 10. I have thought more than 5 minutes on this, can't find no. 10.
All in all, valid reasons, However, once you find your acoustic piano (the tone and touch that you love), unless you are forced to (life circumstances) you are never going back.
This is an excellent and very valid list! But, I do agree with your sentiments about finding a piano tone that you truly fall in love with. It is hard to go back once that has been discovered. :)
10 is portability. I can take my portable digital piano and go to a gig or just to play for fun with friends.
10. The ability to play harpsichord and pipe organ. I used my Roland for church when we were displaced. Its versatility allows for performance of many styles of music. At home my Roland FP90 sits across from my 7'3" Schiedmayer and I use them both every day.
I have a higher-end Kawai digital piano that I've owned for 7 years. But 4 years ago I bought a 7' grand piano. While I agree with much of what was said, I gotta tell you, when I go into the living room to play, 99 times out of 100 I head for the acoustic grand. When I got the acoustic I didn't think the difference would be that stark, but I really don't think my digital piano competes with the sound and the feel of my acoustic piano even though it has all those customization features mentioned in the video. I'm sure progress has continued on digital pianos over the last few years, but I'll take a good acoustic nearly every time!
That is certainly fair! While tech has improved a lot. The real thing is the real thing of course. And, for some players, it is tough to go back to a digital piano.
just so I have an idea of comparison, how much was the digital and the grand piano? just some general idea if possible =)
@@FelipeVillelafdbva The digital was in the $5k-$6k USD range in 2017. The acoustic is a 2010 model. Let's broadly say less than $100k but well over the $50k usd. If I had bought it new, it would have been over $150k.
There's just no comparison. Speakers vs. strings, the strings win every time (as long as the piano is in tune and decent quallity)
@@marcusvaldes I 100% agree, under certain conditions. If it’s a fairly good instrument and in tune, and the sonic difference outweighs all of the other practical considerations, including price, I’ll be the last person trying to make the argument that an acoustic piano doesn’t have a place in this musical world anymore. I love the feeling of sitting and playing a great acoustic grand or upright piano, but I no longer have any acoustic piano in my home for the 10 reasons I listed. Always a balancing act! Thanks for the comments, -stu
Also their capabilities regarding recording, sequencing, adding effects, and in general making music would be another reason to choose a digital piano.
For sure! The featuring offering that a piano presents can be very important depending on the intended context of use. :)
Roland LX-7 user here. It works very well for many years and it’s within my budget.
That is fantastic to hear! I'm glad it is still serving you well. :)
I play a nice Yamaha grand at my piano lessons and there is definitely a charm and different experience with an acoustic instrument, but the convenience of a digital instrument and just how good they’ve become is too attractive. I just went from a DGX 660 to a CA901 and am absolutely in love!
That is a very good point! Convenience is...well...convenient! Congrats on your CA901! It is a remarkable instruments and one that meaningfully bridges the gap between a digital and acoustic piano experience. Happy playing! :)
We bought a CA901 a couple years ago. Our reasons were: size, volume control, and no need for tuning. It's been a joy to play, and we've been very pleased with it so far.
That's amazing to hear! Congrats on your CA901! It is an amazing instrument and one of the finest digital pianos on the market. We're glad to hear that it has been serving you well. :)
One more important item as demonstrated in your VST videos: unlimited possibilities of accessing VSTs for premium piano sounds
For sure! That is definitely a perk of using VSTs. You can constantly expand your sonic palette with new virtual instruments as new sample libraries are introduced to the market.
Also virtual instruments and synthesisers in addition to VST plugins (sometimes people think VST refers to more than just a DAW plugin).
They serve each person in a personal way, since they are portable. With an upright or grand, you have to arrive at the spot they are stationed at. A digital can be taken along. Tuning is indeed consistent and not affected by temperature changes. More technology to simulate real pianos had been added. Thank you, Mr Harrison, for your musical fluency, not only playing but also expressing trends, updates, and understanding of the musical revolution. God bless!
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in! We appreciate it. That is a very good point! The decision will always be a personal one that will depend on the needs of the player and the context of use. I will be sure to pass on your kind words to Stu on your behalf. :)
I still have my Baldwin Hamilton but it needs to have regulation, hammer reshaping, and voicing. The reason I got a Kawai ES120 is because it is consistent and right now I just do not have the budget to repair my piano. I also like that I can pack it around if I want to. For me there is no comparison between a good acoustic and digital but my acoustic needs work so the digital playing and sounding good enough consistently is better for my practice time.
That is an excellent point! Having a digital piano handy makes for an excellent backup when circumstances prohibit your acoustic piano to be in a musically viable state. Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! :)
For me it is price, space and fun technology. Able to change tones/voices and layer them is engaging.
Plus the ability to record my performance to USB drive.
Absolutely! That is a very good list to govern a piano decision. :)
Great video! I think it's mainly that they're just getting better. I've always played an acoustic piano, but during the pandemic I bought a digital so that I could record easier with a better sound than just my iPhone. I loved playing it and thought that it might even replace my acoustic. It felt so easy to play and sounded so good. I almost completely stopped playing my acoustic (a good Charles Walter upright) for 18 months. But over the last two years, though, I've picked up a grand piano (Schimmel K213) and gone back to the acoustic, and, wow, there's still a big difference between the better acoustic and most digitals. But, no doubt about it, you can really enjoy playing most digital pianos, which just wasn't the case 20 years ago. So, I think this digital revolution is great and am glad I'm lucky enough to have both around to enjoy these days.
Thank you! Very good points all around! The accessibility factor of digital pianos is quite exciting. It is allowing more people to take up the craft. Also, congratulations on your K213! It is a remarkable piano with a gorgeous tone. I know it will serve you well for many years to come! Thanks again and happy playing. :)
Hi Stu, thanks for your video. I retired recently and had to say goodbye to my 1906 6' Bluthner grand (which was somewhat painful) because we were planning to move into an appartment. Having done considerable research I ended up buying a Roland HP 704 which I love. Being a bit of a purist, I thought that I could never be satisfied by an non-acoustic instrument but I'm now a convert. I enjoy the additional features a digital instrument provides such as the ability to record myself making duets accessible, the ability to play music through the speakers system via bluetooth and the headphones which makes my wife happy. I'm amazed by the technology and I'm now practising every day.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for writing in! I can certainly understand the difficulties with having to part ways with an instrument like that, but I am happy to hear that you have been enjoying you Roland HP704 and the amazing musical experience it offers. The tech has come along way and, as you've pointed out, it really does offer some very exciting features that acoustic pianos do not. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
I live in an old apartment, with relatively thin walls. The biggest reason I've been looking at digital pianos is indeed the headphones, and their ability to be a lot quieter... And of course the fact I miss having a piano in the place. Not having to worry about how much I'd have to pay to get it up a flight of stairs (or down when I move), or having to get the condo board involved in order to have things like railings temporarily removed so it could be brought into my place in the first place is also massive thing. Then there's the fact that the mechanisms are so much better than they used to be, topping it all off.
