KORG SP-250 Portable Digital Piano
Korg, which was originally known as the Keio Electronics laboratories is a Japan Multinational company that was founded in the year 1962. Korg is widely known for its electronic musical instruments and electronic tuners. Korg is one of the most widely used and respected names in the professional music world. The following review is on Korg’s SP-250 portable digital Piano Keyboard. Buying an acoustic piano, you will not have to get any of the extras like headphones or damper pedals. And so, why should you ever invest on an electronic digital piano? Korg has given the perfect answer with its SP-250 which gives the sound and feel of a real piano, that too in a package that is complete in a perfect way.
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
| Manufacturer | Korg |
| Model Name | Korg SP-250 digital piano keyboard |
| Keyboard type | Digital Piano keyboard |
| Dimensions | 50.98″ (W) x 14.96″ (D) x 5.51″ (H) |
| Weight | 41.89 lbs |
| Keyboard | 88 notes (A0 - C8), Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 keyboard |
| Touch Control | Light, Normal, Heavy |
| Sound Generation | Stereo Sampling System |
| LED display | Yes |
| Polyphony | 60 notes (max) |
| Sounds | 30 (5 Pianos, 7 Electric Pianos, Harpsichord, 2 Clavs, Vibraphone, Marimba, Acoustic Guitar, 3 Jazz Organs, 3 Church Organs, 3 Strings, 3 Choirs) |
| Effects | Reverb, Chorus (3 levels each) |
| Demo | 30 songs (10 songs in 3 banks) |
| Metronome | Tempo, Time Signature, Accent and Volume controls |
| Tuning | Key Transpose, Fine Tuning, Temperament |
| Pedal | Damper-style (included), half-pedaling supported |
| Main Amp | 2 x 11 Watt |
| Speakers | Dual Cone Speakers (2 x 10 cm) with bass-reflex speaker box |
| Power Supply | DC 12V (External AC adapter) 3.5A |
| Power Consumption | 42W |
| Package contents | Stand, Music stand, Damper pedal, AC adapter |
| Warranty | One year |
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