Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Am I crazy to consider a digital piano?

I moved from Australia to UK several months ago. I had a beautiful baby grand which I sold for peanuts as NOONE was buying it. In the last 7 months I have only had a keyboard on which to play and on which to teach my son to play piano on (I know - two taboos - teaching piano on a keyboard and teaching your own child!).

I simply could not afford to buy any instrument (digital or acoustic) but I am about to get a bonus which will give me about £1000.

We have neighbours on either side and considering we can hear their tv when its loud, I cannot imagine what an acoustic will sound like - but should I care anyway? We also have underfloor heating which I know is not good.

I want a silent piano but I just can't afford it. I am in two minds whether to get a high quality digital piano or an acoustic with a practice pedal. I can afford a cheap acoustic or quality digital.

The primary goal is for my son - he is on about grade 3/4. I am diploma level (but really out of practice and won't play much). I doubt my son will get past Grade 8.

I know the 'feel' of a real piano is beyond comparison, but will a cheap acoustic feel much better than a good digital? I am worried I will instantly regret whatever I buy! Has anyone been through this and what did you choose?

Since you've played an acoustic and you know how it feels, the important thing is to get to some dealers and try as many digitals as you can. You may find that the one that feels best to you is not necessarily the one somebody else might choose. Find the best action you can. You always have the option of adding a computer-based software piano, like Pianoteq, later if you find fault with the digital piano's internal sounds, but you can't do anything about the action.

You could also ask on the digital piano forum. You'll probably get some very specific suggestions.

I played a digital for a few years before I acquired an acoustic (I grew up learning on acoustic). I still play the digital a lot because I also live in an apartment and simply cannot play the acoustic anytime I want to.

+1.

Do you have big box music stores like Sam Ash or Guitar Center in the UK? If so, that's the place to try a wide variety of digitals.

No, you are not crazy for considering a digital piano.

Digital pianos and hybrids are likely the wave of the future, baring the diehard acoustic piano fans, enthusiasts, pianists, technicians and dealers dedicated to acoustic pianos.

The manufacture of acoustic pianos will continue, as long as there is adequate demand. The rebuilders will go on rebuilding as long as there are customers wanting their warn-out old acoustic pianos rebuilt.

I doubt there is going to be a big resurgence of the acoustic piano industry in years to come.

In my estimation, digital piano development and sales will continue to rise while acoustic piano sales will continue to fall; though the acoustic piano industry will remain to some degree in the near future.

Of course, all this is just a wild guess on my part.

Rick

I pretty much agree, except that I see acoustic continuing to own the high end concert market well into the future.

You're not crazy, but might be in for some disappointment. You might still do ok in developing technique and playing skills, but might not do as well in developing expression, color and nuance which is what separates otherwise equally skilled pianists from one another. Still, a digital can make for a viable substitute or as a supplement in cases where you just can't have an acoustic due to available space or other constraint, or when portability is important. Just try to play on an acoustic at least periodically to keep a proper perception of what a piano can really can do.

I bought my first piano five years ago, having been playing acoustics since I was ten.

And living in a flat (= apartment) in the UK, with neighbours (= neighbors) on all sides, I didn't even consider an acoustic, though I'd never played a digital before. I'd be lucky to be able to play an acoustic for five minutes a day (i.e. when all my neighbours are out at the same time), whereas with a digital, using headphones, I can play all night should I choose to.

Luckily, digitals have improved by leaps & bounds since they were known as "keyboards": I bought a high-end one, and soon after, took up a monthly recital series, playing on a Bechstein grand. That is, I do all my practising (= practicing) on my digital at home, and perform the pieces on the grand once a month (I have a performance diploma which I obtained when I was 20).

And I have absolutely no problems transferring what I'd practised on my digital to the grand.

It really sounds like a good digital piano is what will serve you best in your current situation. Your neighbor situation will not likely be kind to an acoustic, even with a "muffler bar".

Definitely go play as many different digitals as you can get your hands on. If you find one you like but can't afford, it may even be possible to find a decent used one for a better price than new. (?)

There may come a time when a good acoustic piano will be a more appropriate choice. Even if you have a very nice acoustic, though, there could still be times when you or someone else in the house would like to play "silently" so there's no reason not to have both in the same home if that works for you then.

Good luck!

+1 to David Farley.

You can get a pretty good digital piano for £1000. It won't be a perfect imitation of an acoustic piano. But if you want to make music, and have your son learn piano, it'll do the job.

And it'll be _way_ better than having _no_ piano.

I very much prefer my acoustic to my digital (started with the digital). BUT we have no close neighbors to get irritated by the noise. In your case, a digital with headphones might be the prudent choice.

If you and your son will be playing at least part of the time with the headphones on, take them along when you shop so you can hear how the digital sounds with and without the 'phones.

So I learned on dinky keyboards, then taught myself on 88 key digital stage pianos, and then suddenly I've got a 7 foot grand. It IS better, to be sure, but I still find digital pianos convenient and fun to play with. I love the technology, I do a lot of stuff with MIDI and a digital piano that can move me isn't super hard to find. I think in your budget range you are totally within reason to consider a digital piano. I generally feel like under $3000USD, digital wins hands down.

If tjere's no way around a digital, because of the neighbours, then tjere are a bunch of good digitals out there.

Good meaning way better than a cheap acoustic. Although there's no digital substitute for a *good* acoustic.

Not sure how I can help you...

A digital piano is a product one can purchase; you question yourself being "crazy" for considering one?

If you have to ask if you should care for what your neighbors may think on noise disturbance, then certainly I cannot help you..because we are not on the same plane of thought here. My life definitions do include considerations towards others as well. Nothing is within a vacuum.

Been there. Time for a digital interlude, Alex.

Technology with samples and virtual (pianoteq) are at the point where the quality of amplification is highly important. To be able to hear the samples accurate you have to have quality (f.ex Genelec) speakers with big enough woofers (or sub). Still i find that even this high quality two channel aural system is not enough for the piano experience. I think there's a room for a dedicated piano sample amp system.
Even those high dollar hybrid digital grands have cheap 5 dollar dollar speakers...could be so much better.

Of course, you can you headphones but that's not the same...


Regards
jari

Headphones are one of the main reasons for getting a digital. You can do phrase drilling and scales without irritating anyone else. I have both, and only play the obnoxious stuff on the acoustic on rare occasions when I'm home alone. So, it's best to have both, but if you can't, start with the digital.

A digital piano is best in a situation where it is not practical to have an acoustic piano. Despite improvements in digital pianos over the last 20 years or so, they still cannot replace an acoustic piano. This includes digital hybrid pianos. Also, a good digital piano can cost as much as a good quality upright piano.

Digital pianos are less expensive than comparable quality acoustic upright pianos - at least in Canada. And I would say they can indeed replace an acoustic, even for an advanced-level pianist.

What are your credentials? I am a pianist and there's simply no way I would be content with a digital. It's neither a matter of pride nor pretension; digital pianos are unrewarding, unresponsive and technically limiting.

So the MP11 didn't work out for you?