Design:

The Dynasun Meike MK-933 61 Keys Digital Piano Keyboard has a design that replicates a traditional acoustic keyboard. The main control panel has been neatly arranged and clearly labeled for easy use. The LCD display is very useful and gives the learner a clear idea of what the selection is. There are lot of styles available and the one touch setup of the keyboard makes the operation extremely easy. The combination of innovative design, high quality raw materials and skilled assembly assures that this instrument is of the highest quality.

Functions and feature:

If you have a closer look at the functions and features of the MK-933 digital Piano, it shows that they seem to be designed specifically for the learners. Meike has offered a very useful set of music training functionalities that makes learning music very easy. With forty built-in songs, you can have real fun playing and composing your innovations. MK-933 portable keyboard has a huge assortment of 136 built-in styles that cover all the genres of music that waits for you to play along with it. The whole set-up will give you the feel of having a built-in band. One of the most appreciable facts about this keyboard is that, it suites a wide range of styles; name it and the piano has got it. The style collection includes everybody’s favourites like Rock, Big Band, Gospel and Country. You can either press a chord or play single finger mode and the Meike will follow you through the piece of music by providing you with all of the drums, bass, piano, guitar, horn and string parts for you.

Verdict:

As far as the Dynasun Meike MK-933 keyboard is concerned, the company has stood by its motto to offer quality equipments at very affordable costs. This piano will be pleasing three people: your teacher, your interior decorator and your accountant too. We recommend the MK-933 61 Keys Digital Keyboard for the learners.

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Dynasun Meike MK-933 Portable Keyboard - Specification Details

Design:

Good looking with simple construction:
Look wise, the Hemingway DP-501has the majestic look of an acoustic piano. It is available in three attractive finishes of Piano Black, Rosewood and Anthracite. You have to chuck in some extra bugs if you like to have the Piano Black version of the DP501. The polished Piano Black version specially looks very attractive. The gold Hemingway logo is very overpowering and the control panel looks simple to use and is very well laid out. The top panel of the device has power switch, mater volume, brightness volume, reverb button, chorus, touch, demo, metronome, transpose, tempo, voice selection, sequencer buttons, headphone jacks and a LCD display. In the rear panel, you will find the MIDI in/out jacks, pedal jack, Line in/out jack and power jack.

Bad built quality:
It is unfortunate that the good looks of the digital piano is not complimented by the built quality. The construction is weak; resulting is the poor built quality. The key cover is secured by a wire to protect it in transit which looks like a poor job and is very fiddly to undo the wire and release the lid. The back board of the unit is very flimsy and is secured by two screws on the top and four in the bottom. We were pissed off to see that the four at the bottom have not been pre-drilled and so, it is tough work to get the four bottom screws in and this can even result in the damage of the cabinet itself if you are not careful. The pedal board moves when it is pressed down and the pedals seem to be having too much of side play. The middle pedal sostenuto is longer than the other two.

Noisy keys:
The keys seem to be extremely noisy which becomes very noticeable when the volume level is down. You will notice how irritating they are when you play with the headphones on as you will find that the knocking and clicking of the keys are actually louder than the sound of the piano itself. The keys in the middle especially produce a very loud click and they will really put you off and distract you from playing.

Not an easy assembly:
The Hemingway DP501 Digital Piano is not very easy to assemble. You will have the instructions in the manual, but they are not very clear. So, you will have to do a lot of guess work, which the beginners will not entertain. We found that the holes to connect the keyboard to its legs are lined up well. It will take you forever to assemble if you attempt to do it all by yourself, so get the help of your friend too. The assembly will consume a minimum of 45 minutes to one hour of your precious time.

Features:

Voice Presets:
The Hemingway DP501 Digital Piano features eight different voice presets. Choose the desired preset sing the voice selection buttons on the top panel. The chosen preset will be indicated by a red light above the button and in the LCD-Display. The following eight presets are available: Grand Piano, Upright Piano, E-Piano 1, E-Piano 2, Harpsi, Vibes, Strings and Organ.

Voice Combinations:
To further increase the sound options, the Piano features the possibility of combining two different voice presets. By pressing down two voice selection buttons at the same time, both presets will be selected, enabling you to use two voices simultaneously. In this case, both presets will be indicated by red lights above the corresponding buttons. The balance between the two selected voices may be adjusted with the layer volume-buttons. When two voices are chosen and the chorus-button is pressed for a longer time, the balance between the two voices will be displayed in the LCD display. Now this balance may be adjusted by using the two layer volume buttons.

Transpose:
By using the transpose buttons you can transpose the keyboard up or down by 12 semitones. To reset, press down both transpose buttons simultaneously.

Reverb-effect:
With the Reverb-effect the sound reverberation of the room is simulated. Three different kinds of rooms of Room, Hall, Theatre may be chosen by using the reverb button.

Chorus:
The Chorus reproduces an electronically obtained modulating effect, which may be activated or deactivated by pressing the chorus button.

Touch Sensitivity:
The touch sensitivity of the keyboard can be adjusted using the touch button. The piano features three different settings of Hard, Normal, Soft as well as the option to turn off the touch sensitivity. When the touch sensitivity is turned off the Volume of the tone can be adjusted by pressing the touch button a long time. As soon as “Touch: 100″is shown in the LCD-display, the Volume can be adjusted using the two tempo buttons. Pressing the touch button and the two tempo buttons simultaneously will reset the Volume to 100.

Metronome functions:
The metronome function keeps a rhythm going while you play. The chosen tempo will be shown in the LCD-display. By using the tempo buttons the metronome speed can be adjusted from 20 to 280 bpm. By pressing both tempo buttons simultaneously the tempo will be reset to 120 bpm by default. By pressing metronome and using the tempo-buttons different beats maybe chosen (1/4; 2/4; 3/4;4/4; 6/4; 6/8 and 12/8).