Oh yeah, two other big things: hubby wants to learn, but is super shy about others listening in, so him being able to just put a pair of headphones on and give it a whirl allow him to just try things out as he wants to. And the other is the whole simplicity of it all - if one wants to play at two in the morning, you can, without having to worry about waking up the rest of the house - or your neighbours. Okay, another one - I was looking at MIDI controllers, but was told by my local store (who deals mainly in Roland digital pianos) to look at spending just a few hundred more to get a full on digital piano. At first I didn't understand why, until the realization hit me that you get so much more in the package, AND it can still be used as a MIDI controller.
Sucks that if I want to try a Kawai I'll have to go down to Calgary, as it seems nobody in Edmonton carries their products in store. I'm curious on their take regarding pianos.
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! These are all excellent points. It sounds like a digital piano is well aligned for your needs. Volume control and headphone capabilities are amazing features for those needing to practice late at night, or privately without anyone else in the home hearing them play. I certainly recommend checking out the Kawai line up if you have the opportunity to do so. They make wonderful pianos! :)
Excellent assessment of the current advantages of digital pianos. Greetings from the South of Brazil!
Thanks so much! We appreciate you tuning in. :)
It can also act as a controller for a pallet of virtual instruments on a computer facilitating access to "orchestra in a box".
Absolutely! MIDI capabilities provide excellent flexibility. There are many excellent VST instruments out there to experiment with. :)
Great video, Sir!
I had an RD-300 that sounded horrendous and the keys felt dancing in quicksand. That was 1987. Then the PCM keyboards came at about 1990, still not good enough. Then Yamaha came out with the P-90 , the P-120 and the P-250. Finally something portable that sounded and played realistic to me and others. I used to own a 9 foot 1929 Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano from the custom shop in New York. I now play a Yamaha P-515 and have the great Spectrasonics “Keyscape” Piano software. I have no space to even play my 1904 grand upright, and so a Grand Piano is out of the question until I get some more spacious Digs!
Again, great video. Clear informative and valuable information!
Cheers!
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! Spatial restrictions are a limiting factor sometimes - that is for sure. Thankfully, there are some exceptional digital pianos and VST plug-ins like you've mentioned that can meaningfully bridge the gap musically. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
Another great video Stu ! I bought a Kawai ATX4 acoustic hybrid piano (after watching your videos) and connected it to a couple of 8” JBLs. It is a best of both worlds experience. I get pure acoustic, pure digital on headphones and speakers and then get to layer the acoustic and the digital. It’s been a year now and couldn’t have made a better decision. Kawai ought to pay you a cut for my purchase Stu 😀
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! That is awesome! We're glad to hear that you've been enjoying your Kawai ATX4 and that you've been extracting all of the possibilities from it. And I will be sure to pass that along to Stu for you! ;)
I would add a #11,... and that is versatility, you can play a beautiful sounding piano or make it sound like a fender rhodes, or an organ or many other instruments. Love the videos!
That is an excellent point! Some digital pianos are more like digital orchestras or digital studios in that regard. :)
I got a Yamaha P120 about 20 years ago. It still works great and i thought it made more sense than a real piano at that point. No need to tune it, option to switch to other tunings, and lighter to press keys. So how much better is a new digital piano now? Maybe I should consider an upgrade.
Digital pianos have come a long way over the last decade in particular. The authenticity digital instruments are able to simulate is very impressive. Companies have been focusing on the development of digital piano actions and tone engines, which have led to some very meaningful leaps and bounds in the industry. :)
Definitely upgrade. Digital pianos are amazing sounding now. I love my Yamaha CLP!
Lighter to press keys means weaker fingers.
@naturalroyalflush some of us don't feel the need to put up with heavy keys. I am a programmer, not a pro piano player, and never will be. :)
@@lsorense I am in the same boat. The comment was actually made by a budding concert pianist who , due to space constraints, installed an electric piano because she couldn’t fit her acoustic in. When moving to larger accommodation, she noticed how weak her fingers had become. Slot game designer and programmer here.
Here in Atlanta at Cooper Piano we have noticed the same trend...............Roland strong
Digital pianos are making a lot of waves in the industry - that is for sure! And Roland is one of the companies leading that charge.
Great video Stu ! as always , portability, price, maintenance, you are definetily right ,i'm a classical trained pianist and switch to digital pianos a few years ago !
Hi! Brent here! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and tuning in. We appreciate it. :)
Absolutely agreed. I really liked where you talked about how digital piano sounds are getting quite good. That also leads me to want to talk about three things things. Let me start off by talking about recording. When recording piano playing, for most people digital pianos are actually better because it's much simpler (just hit record and play). And it'll sound pretty good. With an acoustic piano, you can record and play, but being honest it won't sound as good, unless you take the time to mic it up properly. With that, it can also be expensive to mic it up. Second thing I want to talk about is how most digital pianos are simulating a concert grand. Concert grands are big instruments that are expensive and hard to fit inside people's houses due to big size. A digital piano is only a tiny fraction of the price and requires a tiny fraction of the space. Lastly I do want to talk about VST's. Being able to play other sounds is game changer. First off, most digital pianos have multiple "pianos" in them. And not only that, you can "play" other instruments. Not only that, many digital pianos even let you switch the tuning of the instrument. For example you want baroque tuning, you can easily change it and change it back. On an acoustic, you can change it, but it is a lot of work, and if you want to change it back, it is even more work. Compare this to an acoustic piano, where all you get is 1 piano sound.
Brent from Merriam Music here! These are all excellent points! Recording an acoustic piano is one of the trickiest things to record. Microphone selection, placement, room design, and more have such a massive impact on the overall sonic experience. The ability to play an unlimited number of instruments via one digital piano is also quite attractive for some users. In addition to different types of pianos (e.g. upright, baby grand, concert grand, etc.), you can access any instrument sound you can imagine through VST plugins as you've mentioned. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
what I really like about digital piano is playing musics in simply piano connected through USB. All sounds equalized through the same speaker just feels very good, excellent immersion in the music. And I can swap to headphones or just lower the volume and have the same experience.
Another interesting point is doing exercises with Yamaha Accompaniment Styles. The Bass of the band in the background following your changes just feel good even on simple scale exercises.
I haven't played much with acoustics, only some older upright pianos and the action feels uneven and a bit clunky, compared to the digital I'm used.
