The most frequently asked question that we asked about is whether to purchase an acoustic or a digital piano. The piano has come a long way since it's invention 500 years ago. The original version has now been replicated and improved countless times, resulting in a large number of different piano styles and with the latest technology, digital pianos have cropped up and become a popular alternative. But which one is right for you? That depends greatly on what you intend to do with your piano playing and what your budget is. However, there are many pros and cons of bpth types of instruments.
The Difference
Digital piano are electronic instruments that have been sampled from an actual acoustic instrument and stored in the memory chips. Some digital pianos have what is called "simulated weighted action touch" or "touch sensitivity". Simulated weighted action touch is supposed to mimic the weighted sensation on an acoustic piano, where touch sensitivity allows you to alter the sound you hear by how hard the key is played, much like an acoustic piano. Some also comes with pedals which imitate the sustain, soft and sostenuto pedal functions on an acoustic piano. Unlike acoustic pianos, they have no hammers, no strings and no soundboard to produce the sound you hear. Instead, they have electronic sound chips and speakers.
An Acoustic pianos is one that will have either 85 or 88 keys, is made of parts which include moving action components, strings, bridges and a soundboard, which when played, cause strings to vibrate and transmit their energy through bridges to the soundboard. This is how sound is heard on an acoustic piano. The design of an acoustic piano has not changed very much in the last 100 years, and it looks like the current action design is here to stay. An acoustic piano will last a very long time, sometimes as long as 100 years or more. It is a very complicated instrument will over 10,000 parts in it, and all should be in good working order to produce the full acoustic sound. It is built and regulated by skilled craftspeople and can sometimes take over one year to build. It should be tuned at least once a year, and may require regulation from time to time or other minor repair. It is very heavy, up to 1000 pounds and can be difficult and costly to move about, and it will only ever make one sound, that is the sound of an acoustic piano.
Digital Advantages
Digital pianos usually have an array of features that make them an attractive alternative to an acoustic piano, such as:
The problem with digital pianos is that they can't really duplicate the tone and touch of a real piano. Even with today's sampling technology individual notes may be quite accurately reproduced, but the tone of notes sounding together, as in an acoustic piano - with complex harmonics mixing and resonating against a flexible wooden soundboard - cannot be matched. As a result, most music sounds rather sterile played on a digital piano.
Digital pianos don't feel like real pianos. "Touch Sensitivity" and "Weighted Action" is not the same thing as the sophisticated inner mechanism, or "action", of an acoustic piano. Digital pianos merely simulate the touch of pianos. They don't provide the same feedback or responsiveness to your playing, so your performance range is limited.
If you are considering buying a piano for your child, consider this: many piano teachers will not teach students who have reached a certain level on anything other than an acoustic piano. Digital pianos are counter-productive when it comes to technique and dynamic performance. These skills cannot be practised on a digital keyboard and then applied to a real piano action. It's not the same thing. A piano also represents a stronger commitment to a student, as a opposed to a digital keyboard that may represent the same thing to a child as a computer, an electronic game-station or a CD player.
Something else to consider is that an acoustic piano will hold its value far better than a digital. An acoustic piano can last 100 years, while a digital model may be obsolete within a year and might be hard to even give away by then.
Hybrid Digital/Acoustic Pianos
There are hybrid digital/acoustic pianos on the market, like the Yamaha Disklavier that combine the features of both. These are regular acoustic pianos with real piano actions that can be disconnected with the digital sound on demand. Further, they are MIDI capable. These pianos are very expensive and out of the price range of most people. If, however, you can afford one, these pianos are the ultimate in a total piano experience. They are the new generation of pianos: they can record and play back your performance with deadly accuracy; can play a wide selection of pre-recorded music of all styles; can be used in conjunction with piano instruction software; and can be used as a MIDI controller to trigger other electronic tone generating devices like samplers, synthesizers, drum machines or anything with a MIDI interface.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a keyboard that can be easily transported, or connected to a sound system, or one that can be used to record music using computer software, or has the ability to use headphones for privacy, then a digital piano is the way to go. Otherwise, think very carefully before you decide to buy a digital in place of an acoustic instrument as it will be a lasting decision that you may regret down the road that will be very difficult and costly to undo.