Record and Playback:
The Hemingway DP-501 LCD Display Digital Piano allows you to record and playback your performance on the instrument. The recording will include pedal operations and can contain up to 3000 notes.

Record: Activate Recording by pressing the record button and simultaneously the melody button of the track (Melody1 or Melody2) on which you would like to record your performance. Your performance will be recorded. Press the melody button again to stop recording.

Playback: Press the melody button of the track you would like to playback. Then press the play button to start the playback. Press the play button again to end the playback. It is even possible to playback both tracks at the same time. Furthermore one track can be played while recording the other track. By activating one track before starting the recording of the other track as described the “passive track“ will be played back while recording the other.

Clear recording: Press the record and play button simultaneously to enter clearing record status and you can also press the two buttons again at the same time to exit the status. Now you are able to delete the track by pressing the corresponding melody button.

Demo songs:
The DP501 Digital Piano features eight demo songs. The demo mode is entered by pressing the DEMO button. This will activate the lights above the voice selection buttons. The different demo songs can now be selected by pressing the voice selection buttons. If no song is selected after entering demo mode, the first song will automatically start playing after five seconds. Exit demo mode by pressing the demo button again.

The Annoying Features:
Though the list of features are available are good, there are some features that are quite annoying and we have listed some of them here. The reverb feature is switched on by default when the piano is switched on and this has to be actually turned off to get the most realistic sound out of the digital piano. To add to this, you have to press the button four times to turn it off. The piano’s touch is set to off and is nowhere near as good as the soft touch. In order to get the soft touch, the touch button has to be pressed once. The most irritating fact is that, when the piano is turned off and then back on, it does not remember your previous setting.

Performance:

Awful Touch:
Unfortunately, the keys are bouncy and uncontrollable. The touch is very deep that makes the instrument irritatingly rattly. Playing soft is almost impossible in this piano because, when you try to do so, the keys jump down with force. This is mainly because of the fact that spring tension is too great. To add to this, not only are they bouncy, you will find that there is a lot of sideways movement too. The depth of the touch is too deep, which is accentuated by the fact that the key fronts being far too long. Overall, the touch of DP-501 is simply awful.

Repetition:
The repetition is good in the black keys but below average on the white keys. This comes in as a real disappointment as the repetition is not better than any of the digital pianos available in the market. With this kind of repetition, it is very hard to play fast passages.

Touch Sensitivity:
The touch sensitivity virtually does not exist in the DP501. While most of the Digital Pianos in the market have about four to five levels of touch sensitivity in order to replicate a real piano, this Hemingway model has only two of them. That too, is not good enough that at times it feels as though there is only one. You will not be able to get any power from the piano by pressing the keys down harder; consequently, you certainly cannot put any expression into your music. This makes the keyboard very frustrating to play and not at all enjoyable.

The key weight:
The key weight is a very important factor to consider when buying pianos because, if you are practicing in a piano with a very light touch, you will not be able to improve upon your finger muscles and its dexterity and hence, a heavier touch is always preferred. Said that, the Hemingway DP-501 has a false touch, which means that the touch is actually quite light but the spring tension is very high on the initial key depression and also when the key returns. When the light touch is coupled with strong spring tensions, it becomes extremely hard for the player to control the piano.

Progressive Hammer Action:
Progressive Hammer Action, which is otherwise called as the Scaled Hammer Action or Graded Hammer Action means that the keys in the bass section are heavy and get progressively lighter as you go up the keyboard. This feature replicates the touch of a real piano where the hammers are heavier and lighter in the treble. You will not find any progressive hammer action in the Hemingway DP501 as all the keys of the device weighs the same.

Sound:
The sound of the Hemingway DP-501 is neither excellent nor worst; it is just pleasant and clean. It is quite bloomy as it sounds like a bell in the top treble and will not please you much if the bass volume adjustment is turned up. Anybody can say right away that it is as digital, piano as the electronic sound just comes through.

Speakers:
The specifications of the DP501 says that it has got two forty watt amplifier driving an integrated stereo speaker setup, each featuring one 6.5 inch and one 2-inch speaker. But it left us wondering where is the sound? The quality of the speaker is very poor and even at its max volume, the sound is weak. No wonder that the quality of the speakers are poor, as those small speakers too are present underneath the piano which also contributes to the poor end result. Finally, we have something good to say about this piano as it has a pretty good sound decay; it replicates the length of an acoustic piano very well. Sound decay is nothing but how quickly the sound dies away when holding down the notes.

Harmonics:
We did notice that the harmonics in the bass are quite rapid and way out. The top treble, that is, the last two octaves are in tune, but the final three notes seem to be a wee bit sharp. A great disappointment here is that, the centre of the piano which is the most important part of the digital piano is not good. The thirds, fourths and fifths are very inconsistent; some being flat, some sharp and they are just all over the place. It is extremely hard to find a piano that is in tune in near top. We are glad that the Hemingway DP-501 has a great tuning in the top section but it is a shame that the tuning in the center and bass lets it down big time.

Power:

The power lead of the DP501 is too short at only one meter, so you have to place the piano directly in front of a power switch. And this digital piano comes with a European two prong plug, which means you have to get an adaptor to use it in England.

The Hemingway DP-501 Package:

We have to mention here that the package is extremely well packed. There are thick cardboard boxes; one inner and one outer. There is like, plenty of polystyrene, bubble wrap and other packaging to secure the piano while in transit. There are handles on both ends of the box and the moving parts like the pedals, and keys are double protected. So, there is very little chance that the piano might get damaged whilst delivery.

Warranty:

The Hemingway DP-501 comes with three years manufacturer’s warranty
Verdict:

The Hemingway DP501 certainly scores with its good looks but its bad built quality will prove to disgust you in just months of use. Though the sound is pleasant, it is bloomy and it is almost impossible to give any kind of expression to your music. The key power and control, bouncy key noise and the list of frustrating performance factors of the piano is endless. The piano is simply not good to play. We do not recommend this digital piano. If you are one of those unfortunate people who already own one of the DP-501s, to get the most out of it, select soft touch, switch off the reverb and keep the volume level in the middle. Please do not use the headphones as it will drive you insane for sure.