Awesome video =)
Thanks so much! And thank you for sharing your thoughts. These are all excellent points of course! :)
I’m learning piano for the first time in retirement. I’ve always loved music and had a big music collection. I got a Roland FP-10 and after suffering with a tinny sound added a Roland KC-80 piano amp which I have facing me right above the piano. It only has headphone output (not electrically isolated so I had to get a highly insulated AUX cable). It sounds great and as loud as a grand piano. And of course the keyboard has a natural feel. Continuing to be fussy I added a M1 ipad Air with Apple logic pro and Pianoteq pianos and now it sounds even better. Plus a little DAC dongle to improve the output quality from the tablet. Maybe 600+500+ 400+100+150+50=$1,800. That’s not a lot of money as great pianos go or as hobbies go in general. Just sharing my details.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips! That sounds like quite a nice setup to optimize the sonic experience from your Roland FP10. It is a very impressive piano for the money. :)
Super informative. Thanks !
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful! :)
A lot of the comments below seem to express what I have long understood to be the case - possession of a traditional grand piano - the more grand, the better - is seen as an overt signature of wealth. People brag about their instruments - a lot.
If you play, play what you have. Don't buy an expensive instrument thinking it will make you a better player. Get better first.
New acoustic grand pianos are certainly more expensive than many digital pianos, which makes them far less accessible. With that said, there are some performance benefits to a grand piano action because of the physics involved. These differences can help a player's advancement.
Great overview as usual. I’ll add: 1) Being able to play EP and FM piano sounds … 2) having aftertouch on some 88 key controllers …
Thanks so much! And thank you for contributing to the list. :)
Awesome video! I had no idea digital pianos were getting more popular. I play on a NU1X and it’s been a fantastic experience.
Thanks so much! Congrats on your NU1X! We're happy to hear that you've been enjoying it. :)
I sold my acoustic Zimmermann from the 70s to buy a Kawai Es520. Best choise I've made about my playing! It improved a lot! Love the Kawai Es520 it's everything a pianist needs pro or amateur its perfect price/'quality
We're happy to hear that you have been enjoying the Kawai ES520! It is a fantastic piano that provides a wonderful touch and tone. That is great to hear! :)
@@MerriamPianos I actually bought the fp90x at first but returned later for the es520. But the action felt quite slow on the way up , and had like a clay-ish soft feeling on the way down. As if the keys dip in quicksand and need to to unstick to go up. The sound of the fp90x is much more superior to the ES520 , but the Roland action is not my thing. Probably good for jazz/pop but thing like thrills and fast technical passages were absolutely impossible on the FP90x and I got a pump in my forearms from 5-10 minutes of playing. If I kept force playing classical technical stuff after that my whole hands start feeling sore and I was definitely going to get an injury if I kept the FP90x. I wish there was a piano with action of the ES520 and sound of the FP90x. I would pay 3000$ for such a thing. Also the fp90x mechanical noise is much much quiter than the es520 , feels a lot more expensive and pressing individual keys is amazing. However the black keys on the fp90x felt 2 times heavier than the whites which is unbearable. I miss it's sound and configurations and app , but not the action.
adding the MIDI connection extends more sounds..thank you Sir..
Hi! Brent here! Thanks for tuning in! You're absolutely correct. MIDI allows you to unlock a whole new palette of sounds via VST plugins. :)
another big advantage of digital is the option of transposing
Skill issue... 😄
It can be quite handy, particularly for vocalists that may need a lot of flexibility on that front depending on where their voice is at on a given day. :)
Two thirds of people here in Los Angeles live in apartments, and for $1.4 million or $2 million plus, you would get a tiny moldy 100-year-old house.
After college, I had no piano for my first 14 years here in LA. Then I finally bought a $500 Alesis piano a few years ago, and this year I upgraded to a $2,000 Roland FP90x, which I love.
It would still be fun to have access to an acoustic piano though. Wish there were more options for piano practice rooms with a membership…
Congrats on your FP90X! It is a powerhouse instrument with a wonderful touch and tone. I know it will serve you well. And that is a great point. There are not a lot of options when it comes to acoustic piano rentals or piano practice rooms out there unfortunately.
@@MerriamPianos I can’t say enough wonderful things about my FP90X. My playing immediately became less sloppy / fewer mistakes because of the improved touch.
Thanks for making this excellent video. I wasn’t aware of this trend.
By God, I got a keyboard for my birthday a few weeks ago and now RUclips recommends me piano-related videos all the time. Weird.
OK, I'm only a beginner, and my keyboard isn't really an electric piano (it doesn't have hammer action), so I'm not sure if my opinion matters, but there is something that literally everyone in these discussions seems to forget:
Classical music isn't the only genre out there. If you're interested in playing rock or metal like I am (and I am a pretty good guitarist, if that matters), an acoustic piano won't suffice. You need a lot more sounds, and a MIDI function to use VST instruments is preferable.
Other than that - everything is covered in the video.
Congrats on your keyboard and happy belated birthday! That is a very good point. There are tons of amazing musical genres out there. Many of them demand a larger palette of sounds outside just a standard acoustic piano. To that point, a keyboard with a large assortment of non-piano patches can be the preference and necessity. :)
I'm an early music musician, early baroque really. Modern piano's aren't any good for early music and early keyboards can require a mortgage to acquire. So saying that I got a midi controller and a vst synth and I'm loving it. I'm loving programming my own clavichord, and primitive keyboard sounds, and then I made an organ out of the sound of a bullfrog croaking. It's awesome. I haven't had so much fun in ages.
True, the upside of digital keyboards is how great the sound and touch have evolved. The downside is that they can be too technologically cumbersome which is why I gave my Roland with so many bells and whistles to the Salvation Army. I now have a Yamana that I turn on and start playing.
Roland made a digital harpsichord and fortepiano--I don't know if they've upgraded it---but it doesn't compare with my Flemish single Ruckers in touch, sonority, or the click of the jacks when I lift my fingers at the end of a Bach prelude.
That is a good point. For some users/players, simplicity is key. With that said, there are some very excellent streamlined models out there that are quite user friendly. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and happy playing! :)
Space and portability were our top priorities. I took piano for 10 years when i was a kid and I was looking to get back into it after decades away from it. And when the little one expressed interest we jumped at the chance to pick one up. The feel and sound of the digital piano we purchased was exactly what i remembered on my childhood acoustic, i was blown away.
That is awesome to hear! Space requirements and portability can be very big factors for a large number of customers of course. Thank you for tuning in and sharing your thoughts.
@@MerriamPianos Sure thing! And, thank you for all your videos, especially the reviews. They were definitely influential in our decision to finally purchase one (Roland FP30X). My only complaint about the piano is the small music stand. I guess people nowadays love to use tablets, but I like having physical copies and I can barely fit 3 8.5x11 pages across on the stand that Roland includes.
Great video and summary. Thanks!
You're welcome! Thank you for tuning in! :)
Just when I was thinking of buying an acoustic, I see this video, lol. I like my entry level digital, but am thinking of getting a K500. Let's see when that will be possible.
