Digital Piano
Digital pianos were created as an alternative to the traditional pianos. The modern digital pianos replicate the sound of the grand piano or a traditional piano realistically enough for them to be considered a viable alternative. The affordability, performance and elegance of a digital piano have made it widely popular among the piano buffs and pianists across the globe.
Digital Vs Traditional
Digital pianos today have many advantages compared to the traditional and conventional pianos. Traditional pianos have to be tuned continuously whereas a digital piano needs no tuning. An acoustic piano is heavy and is not easily transportable like the digital pianos, which are lightweight, and hence, easily transportable.
Digital pianos are less expensive than the acoustic pianos and this has prompted many to opt for the former in favor of the latter. Digital pianos are ideal for a beginner who sometimes creates noise instead of music on a piano during his/her years of learning. Practicing on a traditional piano will disturb the neighbors and family. This can be avoided by playing on a digital piano with headphones in total privacy. Wicked, isn’t it?
On a conventional piano, a person can play only piano music. A digital piano is, well, digital, and is a lot more customizable. On a digital piano, it is possible to generate the sounds of a guitar, drum, organ music, etc. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital interface) connected to a computer allows the digital pianos to interact with them. This helps the pianist to record his/her composition in a computer.
Digital Pianos: Sound Timbres
Digital pianos can produce different piano timbres. A digital piano can produce the sounds similar to the sounds of a grand piano, tack piano, upright piano, etc. The music played on the digital pianos can be stored in the ROM. The music samples stored thus are of excellent quality.
Though the digital pianos produce high quality music, they come with many limitations. Harmonic tones cannot be implemented in a digital piano. Polyphony is limited and the pianos lack natural reverberation. Despite all these limitations, professional recordings produced using digital pianos sound exactly like the recordings done, using a real piano.
Digital Pianos: How unique!
One of the most unique features of the digital piano is that MIDI can be implemented on them. This allows a digital piano to control other sequencers and electronic instruments and be controlled by them as. The pianos also possess built-in sequencers so more than two tracks can be recorded. The reverb in a digital piano is simulated electronically. Some digital pianos are enhanced with ‘stage simulation’ and ‘chorus’ effect. Some digital pianos are designed with keys that have lights related to them. This provision allows a novice to learn piano by touching the keys that are lit.
The digital pianos have evolved through the passing years. The digital pianos were connected to MIDI to perform software synthesis, musical sequencing, interactive music lessons and musical notation. The latest technology is the Computer Enhanced Musical Instruments technology (CEMI) that combines and implements both internet and software technologies in a variety of musical instruments.
The latest technology incorporated in the pianos makes playing and recording on the pianos a great experience. Amateurs find practicing on a digital piano very helpful in their process of learning. Professionals are interested to explore, compose, play and record their new compositions through MIDI technology.
Digital pianos are the ‘in thing’ of the new generation. Immaterial of the shape, size and form of a digital piano, the enthralling sound it produces and the exciting in-built features in the pianos make them a much sought after musical instrument.
Tags: acoustic piano, digital piano
