Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 08:23 AM CST

Moving down the street from your cool inlaws has many advantages.

1) The kids can walk down the street any time they want to see their grandparents.
2) The grandparents want the kids to have a piano for Christmas.

There are many more great advantages to having family down the street, but while we're hot on the topic of pianos, we are asking, is it better to consider a good digital piano (like the Kawai CE200 - about $1600 new) or find an upright deal?

The guy at the local piano shoppe said hands down he'd go for a digital piano because of the value, no tuning, the sound quality and on and on. He had $5000 pianos a few feet away, but considering our situation, this was his immediate suggestion. There is a split key feature that allows the instructor and the student 44 keys in the same octave- I think that's really cool. Also has headphones!

I don't know Dave from Adam so I'm asking the REAL authorities here at MacJams.

Pros and Cons?

We will all enjoy having a piano in the living room, especially when the grandparents come down to watch a performance.

Thanks,

Bob

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 08:41 AM CST

this is an interesting question! over the past couple of years, i've helped different friends look into pianos for their kids, and without exception each time the friend decided to go with the digital piano, and for all the reasons you listed. i think this is SUCH a generational thing.

as a pianist with a huge grand in my own living room it's hard for me to SAY this, but i have really learned to appreciate the pluses of the digital realm for kids. as long as there are 88 keys so that the transition can be made to the real thing should that ever be appropriate, the range of cool and helpful things a digital piano can do is quite extraordinary - especially for students starting at the very beginning.

i sometimes think about what it would've been like if the world of digital keys had existed when i was a kid - with the capability for different instrument sounds, multi track recording and thus orchestrating to the music i was "making up" when i was supposed to be practicing Beethoven. having only stumbled into a way to orchestrate, finally, in just the last 2 years (now in my mid-50's), it does make me wonder sometimes. i think if you can offer those capabilities to beginners, you're probably really giving them a leg up should it turn out that they have music in them.

good luck - keep us posted will you?

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 09:12 AM CST

For myself, I have a small baby grand in my living room, and sound is very nice, rather colored in a nice way, different from most other pianos I've played. It's a Mason & Hamlin from around the turn of the century, on loan from a former neighbor who was moving to a small condo and didn't have room for it, but I've had it probably over 10 years, in fact I haven't heard from the piano's owner since it was moved into the livingroom. It goes out of tune from time to time, but I figured out how to tune it and it only takes me a couple hours now to get it back in shape. I sort of wish I didn't have it taking up all this space in my living room especially since nobody in the family really plays piano all that much and things tend to collect on top of it. It's difficult to use for recording as I haven't quite figured out what's the best way to mic it and there are also a lot of overtones that I can't quite control. My living room is not a very well tuned room for recording, so I use digital software piano on recordings where I use piano.
I sort of wish I had a digital piano that had a good piano-type action that would be a lot smaller and portable. The baby grand is really much too big for my smallish house. On the other hand, the acoustic piano has a wonderful vibe. Partially that's because it's old and has a really different sort of tone, and I've never heard a digital piano that sounds like this, because of the creaks and oddities of sound is not the kind of thing they put in digital piano samples.

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 09:13 AM CST

There is no substitution for the sound of a real piano IMO but for learning purposes and versatility, and space taken up it is hard to beat a digital piano. Besides, to get a super piano tone, you would have to spend a lot more than $1600 anyway. My vote is digital. Then again I am only a plinker.

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 09:38 AM CST

I own a standard yamaha studio upright. Currently it gets about 5 plays a year!

If the new piano is for "kids" to learn on I'd HIGHLY suggest the digital piano and perhaps one that supports different sounds... Not only can the child truly learn on it, it will also continue to be an exciting item since it is not just straight piano.

If it has midi out then all the better. Eventually we might have a new MJer recording away. To record an acoustic piano well is extremely difficult and requires more equipment than if they just get a Mac and garageband. A midi interface is a few dollars. Some of the newer pianos already have class compliant USB interfaces eliminating the need for a midi interface.

I like to tell the story of my son Ryan. About 5 years ago we started him on guitar with a cheap acoustic and a few lessons. He quickly bored of it and never touched it again. He had shown interest in electrics so we got him a strat and an amp for christmas one year. Now he plays guitar nightly. I think the draw of the instrument has a lot to do with the motivation a child has towards learning it. I see a digital piano has a way to keep the kid going especially if it can be an organ, etc...

Just my two c!

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 10:18 AM CST

as karen and mark suggested the target audience plays a vital role. young kids will most likey benefit more musically with the digital counterpart. A digital piano has more to offer in the way it can provide a variety of functions and sounds which is surely to keep the kids interested. if i was young I think i would prefer a sound library of instruments built in and sacrifice tone. I think it also depends on the kids though, i mean kids are so indecisive. they may want a piano now, but what happens 2 months down the road?! Hey mommy daddy I want to play drums! no wait electric guitar! no wait...violen! So do you really want to spend 2000+ on a beautiful piano with the possibilty it might collect dust in the near future?! im sure this wont be a problem though as im sure you'll find a personal use for it If it was up to me though I would go digital for youngins. if down the road the kiddies are still adamant about piano and grown a love for it, then you can splurge on the real thing. Good luck, hope this was at least a little helpful!