Haha fair enough! The K500 is an exceptional piano! If you're looking for a best of both worlds solution, there is always the K500 Aures 2 to consider. ;)
I have a kawaii digital piano with wooden keys and I love it has the feeling of a real piano and no tuning needed.
That is awesome to hear! Kawai make incredible digital pianos with very authentic feeling actions. :)
I’m a beginner with just 22 months of lessons. At home I play a Roland FP-10 which I may never outgrow.
When I travel, I play a Carry-On folding piano. For all of its shortcomings, it is full size and great for working on my fingerings. Yet it fits in an old CPAP case.
I would pay $750 for a piano that is as compact as the Carryon-On yet have the keyboard action and sound of my Roland.
Congrats on your Roland FP10! It is a wonderful instrument with a great touch and tone. While the FP10 is still fairly portable, the fact that it is a full 88-note keyboard makes it a bit tricky to travel with in certain cases. Perhaps, there will be a travel piano that fits your description in the future. :)
Great video!❤
Thank you so much! We appreciate it. :)
Good advice as always 👍
Thank you so much! :)
I've been very pleased with my Kawai MP10, played through 8" studio monitors, and using Synthogy Ivory Steinway concert grand piano running on an old headless Mac Mini. I've used this setup for the past 13 years without modification, and find it just as satisfying as the Baldwin grand piano I played for my entire childhood. The key to recreating the comparable experience is: 1) the Kawai action, 2) the high-quality Synthogy Ivory samples, and 3) big enough speakers. I've tried with less on all three and it's just not the same.
That is awesome to hear! The MP10 is a powerhouse instrument with a fantastic touch. We're happy to hear that you've still been enjoying everything it has to offer musically. :)
I agree with most of the points. For Myself playing as a non-performer it is hard or impossible to beat the standard piano by customizing it furthermore all the parameters like hammer noise duplex scale etc do change very little and play a role in the sale process rather when practising aftersale
It’s an interesting point you bring up… If you haven’t played a wide variety of pianos in enough situations where the emotional connection is the difference between a great performance or a dud, then the ability to customize the instrument would be more novelty than necessity. Since I have such a specific character and behavior that I’m seeking every single time I sit down in front of any piano - be a digital or acoustic - the ability to modify the instrument digitally gives me the freedom to get as close as possible to that ideal… But that only means something if you already have an ideal established in your head that’s different than what the default parameters already provide for.
But as the thrust of the video suggests, it’s features like this that are precisely the reason that more established musicians and even classical pianist are accepting high-performing digital pianos into the life.
Great comment! -Stu
The technology improved with DPs, to the point where they are equivalent to an AP.
The technology has come leaps and bounds of course! It is quite impressive to say the least.
Good summation of the reasons for the digital shift. My first good digital piano most definitely had better action than my entry level acoustic piano, and smaller and cheaper. No contest at that level.
Thank you kindly! That is a good point. Newer digital pianos have excellent actions and tone engines that can often outcompete some cheaper acoustic instruments.
As a harp player I can say I spend more time noodling about on my little electronic keyboard than I do on the harp. Having to tune the instrument every time you play is a real PITA and makes you avoid the instrument. Having to call in a piano tuner a couple of times a year would be an even bigger PITA I imagine. I love my little synth because I can play piano, harpsichord, organ, some space age thing I designed, strings etc. Plus the space and weight reduction is awesome. I play on a 37 key keyboard (it's great for early music) even better is that it's only slightly larger than a computer keyboard and lives tucked away in a corner of the room when I'm not using it. I also played brass and woodwind and can tell you, keyboard is by far the easiest instrument to learn. I thought harp was easy, but keyboard is even simpler.
Thanks for sharing your insights! The convenience factor of a digital piano/keyboard certainly makes it an appealing option. Plus, the musical experience these pianos/keyboards offer is becoming quite impressive. The accessible price point is also quite helpful. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
Thank you for the very informative and interesting video. While I am not a professional piano player, I have found no digital piano (as far as I tested) can replicate the feeling of an acoustic piano touch. I have both digital and acoustic pianos at home and I have played on many different pianos from a restored 19th century grand piano that is used by many famous musicians ever year at Montreux jazz festival to modern digital pianos and even the best hybrid pianos and they are not comparable with acoustic pianos touch. They simply cannot produce the touch of the hammer directly on a string.
I cannot explain what I experience and what my fingers feel but I can say they are not the same.
Do you disagree? Is there any digital piano out there producing the same feeling?
Hi! Brent here! Thank you for tuning in! We're happy to hear that you found the video informative and interesting. Touch preferences are a highly subjective matter of course. I think it is difficult to capture every single nuance and detail of an acoustic piano touch, but models like the Kawai NV5S and NV10S come quite close. They both utilize actual acoustic piano actions, but, due to the fact that hammers are not striking strings, there are some nuanced differences in the overall touch.
I bought a donner dep-20 a couple years ago as my first piano. got through level 1 books and taught myself 1st movement of moonlight sonata. but the short comings of that piano was starting to get to me. it was good for a starter piano. But I need something more reliable, and better quality. So I got a Roland Fp-30x coming next week and cant wait to get back into learning piano on it.
That is awesome to hear! The Donner pianos are solid instruments, but I am very confident that you will be thoroughly impressed with the improved touch of the FP30X's PHA4 action. It will be an excellent musical companion for the next phase of your journey. :)
Pianist here. Absolutely was thinking of getting an acoustic for the family room. I switched to a nice digital.
There are some exceptional digital pianos out there - that is for sure! Congrats on your new piano and happy plating. :)
No tuning needed, it's their best feature.
For sure! The lack of required maintenance is very appealing to many piano shoppers. :)
Excellent presentation.
Thanks a million! We're glad you enjoyed it. :)
Got a Kawai Novus 5 and its beautiful, sleek, has a good grip, phenomenal with headphones, goodish with speakers.
That is awesome! Congrats on your Kawai Novus 5! The NV5 and NV5S models are exceptional instruments. :)
I would say ease of access to lessons. When I bought my first entry-level digital back in the early 2010s. I had trouble finding a teacher to give me even some setup lessons due to time constraints and an unwillingness to take on adult students due to a kind of stigma that adult students quit (which is sadly true) and that the cost of the acoustic piano represented a more serious investment and commentment. A similar thing happened back in the 90s when I was in HS.
Since resuming in 2020 I've had no trouble finding instructors due to the availability of things like remote lessons. Today, I take a mix of both in person and online lessons.
That is an excellent point! Thank you for sharing. Accessibility of lessons is an important consideration for some players. The digital age has offered a plethora of resources on that front, which is quite exciting. At the end of the day, if more people are getting to experience the joys of playing piano, the world is a better place. :)
To each their own. I bought a hybrid digital with Fazioli sample in grand piano. Loved the tone. So real, so rich in sound. Action was great but something was off. It just wasn't that feeling of controlling an acoustic and having an understanding with your action. I bought a baby grand and fished out the Ole tuning wrench. There's just something more to the feeling of playing when you have an acoustic. ❤❤❤❤ But I get it. The digital was better than the spinet I had at the time.
