Comparison Roland FP-30X vs Yamaha P-225

The number of voices supported by the digital piano — more precisely, the maximum number of voices that the instrument can play at the same time.

This parameter should not be confused with the number of notes that can be played simultaneously on the keyboard. The fact is that in many timbres, several voices (tone generators) are used for each note at once — this is the only way to achieve a more or less reliable sound. Thus, the required number of voices can be many times higher than the number of notes — for example, the simplest chord of 3 notes may require 9 or even 12 voices. In addition, tone generators are used to play auto accompaniment parts and built-in songs (see below), and here the number of voices can already be measured in tens.

In light of all this, polyphony of less than 90 voices is typical mainly for relatively simple and inexpensive instruments that are not designed for complex tasks. The smallest number found in modern digital pianos is 32 voices. It is desirable for a more or less solid instrument to have at least 96 voices, and in top models this figure can reach 256.

The number of built-in sounds provided by the Digital Piano.

Despite the name, digital pianos are extremely rarely designed to imitate the sound of only a piano — the electronic hardware allows them to provide other timbres of sound. In addition, even the piano has its own varieties — for example, among the grand pianos there are 6 main classes, from large concert to miniature. So the built-in sounds can cover different kinds of pianos, as well as other instruments and sound effects.

The abundance and variety of timbres in digital pianos as a whole is not as great as in synthesizers, however, in this category there are very “charged” models, with a hundred timbres or more (in the most multifunctional, this number can exceed 900). However, it is worth specifically looking for a “multi-instrumental” model if you do not intend to be limited to the sound of the piano and would like to have more freedom of choice. It is worth remembering that a specific set of timbres can be different.

If the instrument is bought exclusively as a piano, then here, on the contrary, it is worth paying attention primarily to solutions with a small number of timbres. Such models are not only cheaper than "universals" — they can also sound better (due to the fact that there are few timbres and the manufacturer can carefully approach the sound quality of each built-in "instrument").

Auto accompaniment feature on the digital piano.

Auto Accompaniment is a melody of a specific style played by the instrument under user control. Such control is carried out by the left hand: the musician takes certain chords on the left side of the keyboard, and the electronics of the instrument adjusts the auto accompaniment melody to the key of the taken chord. Thus, this function allows you to accompany the main part with a full-fledged accompaniment, while the musician only needs to set the chords.

Among digital pianos, unlike synthesizers, this function is rare. This is due to the general specialization of this class of instruments (not least professional music-making, including as part of an ensemble or orchestra). However, auto accompaniment is available on both relatively simple and high-end digital pianos.

The number of Auto Accompaniment Styles (see above) originally stored in Digital Piano memory.

Different auto accompaniment styles differ from each other in the same way that different melodies differ from each other — in tempo, time signature, rhythmic pattern, set of instruments used, etc. Accordingly, the more styles initially available in the instrument, the wider the choice of the musician and the higher the probability of finding the option that best suits a particular situation. However even numerous styles does not guarantee that among them there will be a suitable one; in addition, we note that with the same number of styles, their specific set in different instruments can also be different. However, custom styles can be provided for this case (see below).

Summarizing, we can say this: if you plan to work intensively with auto accompaniment, in addition to the number of styles, it will not hurt to clarify their specific range.

The presence of a training mode in the digital piano.

As the name suggests, this mode is designed to teach the game. At the same time, usually, it provides different levels of difficulty — from the most basic, for those who are just starting to master the "keys", to the advanced one, which allows you to train your technique and improve your existing performance skills. However, anyway, the principle of learning is the same: the tool independently tells the student which keys to press at one time or another. Such hints can be in the form of a backlight (see above) or as a graphic on the display. Such a method is doubtful from the point of view of classical academic learning, however, it is undoubtedly more convenient and faster than reading musical notation. Moreover, the instrument can also play the role of an examiner — launch prompts at the original tempo of the melody and check how accurately the student hits the notes.

Also note that the learning mode requires the obligatory presence of a metronome (see below).

The range over which the tempo of the sound played by the instrument can change. It can be either a built-in melody or a part recorded on a sequencer, or an auto accompaniment, a tutorial or a metronome. For more information on all of these features, see the corresponding glossary entries. Here we note that a change in tempo is often required in fact — for example, to speed up an initially "sluggish" accompaniment or slow down a training programme that is difficult to master at the original tempo.

Tempo is traditionally indicated in beats per minute. The classical, "academic" range covers options from 40 bpm ("grave", "very slow") to 208 bpm ("prestissimo", "very fast"), however, in modern digital pianos, the working range of tempos is often significantly wider.

The ability to overlay individual timbres provided in the instrument (or loaded into its memory by the user). Simply put, layering allows you to play a part on two timbres at once — for example, to complement the sound of a grand piano with the sound of a violin. This allows you to achieve a richer and more original sound.

Specific combinations of sounds can be stored in memory, however, in many models, the user himself can choose a combination of his own. However, it's ok to clarify these details separately.

Possibility of dividing the keyboard into two parts so that the parts of the left and right hands are played in different timbres. This allows you to simultaneously play two disparate parts on the instrument — for example, accompany a piano melody with chords from a string orchestra or organ sounds. Specific combinations of timbres are most often pre-recorded in memory, however, there are models in which the musician himself can choose timbres for each part of the keyboard.

The ability to add a reverb effect to the sound of the instrument.

Reverb is the repeated reflection and decay of sound. Most of all, this effect is noticeable in vast spaces with a pronounced echo — for example, large caves; however, in any environment, the coloring of the sound characteristic of such an environment is mainly due to reverberation. Thus, this function allows you to simulate music that sounds in different rooms — for example, to give the impression that the instrument is in the hall of a Gothic cathedral, or, conversely, in a small room with soft walls. However, it is also possible to use reverberation as a classic sound effect, which is not aimed at simulating the situation and only gives the sound a specific colour.