Hemingway DP-501 Digital Piano Review
Hemingway is a dedicated manufacturer of the digital pianos; they have got the right digital pianos for every demand. In the following review, we will be seeing about their DP-501 digital piano in detail.
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
| Manufacturer | Hemingway |
| Model Name | Hemingway DP501 |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 1400 x 490 x 860 mm |
| Weight | 53 kg |
| Keyboard | 88 weighted keys with hammer action and touch sensitivity |
| Display | One line LCD, green |
| Finishes available | Piano Black, Rosewood and Anthracite |
| Polyphony | 64 notes (max) |
| Voices | 8 voices: Grand Piano, Upright Piano, E-Piano 1, E-Piano 2, Harpsi, Vibes, Strings, Organ; Dual Voice with layer volume adjustment |
| Digital effects | Reverb, Chorus |
| Metronome Tempo Range | 1/4; 2/4; 3/4;4/4; 6/4; 6/8 and 12/8 |
| Demo Songs | 8 incorporated demo songs |
| Adjustable volume | Yes |
| Recorder functions | 2- Track Sequenzer |
| Recorder capacity | 3000 |
| Pedals | Soft, Sostenuto, Sustain |
| Speaker Type | 2 x 40 Watt amplifier with 2 x 6,5”; 2 x 2” speakers |
| MIDI | Yes |
| Connections | Headphones (x 2), LINE OUT, LINE IN, MIDI In, MIDI Out, pedals, power cord |
| Warranty | Three years |
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