The piano had gone a long way since its invention by Cristofori in the 18th century. It is an acoustic stringed instrument, and sounds are created when hammers strike the strings. If you haven’t seen the intricate interiors of the piano, you would inevitably ask why it is called a stringed instrument. But once you peer into its inner workings, you’ll discover that it is indeed a stringed and acoustic instrument. Pianos vary according to styles, designs, sizes, and shapes. But there are basically two categories when it comes to keyboard pianos, namely: vertical and horizontal.
Vertical pianos are usually categorized into four types, namely: spinet, console, studio, and upright. Horizontal pianos, on the other hand, are categorized into 6 basic types, namely: petite grand, baby grand, medium grand, parlor grand, semi-concert or ballroom, and concert grand.
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Modern Development of Pianos
The modern development of pianos has brought about the introduction of digital pianos that mimic the sounds of acoustic stringed pianos, although they are digitally programmed. Yet, the most prominent characteristic of pianos is that most pianos have 88 keys. This characteristic is definitely one of the primary bases of most buyers of pianos. These 88 keys consist of 36 black keys and 52 white keys, the whole range of which consists of 7 octaves and a minor third.
What are the Best 88-Keys Keyboard Pianos?
Here are the most recommended digital pianos with 88 keys if you intend to buy one. Let’s review them all and find the most suitable one for you:
Last update on 2021-04-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1) Yamaha P115 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Sustain Pedal
This Yamaha model of digital piano is somewhat similar in details to that of the Yamaha DGX660, except for some features. Upon closer scrutiny, it is a professional-looking piano with 88-key digital action that has heavier sound on the lower notes and lighter on the high-end notes. It also makes use of the Pure CF Sound Engine that mimics the original tones of the great grand piano.
The prominent characteristic of this piano is its GHS function that enables you to readily master different finger technique. It also has the improved position of the tweeter which enables you to be in perfect synchrony with the sound of the digital piano because it is nearer the performer’s ear. Another plus factor with this model is its brighter treble passage and crispier melody lines.
The P-115 offers different performance rhythms and patterns. You can readily move from rock to swings, and you surely got a lot of rhythms and patterns to choose from. It also includes Pianist Styles that enable you to produce two voices of people that blend together. It also boasts of ten types of styles that you can blend together. You can also play with a partner to produce awesome sounds together.
2) Yamaha P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano
The Yamaha P71 model is basically one of the best brands available in the market today. It boasts of a graded hammer Yamaha standard weighted keys action that provides incredible reliability with its unique full size 88-key digital piano. With cool dimensions of 58.2″ x 16.1″ x 11.7″, this digital piano is undoubtedly a great buy. It also readily complies with the standard height for a digital piano, and as such, you will surely find it easy and comfortable to play with. It is likewise not bulky and very portable.
This keyboard allows fantastic touch action with more massive touch action on the low keys and lighter touch action on the high keys. The downside, however, is that it is digital, which means it is not entirely equal to a real acoustic piano; but it is perfect for learning, composing, and rehearsing your piano pieces.
The upside of buying P71, aside from it being perfect for the abovementioned activities, is its mindboggling intuitive settings. With its impressive settings, you can quickly change every setting with a single tap on a button. You can just simply hold the Grand Piano/Function button down and press the selected keys to produce changes in metronome and voice. With this single button, you can also play the demo and perform other tasks. It also has AVM or advanced Wave Memory Sampling to enable you to engage in the high digital recording. This will allow you to produce excellent acoustic piano sound. It also enables you to record a more vibrant and deeper sound via its two microphones inputs.
3) Casio Privia PX160BK 88-Key Full-Size Digital Piano
Casio Privia is a come-backing digital piano model that features a more advanced keyboard with an awesome sounding speaker that measures around 2 by 8 watts. It gives performers an awesome feeling of enjoyment while playing with a resounding sound. You can also hook the Casio Privia to a more powerful speaker for maximum enjoyment. Yet, its speaker alone would suffice to make you enjoy practices at home or in class.
There is a line-out slot in this model; you can connect with the external speakers for better and louder sound performance. And it’s very useful especially for the piano performances on stage and many types of events.
As a sequel to the P-series models, the PX160 makes use of Air sound technology together with the splendid Hammer Action II keyboard. It also has a Tri-sensor onboard that readily makes this model unique. These additions really improve the performance of this model and allow performers to produce their first-rate sounds.
Using this digital piano, you can now record awesome music and enjoy playing utilizing this piano with its four dynamic levels. It also makes use of damper resonance to capture the dynamism of every performance with mindboggling accuracy and speed. This digital piano model also has a newly designed chassis that could accommodate the speaker system. With this feature, you can direct the sound to where it should be; hence, it is very suitable for classroom setups and in performance setup that allows the audience to listen closely to the performers.
4) Alesis Recital - 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano/Keyboard with Full-Size Semi-Weighted Keys Action
Alesis Recital is undoubtedly a good buy with its 88-full-size weighted keys action whose response could be readily adjusted. It has unique functional modes that enable you to engage in different functionalities and sound combinations. You can combine, for example, and customize two different voices and make them blend as one using the Layer Mode function. This allows you to produce greater and deeper voice output. It also has a built-in metronome that you can readily adjust. Its range is from 30 to 280 per minute.
It also has a split mode functionality which enables you to assign tones to the left or the right hand. Moreover, you can enrich sounds by adding reverbs with its reverb function. It also has pedal resonance FX with the chorus to produce richer and more realistic playing of songs and sounds.
It boasts of five different voices that you can combine. These voices are acoustic, electric piano, organ bass, and synth. Together with 128-note polyphony, you can readily combine these voices and come up with the fantastic musical combination. You can also readily hook this digital piano to a computer via the USB MIDI Output if you want to experiment on sound and play your musical repertoire that stored in your computer. You can also switch to battery mode while playing if you are not hooked to an electrical outlet.
5) M-Audio Keystation 88 II
The M-Audio Keystation 88 II is a fantastic choice when shopping around for digital piano. It has awesome features that enable you to compose music and tinker with virtual instruments. It has crucial state-of-the-art functionality and allows you to create piano sounds with ease. It is very compact and portable allowing you to bring it anywhere you have a gig. It has semi-weighted 88-full-size keys. It also has a 1.4” sustain pedal that provides high quality performance.
It also has a power base that you can readily connect to your computer via a USB port allowing you take full control of the device and music. This will enable you to indulge in sequencing music and to harness the use of visual instruments on your personal computer. This device is undoubtedly ideal for musicians who are always on the go.
M-Audio Keystation 88 II permits musicians to utilize music software while doing their performance anywhere. Producers can likewise add MIDI controller to enhance the feeling within the studio further. It sports transport and directional controls that readily allows you to play your music similarly. It also allows you to use these controls to perform or record awesome-sounding music readily.
Final Thought:
The Yamaha P115, P71, and Casio Privia PX-160BK are more professional and high-end, which are more suitable for the advanced/professional pianists. Based purely on my personal preference in choosing a perfect advanced 88-keys digital keyboard piano, I would prefer the Yamaha P115 and P71 over other models in the same class as Yahama P115 & P71 will give you more realistic acoustic piano key-action response that hardly found in other brands.
Last update on 2021-04-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Other Top-rated 88-Keys Keyboard Pianos
James Mann is a 36-year-old session singer and vocal coach who loves to share his singing and musical experiences online. Besides focusing on singing. Songwriting, music production, studio setups and vocal recording and mastering other musical instruments are his passion too.