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Hemingway DP-501 Digital Piano - Technical Specification Table

Roland is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments including pianos, keyboards and synthesisers, electronic percussion kits, guitar products, digital recording equipment and several other music related accessories. In the following review, we will have a detailed look at Roland’s FP-7 Stage Digital Piano. Continuing with the FP series, the FP-7 and FP4 are the latest in the digital pianos to come from Roland Keyboards. The FP-7 has been released as a result of the success of previous models.

What can you expect in FP-7?

The FP series of digital pianos from Roland has something for everybody from the professional stage performers to the recreational music lovers; as they come complete with a Session Partner, USB connectivity and true to life grand pianos. The FP-7 is a great stage piano that services the needs of the high end stage piano market. Equipped with loads of sounds and features, this piano is simply perfect for solo piano, ensemble and band work. This FP-7 Portable piano keyboard is a great hit in the piano market with its excellent hammer action, making it must have for the pianists seeking the realistic feel for their stage piano performance. In the following review, you will find detailed notes on all the features of this master piece.

Coveting design:

With the slim sleek and portable design, the FP-7 can be practically placed in any environment. Roland has given it a very elegant black finishing, that will simply decorate any room that it is placed in, making it a perfect solution for elegance unit house dwellers or in any house where space is at premium. This sleek package features a black deck with a silver button trim. Although the sparse number of controls gives the piano a “very simple keyboard” like appearance, do not be fooled, because under the skin lies a fairly complex and comprehensive system of controls.

The large LCD display in the keyboard makes operations very easy and interesting too. You will be able to adjust the virtual degree of the grand piano lid and also includes the Duplex Scale system and User micro tuning. Overall, the piano feels very solid and well constructed much like its predecessors, but weighs about 80pounds which unfortunately makes it a little difficult to be grounded.

88-key Multi-sampled Piano Sound Engine:

This Roand FP7 piano keyboard sports a brilliant 88-key multi-sampled piano sound engine of Roland. Each of those 88 keys painstakingly reproduces every key of a concert grand piano. The piano keyboard has 128 voice polyphony ensures that your note sustains fully and naturally regardless of how fast or densely you are playing.

USB interface:

With the USB standard interface included, you can connect the FP-7 Digital Piano to a PC or Mac and make use of it as a source for sequencing or even as a high quality controller. You can also plug in a memory stick and load .WAV and standard MIDI files for an instant playback. This feature enhances the creative repertoire of the artists.

Excellent acoustic features:

The built-in speaker system delivers rich, blasting sound. With such good speakers employed, you will not need any additional speakers or amplifiers to be connected. The vibrant output from these speakers fill fin in both small and large spaces. Roland has also offered two headphone jacks, which will be great for duets and late night practice sessions. The Roland FP-7 MIDI keyboard features a graded hammer key action which is responsive to the lightest touch.

Features:
As we had mentioned in the introduction, the Roland FP-7 Stage Digital Piano comes with heaps of features. They include a set of very powerful built-in speaker box units, intuitive controls, graphic LCD that displays lyrics to give you the fun of sing along and also has the latest AudioKey feature that makes the playback of audio directly from USB memory a very simple task.

The Progressive Hammer Action II Technology:

Roland has employed the PHA II (Progressive Hammer Action II) technology in the FP-7 keyboard. This technology provides a keyboard that responds naturally from pianissimo to fortissimo with a touch that can be adjusted in hundred incremental steps. With the help of this technology, some intricate details of a real piano, like hammer, damper and string noise and off-key resonance, have been captured inside the FP-7. Hence, the player can enjoy an authentic piano playing experience with the sound and touch reacting naturally and dynamically.

Session Partner Technology:

If you are one among those pianists who would love to create instant auto accompaniments, you are in great luck as the FP-7 88-key digital Piano features the Session Partner technology of Roland, which is complete with a variety of music styles.  The music styles include a wide selection of rhythm and accompaniment patterns that include ballads, jazz, Latin and 12 new styles. Pianists will be able to choose from a large variety of chord progressions or have the accompaniment follow the left hand. With such a huge collection, the FP-7 fits the bill for any kind of music occasions.

Extraordinary library:

In addition to the grand piano sound, you will also find dozens of other great instrumental sounds built into the FP-7. At the initial start-up, you will find that the sound bank is organised according to the instrument type. The keyboard basically features seven instrument banks which include Piano, Electric piano strings and the usual assortment of instruments complete with two sets of organ sound. A lot of digital effects are also offered, including a four band digital equalizer in order to customise the sounds to your preference.

The Cakewalk SONAR LE software in FP-7:

Roland has also offered the Cakewalk SONAR LE software that aids you with recording and editing. This software is based on the core features of Cakewalk’s award winning SONAR. The key features include high quality multi-track audio recording up to 24-bit/192 kHz with 32-bit floating point internal processing, high resolution MIDI sequencing with support for virtual instruments, and mixing with professional effects. SONAR LE also makes it easy to create backing tracks with integrated audio looping tools.

Package:

The Roland FP-7 Stage/Digital Piano package includes Owner’s Manual, Audio Key Utility Quick Guide, CD-ROM (Audio Key Utility), Information about SONAR LE, CD-ROM, AC Adaptor, Power Cord, Music Rest, two screws for the Music Rest and DP8 Pedal.

Accessories:

You might also be interested in the Holder DH-1 which is an optional mounting bracket for attaching the commercial CD drives. You will also find the KSC 44 BK Roland Wooden Keyboard stand for FP-7. These two accessories are sold separately and are not included in the package. You will find a sustain pedal in the package.

Warranty:

Roland offers FP-7 three years limited warranty for parts and labour, this is in fact, a very good deal.

