Digital stage pianos from Yamaha are considered to be the best in terms of functionality, reliability, and most importantly the price…
If you want to perform an acoustic piano song in a live concert, a digital stage piano can be an ideal substitute to an acoustic one. Digital pianos are convenient options for substituting the sound of a real, large acoustic piano. So, instead of transporting a big acoustic piano to the concert venue, you can simply carry a digital stage piano along. Remember that these instruments have less number of effects as compared to arranger keyboards and synthesizers.
However, they still have the required sounds of various types of pianos and organs. And lesser effects and sounds, means lesser controls too. One more thing that makes these instruments suitable for heavy touring purposes, is their rugged body. Coming to the keyboard, the keys are generally weighted or semi-weighted, to provide the feel of playing a real piano. The standard number of keys on a digital stage piano is 88. Buying a perfect digital piano as per your playing requirements can be tough, considering the wide range of models and that too from the best manufacturers.
Best Digital Stage Pianos
Yamaha CP5
Products from the brand’s CP series are well known for their quality and build. The Yamaha CP5 is considered the best performance stage piano for professionals. This 88-key model has 17 unique electric piano sounds, which are more than sufficient for a performer on stage. Surprisingly, even though it being a stage piano, it is incorporated with 305 additional sounds. A weighted keyboard gives the player the feel of playing an acoustic piano. There are 14 drum kits and 100 profiles which aid in the rhythm section. The price quoted by the company is around $2,600.
Nord Piano 88
Another well-built professional stage piano is the Nord Piano 88. The main feature that musicians can enjoy is that it has 6 selectable profiles for the main piano sound, which further includes various effects. This is claimed to be the world’s first stage piano to give players the freedom to modify and replace the sounds on the instrument. Weighing just 18 kg, it is one of the lightest models in the digital piano market. With a storage capacity of 500 MB and effects like phaser, flanger, chorus, auto-wah, tremolo; you can easily store your unique compositions anytime on the go. This too is priced around $2,600.
Casio Privia PX-330
Casio is a brand that is reputed for offering quality products at a very affordable price. This is evident in the Privia PX-330 stage piano which is the best bet for home or concert use. It has 88 weighted keys which resemble the feel of a true acoustic piano. This is a complete package of sound and rhythm with 250 tones, 4 reverbs, 4 chorus, and 180 rhythm types. A feature worth a mention is the ‘duet mode’ that enables two players to enjoy the feel of the instrument at the same time. In addition, it is available at a price of just about an affordable $1000.
Roland RD-700GXF
The SuperNATURAL technology used in this model from Roland makes the instrument respond to the intensity of the keystroke, for accurate decay or sustain. The RD-700GXF even lets users experiment with personalized sounds and effects using the multi-effects processors built-in. Housing 27 piano tones, 242 standard tones, 6 reverb, and 3 chorus effects; you will never run out of sounds to play with. This Roland masterpiece consists of 200 rhythm effects for beat backups. For the features and effects you get, this is decently priced at around $2,500.
Kurzweil SP2X
The SP2X from Kurzweil is a high-end digital machine appropriate for live performances, but has a simple-to-use interface. The 88-note acoustic piano-like keys are pretty smooth on the hands. A musician can try out a wide range of sounds; considering 58 reverbs, 10 choruses, 4 distortions, 6 flangers, 6 delays, and many other equally good effects. Other standard features include 64 rhythm patterns, a pitch wheel, and a modulation wheel control. So you can get a variety of pianos, strings, voices, and drum pads all in one instrument. At a price of $1400, this is one of the best-selling digital piano models.
You can choose from the above mentioned top-rated models from the brands, or check out other products in the lineup. If you want to go for digital pianos for home use, you will get the best offers from Yamaha and Casio. Digital stage pianos are perfect substitutes for creating accurate piano sounds in situations where carrying a large acoustic piano is not possible.
