Acoustic or Digital?
Buying a piano, whether it is acoustic or digital, is a considered purchase and therefore it is important that you can make an informed choice when it comes to parting with your hard earned cash. Some people will have already decided whether to go down the acoustic or digital piano route, but for those of you who are uncertain, here are some of the differences and points to take into account.
Having been involved with both acoustic and digital pianos for many years, we have seen the changes that have occurred in the manufacture of both products.
Acoustic pianos, in their present form have been around for many years and although over that time manufacturing has become far more automated, cost of production has naturally increased. To compensate for this, a lot of piano manufacturing has now moved to the Far East where costs are much cheaper. Acoustic piano manufacturing and sales in China has become huge business.
When electronic pianos first entered the market place in the 1970’s they were not considered a real alternative to an acoustic piano. It wasn’t until the advent of sampling technology in the 1980’s that things began to change, and the digital piano would start to become a serious alternative. Over the last 30 years, technology has advanced at such a pace and prices have decreased, enabling manufacturers to produce quality digital pianos at a price that we could have never imagined even 15 years ago.
Purchasing Your First Piano
The first thing to think about when considering the purchase of any piano is the initial cost. A quality acoustic will last for years and will probably take you as far as you need to go with regard to playing the piano, but will cost several thousand dollars. A quality digital piano will last for many years, but may need to be replaced (you’ll probably want to replace it as technology improves and you become a better player) However initial outlay will usually be far less than with an acoustic.
Here are some points to think about:
Where is the piano going to be positioned in the home?
An acoustic piano is a loud instrument, and generally the bigger the cabinet, the louder the sound. Wherever the piano is positioned in your house, chances are, you will be able to hear it. For some people this may not be a problem, but for many it will restrict when the piano can be used. With digital pianos, the volume can be adjusted or headphones can be used. Acoustic pianos are heavy, and generally once positioned in a home are left in one place. Digital pianos can be moved far more easily, and are usually not one piece, so they can be moved around the home, or positioned where an acoustic piano could not be put.
There is no question that in a large room nothing looks nicer than a quality upright or grand piano, but we don’t all have the space. Maybe the piano needs to go in a home office, spare room, or even a child’s bedroom? A digital could certainly be put in any of these places, perhaps where an acoustic would not fit.
Some technical differences
The main obvious difference is that a traditional piano is an acoustic instrument, and however good technology is, or becomes in the future, it is almost impossible to reproduce the exact sound of an acoustic piano through speakers on a digital instrument. A good quality, well maintained acoustic will always sound better to the trained ear. However, over the years the digital piano has improved to such a level, that for many players it is now a very viable alternative. The mechanics of an acoustic piano, keyboard action, hammers, pedals and so on, are very hard to replicate, but digital piano manufacturers have worked hard at improving all aspects of their instruments, not just the sound. Keyboard actions have really improved over the last few years, and so has the actual feel of the keys. The way in which the pedals operate has been improved (certainly on the slightly more expensive instruments). A good quality digital piano can certainly be nicer to play than a badly maintained, out of tune acoustic.
Manufacturing quality
A good quality acoustic piano which is well maintained should last for many years. Indeed, some families have a piano that has been passed down from one generation to the next. There are now many lower priced acoustic pianos on the market, some of which are not so well made, and they have not been around long enough to prove their quality. It is important to get good advice and make sure you are buying quality, before you part with your cash. All well established brands of acoustic will come with an extensive warranty, and the fact that the manufacturer has been around for many years is indeed further proof of quality.
A good digital piano should also last many years, but advancement in technology will eventually make an instrument seem dated. We have been involved with digital pianos for a long time, and often come in contact with models that were top of the range some 10 or 15 years ago. At the time we thought they were amazing, whereas now they sound very dated, even compared to much lower priced new models. However, the same thing applies to all electronic products, and is something we accept. Purchasing a lower priced digital piano as a starter instrument can be a good way to begin playing, perhaps with the view of buying a better one at a later date, or even switching to acoustic. All the top digital piano manufacturers have worked hard to improve the quality of their instruments, not only electronically, but also the presentation of the cabinet. There are now some really great looking higher priced digitals available.
Who is going to use the piano?
If the piano is for several members of the family to use, the outlay may not be such an important factor, it’s hopefully going to get a lot of use. In this situation, a good quality instrument, acoustic or digital could fit the bill. However, many pianos are bought by parents for their children to learn, in which case you may not be sure how well the learning will progress. Children can often change their mind!
A good starter digital piano would be a sensible choice. For less than $1000, it is possible to purchase an instrument that would enable them to make good progress.
As an adult learner, you may have small children, and you will perhaps need to practice in the evening while they are asleep. A digital piano with headphones would certainly be useful in this situation.
Learning the Piano and beyond
Learning any instrument requires practice, it’s not easy. Over the years many tuition books and programs have been developed, and every piano teacher has their particular favorites. Although many of the older tuition books are still available, there is a wealth of much more modern material to make learning more enjoyable, available in print and digital form. Let’s face it, learning needs to be fun, if we are to make good progress. Digital pianos take the learning process that much further, in so much as you have a wealth of additional learning tools at your disposal should you wish. Most have internal recording facilities, making it easy to monitor your progress. If the piano teacher comes to your home, they can record your practice pieces into the instrument so you can listen to them. Many digital pianos now have the option of storing to USB drives, so you can build up a library of music.
Connection to home computers is available on nearly all digital pianos, making it possible. with the correct to make more advanced recordings, or to use music notation programs should you wish to print out your own compositions.
All digital pianos offer a variety of additional sounds and effects. Some even offer drums and rhythm accompaniments, should you want them. Certainly when children are learning , some of the extra features can hold their interest and encourage them to play more, which can only be a good thing.
Additional costs
After your initial purchase there are other costs to take into consideration. Acoustic pianos need to be tuned, ideally every six months, and it is important to find a good piano tuner. Your local piano dealer will no doubt have at least one piano technician, or be able to recommend somebody. Piano tuning costs in the region of $100 or more each time, so it is something to bare in mind. From time to time there maybe other small problems with a new acoustic piano, but initially, these would be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Digital pianos require no general maintenance and are generally very reliable. This is certainly true of all the main manufacturers. Naturally, as with all electronic products, there could be a problem, but once again all quality digital pianos come with an extended manufacturer’s warranty.
Summary
At the end of the day, the choice, is yours to make. Take advice, read reviews, listen to as many instruments as possible, including instruments that are perhaps in a higher price range than you intend to spend. You will then hear the differences, and appreciate why they are more expensive. With acoustic pianos, there is so much that can determine the sound. The size, the quality of manufacture, the type of wood used, and so on. You will find within a particular brand, models will sound very different. With digital pianos each manufacturer tends to have a specific sound, due to the technology they use. Often however, the tone of the instrument can be changed using controls on the instrument. Don’t be put off a particular brand of digital on first hearing, if you think it is perhaps too bright or too mellow sounding, chances are the sound can be altered quite considerably. If you still don’t like the sound try a different brand. Don’t buy an instrument if you are not happy with the sound, even if it has been recommended to you as the best thing for you to buy. After all, you are the one paying for the instrument and the person who will be playing or listening to it.