Verdict:

The Roland FP-7 Portable Digital Piano Keyboard is equipped with great sounds and intelligent features that can make you sound like a solo concert pianist or an entire ensemble. This piano is your ultimate ticket to dynamic and exciting musical universe. If you feel that the FP-7 seems to be a bit too expensive for you, then the very next option to look for is the FP-4, which is a more affordable and streamlined version of its expensive sibling. This model features the same authentic piano sound and stylish body as FP-7.

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Roland FP-7  Digital Piano - Technical Specification Table

Gear4Music is relatively new site that was launched in the year 2003 and since then, it has gone though a rapid development and is now, one of the largest retailers of musical instruments and equipment in the UK. They make purchasing and owning of a musical instrument very easy by offering excellent service and in great prices. In the following review we will be looking at their MK-2063 Portable keyboard.

Simple look:

The MK-2063 Portable Piano keyboard has a very modest look of an authentic portable keyboard with fewer complications. It is a 54 keys keyboard that comes in matte black finishing. It has a small LED display in the centre of the unit to depict your choices. The unit has built in speakers and comes along with a mike, proving to be a great beginner’s kit.

Custom featured for beginners:

In terms of features, the MK-2063 54-key Piano keyboard has lots on board. To a beginner’s delight, the keyboard comes with a whooping 100 timbres and 100 rhythm tracks, giving their musical dreams a push start. You and your friends can have great fun by singing along a favourite track with the additional microphone that comes in the package. The most exiting fact is that you will not only be playing the keyboard, the built-in drum machine will have you rocking the beats.

The keyboard includes record and playback features will help you a lot on learning where to improve your playing skills. The one key and guide functions will aid to learn playing along with eight demo songs. Since the keyboard has full tempo and volume controls, we can see you progressing in leaps and bounds.

Warranty:

Gear4Music offers its product, the MK-2063 Portable keyboard with two years limited warranty.

Verdict:

This 54 key MK-2063 Portable keyboard is just the perfect kit for the beginners. Gear4Music has kept everything simple from the look of the instrument to its features. The keyboard seems to be custom designed for the budding musicians.  And the MK-2063 Portable keyboard is the ideal choice for the beginners.

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MK-2063 Portable Piano keyboard - Technical Specification Table

The Casio Privia range of digital pianos was of revolutionary design when they were first introduced in the year 2003 and they had won a popular following with their stylish design and realistic piano performance. Its ultra light weight body made it easily portable and since the keys are fully weighed, they feel like an acoustic piano. It possesses excellent speaker system that offers reasonably good piano sounds. Next, in the year 2005 Casio bought in a new range of Privia digital pianos that were much more improved than the original models. These new models had an even better speaker system, very much near to realistic touch and had much better piano sounds.

The Casio Privia PX-200 and PX-800 are the two new models that were introduced in the early 2007. These two models are distinctively stylish and Casio has employed its latest “Triple Element AFI Sound Source” technology in order to provide a rich and expressive realistic sound. In the following review, let us have a detailed look at the Casio Privia PX-800 model digital piano.

Compact and Elegant:

The Casio Privia PX-800 Electronic Digital Piano has a unique European design and an extremely elegant finish which was achieved by its two toned cherry wood body material and chromed metallic parts. The PX-800 is an 88 keys piano keyboard with touch response. It is a very compact and lightweight model that has a slim and simple design that it can be setup anywhere and is very convenient for moving from place to place as the main body weight along with the stand of the piano is just 41Kgs. The entire dimension of the piano is just (H x W x D) 79.6 x 143.6 x 29.8 cm. The stylish Privia PX-800 is sure to fit in any kind of decor.

Parts maintaining the elegance:

The PX-800 is an integrated model with stand and pedals and this model is equipped a sliding keyboard cover that preserves the distinct stylish form of the piano even when the lid is left open. The piano has a built-in SD card slot and expanded song memory. The SD card slot supports the SD memory cards and supports cards of up to 1GB and cannot take cards of larger capacity.

Excellence in sound quality:

The Privia PX-800 88 key Digital Piano takes the digital piano sound quality to an entirely new level. It has four powerful, high output two way speakers, twenty watts each. It has a three pedal unit that is capable of half damping expression and the PX-800 manages to achieve true reproduction of the rich sounds of a two grand piano. The state of art sampling engineering allows this digital piano to produce the most advanced acoustic piano sound.

On-board effects and an Extensive Library in PX800:

The Casio PX-800 piano keyboard has 162 tones with layer and split. The digital effects of the piano includes four types of reverb, four types of chorus, DSP, acoustic resonance and brilliance of range -3 to -1 and 1 to 3. This model has 72 demo songs and 60 tunes. This music library gives you plenty of tunes to play along with on the Privia. Auto Accompaniment functions include 20 rhythms, different fingering and chord ranges, adjustable accompaniment volume, intros, fills, and adjustable tempos. The song volume is adjustable.

Recorder and its functions:

If you wish to record your own composition in real time and hear it play back, Casio has thought of it earlier and equipped the piano with a recorder. The two functions of the recorder are, real time recording and playback. The recorder has a capacity of 5 songs or 2 tracks or approximately 50,000 notes in total. The recording media is the built-in flash memory that we had mentioned above.

Loaded with Latest Advanced Features:

Casio has loaded its Privia PX-800 with heaps of advanced features. It has the New Advanced AIF (Acoustic and Intelligent Filtering system) Stereo Sampled Tri element sound source. It has 128 polyphony notes and these notes reverberate naturally without having to be cut off during the high speed passages and performances that demand intensive damper pedal operations. With the aid of the piano’s New Advanced Filter, the notes change and decay naturally with the realism of an acoustic piano. The New Touch Response Sensitive System makes the sound source to respond according to the amount of pressure that is applied to the keyboard. This provides the player with an opportunity to shape and colour their performances with everything from blooming fortissimos to delicate pianissimos.

