Digital Pianos

First let’s look at digital pianos.  A good brand to look at, because of it’s extensive catalog of music keyboards, is Yamaha.  Yamaha is a leading manufacturer of keyboard instruments, making some of the most respected and revered concert grand pianos in the world.  When it comes to digital pianos, Yamaha is also a top-notch brand.  Within the digital piano category Yamaha has six series.  The Modus series offers pianos with a modern, stylish design geared towards those who want a “decorative” instrument for home decor, as well as excellent sound.  For a digital piano that’s as close as possible to sounding and feeling like a real acoustic piano, the Clavinova series is the best Yamaha offers.  The sound of the Clavinova digital pianos is taken from Yamaha’s best acoustic concert grand piano, the CF III S.  The Clavinova CLP and CVP models have the same grand piano sound, subtle characteristics such as string resonance, weight gradation of the keys (often referred to as “graded hammer action” or similar terminology), three foot pedals, and amplification system (Tri-Amp system).  The main difference between the two is the CLP models feature a more traditional upright piano design with a simpler digital control interface whereas the CVP models offer accompaniment styles, several hundred voices such as strings, organs, guitars, etc (whereas the CLP models average about 10 voices), and a wider control panel with a bigger array of controls and an LCD screen.  Yamaha’s Arius models are a simpler version (in form and function) of the Clavinova CLP models.  The Yamaha music keyboards mentioned so far all have 88 keys and are suited for those who want authentic piano touch with weighted keys (or weight gradation as mentioned above, referring to the keyboard action where the keys at the lower register are heavier than keys in the upper register as they are on acoustic pianos) and high quality authentic piano sound in a keyboard instrument they can practice on and enjoy at home.  The digital piano has several advantages over its acoustic counterpart such as not requiring tuning or maintenance, the ability to practice at a lower volume or on headphones, and some of the digital enhancements such as playing different instrument sounds.  Some of the differences among the various models will be the number of audio samples used per key (the more samples, the higher the sound quality), the number of instrument voices, number of recording tracks and recording time (in MIDI format), the strength of the sound system, usb and internet connectivity, keyboard action, and cabinet design.

Yamaha also offers the contemporary digital piano series and professional stage pianos, both of which are designed to be highly portable instruments and feature just the keyboard with digital controls in a compact case.  Aside from having most of the functionality of home digital pianos, the stage pianos will typically also come with a pitch bend wheel, more comprehensive connectivity options to control external equipment (such as an external synthesizer) and interface with computers, and a user interface designed to be as intuitive as possible for live performance. Cabinets, stands, and pedals are optional.  Some models will not have weight gradation of the keys and often require an external loudspeaker.

Roland is another leading manufacturer of high-quality digital pianos.  Their Grand digital pianos are premium quality instruments designed to look and sound like an acoustic mini grand, with even the lid actually affecting the sound.  The polished ebony cabinetry houses the keyboard (with key weight gradation), the electronics, and a high-quality loudspeaker system.  Some of the models also feature “moving keys” that play by themselves to programmed songs (some of the Yamaha Modus models can do this too).  Roland also makes an Upright line that is similar to the Clavinova CLP series produced by Yamaha, as well as a Stage line of digital stage pianos.  Other manufacturers such as M-Audio, Casio, and Kurzweil have their own digital piano offerings similar to Yamaha and Roland.

Arrangers and Workstations

Nowadays the functionality of arrangers and workstations are being combined into one instrument.  Typically the workstation (and many digital pianos) will include the functionality of an arranger.  The hallmark characteristic of a traditional arranger keyboard is a collection of rhythm tracks in various styles (such as jazz, pop, or techno) over which one can play the lead part(s) using a variety of instrument sounds.  This is useful for composers who want to hear what their songs sound like with the sound of a full backing band, for changing the style of a song, or for those who want to perform as a one-man-band all in real time.  Workstations will have additional music creation tools and are geared towards those who want to craft sequences of music note-by-note, line-by-line, with a large palate of high quality instrument sounds to choose from, and even create custom sounds.  The “hardcore” workstations also have built-in audio recording controls and capabilities, and combine audio and midi recording into a complete professional sequencer.  Many workstations also include a virtual Hammond organ instrument voice with virtual drawbars, and a synthesizer to generate new sounds from scratch.  For both arrangers and workstations you’ll find 61, 76, and 88 key music keyboard sizes.  Most, if not all arrangers (and some workstations) do not have weighed keys, but many will at least have touch-sensitive keys that transmit expression.  Many of these instruments will have a pitch bend wheel for added expressiveness and most will have built-in speakers.  Among workstation and arranger keyboard models you will find variations in number of instrument voices, speaker quality, polyphony (how many notes can sound at the same time), accompaniment styles, number of recording channels, key touch sensitivity, split keyboard option (to play two different instrument voices at the same time), digital effects (such as reverb and chorus), connectivity (with computer, auxiliary equipment and modules, internet, etc), and user interface.

Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between an arranger and a workstation.  It’s probably more accurate to say that there are three variations in this category of music keyboards:  workstations, arrangers, and hybrids.  Yamaha offers a line of musical keyboards they call arranger workstations which are essentially hybrids, while their entry-level and synth-focused portable keyboards are their arrangers.  Casio offers portable keyboards (CTK and WK series), some of which they call workstations, but in reality all of their portable keyboards are arrangers, except for their WK 3800 model which I would classify as a hybrid.  Yamaha’s Tyros 3 and Roland’s Fantom 8 are examples of “true” workstations.  In essence, on the “arranger side of the scale” you have an instrument that has little more than a collection of accompaniment styles, songs, instrument sounds, maybe a basic 2-6 track sequencer or recorder, and some effects, whereas on the “workstation side of the scale” you have an instrument that has everything.  More information can be found in this post on arranger and workstation music keyboards.

Synthesizer Music Keyboards

There are various types of synthesizers (synth for short) in various forms (for example those controlled by a touch pad) but the ones relevant to this site are those on which the pitch information is controlled by a keyboard.  The synthesizer often appears as a stand-alone music keyboard instrument, although its functionality is sometimes built-in to workstations.  The synthesizer has functionality to create new, unique sounds from scratch, using a variety of tone generators, pre-created tones, or a combination of.  The synthesizer will have various built-in synthesizer technologies (Roland, for example, offers Elastic Audio Synthesis, AP-synthesis, and Vocal Designer), analog and vocal modelers, filters, and other effects that mold the sound to your imagination (and heart’s) content.

Many vintage analog synthesizers are still highly coveted and used by musicians, but todays keyboard synthesizers offer more sound creation options with a combination of analog and digital signal processing (DSP) techniques.  Roland has an extensive line of dedicated keyboard synths.   Some of these specialize in vocal and vocal ensemble synth sounds (the VP series), while others like the Juno-G integrate features like an audio/MIDI multitrack recorder that you would find on workstations.  The AX series are known as “shoulder” synths which you can play like a guitar. Korg also has an extensive line of dedicated synths, making some of the smallest synth keyboards today such as the MicroKorg and MicroX.  Nord is another well-known manufacturer of digital keyboard instruments that makes dedicated synths such as the Lead 2x and the Wave.  Premium workstations such as the Korg Oasys and Roland Fantom G8 have powerful built-in synthesizer functionality as well.  Each synthesizer, old and new, can be treated as a unique instrument, offering it’s own unique character and functionality.

Organ Keyboards

The pipe organ is a very inspiring instrument and attempts to recreate it’s sound in a compact, portable keyboard instrument have led to some interesting music keyboards.  The Hammond organ is perhaps the most famous of these instruments that has been widely used in popular music.  The original Hammond organs used electronic and mechanical means to generate sound and are fairly big and cumbersome to transport.  Some of today’s digital keyboards made by Nord (C1 and C2), Korg (BX3 and CX3), and Roland (VK-8) are able to replicate its sound digitally in a more portable instrument.  Roland actually has an extensive line of organ consoles featuring two manuals, a pedal board, drawbars, sound system, and control panel with LCD screen all housed in a wooden cabinet.  This is their Atelier series that have several organ sounds including the Hammond and pipe organs as well as accompaniment styles, hundreds of instrument sounds, and other arranger and workstation functions.

In the 1960s an attempt to create an even more portable organ keyboard like the Hammond resulted in what is known as a combo organ.  Some manufacturers like Nord and Korg call their organ keyboards combo organs but they really are not combo organs and instead are emulators of these instruments.  Authentic vintage combo organs like the Vox Continental and Farfisa (two of the most famous of these instruments) were made in the 1960s and 1970s and were characterized by a ”thin” or “cheesy” electronic organ sound (and also looked like they sounded).  They generated sound electronically, much like a synthesizer.  The combo organs would usually made with one manual (but sometimes two), also included drawbars, and typically came with their own set of fold-out legs. These were very portable and thus ideally suited for taking on tours and became important instruments in popular music of that era.

