Instead of loading their stage pianos with a fixed set of sounds, many brands are now curating huge online libraries of tones that can be downloaded from the internet. These sounds can be swapped in and out of their stage pianos at will. Collections like these are constantly growing, so look out for this feature if you need a vast amount of sonic versatility.
The very best stage pianos have a deep feature set conveniently hidden behind a simple, logical top panel. You'll just want to be able to select patches quickly, recall favourites/scenes, work with zones, layers and splits and make some on-the-fly adjustments. The top panel should be working with you in this regard, not against you.
Compact Stage Pianos KONTAKT
Looking at buying one of the best stage pianos? Perhaps, you're getting back into gigging again, or you've got a cushty number working in theatre or a place of worship. Maybe you're planning to take your band out on the road for the very first time, or you're a singer songwriter who dreams of having an instrument more versatile than a guitar to accompany you.
Whatever your reasons for wanting a stage piano, you've probably already worked out that a simple home keyboard isn't going to cut it on tour. Stage pianos are built tough for the rough and tumble of gigging so that they'll work reliably night after night. More often than not, they also feature stage-friendly top panels that are easy to navigate even under the gloomiest stage lighting.
If your budget doesn't stretch to the full fat stage pianos above, Casio's new PX S-1100 (opens in new tab) is a more pocket-friendly and lightweight alternative for the casual gigging musician or busker. While it doesn't offer all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models, what it does have is improved sounds, Bluetooth connectivity, portability and optional battery power.
Most, if not all the stage pianos in this buyer's guide are equipped with MIDI too, so they can also be repurposed as MIDI controllers. The difference is that the Keylab has been developed from the ground up to be closely integrated with software such as Ableton Live, as well as Arturia's very own Analog Lab.
Certainly, the acoustic piano patches sounded magnificent, the dynamics helped in no small part by the lovely triple contact keybed. Most stage pianos boast the ability to seamlessly transition from one patch to another, but this performance is sometimes compromised, especially if effects are involved. Regardless of how hard we tried we couldn't catch the VIVO S3 Pro out, it behaved faultlessly.
Conversely, a stage piano should be light, so that it's easy to carry from gig to gig. The good brands go to a lot of trouble developing stage pianos that perform like they're hewn from rock, but when it's time to pack them away they feel like there's nothing to them.
It's not uncommon to designate a stage piano as the central controller for your entire live setup. Fortunately MIDI is ubiquitous, but if this is important to you, look out for comprehensive implementation. Some stage pianos are better in this regard than others. 2ff7e9595c
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