Incredible sound and feel:

With the above mentioned features you might have guessed correctly that Casio has built incredibly realistic grand piano sound and feel into the PX-800. Its 88 touch sensitive keys offer an incredibly expressive playing experience.

Warranty:

Casio has offered its Privia PX-800 one year standard warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

The Casio PX-800 88-key digital piano gives you amazing grand piano sound, advanced features, and a powerful stereo speaker system. Some of the reasons why you simply cannot miss this keyboard are its real piano sound and feel, onboard effects and processors, built-in recorder and the extensive song library. The instrument accomplishes its goal to play and feel like a full sized manual piano with the help of its hammer action keys. Said that, we do not have even the slightest of hesitations to strongly recommend this Privia digital piano keyboard.

Casio PX-800 Privia Compact Digital Piano - Technical specifications

With the introduction of the SP250 Electronic Digital Piano with Stand, Korg has attained a new level of realism and feel to its range of portable digital pianos. Korg has made it possible by expanding its range of expression and performance with an exceptional and outstanding new stereo piano sound that matches the third generation RH3 graded action keyboards. The stereo sampled piano sound and the 88 key keyboard feels amazingly real.

Stylish, sturdy and durable:

The Korg SP-250 digital piano keyboard which oozes with features will be a incomplete if it has not got a sturdy, durable and even more importantly a stylish look. However, Korg has made no mistake by giving it a chick black design that is highlighted by metal and wood grain accents with a solid music rack included that mounts in seconds. The control panel is simple and easy-to-use and includes 19 LED indicators for instant visual feedback. MIDI In/Out jacks connect the SP-250 to a synthesizer or other MIDI-equipped device, either a computer or a sequencer that allows the SP-250 to be used as both a master keyboard and a 16-part multitimbral sound module for performance and composition.

Loaded with features:

The company has managed to sample a perfectly tuned piano in true stereo from a variety of different mic placements for a palette of awesome piano sounds that would make any pianist or any other person envy. To be very specific, the samples in the Korg are lengthier than any other keyboard of the same class. This makes even the slow and emotive passages even more full, dramatic and authentic without any audible loop slicing that spoils the atmosphere. Increased length means the piano sound sustains more naturally, so the piano sounds more real throughout the performance, not just at the attack. To round out the piano offerings, the SP-250 Midi Keyboard also features a vintage electric grand sound, as well as an authentic honky-tonk piano. Differences in playing dynamics and position in the stereo field have been faithfully captured, delivering naturally expressive piano sounds that recreate every detail. Korg has offered three versions of this amazing piano sounds in order to suite different tastes and genre needs.

Additional instrument voices and related features in SP-250:

The features of the SP250 Portable Digital Piano does not stop with it as it boasts a range of additional instrument voices that include an assortment of classic electric pianos (reed and tine styles), church and jazz organs, string and choir sounds, harpsichord and clav(s), even mallet percussion and guitar sounds are available at the touch of a button. Whatever is the situation you are trying to play the SP250, you will be able to find the appropriate sound that you are looking for. Two sounds can be layered together to play simultaneously, and of course you can adjust the balance to get the perfect blend. To help you audition the sounds 30 demonstration songs ranging from classics to originals are built in, showing off all the sounds in a variety of musical genres.

Dual effects built-in:

The piano has even got effects such as reverb and chorusing, built-in. While the Reverb effect recreates the spaciousness of a concert hall, a chorus effect a colourful depth to the sound. This enhances your favourite instrument sounds and the instrument layering function will aid in people who like experimenting and exploring. The effects settings have been optimized for each individual sound and the user can choose from three levels: Light, Normal and Deep in order to complement his or her performance.

RH3 weighted keyboard action:

The RH3 weighted keyboard action adds to the real piano like experience that is already offered by the SP250’s realistic piano sound. The working principle of this latest refinement of the “Real Hammer” mechanism is that, the RH3 keys are weighted differently depending on where they are in the keyboard’s range, emulating the subtle variations in action of an acoustic piano’s keyboard. Musicians who are used to playing on an acoustic instrument will appreciate the quick response from SP250 and also the familiar feel of the RH3 keys, whereas, the new players will be getting the accurate piano experience they will need to be comfortable on the real thing later on. Not only are the keys on the SP-250 substantial and responsive, but their sensitivity range can be adjusted to suit the player.

Extras:

Korg has also added a lot of other extras that would make practicing in the instrument very efficient, either with some experts help or alone. The board has got a flexible metronome along with an intuitive slider that aids in tempo adjustment. There are also two headphone outputs, one for the student and another for the teacher along with a transpose function which will be very handy for playing along with your favourite songs. In addition to equal temperament, the SP-250 provides the two most common Baroque and Classical era tunings (Kirnberger and Werckmeister) for historically-accurate performances.

A complete package:

As we had mentioned in the introduction, the package is complete in a real manner as everything that you will ever need has been included in the package itself. The box includes a very sturdy stand, built-in speakers and even an integrated damper pedal. There is nothing more you could possibly expect from a digital piano keyboard.

Robust stand:

The best among the included accessories is the sturdy and robust stand which makes the keyboard even more compact. We say that because, being a compact keyboard, there is no point if it is going to be placed on some desk or dining table. The stand provided not only occupies very less work space, it makes the whole experience even more stylish. Since this sturdy and durable stand is custom designed for the SP250, you will not experience any kind of wobbling or tipping.

Damper pedal:

The pedal is optional for most of the digital piano keyboards of this price range, but Korg has included the damper pedal as standard with the SP250. The damper pedal included gives the user access to a realistic acoustic piano damping action, which adds to the realism and expressiveness of the musical instrument. The pedal gets attached itself securely to the integrated stand and hence, it does not slide back and forth when the player plays the instrument. The stand’s lower crossbar even prevents the pedal from “creeping” forward in performance. Best of all, the SP-250 can be easily removed from the stand for moving and taking around for live performances.

