Digital Piano
My wife no longer plays our acoustic piano due to it being in an open plan room and on the wall that adjoins our neighbour but when we were doing a singing rehearsal at a friend's house last night she commented on how she'd like a digital piano so she can play again using headphones when needed. As I was stuck for any ideas for her Christmas present I've done some research and the best two options in my budget seem to be the Alesis Recital Pro and Yamaha P45. Both get very good reviews with the Yamaha apparently having keys that feel most like an acoustic piano and the more realistic sound whereas the the Alesis has a few extra sound options plus 128 note polyphony versus 64 in the Yamaha.
I'm veering towards the Yamaha due to it seemingly being more like an acoustic piano and being more familiar with the brand that has an excellent reputation but I don't really understand the polyphony side of things and whether it is an important factor. I believe this is the amount of notes that can be output at the same time so if just using the piano 'voice' the Yamaha will play 64 notes, if using two 'voices' 32 notes and four 'voices' 16 notes etc. My guess is it's like megapixels in cameras where people forget that the lower number was more than adequate even in top level kit a few years ago and get that bigger is automatically better mentality. Given that she won't be playing Rachmaninoff and will be using it mainly to note bash when learning songs, basic accompaniment for a choir she runs for a people with learning disabilities and some fairly simple piano pieces 64 sounds to me like it will be ample and going for the option that gives the most piano like feel is the best approah. However, before buying I thought I'd see if anyone on here has any advice as I know there are a few of you far more musically minded than me.
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I’m utterly rubbish at playing, but some years back we tried a fair few of the digital pianos and ended up with a Yamaha. It is ridiculously sophisticated, which is fun, but 95% of the selection decision was based on keyboard feel. Tried Roland, Kawai, and a couple other brands I think, and the Yamaha just felt better.
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I'm not an expert on the electronic side of keyboards, but would definitely go on the feel and basic sound as absolutely top priorities, so suspect my choice would also be the Yammie. I've never come across a duff Yammie anything.
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I've now read several reviews for another option, the Roland FP10 which seems to offer very similar key action but the keys themselves feel more like ivory and are less slippery. The polyphony, on which I'm now an expert followin lots of reading (but still don't understand), is higher than the Yamaha but lower than the Alesis and probably now favourite. If I go for the Yamaha it has actually been replaced and slightly upgraded by the P145.
It's like trying to choose a camera lens all over again!
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I love this guy's review videos - the P145 sounds great to me.
Here he is playing the Yamaha P45 and the Roland FP10
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Just watched the FP10 vs P45 before seeing this. It feels like either will be a good option.
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I'm the least musical person I know, however my partner of many years is the opposite, being a gifted Saxophonist of multiple types, Flutist (mispelled), Pianist, and she also plays clarinet and ukelele.
When we bought our first house some 23 years ago, she wanted a digital piano, and after going to some kind of showroom place North of London, she opted for a Roland F-100, it has pedals (Do they all?), weighted keys that iirc can be adjusted.
She really likes it, used it a lot at the time, and uses it even more now as she does some private tuition every week.
It's been faultless, no issues at all, and if memory serves cost ~£1000 back in probably 2002 or 3.
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Both Roland and Yamaha have distinguished pedigrees, and sell on reputation amongst musicians, so am sure either would be good, so I'd just go along and try them out.
Slight tangent - the (real) piano I had taken to France has real ivory keys, and it was only years later that I realised that I should have obtained an export/import licence. Another reason it'll never make it back here (not least as I have a grand piano here).
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Can’t really try them as I don’t play and want it to be a surprise. I suppose I could get a reasonable idea of how it feels and sounds though. Not sure if there’s a decent music shop nearby anymore.
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Ah, OK. I'll ask my muso friends on Facebook, and see if any have direct comparisons from their perspective.
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Not my expertise but, is there a supplier with all options and a return policy?
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Do check out Thomann as well. I bought a lovely digital piano from them a while back, and my musical friends swear by the brand as well.
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I've bought bits and pieces from Thomann, but I think if it's a special gift, the professional reputation of Roland and Yamaha are worth it... Yamaha do utterly reliable stuff right from beginner instruments up to professional, and the quality control is second to none, even on the stuff that is now made in China. There's a reason professionals use both Yamahas and Rolands.
