Choosing a digital piano / keyboard can be a daunting task, especially if you are inexperienced and don’t really know what you are looking for.
With this in mind I’ve listed here a selection of different up to date products that I recommend in ascending price order (approximately). These range in price from about £150 - £10,000 - so there should be something of interest for everybody!
But firstly you need to understand that there are many different types of keyboards. Yes they all have black and white keys and to the uninitiated they all look the same, but they can be vastly different. They basically fall into the following categories:
Some of the above could also have auto-accompaniment and midi features and some may require optional stands and pedals.
Click on the items above and below to see more details of each.
But even within these categories there can be vast differences in quality and features. And there are also many keyboards that fit into more than one of the above categories. For instance the Korg Kronos is a stage piano, workstation, synthesizer, organ, midi controller and much more all in one.
But perhaps your first and most important decision is choosing the keyboard length and type of keybed (or keyboard ‘action’) that you require, which can be either: 49, 61, 73 /76 or 88 keys weighted or un-weighted.
The important things for me when choosing a keyboard are:
- Quality of keybed (be it weighted or semi weighted)
- Quality, polyphony and edit ability of sounds and effects
- Recording features including edit ability
- Connections - midi / audio interface etc.
- Build quality
- Weight
- Price
Very often the manufacturers offer some really great features on a budget board, but in order to cut costs something has got to give somewhere. For instance the Korg PA 700 is fantastic value for money as it has some really incredible sounds and recording features. But to make this available at the low price they’ve cut costs with the keybed and build quality, but if you’re prepared to pay more the PA 1000 has a better keybed and build quality!
Please be assured that as I am not selling the items listed below, my opinion is totally unbiased, although of course they are my opinions and some may disagree with me.
For your convenience in all cases there are links directing you to the manufacturers full details which will open in a new page, you won’t need to wade through their websites - one click and you’ll be exactly where you want to be!
When you find a keyboard that you are interested in, I strongly recommend that you also look at any YouTube video reviews that are available and also download the owners manuals which are always freely available online - generally found in the manufacturers support pages.
The following list will be added to and updated periodically, but I assure you that everything on this list is good. - even the ones here that I don’t particularly recommend (which is probably because I think they are overpriced).
Below £500
Yamaha PSR E473 Arranger Keyboard
Korg EK 50 Arranger Keyboard
Korg Kross 61 Workstation
Casio PX S1100 Stage / Home Piano
Korg i3 Workstation
Korg D1 Stage Piano
Casio CT X5000 Arranger Keyboard
£500 - £1000
Korg PA 700 Arranger Keyboard
Casio PX S3100 Stage / Home Piano
Korg G1 Home Digital Piano
Yamaha Mx88 Synthesizer
£1000 - £2000
Korg PA 1000 Arranger Keyboard
Yamaha MODX 61 / 76 /88 Synth / Workstation
Yamaha PSR SX900 Arranger Keyboard
Korg Krome EX Workstation
Casio PX S6000 Stage Piano
Vox Continental Organ
Roland FP-90x Stage Piano
Korg SV-2S Stage Piano
Roland Fantom 06 07 08 Synth / Workstation
Casio PX S6000 Stage Piano
Yamaha CP 73 / 88 Stage Pianos
Roland RD 2000 Stage Piano
Clavia Nord Electro 6 Stage Keyboard
Korg Nautilus Synth / Workstation
£2000+
Clavia Nord Stage Piano 5
Korg Pa5x Arranger Keyboard
Clavia Nord Stage 4
Casio GP-510BP Home Piano
Casio PX S7000 Stage Piano
Yamaha Montage M Synth / Workstation
Roland Fantom
Yamaha Genos 2 Arranger Keyboard
Yamaha CVP-909 Digital Home Piano
Speakers / Amplifiers / Headphones
Headphones
Alto TS308 Power Speaker
KRK Rokit 5 G4 Monitor Speakers
Click on the gonks in the pop ups to see my recommendations!
Please also see the links page for details of all the major manufactorers!