The MIDI Controller

The MIDI controller is another specialized music keyboard who’s functionality is sometimes integrated into workstations.  It is used to control sequencing and audio recording software such as Cakewalk, Cubase, or Logic and makes it easier to enter music into a sequencer, mix and record audio, and allows musicians to play software instrument samples via the computer through loudspeakers.  In some ways the MIDI controller is the “least musical” of the keyboards because it does not create it’s own sounds, but it is still a useful tool that makes music-making on the computer a lot easier and more intuitive than using a mouse.

Some of the leading manufacturers of MIDI controllers are M-Audio (Axiom, Oxygen, and Keystation series), Roland (PCR series), and Studiologic (SL and VMK series).  You can also find MIDI pedal boards (Nord and Studiologic both make one) that you can connect with a music keyboard and a computer to simulate the experience of playing an organ.  In this category you can find keyboards in various sizes, from 25 keys all the way up to 88 keys, some with weighted keys.

By understanding what types of music keyboards are out there, it will be a lot easier to choose the right keyboard instrument to meet your needs.  All music keyboard manufacturers make digital pianos while the other keyboard categories are manufacturer-specific.  Casio, Yamaha, and Roland make arranger/workstations while Kurtzweil, Nord, and Roland make synthesizers, and M Audio makes midi controllers.  Understanding the different options and functions will help to know what you can do with the keyboard, but as I’ve said before, it’s valuable to be able to play different music keyboards to determine which one feels right, and ultimately let your ears be the judge of how it sounds.

Perhaps one area where brand is important is when considering beginner’s music keyboards.  Yamaha and Casio are two brands that come to mind and are pretty much the main companies that make beginner music keyboard instruments.  There are even forum discussions regarding music keyboards by these two brands.  Personally, I’ve owned and have had good experiences with both.  The following is probably a biased assessment, but in my mind Casio music keyboards seem to be of low to mid level product quality.  Perhaps I have the mini, kids music keyboards that Casio makes in mind, but also Casio has an association with Radio Shack, which also has a reputation (at least in my mind) of low to mid level quality products.  Again, perhaps a biased assessment, but many of the forums that discuss this topic concur that Yamaha is the “better” brand when it comes to beginner’s music keyboard instruments.  Indeed, Yamaha is a world-class manufacturer of instruments, including some of the most respected and revered concert grand pianos!  It makes sense that Yamaha is one of the better brands for music keyboards in any price range.

But Casio has a long history of electronics and electronic keyboard making, and does have some quality instruments in its catalog.  The Casio Privia and Cabinet models are quality digital pianos that have weighted action keys and high-quality piano sounds.  Now, if price is an indicator of quality, then Yamaha music keyboards would be several times higher in quality than Casio’s since Yamaha’s price for comparable keyboard instruments is two to three times Casio’s.  Also, Yamaha makes a wider variety of keyboards, with some of their more professional music keyboards (workstations, particularly) offering much more functionality than Casio’s.  There is something to be said, however,for Casio offering a good product at an affordable price.  You may not see a Casio on a stage as often as a Yamaha, but for the average consumer, Casio music keyboards are a good buy for home use.  The digital pianos and arranger/workstation keyboards made by both companies are fairly comparable to each other in terms of functionality and sounds, although many would argue that Yamaha makes a better sounding keyboard than Casio.

For something like a digital piano with a quality crafted wooden cabinet, perhaps it makes sense to look at the company that makes the most models.  In this category Yamaha and Casio (interestingly enough) make the most models.  M Audio is another contender offering several models, and even Korg, Roland, and Kawai have their own offerings.  They are all in the same price range ($1-2 K) and offer similar sound and functionality, but personally, I would look at a Yamaha first, since they have a history and reputation for making high-quality keyboard instruments.

When it comes to workstation and higher-end synth keyboards, those that are more “electronic” in nature, there are some brands other than Yamaha that stand out.  Korg is known for making high-quality workstation and arranger keyboards that are often used on stage.  Roland is another popular brand, and Kurzweil is known for their innovative chip technology and also offering unique sounds not found on other music keyboards.  When looking for some of the more sophisticated functionality and specialized sound creation, Nord is a brand to look for, a company that creates some of the most respected synthesizers in the world that do a great job of matching, as close as possible, analog sounds and real instruments such as hammond organs and mellotrons.

