Choosing a Keyboard Instrument

Are you new to musical keyboards?

Here are some things you may want to consider when choosing a keyboard. We offer three different types of these musical instruments: digital piano, electronic keyboard, MIDI controller.

Digital Piano

Though most mass market electronic keyboards can make a piano sound, digital pianos are meant to be a replacement for an acoustic piano. Emphasis is placed on the replicating the size of the instrument (88 keys) and the feel of the keys (weighted, hammer action). There often other functions, such as a limited array of other voices (particularly piano-like voices, like harpsichord, organ, and vintage electric piano). There may be automatic rhythm and recording capabilities. These are secondary functions, though, and typically limited in scope when compared to an electronic keyboard in the same price range.

Choose a digital piano if your intent is to learn or practice piano, particularly if you are regularly playing an acoustic piano elsewhere. The commonality between the two will be helpful in carrying what you've learned or practice to your other instrument.

Electronic Keyboard

Once upon a time, keyboards bearing electronics either synthesized tones or somehow reproduced sampled instruments, even if by playing a short section of magnetic tape (the melltron). The wide category of modern electronic keyboards is a composite of synthesizer, sampling keyboard, and drum machine. In essence, it's meant to be a small music studio, giving the player lots of flexibile voices (both natural and synthetic-sounding), and a wide variety of rhythms.

Electronic keyboards shine brightest when used in conjunction with a computer. There are more voices and percussion sounds than a keyboard player can handle simultaneously, but a computer can be used to record many layers, one at a time, just like in a studio. To this end, it is not so limiting when an electronic keyboard has fewer keys than a piano. The pitch range is easily shifted within the computer program or keyboard. Choose an electronic keyboard for creativity in the overall process of making music.

MIDI Controller

Everything said about electronic keyboards goes for MIDI controllers, too. In fact, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is the language by which the computer understands and controls the electronic keyboard. A MIDI controller is simply an electronic keyboard without any built-in sounds or speakers. All sound generation and amplification must come from another electronic device, such as a computer with a sound card.

There are two advantages to a MIDI controller over an electronic keyboard. One is price. For example, if you want to compose and create songs on a computer and would like to change the vibrato, modulation, attack, decay, and many other characteristics of a tone as you play it, you can do so with a relatively inexpensive keyboard controller and a sound card combination. The same level of control on a full electronic keyboard will be much more expensive. The second advantage is smaller size. If your aim is to create music with a computer and wish to use a keyboard to record parts, either in real-time or note-by-note, a MIDI controller will take up less desk space between you and your monitor.