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 10:19 AM CST

Go digital. The comments above by Karen and Mark and Cris and Jim all have merit. For size, price, portability, flexibility, etc., the digital piano has got my vote for a first "piano." I have owned a 7' Mason Hamlin grand for 35 years. It is by far my favorite piano. But for recording purposes, it is virtually useless (too noisy, no cranky, impossible to mic properly). I will add a couple things to the discussion, however (all favoring the digital keyboards): 1. Be sure to purchase an 88 key controller with weighted keys. Not worth it to buy a plastic-keyed number at Costco that feels like a toy! 2. Be sure that the on-board stops actually SOUND like a piano and not a toy. There are a number of manufacturers who do a great job not only with the on-board piano stops, but also woodwinds, etc. How fun for a young player today to have an array of orchestral instruments with which to experiment. (I share Karen's thoughts completely on this level.) 3. Invest in a good set of external speakers. Most digital pianos that come "equipped with speakers" generally sound pretty bad. Speakers and a good amp will help with that. 4. Plugins, of course, are where you find the best digital pianos, but that requires some computing power. Having a good keyboard, though, is the place to start. Everything else can come later. ... I think in today's electronic/digital world it is a fallacy to say/think that all acoustic pianos are better than digital. That simply is not true. There are many MANY crappy acoustic pianos on the market that cost thousands of dollars more than a fantastic digital piano. One only finds really satisfying acoustic pianos when you get up to the 6 and 7-footers, and even there one has to be very careful. For a fraction of the price, a digital piano can provide such breadth in expression and one doesn't have to feel like they've broken the bank on their investment. My two cents.
Paul

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 11:05 AM CST

I knew I came to the right place for answers! You never let me down with your expertise(s). Thank you all for such insight.

What I learned about the Kawai is that it has real wooden keys and that's what the sales guys was boasting about - the feel of it.

Here's an interesting video:

http://www.kawaius.com/main_links/digital/PRO/ce200_demovid.html"

The 4 hands feature is the coolest! About 4:45 into it.

I agree that since it is primarily for the kids, it's the smarter choice. The midi out is cool and it probably will inspire a new generation of macjammers. There are already a few legacy members here. The Whizzies are my faves!! Maybe the Son of Five Extra Arms will join one day? LOL!

I can't wait to show this to Mrs Arms! She'll be so impressed with my smart and helpful friends!

Thanks again!

Bob

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 11:28 AM CST

Time for an almost dissenting opinion... but mostly just more food for thought.

My step-daughter (who we just helped/watched get married this weekend) is a wonderful pianist. She has played many digital and real-acoustic pianos, and she says that she will NEVER EVER own a digital piano. The reason (for her) is this: Only a small part of playing the piano is the "sound" it makes... but for her, she plays for her own satisfaction and joy, and for that reason, there is an additional tactile, downright VISCERAL feeling of the resonance of the instrument... you can FEEL the music coursing back up your fingers and arms, the sound waves melt into your torso as you play, the music permeates you. She says that digital pianos are dry, flat, lifeless pieces of electronics in comparison. But then, she's been playing piano for 15 years now.

So if it were me, since most musical instruments (especially pianos) can be very expensive investments for your children, I would start small, get an inexpensive digital piano to start,and see if they are interested. At the same time, see if you can invite yourself to somebody's house with a REAL acoustic piano, and let them sit with somebody who plays, and let them FEEL the music. And see if they care. If they are not interested, don't buy the Steinway yet :-) Just my thoughts. There really is NOTHING like a real wooden resonating instrument, IMHO.

ttfn,
Drakonis

Re:Digital Piano vs Real Piano
Monday, November 09 2009 @ 11:34 AM CST

From before I was born there has been this little ancient organ in my parent's house and from the time that I could sit upright on the bench, I was playing with that thing. It captured my attention in so many ways - ways I think a regular piano probably wouldn't have at that age. My mom bought a kit of stickers that you put on the keys with the note names on them and i started teaching myself how to play. Once it became obvious that I had a little talent and was really into this, my parents invested in a beautiful upright piano and lessons for me. Both the organ and the upright still occupy space in my parent's home, and both still get played by me whenever I am there.

Also, as someone who has moved all around the country multiple times in the last 15 years, moving a real piano is a pain in the patootie. My digital piano has a couple of screws to remove and voila! And no tuning has to be done once it's been moved to the new place!

So...while I would always always always prefer to HEAR a real piano over a digital, I'm going to agree with Karen and Paul and Mark and all the others who have recommended the digital. At this time it sonds like the perfect choice for you.