Ultimately, looking at brands when selecting music keyboards will make a difference depending on what type of instrument you’re looking for.  Some brands specialize in certain categories, such as Yamaha being a leader in digital pianos, where Korg is a leader in workstations.  But ultimately, the best thing to do when deciding on a keyboard is to go try them out at the music store, and go by what sounds best and has the features and functionality that you want- the brand may be one of the last things to consider when purchasing a music keyboard instrument.

There have been many attempts to reproduce the sound of a pipe organ electronically while creating a music keyboard instrument that is more portable and cost effective.  The Hammond organ was the most notable attempt at recreating the sound of a pipe organ.  The original Hammond organs use mechanical tonewheels to generate sound, and a combination of the waveforms produced – controlled by drawbars – imitated the effect of a pipe organ’s diverse mix of tones.  It ended up having a distinctive sound that was adopted for performance in jazz, blues, and rock music particularly.  The Hammond organ was invented in the 1930s and it wasn’t until the end of the 20th century that electronic music keyboards were able to reproduce the distinctive sound of this instrument by way of synthesizers.  Nowadays, only a few select music keyboards such as the Hammond-Suzuki XK3, the Nord C2, and the Roland VK-8 can claim to closely reproduce the sound of the Hammond organ.

A realistic pipe organ sound from an electronic music keyboard can only be achieved by sampling each pipe of an actual pipe organ.  Only a few professional music keyboards have authentic pipe organ sounds built in, the Nord C2 being one of them.  The Nord C2 can reproduce a baroque pipe organ sound.  Except, of course, for electronic organ consoles, all other portable music keyboards, even workstations, need to be connected to a computer via MIDI, and the computer needs to be connected to a speaker system to reproduce the sampled organ sound.  There are a few good pipe organ sample libraries available for use with MIDI and sequencing programs which allow one to play the sampled organ sounds using a keyboard connected to the computer via MIDI connection.  One is the  Vienna Instruments Vienna Konzerthaus Organ, a high quality library of a concert hall organ.  Peter Ewer’s Symphonic Organ Samples feature the Cavaille-Coll organ at the Eglise de la Sainte Madeleine in Paris, one of the finest church organs in France.  Notre Dame of Budapest Pipe Organ Samples is another high quality sample library of two symphonic pipe organs in Hungary.  All of these libraries capture multiple individual pipes, the combinations of stops, the space the organ is in, and other details such as windchest noise to create a realistic sound.  Searching for organ samples or virtual organ samples on the web will bring up other quality organ sample libraries.

Any music keyboard with MIDI in/out will do the job of allowing you to play the organ samples mentioned above.  Its better, however, that the keyboard has full sized, “organ weighted” keys so that it feels like a real organ.  Organ keys are “lighter,” or easier to play than piano keys due to the difference in mechanical action required to produce a tone.  For some of the sample libraries, you could setup a multiple manual rig and even use a midi organ pedal-board to get the maximum feel of playing a real pipe organ.  The organ samples are a collection of sounds and require a program to integrate with music keyboards.  Kontakt 2 is one such program that allows one to play certain instrument samples through the computer with a MIDI equipped music keyboard instrument.  Depending on the organ samples, some programs will allow you to route certain organ sounds (such as the organ pedal stops) to certain manuals or the midi organ pedal-board.

Today’s technology allows keyboard musicians to have a satisfying experience playing keyboard instruments such as a piano or organ on electronic music keyboards.  Not only is the physical experience of pressing the keys simulated accurately to a high degree, but also the sound that is produced is very realistic as well (with a good set of speakers or headphones, of course).  Realistic pipe organ samples, such as those of famous cathedrals and concert halls, are very few right now, but the ones that are available now are quite good.  Hopefully, more music keyboards will integrate them as part of the built-in library of sounds in the future.

Both arranger and workstation music keyboards have the same basic set of sounds to choose from (piano, organ, brass, etc) and the standard MIDI musical instruments and drum samples.  The workstation keyboard will usually have a larger pallette of high-quality sounds than an arranger keyboard, and an added advantage:  the ability to create your own sounds.  Workstation keyboards are also known as “synth” keyboards because they allow you to synthesize your own samples, either working with existing samples to create new ones or recording samples from scratch.  Workstation music keyboard instruments also have a larger collection of built-in synthesized sounds than arranger keyboards do.  This does not mean arranger music keyboards have inferior sound.  The top end arranger keyboards have exceptional realistic sounding piano, bass, string, and drum sounds for the purpose of its main strong point:  live performance.