I can certainly understand where you're coming from! The magic of a nice acoustic piano is tough to fully match or render in a digital piano. But, technology is causing the gap between the two to close a little bit. It is exciting to see where things go in the future. :)
I wonder about the emotional connection to acoustic pianos. To me they seem like a living breathing thing...., that yes, have requirements to remain at their best.
That is a very relevant point. For some players, an acoustic piano and the magic it provides is an absolute necessity to ensure musical fulfillment. :)
A piano tech and side hustle musician here. I've often said that the difference between real pianos and digitals is like the difference between real fruit and artificial flavours. I've also said that I'd a thousand times rather play a good digital than a crummy acoustic (of which there are many). They each have their own merits. I live in a semi-detached dwelling and believe in being a good neighbour much of my practice is on a digital through headphones. But there's nothing like the feeling of taking a passage I've been working on and playing it on the concert grands I work with.
When I had one of my 6ft grand at home I still often hammered away at the digital to reduce the need to voice and regulate my acoustic. You know the old adage about "the shoemaker's kids go barefoot". Sadly I do believe that the home piano is going the way of the steam locomotive. It's a good time to be an old piano technician.
That is a very good analogy! And, depending on one's living situation, digital pianos can be very attractive solutions. Volume control and headphone capabilities provide wonderful flexibility to allow players a chance to practice at all hours of the day. With that said, the magic and nuance of a nice acoustic piano is something quite special and hard to replicate. Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! We appreciate it. :)
I have a Yamaha U1 and a Yamaha P515. There is simply no comparison. I feel like that is probably the case when comparing and good keyboard with a good acoustic. I went to my piano dealer and asked him to sell my acoustic and told him I wanted a digital piano. Specifically,a Yamaha CLP785. He refused to sell one to me because he knows how particular I am. I bought the P515 to supplement my learning progress since it does more closely resemble playing an acoustic grand, but still, an acoustic simple feels and sounds better than a digital piano.
Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing your experiences! I can certainly appreciate the sentiment though. The real thing is the real thing at the end of the day. :)
To me - both acoustic and digital sound great. The person doing the driving certainly contributes. Neither acoustic or digital are 'overall' better than each other. They're all pianos. Real pianos. Piano-forte - adequate and independent soft loud control of the notes - shortened to piano. Both acoustic and digital pianos have this capability. Both types are very powerful for music. I have two P-515 and one P-525. Absolutely love them both.
I thought the digital revolution started in 1980s when Yamaha released DX7. You just noticed it now 🙂. I was not able to find any statistics, but I suspect sales of MIDI controllers are much higher than either digital or acoustic pianos.
We're focusing a bit more on digital pianos specifically. Electric and digital instruments/synths have been making waves for quite sometime, but the ability for modern digital pianos to emulate an acoustic piano experience has improved exponentially in recent years.
I value all the 10 reasons, but I would highlight the low or no maintenance at all in digital pianos. I have had my Yamaha Clavinova CVP-303 for 20 years, and it still works perfectly, no signs of failure. It has not needed any maintenance at all.
That is incredible longevity! We're glad to hear that your digital piano has proven to be so durable. That is fantastic. :)
I love my digital stage piano and my grand, and I tried these new console digital pianos. They are still not at all acoustic replacements, but have all the disadvantages of acoustics - non portable and price - and digital - not the same live sound of a good acoustic. I don't understand why they are even made, aside from furniture appeal. But stage pianos are amazing for what they are, still very expressive and portable.
Thanks for tuning in! We're happy to hear that you have been enjoying your pianos. Console digital pianos are by no means a full analogous replacement to an acoustic piano, but they do have their place in the market. For customers that need the convenience of a digital instrument, but seek a more attractive aesthetic, they can often be the ideal solution. :)
There is really only one advantage to accoustic piano- a big wooden sound box that amplifies the vibration sounds bouncing within. The sound is more complex than any digital piano can re-produce. However, it takes quite a bit of skill to keep the sound under control and so the digital scores another easy point here. You can just leave your foot down on the pedal and let the limited polyphony do the work for you
That is very true. It is tough to capture all of the complexity and nuance of an acoustic piano with a tone engine and speakers. With that said, some companies are finding very innovative ways of bridging this gap. Kawai's soundboard system on the CA901 and NV5S models is quite impressive and offers a lot of tonal nuance, richness. :)
Another issue is, sadly, as we age. We need to downsize. I've known a few people, excellent pianists, who have digital instruments now, in Retirement villages, one in Aged Care!!
I have moved from a large grand (Grotrian) to an upright (K-800) recently - regrettably - in preparation for an imminent shift to something smaller and closer to family. I considered high end digital - may still be forced that way.
This is also a very good and relevant point. While it can be difficult to part ways with amazing pianos like a Grotrian grand or Kawai K800, digital pianos offer the ability to continue playing and enjoying piano even when having to downsize. Thank you for tuning in and writing in! We appreciate it.
I have not switched but I own Roland Fantom8 and it it's fantastic in every way. The piano sounds are one of the best and so is the keyboard and then I can of course also use software. But one thing I have done a lot is to play Baroque pieces using Harpsichord sounds etc. It makes me understand the music in a different way been able to hear my own playing in a very close approximation of the original instruments. I can also design my own piano sound and change the tuning as I please.
These are excellent points. For players seeking "period correct" interpretations of pieces, a digital piano can be a very critical tool. Thank you for sharing the excellent insight. :)
Had the opposite experience from most. Classically trained on grand pianos I finally bought one and dragged it up to Namibia's Skeleton coast. But the sound was so unsatisfying - I hardly ever played it - and after three expensive tunings it was time to switch to digital. For less than the cost of the grand I have both a Kawaii CN29 which I play every day, and at my mother's house, a Roland FP10. I can't stand the imperfections of the acoustic sound any more and love the satisfaction that the digital pianos give me. You didn't mention transposing, which has allowed me to literally sing when I play (dropping down a few semitones to suit my voice). That is something I could never do on an acoustic.
We're very happy to hear that you've been enjoying your Kawai CN29 and Roland FP10! They are both excellent instruments that present wonderful cost-to-value ratios. It is true that modern digital pianos are able to outcompete some older acoustic pianos. And, as you've pointed out, some features are quite convenient for certain contexts of use. :)
Since pianos like es920, don’t have maintenance on the action, how long can such pianos last in terms of action?
It really depends on how often the piano is played and how heavy handed the player is. Whether you are gigging with the instrument will be a factor too. For average home use, I think 10-15 years is a realistic expectation. But, some basic maintenance/repair to the action may be required within that time frame.
