Digital, the Final Frontier?

Digital, the Final Frontier?

Have you ever wondered what a digital piano is? What separates a digital piano from a keyboard or electric piano? Are digital pianos worth it? Well today, I hope to clear up some of these queries and more in an FAQ style blog to help you understand the world of digital pianos. 

Mechanics

So let us begin, what is a digital piano? A digital piano is a musical keyboard usually with 88 weighted keys. These keys are velocity sensitive. ‘Velocity sensitive’ means that when a key is pressed down, be it fast or slow, this changes the volume and timbre (the quality of the sound produced) of the note played. The weighted keys better allow to simulate the feel of an acoustic piano and is one key difference between a digital piano and what one might call a digital or electronic keyboard. 

Sound

Next up is how is the sound made in a digital piano? A digital piano’s weighted keys will hit a sensor that triggers a sound to be played. Do digital keyboards sound like a real piano? Yes they do, to an extent. The sound of a digital keyboard is typically a sample recording from a grand piano taken at various velocities to try to recreate the sound as authentically as possible but can also be synthesised through some very clever mathematics that is above my pay-grade. 

Digital vs. Electrical

What is the difference between a digital piano and an electric piano? Often people call digital pianos electric pianos, but an electric piano actually uses a hammer that strikes strings, with a similar system to how guitar pickups  work. An electronic keyboard typically won’t have weighted keys or a hammer action. This means you don’t get the same timbre in a keyboard as you would in a digital piano. 

Digital vs. Keyboard

What is the difference between a digital piano and a keyboard? Digital pianos are as the title suggests pianos. They do not come with as many bells and whistles as a keyboard which might have pitch bend, drum pads and a vast selection of backing tracks to accompany your playing.

Quality 

Are digital pianos any good? Yes, digital pianos are exceptional instruments that create a very authentic sound and feel. Are digital pianos as good as a real piano? That depends. In terms of sound quality, you won’t get the same harmonic resonance on a digital piano as you would an acoustic. However, digital pianos are much lighter, cost much less while still being comparable in terms of sound quality. 

Change Your Tune

Do digital pianos need to be tuned? Nope, unlike their acoustic counterparts digital pianos do not need to be tuned, and can have their tuning changed at the drop of a hat thanks to the fact all sound is made digitally. Tuning is a complex skill that requires years to master and often requires a specialist to come and tune your piano for you.  

Access All Areas

Are digital pianos good for beginners? Yes absolutely, digital pianos are very accessible, sound amazing, much more affordable, require less maintenance and offer you a variety of sounds to play around with. While a keyboard may be even more accessible for a beginner, getting a digital piano can help elevate your sound by providing a more realistic piano feel. 

Polyphony

What is Polyphony in a digital piano? Polyphony is the amount of notes that can be simultaneously played at once. You can get upwards of 192 notes played simultaneously, although some cap out at 64. This is still more than enough for the vast majority of players and not something to be overly concerned about as a beginner.

Where Next?

Hopefully today’s blog has been able to shed some light on the world of digital pianos. As always, we cannot recommend coming enough into the shop to check out the showroom. We have one of the biggest and best showrooms in the Midlands and a team of experts who can  help you find the right instrument for you. If you need any more information, do not hesitate to get in touch!