Arranger keyboards excel in live performance and making music “on the fly.”  Arranger keyboards have onboard styles that allow you to create a more “live band” effect by having a complete rhythm, bass, and percussion sections playing while you create the harmonic and melodic content.  Simply play the chord progression and the melodies and the keyboard takes care of filling in the rest.  All arranger music keyboards will offer the ability to introduce fills, intros, endings, and the ability to create variations within a style.  All of this allows a “one man band” to create a live sounding ensemble performance.

Workstation keyboards can also be used for live performance, but require an element of preparation before being ready for the stage.  Workstation music keyboards are equipped with what is known as a sequencer which allows one to essentially create the music from scratch.  You can create all the different parts, line by line, and tailor your music using the wide variety of high quality sound samples that accompany sequencers to create the exact sound you want.  Sequencers have tools such as loops to expedite the completion of a sequence of music.  One can then play this sequence at a live gig and perform leads over it.

When it comes to composing your own music, both arranger and workstation keyboards are adequate for the job.  Each has it’s own way of assisting the composer.  The arranger keyboard has onboard styles over which composers can create the harmonic and melodic content.  This can be useful if composing in a particular style of music.  The workstation has loops and the ability to cut and paste so that a composer can create a few measures of digital keyboard music and then repeat those measures or paste them in other parts of the song.  The workstation does excel over the arranger with respect to composing because of the greater flexibility and the greater amount of options. The sequencer in workstation keyboards allows a composer to create music piece by piece, part by part, line by line, and make it easy to go from concept to the finished composition.

When choosing between arranger or workstation music keyboards, it will be important to determine what you’ll be using the keyboard for.  If you’ll be using it for live performance, an arranger keyboard is going to be more intuitive and a better choice.  If composing music, both would actually work well, although the workstation keyboard will give you more options for creating a finished composition.  Perhaps, if your musical activities require it, you will need both types of music keyboards.

What is it you’re looking for in a music keyboard?  Are you looking for something just to be able to plunk out ideas for compositions?  Is MIDI important to have so that you can connect your keyboard to the computer?  Are you looking for a professional-level instrument with realistic sound for performance?  You can have a keyboard with only 25 keys if you want it portable or a full size 88 key music keyboard.  Many electronic music keyboards will have built-in speakers and the sound quality of the speakers will vary from model to model but are usually fairly similar.  There are musical keyboards that don’t have built in speakers so you’ll need to buy a separate speaker for it.

Don’t forget the pedal!  If you’re looking for a music keyboard instrument that you’ll be performing with, you’ll probably want to get a sustain pedal, which is not always included with the keyboard.  If you’re looking to use your keyboard to enter music into a sequencing program, the pedal can serve several useful functions that will make  the entry of music onto your computer easier.

Some music keyboards are designed for specific music production purposes.  You will see music keyboards that also work as a control for a digital audio workstation (DAW).  These more professional music keyboards will have additional functionality to control levels, panning, and channel selection in audio recording and mixing programs on computers. This kind of keyboard, often called a workstation or “synth” keyboard, allows you create your own sounds and polish up a sequence of music you can play over at a performance.  Synths can also interface seamlessly with programs for composing music and creating MIDI sequences.

Another type of music keyboard is known as an “arranger.”  These will usually have a standard set of instrument sounds and a collection of rhythms included in their sound library.  The majority of these keyboards will usually have additional features that allow the player more musical possibilities but primarily give the player the ability to be an “instant” one-man band.

One type of music keyboard that is usually found in the lower price range is the “educational” keyboard that is designed to make it easier to learn to play the piano.  These keyboards have pre-installed programs and components that essentially teach how to play the piano and learn some songs.  Some even have keys that light up to guide the student in which keys to press.  Although these won’t replace a “real” teacher, they can be used to learn a few simple songs built-in to the keyboard program.

When you know what you need the music keyboard instrument for, it will be easier to search for the one that best fits your needs.  You will find that certain types of keyboards will fall into certain price ranges.  The music keyboards with the built-in speaker and built-in library of sounds will be in the lower price range, whereas the music keyboards with MIDI or DAW functionality will be “the next step up.”  The music keyboards designed solely as an electronic piano (and produce the most realistic piano sound) will usually be in the upper price range.  Decide what you need it for first, and then go try out the musical keyboards at your local music store and pick one out.