The Difference
Digital piano are electronic instruments that have been sampled from an actual acoustic instrument and stored in the memory chips. Some digital pianos have what is called "simulated weighted action touch" or "touch sensitivity". Simulated weighted action touch is supposed to mimic the weighted sensation on an acoustic piano, where touch sensitivity allows you to alter the sound you hear by how hard the key is played, much like an acoustic piano. Some also comes with pedals which imitate the sustain, soft and sostenuto pedal functions on an acoustic piano. Unlike acoustic pianos, they have no hammers, no strings and no soundboard to produce the sound you hear. Instead, they have electronic sound chips and speakers.
An Acoustic pianos is one that will have either 85 or 88 keys, is made of parts which include moving action components, strings, bridges and a soundboard, which when played, cause strings to vibrate and transmit their energy through bridges to the soundboard. This is how sound is heard on an acoustic piano. The design of an acoustic piano has not changed very much in the last 100 years, and it looks like the current action design is here to stay. An acoustic piano will last a very long time, sometimes as long as 100 years or more. It is a very complicated instrument will over 10,000 parts in it, and all should be in good working order to produce the full acoustic sound. It is built and regulated by skilled craftspeople and can sometimes take over one year to build. It should be tuned at least once a year, and may require regulation from time to time or other minor repair. It is very heavy, up to 1000 pounds and can be difficult and costly to move about, and it will only ever make one sound, that is the sound of an acoustic piano.
Digital Advantages
Digital pianos usually have an array of features that make them an attractive alternative to an acoustic piano, such as:
- Different types of piano sounds.
- Other keyboard sounds like harpsichord, organ, etc.
- Other instrument sounds like strings, flute, percussion etc.
- Built-in rhythm capabilities to accompany your playing.
- The ability to record your performance.
- The ability to interact with other electronic music devices (MIDI).
- Never a need for tuning.
- Headphones to practice in private.
- Easier portability.
The problem with digital pianos is that they can't really duplicate the tone and touch of a real piano. Even with today's sampling technology individual notes may be quite accurately reproduced, but the tone of notes sounding together, as in an acoustic piano - with complex harmonics mixing and resonating against a flexible wooden soundboard - cannot be matched. As a result, most music sounds rather sterile played on a digital piano.
Digital pianos don't feel like real pianos. "Touch Sensitivity" and "Weighted Action" is not the same thing as the sophisticated inner mechanism, or "action", of an acoustic piano. Digital pianos merely simulate the touch of pianos. They don't provide the same feedback or responsiveness to your playing, so your performance range is limited.
If you are considering buying a piano for your child, consider this: many piano teachers will not teach students who have reached a certain level on anything other than an acoustic piano. Digital pianos are counter-productive when it comes to technique and dynamic performance. These skills cannot be practised on a digital keyboard and then applied to a real piano action. It's not the same thing. A piano also represents a stronger commitment to a student, as a opposed to a digital keyboard that may represent the same thing to a child as a computer, an electronic game-station or a CD player.
Something else to consider is that an acoustic piano will hold its value far better than a digital. An acoustic piano can last 100 years, while a digital model may be obsolete within a year and might be hard to even give away by then.
Hybrid Digital/Acoustic Pianos
There are hybrid digital/acoustic pianos on the market, like the Yamaha Disklavier that combine the features of both. These are regular acoustic pianos with real piano actions that can be disconnected with the digital sound on demand. Further, they are MIDI capable. These pianos are very expensive and out of the price range of most people. If, however, you can afford one, these pianos are the ultimate in a total piano experience. They are the new generation of pianos: they can record and play back your performance with deadly accuracy; can play a wide selection of pre-recorded music of all styles; can be used in conjunction with piano instruction software; and can be used as a MIDI controller to trigger other electronic tone generating devices like samplers, synthesizers, drum machines or anything with a MIDI interface.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a keyboard that can be easily transported, or connected to a sound system, or one that can be used to record music using computer software, or has the ability to use headphones for privacy, then a digital piano is the way to go. Otherwise, think very carefully before you decide to buy a digital in place of an acoustic instrument as it will be a lasting decision that you may regret down the road that will be very difficult and costly to undo.