@@MerriamPianos do you feel Yamaha digital pianos sounded nicer in the p120 era? I feel the new p515 erra doesn’t sound as good?
The maintenance and the need to pay attention on the humidity are the main issues of acoustic pianos.
That can certainly be a consideration for some customers depending on their living situation and the consistency of the temperature/humidity.
What else can i say? You said it all 😊 100% correct 👍
Thank you kindly! We appreciate you tuning in. :)
I grew up playing acoustic pianos, so I'm picky when it comes to digital pianos. Only on the higher can digital pianos replicate the acoustic experience very well. They are listening to picky pianists like me and implementing things that mitigate those issues. Keys vibrate under your fingertips, multiple speakers produce sound from the right direction, adjustable hammer and damper noise, even the keyboard slightly shifting left and right when using the una corda. And sample libraries can be over 100GB, with dozens of round-robins and velocity ranges, even true staccato samples (I even have a library that replicates a silent note strike when you play at a low enough velocity, which mitigates the development of bad piano technique.)
Eventually, I would absolutely love to have the best of both worlds and purchase a hybrid, but they're just so expensive 😅
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! These are all very good points. Companies are certainly working hard to bridge the gap in meaningful ways. I agree with your sentiments about hybrid pianos too. They're very exciting instruments! The Kawai Aures pianos in particular are very cool. The fact you can use the digital system in conjunction with the acoustic piano leads to a whole new realm of possibilities. :)
i sold my K300 because a hassle for tuning, maintenance, and cleaning. also it is not easy to record a clean piano samples with a mic for recording purposes. i change to CA 901 primarily because novus still got a discontinued onkyo chips. and i feel like i have a bigger room instantly because a tiny size that kawai offers. if i choose the sampling sound to upright, i feel like playing the same k300 with a lighter action. it is behaving the same. instead no more tunings.
The CA901 is a truly impressive instrument and the new SK-EX Competition Grand samples are excellent. We're happy to hear that you're pleased with it after making the change from the K300. Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)
I literally couldn't _give_ my 50's Betsy Ross spinet (I wonder how many millions of those things that company cranked out) away, which had been in my family since the 50's, and so I wound up disassembling it (WAY harder than I thought it was going to be) to get rid of it. You haven't lived until you cut up the thick harp on one of those with an angle grinder. And that's just the start. So I laugh when I see people locally on Craig's List, etc. trying to sell one for hundreds of dollars. No, you have to PAY someone hundreds of dollars to take it off your hands.
Times change. Back in the 50's, every girl took piano lessons growing up (including my two sisters). Now, they're more concerned with staring at their phones.
My current setup involves a Korg Triton Pro 76-key from around the year 2000 (great Yamaha-supplied FS keybed on that one, and the reason I bought it used), and a few soft synths - piano and otherwise - in a very powerful PC capable of running them without a lot of glitches.
Tip: NO ONE - except the most accomplished classical pianist - needs 88 keys, and that includes church pianists. More is just a waste of space and money, not to mention the extra weight. But everyone needs at least 73. 73-76 keys is the sweet spot for most ANY genre of music, esp. pop music.
Tip: AVOID weighted hammer-actions, which do NOT adequately mimic real acoustic piano actions. That's a physical impossibility, regardless of how companies boast about their "real" piano actions. Ain't gonna happen.
Tip: AVOID high-priced current overhyped flagship keyboards like the Yamaha Montage M or one of the $5k+ arrangers and scale things way back and do like I did, and pick yourself up a good used 76-key synth with a Yamaha-supplied FS keybed - not one of those dedicated midi controllers with lousy, cheap keybeds! Use that keyboard as a midi controller and hook it up with something like Pianoteq (excellent) or one of the the Production Voices brand pianos (another excellent choice, and relatively inexpensive). There are lots of YT videos about both - give 'em a look-see and listen.
Tip: AVOID these 5 GB or so sampled pianos that flood the market - they aren't worth it at any price. You're going to have to up it to around 50 GB's (in some instances much higher) or so to enter the realm of true realism and tweakability. The exception is the modeled Pianoteq, which carries a tiny footprint as far as resources go. I'm referring to _sampled_ pianos.
The LESS you spend now, the less of a bath you're going to take financially when it comes to getting rid of that four-thousand plus-dollar piano if you realize it's just not your thing. Some of these digitals are priced in the $15-17k range! Example: spend four grand on a whiz-bang Montage M and you'll be stuck with a nightmarish four-grand paperweight that you'll have a tough time selling on the used market. And do you want to gig with that (admittedly) beautiful high-dollar keyboard? I wouldn't want to let it out of my sight, for fear it might get scratched. Not so with the Korg Triton - one of the ugliest keyboards ever produced - but with a GREAT action. I'm looking at a computer screen anyway - not the Korg's dashboard.
Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you for taking the time to tune in and share your thoughts. It is all a matter of preference and context of use of course. It sounds like you have found a reliable setup to satisfy your specific needs. With that said, I would push back against some of these tips in some cases. For students that want to study classical/jazz piano or are eventually planning on transitioning to an acoustic piano, there are many benefits to playing an 88-note fully-weighted keyboard action. While no digital piano action will capture every nuance and detail of an acoustic piano action, there are a lot of amazing digital piano actions out there that bridge the gap quite meaningfully (even in the entry level categories). At the end of the day, every player has to make their own determinations in terms of what type of instrument is suitable for their needs and musical ambitions.
To me the one game changer for a digital piano is the headphone. As we learn, repetition is the game and frankly, my wife would not stand for me playing a piece over and over and over again on an acoustic piano. Of course, the maintenance free aspect, connectivity and price are also major reasons for choosing a digital piano.
For sure! Headphone outputs and volume control are extremely convenient tools when practicing. :)
Everything that is said there is perfectly accurate and well-reasoned. We can however add that what is true for digital keyboards is also true for electronic wind instruments (EWI) of which one of the best representatives - if not the best to date - is the extraordinary AE-30 aerophone from Roland. It is true that the AE-30 Pro benefits from the musical excellence of the Jupiter keyboard from the same Company.
For sure! There are a multitude of digital instruments that are gradually giving players alternative (and, sometimes, more flexible) options. We will see what the future holds in this regard. :)
I would love to upgrade from my kawai CN35 to an NV10s or even go part way - a higher end keyboard like an RD-2000. I don’t think I’ll ever have the right spot for an acoustic. Also, I am excited by the new wave of digital equipment - seaboard, lumatone, linnstrument etc. The way sampling and modelling has evolved, we could be close to seeing people who’ve learned music on an alternative keyboard as their first instrument.