Built-in speakers:

The built-in speaker system which is a full range system is a very powerful one. This makes the entire package complete and makes the instrument playable right out of the box. Each of the speakers have a power of 11watts and a range that sports a bass reflex port to have extended low end. This configuration helps in faithfully reproducing inspiring and stereo sampled piano sounds on the Korg SP 250.

Warranty:

Korg offers the SP-250 88 key Portable Digital Piano one year limited warranty.

Conclusion:

The Korg SP-250 has turned out to be the bestfor any pianist looking for rich piano sounds and has the convenience of a lightweight and portable instrument. The SP250 proves to be a perfect instrument for both a novice user who is looking to learn playing the instrument and for an adept in the instrument. The SP250 will have you playing right out of the box.

The Korg SP-250 is a top quality portable piano with amazing sounds and an expressive graded action keyboard. Its built-in musical styles with other features like chorus & reverb effects, layering and key transpose feature makes the digital keyboard a great value for money. The SP-250 is perfect for those who appreciate quality in both sound and design.

KORG SP-250 Digital Piano - Technical Specifications, Features

The Oxygen 8 v2 is basically the enhanced and updated version of the mobile MIDI controller that was responsible for the mobile studio revolution. In the current era even the smallest of the MIDI controllers come packed to the gills with a lot of bells and whistles and Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key controller Portable Keyboard is not an exception.

Extremely compact offering mobile operation:

The Oxygen 8 v2 Portable 25-key keyboard looks very much similar to its popular predecessor, but it has got a redesign done and in fact looks much better. Though the form factor remains to be the same, thankfully, the original’s unattractive casing and logo are replaced with rather a stylish orange and silver colour scheme with a chunky styling. Front panel sports a three segment LCD that gives the information that is required for programming the parameters in a glance. The M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI controller is fully USB powered and does not have any fragile appendages. It can be tossed in to bags without any fear of damage.

Cleverly deigned:

The entire unit has a clever design by locating the modulation wheels and the pitchbend, just above the left hand side of the keys. This kind of an arrangement makes the unit shorter making it even more compact. This compactness of the M-Audio Oxygen 8 V2 Digital Piano Keyboard is a great advantage to the controller as it needs very less desk space and can be carried around easily.

The control panel:

As in the case of the mobile MIDI controller, M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 too is having eight limited movement knobs. Along with the 8 limited movement knobs, it also sports an all new transport control section that includes controls like play, stop, record, forward, rewind and loop. The user will also be able to transpose notes on the two octave keyboard up five octaves or down four octaves by using the large octave shift button that has a convenient place on the right of the pitch and modulation wheels. It possesses ten factory presets that cover a wide range of soft synths. The available presets can also be overwritten with user’s own set of customisable setups.

Snapshot mode and mute mode:

The control panel of the keyboard also possesses a set of controls that allows the user to access various functions of the keyboard that includes a snapshot mode and a mute mode. The Snapshot mode is where all the MIDI controllers send their value to the user’s sequencer and the mute mode is where the knobs can be adjusted and made sure that the data is not sent out. The mute button prevents parameters from jumping when they are changed and then the snapshot button has to be pressed in order to transmit all the current settings.

Advanced editing mode:

The Advanced Function button enables the keyboard to serve as a data entry device for the sake of controller assignment and similar set-up functionalities. The advanced editing mode also allows the users to make easy CC adjustments. All of them are labelled clearly. All it takes is just a couple of button pushes to access these and the other keyboard parameters. This makes the Oxygen 8 v2 perfect for composing on the go or even performing live bass lines and pads, firing samples, or triggering audio and visual effects.

Stack of features:

M-Audio’s Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller is stacked with a range of features that includes 25-note velocity-sensitive, synth action with +/-4 octave transposition, Dual MIDI outputs and Ableton Live Lite music.

The Enigma editing software:

The Enigma editing software allows you to set up the MIDI keyboard controller as per wish without having to resort to the Advanced editing mode where the notes of the keyboard doubles as edit buttons and function. A lot of parameter options are available that can be accessed using Enigma editing software that can be downloaded from the M-Audio website after registering your details in the site. It is M-Audio’s patch editing and library software that can be used to create customised controller set-ups. Once the software is installed, it is a breeze to operate as it has a very simple and user-friendly interface. This interface includes a graphical representation of the M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI Electronic keyboard, making it a snap in making a choice on which button or controller needs to be edited.

All that you have to do is, double click over an assignable control and that action would bring up an Editor window. The attributes of the control can be tailored to the user’s specific requirements in this window. To add to the ease of use of the interface, a list view can also be got instead of the graphical interface. Once the process of preset is completed, it can be saved to a PC and transferred to and fro the keyboard controller at your will and wish. This is a great advantage as, with a limited memory of 10 slots, the user will be able to create as many presets as they like and then copy them across the keyboard when required. This Enigma software is compatible with both Mac and PC.

Memory:

As mentioned earlier, M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Portable Keyboard has got ten non volatile memory locations and is compatible with the free Enigma software for a computer based storage, retrieval and management of an unlimited number of patches.

Total control of the MIDI functionalities:

Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI Keyboard Controller gives the user a total MIDI control. It has proved that MIDI is just not about triggering the notes by offering everything that it takes to access all the deep parameters in software and hardware, hence enabling you to get the maximum out of them. The eight knobs can be mapped to any of the synth parameters that the user would want to program or perform or even mixer controls like volume, panning and effects send. The buttons can be assigned to trigger sample and perform anything else that is MIDI programmable. Though the assignment is simple, it allows the user to delve as deep as they would want. Each of the controller will be able to map any applicable parameter in the MIDI spec which also includes the independent channel addressing for each. In short, the possibilities as limited only by the users imagination.

Ableton Live Lite:

Ableton Live Lite delivers much of the functionality of Ableton Live which is the revolutionary, multi-award winning music production solution that allows the user to spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise and edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment. Live brings the acoustic, electronic and virtual instruments, as well as the digital audio recordings and MIDI sequences together in a single interface with unparalleled ease of use.

