Which digital keyboard is most like a piano?
Real pianos vary a great deal in feel and sound and so you have to bring your fingers and your ears along to judge how authentic a digital piano can be. All of the keyboards in our list are exemplary and designed to mimic the feel of moving the mechanical parts of a piano. The sound can be astonishing but also bear in mind that it’s tailored to be useful and appropriate for recording or for running through a P.A. You’ve not got the ambient sound of the body of the piano radiating around the space. With that said any of the pianos on our list will give you an authentic piano experience.
Should I get a stage piano or a digital piano?
Generally speaking a digital piano is designed for home use. It probably has elements of a piece of furniture about it, will look stylish in your living room and needs no other gear to hear the sound. A stage piano, while it is also a digital piano, will be designed to survive the rigours of being on the road. It has to be easy to set up, portable and robust. So they will dispense with the frame and music stand and focus on the keybed, controls and getting the sound routed to the P.A. You won’t find any internal speakers.
How much should I spend on a digital piano?
There are plenty of affordable digital pianos out there from all the big-name brands. Roland and Yamaha all have decent digital pianos for under $500. However, as you spend more you’ll find that the quality of the keyboard improves, the sound gets thicker and fuller and as you crack into a couple of thousand dollars you’ll have multiple sound engines with layers, zones, physical controls and a real piano feel. You do get what you pay for in digital pianos.