The CN35 is a very solid piano of course, but the NV10S would be a meaningful step up. In my opinion, it is one of the top digital pianos on the market. I do agree with you regarding the evolution of sampling and modelling technology. Things have come a long way. It is exciting to see where it all leads. :)
Less noise for the neighbours and perfectly intune always is why I have a middle of the range digital piano - just below intermediate piano player is me so item suits my downsized lifestyle.
Very good points! The lack of maintenance and sound mitigation options can be very significant. :)
Thanks for your excellent videos. For me, digitals don't cut it. Regarding the piano patches in my experience under
the MSRP USA, $4500.00 they all have crappy voicing relative to other keys and terrible individual soft & loud volume
keys. The RD 2000 has the "tone designer" that help a great deal, but other brands can't be adjusted. Those issues are
annoying to me. Probably many people don't notice or it may not bother them. I hope the high end digitals are better.
The high end digitals, such as the Roland LX series and Kawai NV series instruments are quite impressive. They offer wonderful authenticity as well as adjustability to custom tailor the sonic experiences to your desires. In some cases though, there are players that are simply used to and comfortable with acoustic pianos, which is a totally fair stance. Every player will have their own opinion of course. :)
This is an interesting subject. 20 years ago I was a bit on the anti-digital side. I am a concert caliber tuner, and even smaller pianos have resonances and other things happening as they are played that makes them sound like a "real" piano.
In the past few years with better processors, sampling, modeling technology, and modeling technology applied on top of sampling, some brands of digital pianos have gotten to be astoundingly good, particularly as a signal source for recording or practicing with headphones.
I see people on Facebook post videos playing their pianos at home, or sometimes at the church where they play, and due to the quality of the pianos and the fact that they are almost never in good tune, the videos sound awful, and are made even worse by the abysmal audio capture of their smartphones.
Pianos in my area don't stay stay in tune from week to week at certain times of the year, and I'm finding that with many pro or semi-pro "stage slab" digital pianos (even a couple that are $1,000 or slightly less), you can run a stereo cable into a Zoom audio recorder and have a far nicer recording than you'll ever get with a cheap 5'-1" grand piano that isn't in tune, and with all the VST piano software available, you can get quite a few very impressive choices in addition to the ones native to your keyboard.
If I had the money and space, I'd love to have a German Steinway or Fazioli concert grand,....As a concert tuner, I could even keep it in shape for when I want to record something, but as is the case with most of us, at-will access to such an instrument just isn't an option, and as Stu has mentioned in other videos, in a lot of home living situations, it's hard to play on an acoustic piano without disturbing a spouse, a sleeping baby, or a neighbor. Digital pianos are definitely useful in these situations!
Thanks for the incredibly insightful thoughts! I think this is an excellent and on-point take. Digital pianos have come along way and are now capable of supplying even high-level, discerning players with a truly enjoyable musical experience. The real thing is still the real thing of course, but there are many life circumstances that can make the flexibility of a digital piano more appealing. Thanks again and happy playing! :)
I feel as though the sad reality is that the price of an upright of even modest quality is so high that it might not be affordable to many people and only a justifiable investment for someone who has both achieved some level of ability and demonstrated a commitment to continue playing regularly.
I’ve accepted the fact that the pianos I really covet-Steinway and some of the well-known German makers-will never be in my price range.
So, I agree with your video-the considerably lower price and convenience made digital the better option for me, even if, sentimentally I’d really like to have a nice upright sitting in the living room.
Thank you for watching! It is true that some acoustic pianos are quite expensive. Fortunately, digital pianos keep getting better and better. This makes achieving a rewarding piano experience far more accessible, which is a very great thing for the craft in my opinion. :)
I had a nord piano 2 . But now I have the kawai mp7se I think its great🙂 I use it in my studio
That is awesome to hear! The MP7SE is an excellent, feature-rich stage piano. That is for sure! :)
I have a Roland lx708 it’s absolutely incredible of course I would still prefer a real piano but I live in a skyline so being able to control the noise level or wear high quality head phones is a big deal. In addition it’s like having a super high quality amp in my apartment which when I throw parties the artist I gig out to play at my parties can hook right into the lx708 and produce an incredible sound
That is awesome to hear! Congrats on your LX708! We're happy to hear that you've been enjoying it. It offers excellent musicality, while still being super flexible. :)
Although this video reports on increasing sales of digital pianos from a commercial perspective, it remains the case that digital pianos are not useful for classical playing (and I'd suggest probably other styles of playing too) except for practice when headphones can be used which can be very useful. Ask any advanced or professional classical player. Its impossible to sample an acoustic piano accurately because the effect of the damper pedal introduces chaotic sympathetic vibrations - not only when any individual note is struck but varied and individual sympathetic vibrations when any two or more keys are struck simultaneously. So every key combination potentially introduces variations. More importantly, an acoustic piano is a "live" instrument, it requires coaxing to produce its best sound, there is a direct mechanical connection between the players fingers and unlimately the sound producing mechanism (hammers and strings). The variety of tone and volume and touch is potentially unlimited. Digital pianos are a substitute instrument where circumstances are difficult, not a preferential choice. Sampling technology (eg for orchestral instruments, for orchestral mockups and compositinal aids) has advanced rapidly but solo instrumentalists are not abandoning their acoustical instruments! Are you serious?!
While I agree with the sentiment that even the very best digital pianos cannot fully replace and compete with high-quality acoustic pianos, it is important to note that some players have no choice but to buy digital because of their living situation and needs. Volume control and headphone practice can be a critical need for those living in shared spaces, condos, and apartments. While every acoustic nuance is difficult to emulate, the gap is being bridged slowly. Also, I would recommend watching our follow up video to this one, which states the argument for acoustic pianos. This video was part of a series. ;)
well said!
Thank you so much! :)
Good video! But... There are a couple of important aspect that weren't mentioned... Now days Beginners are starting to connect their digital pianos to their iPads or Tablets to learn through an app. Me as a piano instructor, I recommend digital pianos to new students because of that reason. I can actually send their homework in a MIDI file format via email or assign their homework through an App.
But also, there are a lot of piano players that create videos for Social Media and they want to be able to edit their performances before releasing to the public.
For me, I do prefer an acoustic piano over a digital piano and I do recommend it for students that are more serious and amore advanced.
Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing! These are both excellent and relevant points. While there are always some downsides to new technologies, there are usually some tremendous positives. The pedagogical capabilities that digital instruments offer are quite attractive to many aspiring players. :)
@@MerriamPianos It's my pleasure and thank you for your response!
And yes, I agree with you, there's always the good and the bad when it comes to technology!
For me it's mainly portabilty and volume. Even though my piano is on a stand. Together with the stand it is quite light and I can easily move it. When I want to watch a movie/TV series etc. so that there is at least some benefit, I take it out to the TV, put an earphone in one ear (or set the volume low) and do mechanical practice (scales, arpeggios, hanon and other mostly braindead exercises).