Warranty:

M-Audio offers M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 two years warranty.

Verdict:

The M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 is a fine controller keyboard that performs its duty with a great deal of efficiency. Despite the high level of sophistication of the M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2, it is pretty tiny, offering a great deal of portability and ease of use. Though it would have been highly useful if more presets are supplied, the Enigma software offered makes creation a pain free and a speedy process. The Oxygen 8 v2 in particular fulfils its mandates splendidly. It has managed to pack a great of functionality into a tiny space and is a great fun to be used. It is a great addition to the MIDI controller market and we recommend it without a slightest of hesitation.

M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI Keyboard - Technical Specifications, Features

Key lighting keyboards are the perfect starter keyboards to any of the starters at any age. The Casio LK-110 is one of  that kinds and hence is no exception, in the fact that it a great starter kit. The Casio LK-110 key lighting keyboard is as practical as it is fun.

LK-110 - A keyboard with a lot of bells and whistles:

Casio LK-110 Lighted keyboard has a very high end look. It sports a large LCD display that indicates the function and the song title. The buttons include a tempo control, a volume slider and rhythm controls and there are other controls too. It sports two speakers of 10cm diameter each.

There is a microphone jack, but then the microphone is not included in the package. The other ports include MIDI in and out terminals, sustain terminals and phones or output terminals. The keyboard’s music rest gives you a place to put your song book or any other sheet music as you advance in skill.

The key light-up function:

Casio LK-110 Music Keyboard has 61 full size keys. It has in it the optional light-up function that enables the young talents to play the keyboard immediately. The novice players get to get a great deal of confidence as they play straight away by following the lighted keys. These lighted keys allow the beginners to get familiar with each of the hundred tunes that are already built-in inside this piano’s song bank. The tempo of the songs can be slowed down and then increased as the kids begin to improve. A song book is also included that allows the novice users to view the printed musical notes for each of the songs.

A great guide:

An on-screen LCD timing indicator teaches you correct timing, and the Casio LK 110 has a Voice Fingering Guide which uses a simulated voice to call out a number, telling you which finger you use on next note when it detects that you are lagging, stopped, or playing wrong notes.

An instrument for the advanced players too:

Having the key lighting feature included, advanced players might be having a doubt on if it is not a player for them. The answer is no because you can always turn off the lighting feature for the advanced players to use it as a traditional keyboard. This will prove to be a great instrument for the advanced users too as they will find it very easy to change keys. It would be a great experience for them to sing along with the tune once a microphone is fixed in.

The song bank with 100 popular tunes:

The song bank that Casio LK-110 Electronic Keyboard features is a fun feature. All the 100 built-in songs that the keyboard has got are the popular and they can all be heard at just a push of a button. The list of songs in the song bank include everybody’s favorites like jingle bells, a peppy rendition of Happy Birthday to You and a variety of classical songs. They include ranging from children’s lullabies and traditional American classics to popular holiday tunes and classical pieces. The theme song of the “Finding Nemo” movie is going to absolutely thrill the kids.

Feature rich:

Casio LK-110 Midi keyboard is stacked with a whole lot of features. It includes around fifty built-in auto-accompaniment patterns that would make kids feel like rock stars. Another very interesting feature of the keyboard is that, once you just select a chord, the keyboard automatically produces a matching bass, chord and rhythm.

Support for MIDI:

Casio LK-110 has support for the MIDI that is, Musical Instrument Digital Interface files with five channel multi- timbre receive. It is an industry-standard protocol defined in that enables electronic musical instruments such as keyboard controllers, computers, and other electronic equipment to communicate, control, and synchronize with each other. MIDI allows computers, synthesizers, MIDI controllers, sound cards, samplers and drum machines to control one another, and to exchange system data.

Verdict:

Casio LK-110 key lighting keyboard is the ideal learning tool for young new pianists and is a great fun way to experience music. It has plenty of bells and whistles to attract kids. It is great fun as it lights up and plays. The key lighting feature helps the players to develop timing and accuracy. However, we have to confess that the attraction does not stop within it as it is a greatly built musical instrument, using which children can really learn how to play music.

Casio LK-110 key lighting keyboard comes with one year manufacturers warranty.

Casio LK-110 Digital Piano Keyboard - Technical Specification Table

Grand pianos are the most graceful and elegant forms of piano and it is usually said that, anybody who has ever had the aspiration of becoming a pianist longs to play this particular kind of piano model. Within the type Grand Pianos itself, there are a lot of other types that range from the concert grand piano which is used by the professional players to the compact grand ones which are, as the name indicates, space saving, yet allows you to enjoy the full scale of sounds. The following is a review on the portable grand piano, Yamaha YPG-535. You probably know that Yamaha makes some of the world’s finest grand and baby grand pianos.

What you can expect from Yamaha YPG-535 Portable Grand Piano:

Yamaha YPG-535 is an 88 key portable keyboard that gives you an experience of playing a grand piano by sound and feel in a portable package at a very affordable price. The graded soft touch action that it provides, will make beginners to professional players all in love with it. The built-in interactive lessons provide a user definable tempo that would allow learning at your pace which will be a great boon for the beginners.

Body, keyboard and display:

The body of the piano has a champagne gold colour finish. Yamaha YPG-535 Digital Piano Keyboard has its dimensions as (H X W X D) 775mm x 1354mm x 485mm and weighs 17kgs. The keyboard has eighty eight keys that are of graded soft touch keyboard type. The other controller that is available is the pitch blend controller. The YPG-535 Piano Keyboard from Yamaha has a full dot LCD which has a size of 320 x 240 dots. This is a monochrome display with score display function and lyrics display function.

The Yamaha Education Suite: Y.E.S

Yamaha YPG-535 has a large and LCD display and three lesson modes which will be highly helpful when you make use of the Y.E.S.

