In the age of technology, shopping has become increasingly easier with literally millions of products available online to be shipped straight to your door, all with the click of a mouse. While this may be convenient, it is also difficult or nearly impossible to know the exact quality of what you are getting ahead of time. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to musical instruments—especially when buying an inexpensive keyboard or digital piano.
It is easy to find keyboards and digital pianos for sale online, many within the lower price range of $500-$1500. However, you may be surprised to learn that the actual value and quality of these lower range keyboards may not be worth the cost of shipping and handling.
There are a few things to consider when it comes to why you may want to invest a little more money up front on a digital piano and why you may want to consult a professional in person to do so.
The touch
The “touch” refers to the weight of the keys on the board and how closely they correspond to the way a real acoustic piano would play. The touch can be heavier or lighter, more wooden or more nuanced. The more sophisticated the touch, the greater range of sounds you will be able to produce and it will play more like an acoustic piano. Generally speaking, the cheaper a piano is, the less sophisticated its touch. But since this is a tactile experience, it is very difficult to gauge whether or not you will like the touch of a keyboard or digital piano from an online description.
The sound
The sound is one of the main concerns with keyboard and digital piano quality. You want to make sure you choose an instrument that has quality sampling of piano and other sounds in their original recording. Generally speaking, the larger and more expensive the keyboard, the better the sampling rate. You want more than a machine that can play notes accurately—you want it to play them beautifully. More advanced models pick up not just the actual notes, but also the vibrations, the sound of the hammer striking the key, and more. When the instrument has more memory, it is better able to store all these nuances of sound and reproduce them digitally at the hands of the player.
The technology
The sophistication of digital instruments evolves as fast as technology, and when new musical technology comes out, it is placed in the most elaborate and expensive models. Less expensive models tend to get second, third, and even fourth generation technology, making them out of touch and lasting a fraction of the time of newer models.
If you are searching online for a keyboard or digital piano for your kids or the music enthusiast in your life, it may seem like a great deal to get a $500 keyboard and have it shipped to your house. But without being able to sit down, play it, and find out exactly what quality of instrument it is, your purchase can end up being more of a hassle than its worth and not being as useful of a gift as you anticipate.
If all of this information sounds overwhelming, never fear! Miller Piano Specialists exist to serve and educate you and help you select the best piano or keyboard for your specific situation, and we would love to walk you through the process. Coming into our store ensures that you can try out a variety of different pianos with no guesswork, compare and contrast different models and price points, and decide where to go from there.
Stop in to see our vast selection of keyboards and digital pianos, or call (615) 771-0020 to speak to one of our qualified staff members. Visit millerps.com to learn more!