That is a very excellent example of multitasking! I actually had a teacher in university that was a big advocate for "distracted practice" when trying to establish pure muscle memory. Naturally, we want to be fully engaged when we're performing to ensure that the emotional intention is present and well presented. But, when it comes to solidifying fingerings or other basic mechanics like that, distracted practice can work for some players.
Spot on.
Thank you kindly! :)
12 years ago I bought a Kawai CN23. It lacked the volume range. After the warrant expired I got the problem of notes intermittently going dead. A scale had holes in it and then the note later sounded. And it wasn't predictable about which notes would do this. I found no help anywhere other than "try this" and "try that." I stopped playing because of that. Then this spring I bought a new Yamaha b3 upright. It's got the issues of a new piano with tonal inconsistency. If you have any tips on finding a good piano tuner/technician who knows how to help even out the tone I'm all ears.
Hi! Brent here! While I'm sorry to hear that you've run into some issues with your Kawai CN23 and Yamaha B3, I am glad to hear that you have decided to restart your piano journey. That is exciting! Generally speaking, finding a guitar technician comes down to word of mouth referrals. Alternatively, there are many dealers that have a rolodex of local technicians that they trust to service their instruments. I would inquire with your dealer about who they would recommend to service your B3. Best of luck and happy playing! :)
@@MerriamPianos I watched Josh Wright videos and he advocated playing acoustic piano occasionally if all we have is digital. But then the digital went glitchy during the pandemic and a lot of research showed me I was not alone with the Kawai CN23. The Yamaha b3 is a great piano but still needs breaking in for the tone to sound better. I think you meant piano technician and not a guitar one. The Yamaha comes with a 10 year warranty and a free tuning. They sent a tuner from a major regionals piano tech company. The first tuner did his thing on a late Tuesday afternoon. I had guests coming Wednesday for dinner and several play piano well. One noticed "pitchy" inconsistency. I texted that tech back that I had issues with his tuning. The owner of the company called and a few days later sent their top tech. He spent over 45 minutes retuning. He also got a wire comb and did some work on the felt pads and those few notes sounded much better. But there are 88 felt hammers. He said I'm good for a year on the tuning. I was hesitant to ask them for help in evening out the tone. And didn't know if there are techs that specialize in this. I'm new to the acoustic piano world so have these sorts of questions. Thanks.
I feared you tell me about, due to piano maintenance in concert halls, replacing Grand Pianos with E-Pianos. Like always a great presentation; myself bought a Roland FP30X, but I've seen a super interesting hybrid piano (3,000 Euro) from Kawai: It played really awesome, rich piano tone facettes and details even at highest notes - it felt like touching the notes when just listening (like in sampling comparing a $ 20 Interface with a one from Metric Halo).
Thanks! We appreciate it. We're glad you enjoyed it. Congrats on your FP30X! It is an excellent instrument to learn and practice on. I do agree with your thoughts on the Kawai hybrids though. They are dream instruments. Fingers crossed you'll be able to get your hands on one soon. :)
I'm really curious, after watching this, and especially aspect #7, whether I am the only person in the world who connected a Ketron K-8 Midi Bass Pedal to his electric piano (in my case, a Roland FP-9)? With this setup I am able to add a simple bass line to my piano improvisations. This way I can also start to learn pieces I later will be playing on a church organ.
That is very cool! If you have the coordination to manage that, there are a lot of amazing musical possibilities that come along with that setup.
Do digital piano have harmonic resonnance ? (I do not speak about the natural harmonica series : that can be sampled, but about the propagation of energy from one string to other strings of the piano that have a resonant frequency with it, through the structure of the instrument : that is part of the sounding of a piano…
especially when combining special chords sequences).
Or effects like re-strucking notes…
Note : I play both, for different purposes. The energy and vibrations you get with an acoustic piano, and the way you send energy in a room or a house are quite different…
And with a (some) digital piano you can change the tuning system with one button ;-).
Or explore sounds with different when plug on you midi installation (but that is no more a piano, just a keyboard).
And for the energy, with an acoustic piano, you still feel that this is a percussion instrument, this is lost with digital piano, you do not have the vibration returns in your body.
However, budget, usage, recording, digital music installations, etc. are of course all aspects to consider (best is to have both ;-) or more ;-) ).
The answers are in your second video ;-)
ruclips.net/video/QWY4TDMiRd4/видео.htmlsi=QG-iztMSzLwzpF8-
Hi there! There are some high-end digital pianos and VST plugins that start to tackle these types of nuanced details of an acoustic piano experience. More specifically, modelling-based tone engines are starting to get into a greater degree of detail on this front. It will be exciting to see what the future holds on this front!
Very informative videos! What do you think about Hybrid Digital pianos? I am getting back into piano after a long time and my first priority is to work on my fingers to regain strength and speed. I have been looking at the Yamaha NU1X, how does it compared with digital pianos on that price range?
Hi there! Thank you kindly! Hybrid pianos are excellent options for players that require the convenient functionality of a digital piano, but are looking to bridge the playing experience gap to an acoustic piano as much as possible. The Kawai NV5S and NV10S models are also worth consideration. They have amazing feeling actions!
@ Thanks for the prompt response, will add them to my list and do some comparisons..Thanks Again!
My list in order of importance before watching:
1. Ability to play on headphones (next to my neighbour)
2. Learning software
3. Size
4. Versatility of sounds
5. Ability to record to MIDI
6. Aesthetics
7. Your review
After watching: I think that sound editability on a sub £1000 keyboard is not important. What do people playing in that price bracket (assuming beginners) know about tone, acoustics, hammer action sound, etc?
After traveling threw different comment sections of different videos there are people who find models like the P125, ES110, and FP30X expensive simply because they can't afford such an instrument. Some times I come across comments like.
"what keyboard do you recomend for 100 dollars?"
"what 88 key digital piano do you recomend for 300 dollars?"
So you can't blame some musicians for looking for a good digital in that price range🎹🎶
@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 Agreed, but I do blame them for their unrealistic expectations.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights! That is certainly an excellent list. Needless to say, every player will have to make their own checklist based on their own needs and context of use, but it is a great idea to have a framework of what you're prioritizing when making a purchase for any product. :)
@@MerriamPianos Wise words as always.
Thank you
You're welcome! Thank you for tuning in! :)
I had the opportunity last week to purchase a Feurich upright, 1983 German made, one owner immaculate condition with a bargain price. Had to look the other way, I live in a flat I am a beginner and my neighbour's would certainly hear my attempt at murdering music. Plus costs of upkeep and removal. So I bought a roland hp and I can control the volume, play whenever I choose etc. Case of means to an end. Yes I am happy with the roland. Thank you.
While that sounds like a very compelling option, there are other things that factor in of course. It sounds like a digital piano is more aligned to suit your current needs and situation. We're happy to hear that you've been pleased with your Roland. :)