The Yamaha Education Suite is the main feature of this grand piano keyboard. Y.E.S stands out from the other frustrating educational software of the past. Y.E.S offers you a very user friendly and easy to understand and is a learning system that is very effective. The YPG-535 Electronic Piano Keyboard has 30 internal songs and there are another 70 of them included in the CD ROM and the notes for them are presented on a music staff that will be placed ahead of you. All that you need to do is, choose one of these and then choose a lesson mode.

Lesson modes:

As we had mentioned earlier, there are three lesson modes that include “Wait Mode” that stops playback until you play the correct note, “Your Tempo Mode” that slows down the playback when you play incorrect notes, which allows you to learn at your own pace and at the same time get a feel for the rhythm and finally, the “Minus One Mode” plays a song with one part removed, so that you can play along with the other elements of the music. The Minus One mode works like a piano karaoke, except for the fact that, here you get to choose what part needs to be played. You will be able to sense a progress that is natural each of which adds to the ability and style that you had attained from the previous lesson mode. All the three lesson modes have about seven levels that are of ascending levels of difficulty which allows you to enhance your abilities and fine tune them.

Automatic Grading Function:

Yamaha has employed an automatic grading function that gives you a honest feedback on your performance. This system is not liberal and gives you only the hard and the bitter truth. A chord dictionary is also available that aids you in familiarising with the common chordal voicings and intervals. Each of these chords are displayed in names and notes on the LCD musical staff. Though you might be having plans for private lessons, the Y.E.S will surely give you a huge head start and a distinct learning advantage. If the song contains lyric and chord data, the lyrics and chords will also appear on the score display. No lyrics or chords will appear on the display if the song does not contain the appropriate lyric and chord data.

Yamaha Digital Music Notebook:

Yamaha YPG-535 grand piano does not just stop with helping you out with your sight reading, you will also be able to play as many bits of music as you wish. A USB is provided that connects the keyboard to your computer which in turn can be connected to the net. Any form of music that is stored in the MIDI format can be downloaded to the YPG 535 and displayed on the large LCD display as a notated score. The file that you have downloaded can also be played by the Yamaha YPG 535 MIDI Keyboard so that you can here it before you actually play it by yourself. If you do not find the song that you were actually searching for, then, you could also load Yamaha’s Digital Music Notebook, which is an online service that lets you download transcriptions of the most popular music of today, as well as additional lesson books. You can load the songs directly into the Yamaha YPG-535 or your system and just print out the notes. With Yamaha YPG-535 Digital Piano Midi Keyboard you will be introduced to the world of interactive music.

Built-in six track sequencer:

Yamaha YPG-535 88-Key Portable Grand Piano Keyboard has a built-in six track sequencer that records whatever you wish to. It has options for you to combine different musical instruments in one song and for that, the Yamaha YPG-535 has over 361 amazing sounds which you can choose from. The sounds include organs woodwings, strings, drums, guitar sounds etc. You can save the favourite work of yours either by uploading it into your system or even by connecting it to an external hard disk or thumb drive.

Physical features:

The built-in stereo two way speaker system works finely and reproduces the music from the YPG-535 in an amazing way. The graded soft touch keyboard adds to the pianists pleasures. Comprised of semi weighted 88 keys, just like a full sized piano, it approximates the action of real, mechanical ivories. When a Yamaha FC4 sustain pedal is plugged in, you will be able to attain dynamic damper effects that gives you a complete and authentic control over your music.

Similar to that of the actual pianos, the lower keys are heavy in touch and the higher keys are light which provides with a soft touch of digital keyboard for the beginners. The Yamaha YPG-535 delivers sweet cool voices that sound incredibly natural and dynamic. When you use the Pitch Blend wheel, voices of that of the Sax and Trumpet sound very alive and it would be really tough for you to differentiate between the real sound and this. The YPG-535 grand piano makes use of a wide range of electronically amplified and acoustic instrument sounds that are used to fully capture the natural presence, expression, vibrato and resonance of the real instrument.

There are nine different reverb types that let you add rich, concert-hall ambience to your performance.

Easy Song Arranger feature:

The Easy Song Arranger feature allows you to select any other style to play the song in addition to the songs original default style. For instance, with the Easy Song Arranger feature, you will be able to play a song that is usually a balled as a hip-hop tune or anything else. Just by changing the style in which the song is played, you can create arrangements that are totally different. The image can be completely changed when you change the melody voice of the song and the voice of the keyboard.

Performance Assistance Technology:

The Performance Assistance Technology allows you to play along with the song on the instruments keyboard. With this feature you can give the perfect performance each time because even if you play the wrong notes, all that you will have to do is, play on the keyboard alternately on the left- and right-hand ranges of the keyboard, and you will sound like a pro as long as you play in time with the music.

The helpful Music Database:

If you are wanting to play the music in your favourite style, but struggling to select the style and the best voice for the type of music that you are willing to play, all that you need to do is, simply select the appropriate style from the Music Database. The panel settings of Yamaha YPG-535 grand piano gets automatically adjusted for the correct combination of style and sounds. This grand piano also allows Music Database files to be transferred from your system or a stored USB flash memory device and these files can be used in the same way as they are in the internal Music DB.

The package and warranty:

The package of the Yamaha YPG-535 USB Midi Keyboard includes a stand along with a sustain pedal and power adaptor. Yamaha offers YPG-535 two years extended warranty.

Conclusion:

This is an amazing piano with its great sounds, integrated learning and composition tools, fits in to any house, budget and lifestyle. It is a great tool for both the professionals and beginners make starting to play easy and the learning process fun and rewarding. With on-screen notation display, interactive lessons, and the feel of a real, acoustic piano, the Yamaha YPG535 is the quickest and most effective way to start learning to read music. Music lessons and a fine instrument are two of the best investments you would ever make, and both can be found in the Yamaha YPG535.

Yamaha YPG-535 Digital Piano Keyboard - Technical Specification Table