Built-in timbres
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").
Connectable pedals
The largest number of pedals that can be connected to the Digital Piano at the same time.
Pedals are an indispensable element of equipping a traditional piano, respectively, they are also necessary for electronic analogues of this instrument. However, in stationary devices (see "Body") the pedals are made built-in (see above), so this option is found only in portable models. Also note that if a stationary digital piano has 3 pedals as standard — like in a real piano — then portable digital pianos often have fewer. This is due to the fact that a full set of three pedals is rarely required in fact, and in many cases just one is enough (especially since many instruments allow you to reconfigure its functions).
In general, it makes sense to specifically buy an instrument with three connected pedals mainly for demanding professional musicians who value the full functionality of the pedals (or the ability to tie an extended set of functions to the foot control). In other cases, this parameter is not particularly important.
Number of bands
The number of bands provided in the Digital Piano's native acoustics.
In single-way acoustics, the speakers are responsible for reproducing the entire frequency range. Such systems are simple and inexpensive, but their amplitude-frequency response is far from perfect — most often they reproduce the mids well, but the bass turns out to be weak and unsaturated, the high frequencies are fuzzy and blurry. This is due to the fact that for each frequency there are separate requirements for the design of the speaker, and it is impossible to combine them in one speaker.
Thus, loudspeakers, including the built-in speakers of digital pianos, can be split into bands when the design provides for specialized speakers for a certain group of frequencies. The most advanced variant found in digital pianos is three-way, with separate sets of drivers for bass, mids, and treble. This allows you to achieve high-quality and reliable sound throughout the entire range, but complicates and increases the cost of the design. Therefore, three-way acoustics are rare, mainly in top-class instruments. But in mid-range instruments, two-way speakers are more often used (high frequencies on one set of speakers, medium plus low frequencies on the other).
In box
Additional items included with the instrument.
— Music stand. A music stand mounted above the keyboard, in front of the musician's eyes. Note that in this case, only the detachable music rest supplied with the portable instrument is meant (see "Body"); in stationary digital pianos, by definition, such a stand is available; moreover, it is often a non-removable part of the body.
— Pedal. Only portable digital pianos (see Body) can be equipped with an external pedal. stationary are equipped with built-in pedals. Note that there is usually only one such item in the kit, even if there is more than one input for the pedals. However, this cannot be called a serious drawback: situations where a musician needs more than one pedal are extremely rare. For more information about the inputs and the pedals themselves, see Connectable Pedals.
— Power Supply. Power supply for connecting the tool to the network. Even for portable tools, an outlet is often the most convenient way to power; and in stationary cases, other options may not be provided at all. Therefore, the power supply is an almost indispensable element of the digital piano package. The absence of such a block in the kit, usually, indicates that it is made built-in; however, this is rare.
— Disk. An optical disc (CD or DVD) containing various digital piano supplements. These can be instructions and other documentation, drivers for connecting to a computer, specialized software for edit...ing music on a PC, etc. Such a medium can be very useful if you need access to information or specialized software, but there is no Internet connection at the moment or there is a problem with it.
— Rack. Stand for floor installation of the tool. It is used only in portable models (see "Chassis") — stationary, by definition, do not require additional stands. Such a device, usually, is made folding, which provides ease of storage and transportation. Racks are also sold separately, but in some cases it is more convenient to buy a stand immediately, along with the tool.