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I play mostly yamaha instruments. I bought a 40 year old alto sax from ebay on the advice that that particular model (student level) was highly thought of and would keep its value. It still looks great and plays well I could easily sell it for at least what it cost me 4 years ago, but I want to keep it.
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Exactly so re trumpets & trombones too... a great second-hand buy, as they pretty much keep all their value, where the lesser brands don't, especially the 'budget' student brands that are in effect Chinese knock-offs and lose half their value as you walk out of the door with them... better than nothing, but better to get a s/h Yamaha at the top of one's own budget.
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I’m pretty comfortable that either will be very good quality and offer value for money it’s more whether one is more ‘piano like’ than the other I suppose. It’s probably like choosing between entry level Campag v Shimano or Canon v Nikon.
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Yep, as I say, they have their reputation for a reason. Only one muso response so far - he has the Yammie, and says it's fine, but reading up (he knows his technical stuff reasonably well), thinks the Roland might be a worth the extra $s.
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Very little price difference to be honest. The Yamaha has recently been upgraded though whereas the Roland is a few years old now.
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As you say, I think either will be fine.
On the other hand, if you've got £400k to spare, why not get three 9ft grand pianos.
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I went with a friend once to a BBQ and drinks at a nice small house up a short and very steep driveway. One room had a Steinway concert grand, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how they’d got it in there.
The owner said they’d had to cut the front wall out of the house, plus an internal wall or two, hire a mobile crane, and some other specialist lifting platforms, and a bunch of other works. Cost almost as much as the piano itself.
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That was my point really. These things are really subjective and while grateful for a present the recipient may have really wanted the other.
I'd thank you for Shimano or Canon but I buy Campag and Nikon. 😏
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I think anything will be a step up to be honest. The acoustic hasn’t been for years and the only other thing she plays is a cheap keyboard (either Casio or Yamaha, can’t remember) with those light, plastic keys.
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I do recall the biggest thing that made the difference with the Roland, was the weighted keys, and the fact you could change the weighting if you wanted, she said it made it feel very much like an actual piano.
I forgot to mention, though perhaps it is obvious and they all have them, it has built in speakers, and also a headphone jack should they want to practice in private.
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Yep, being able to play with headphones is the main reason for getting one as we have a grumpy old bat living next door!
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You've probably got enough to go on now, but here's what one of my younger jaazz musicians said:
"I’ve owned a P125 for 5 years, now gig with it. It’s basically a P45 with some extras, and it’s solid, no complaints. Good piano sound, the feel isn’t exceptional, it feels pretty standard, but the closest I could find at the time to a Korg with RH3 (nicest feel imo).
I play an FP30 at work, you can tell it’s more expensive, and yet simultaneously I find the feel (hammer action) radically off because although it’s a heavier feel (more realistic) it’s like I can feel the hammer hit the key straight after playing a note which you don’t noticeably feel on a real piano, that’s why I went for the Yamaha 5 years ago.
But I’ve not heard anyone else complain about this so chances are it’s just me and his wife won’t complain! In sum my opinion is:
Yamaha = standard, reliable, but nothing that special
Roland = more expensive, reliable, tries to be a little extra which either does or doesn’t pay off depending on how picky you are about hammer action feel."
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Two others say "Roland!" Apparently the parts are easier to get, if needs be.
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I bought Mrs Slog a yamaha a few years ago. Arius YDP-143
It's a nice instrument and I'm told it plays very well. Mrs Slog would admit that she isn't great on it, but it does everything she wants it to do and i doubt she'll ever be able to play beyond it's capabilities.
It has been played by my daughter in law, who is a good pianist. Her mum is a piano teacher and Dil also teaches music. DIL says that this is better than hers.
I can't recall a great deal about the Yamaha that I bought, it was a few years back, but I do remember that it had a lot of features for the bucks. weighted keys etc.
I see you mentioned polyphony above, as I understand it... Imagine you played x number of notes one after the other very quickly. On a real piano, those notes would carry on ringing, the first one you played would die away first (assuming you hit the keys all the same), but they would all still be there. On a electric piano the ability for you to hear the first note continuing would depend upon the polyphony, because it would have to 'switch off' the first notes to play each new one. The polyphony number is how many notes you can have sustained at once before they have to go for the next new one. I think the Yamaha we have is quite high, 128 sticks in my mind.
It comes apart easily too, it makes moving it around easy when we need to decorate etc.
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