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Benefits of Owning a Digital Piano

Just as the digital age revolutionized the world of personal computing, digital technology has revolutionized the world of music making and teaching with the introduction of the digital piano. And just as Apple took an existing concept and made it better and more accessible, companies like Roland have incorporated new technology to create digital pianos with capabilities beyond their acoustic counterparts. Today, Roland is a leader in the digital piano field.

Digital pianos are creating a whole new musical world. The good ones not only give you natural acoustic piano sound and touch, but a vast selection of instrument sounds, all kinds of accompaniment functions and almost endless music education and entertainment possibilities.

But the best digital pianos give you even more, putting a virtually infinite range of musical possibilities at your fingertips. They offer things like intuitive interface menus, user-friendly music score displays and easy interactive touch-screens that make learning and playing the piano easier and more fun than ever before.

A digital piano offers a number of benefits that an acoustic piano can't. Let's look at a few:

The Tone of a Concert Grand

Make no mistake, a high quality digital piano such as the Roland HP and KR Series, is not a toy. It's a quality instrument that plays and sounds like an acoustic piano. Advancements in digital technology have enabled companies like Roland to electronically capture and store all of the identifiable tone and resonance characteristics of a real concert grand. This process is called "sampling," and it's the heart of a quality digital piano. Through the process of sampling, the tonal characteristics and nuances of a real, world-class concert grand piano, from deep bass to resilient treble, can be captured and stored internally and recalled instantly at the touch of a button.

Never Needs Tuning

How can this be, you might ask? Because, with a digital piano, there are no strings attached, literally! Basically, an acoustic piano creates its sound as the hammer strikes against a string, which resonates inside the piano's soundboard where it's amplified and projected naturally. A piano's strings, as with any natural object that gets stretched between two points, are susceptible to the forces of nature, including heat, light, moisture, and humidity. Since a digital piano uses electronics and sampling technology to simulate the sound and nuances of an acoustic piano, strings aren't necessary on a digital piano. As a result, a digital piano will stay in tune in any environment, and under any playing conditions.

The Touch of a Concert Grand

The problem with many digital pianos is that they sound great but play poorly, with keyboards that are very springy and light. Roland pays great attention to recreating the touch and response of an acoustic grand piano and goes to great lengths to recreate the realistic feel of a fine keyboard. Roland's acclaimed hammer-action keyboard uses a mechanism modeled after the action of an acoustic grand. Because the initial and dynamic loads of the hammer-action keyboard are almost identical to the ideal touch of a fine acoustic piano, Roland digital keyboards respond realistically to every expressive playing nuance.

Silent Practice With Use of Headphones

The benefits of owning a digital keyboard extend past the high quality, realistic sounds and learning tools you get. The opportunity of practicing or playing silently with headphones on is an important benefit for the player and the family. This can be a real asset and confidence-builder for those who feel too intimidated to practice with others around. When using a digital keyboard, just plug in the headphones and tune out the rest of the world! You're free to practice and learn at your own pace. Add to that the benefits of being able to practice at any hour, day or night, without disturbing family, neighbors, etc., and it's easy to see how a digital keyboard and a pair of headphones can increase your skill and confidence.

Additionally, many Roland pianos like the KR107 offer multiple headphone outputs for teacher/student learning environments. The family also benefits in that their schedule of study or other activities are not interrupting your practice session, nor is your practice interfering with their ability to concentrate and be involved in activities on their schedule.

Variety of Sounds

Imagine being able to access a variety of instrument sounds from your keyboard, including' guitar, saxophone, strings, drum sounds or even applause. You can do this, and much more, with a digital piano. Play a Bach Sonata and add strings and horns. Or, play any of the latest Top 40 hits, complete with modern guitar and drum sounds. And some Roland digital pianos offer built-in drum sequences or an automatic accompaniment feature that can add vibrant musical enhancements to left-hand chords, creating a string section behind a piano or saxophone part.

Recording Capability

Whether you're a professional or a beginner, if your digital piano has a built-in sequencer, you can capture your performances or original songs for playback later. A major benefit of a built-in recorder is that it eliminates excess cables and microphones. Most digital keyboards also allow you to plug directly into an external recorder, creating a clean, noise-free recording. Some digital keyboards (like the Roland KR107) provide microphone inputs so you can record keyboards and vocals at the same time.

There's not enough space to begin to cover what you can do with your digital keyboard as it transforms into an interactive powerhouse or an entertainment center that's fun for the whole family. An extensive amount of music tutorial software is available today that facilitates a fun, interactive learning environment. And, companies like Roland offer a variety of software and hardware resources for easy set up and integration of a personal computer into your digital keyboard environment, Whether used for learning, practicing, recording, entertainment or just plain enjoyment, the ability to integrate your computer and digital keyboard together opens up a whole new world of musical possibilities.

Low Maintenance

One of the advantages of digital technology is that there are less moving parts inside a digital keyboard, and as a result, less wear and tear and resulting maintenance. Digital sounds can be accessed electronically at the push of a button, and in instruments such as the Roland digital pianos, the electronic circuitry is of the highest quality available. Because of the low maintenance factor, when you buy a digital keyboard, you call rest assured that your investment will provide years of consistent performance for you and your family.

Easily Moved

Classic movie buffs will remember the fatuous Laurel and Hardy piano movers sketch. Most of us wouldn't dare try to move an acoustic piano (and we definitely wouldn't hire those two to help!). But with a digital piano, you don't need to worry about hiring movers or throwing your back out--big sounds come in a relatively small package. Sampling technology authentically recreates the desirable acoustic qualities of an acoustic piano created by the string and soundboard design, that characteristic which causes a piano to be big, bulky and extremely hard to move. A digital piano gives you room to move.

Fun for the Entire Family

And last but not least, let's not forget that playing the piano is not only educational, but it's fun! Over the years, pianos have become a familiar gathering place for families during holidays or celebrations. "With a digital keyboard, you can extend the family fun to include singing along with sequenced songs played from an onboard sequencer or attached device. Or change sounds from a piano to an organ for a sing along. And after a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" for grandpa, just hit a key to get the "applause" sound on your keyboard and add to the cheering crowd!

Whether you're a parent or, a professional pianist, a digital piano just might be the right thing for you. Gone are the days of digital pianos and organs with poor sounds and cheap keyboards. Today's digital instruments combine the best of both worlds--tonal characteristics of great pianos plus realistic playing surfaces in attractive cabinet designs and grand piano cases that fit in any room or budget.