GEAR EXPO 2024: If keyboards are your thing, then we have some fantastic models on the way in 2024, including stage pianos packed with so much more than 'just' piano sounds, and other keyboards offering beats and chords.
Nothing beats sitting in front of a full-sized instrument and spending hours practising or composing, and we have several key releases for just that here. Whatever your budget, there should be a home keyboard or piano out there with your name on it, so without further ado, let's get into the best keyboards and pianos coming out over the year ahead.
Korg Grandstage X
Grandstage X is Korg's sleek new, ivory white stage piano. It has no less than seven sound engines, providing 13 main piano sounds, including grand piano models from Germany, Japan and Italy, upright pianos and even classic Korg pianos from OASYS and the Korg M1. In fact there are a whopping 700 sounds in total, and 128 notes of polyphony should be plenty to get the best from them.
Grandstage X features an RH3 Real Weighted hammer action keyboard that Korg says delivers "realistic touch and feel", and Korg's Nutube technology is employed in the onboard effects.
The seven sounds modes are mostly divided up by instrument type, so SGX-2 is Korg's engine for delivering acoustic piano sounds, and features 12 levels of velocity switching over its sampling of some of the best acoustics out there.
The EP-1 engine, you might not be surprised to learn, focuses on electric pianos, and features seven diverse EP sounds, while three organ engines – CX-3, VOX and FC-1 – cover some classic tones.
As well as the aforementioned organs, you also get an AL-1 analogue modelling engine for brass and lead sounds, and the HD-1 PCM engine that provides electric grands, pipe organs and harpsichords.
Finally, there are plenty of split and layering features and even chord progression and backing track inclusions for practising.
Grandstage X is expected to ship in June for $3,000. You can get more info from the Korg website.
Korg Poetry
Korg's Poetry is the world of Frédéric Chopin embodied in one instrument. It combines the Polish composer's favourite instrument, an 1843 Pleyel piano, and an Italian concert grand piano, as used in the International Chopin competition.
The former is pitched to 430Hz to recreate the sound of the Playel over 80 keys, while the latter is a wider and more immersive sound. The RH3 (Real Weighted Hammer Action) keyboard is engineered to feel like the grand, with a heavier response in the lower register, and lighter one in the higher register.
You can also adjust the feel of the piano over five levels: light, standard, heavy, constant and steady, offering a more personal choice depending on your skill level.
Taking the Chopin theme even further, Poetry comes with 50 of Chopin's masterpieces 'built in' to the piano, so you can have them playing as background music, or play along with more than 20 scores.
There's also a two-part song recorder so you can record each hand playing, one at a time, or record your entire performance with a pre-saved song, honing your piano skills while you do. There's also a layered mode for layering tones together, or a partner mode so two players can utilise the same range of keys on the keyboard. There are 30 sounds in total plus a maximum polyphony of 120 notes.
Poetry is shipping now priced at £1,649/€1,899.
Nord Grand 2
Clavia makes many great Nord keyboards, each of which is designed for a different kind of player. It's hard to know, therefore, which is the standout ‘flagship’ model in the company's range, although the Nord Grand is certainly a contender, especially now it has been updated to version 2.
This is not just a software update either, as the Nord Grand 2 has an improved Kawai hammer keyboard, with additional triple sensors to improve the tracking accuracy of the movement. This, says Clavia, will give it more of a feel of a traditional acoustic piano.
There are also extra, more advanced layering features: stack two pianos and Sample synths (over just one of each on the original Grand); dedicated LED faders for each layer; easy-access knobs and buttons for configuring layers and splits; and an effects section per layer. You can now set up to seven split points across the keyboard, too, and further Split Point Crossfades allow you to transition easily between them.
Sound wise, the grands, uprights and electric pianos have extras like Dynamic Compression and Unison. The Sample Synth section has nearly double the memory and many new and updated sounds. There's access to attack, decay/release and dynamic velocity responses, and new Soft and Bright settings give you quick tone-shaping options.
The wind, brass and string instruments have been improved. too, with a Tru-Vibrato feature promising more realism in the vibrato characteristics. A Unison mode helps create ensemble-type sounds by stacking multiple voices.
There are no pitch and mod wheels, so Clavia is still aiming Nord Grand at pianists rather than synth heads, which is fine as there are many other Nords for the latter group.
Nord Grand 2 isn't cheap, but which Nord is? Expect to pay around $3,699/£3,599. And there's more info on the Nord Keyboards website.
Casio Celviano
Casio’s new Celviano pianos focus on style and sound, and come with new speaker systems and a Visual Information Bar that promises to help your playing. There are three new ‘furniture pianos’ in the range: the AP-750, AP-550 and AP-S450.
The big draw is Casio's new Hamburg Piano Tone, which was developed to “faithfully capture the natural bloom of one of the world’s most coveted and majestic pianos”.
The new Celviano speaker system has been designed to not only work well with this sound but also emulate the spatial sound of a grand piano by using 3D effects. This makes the piano tone sound like it is coming from above and below the soundboard, and both the AP-750 and AP-550 have a top lid that can open to project sound forward.
The Visual Information Bar displays a pulsing metronome to help keep you in time, or reports back on your playing strength and pedal depth, giving you and your teacher more information about your finger and pedal technique. Meanwhile, an Instant RePlayer feature takes you back in time to earlier performances - maybe some inspirational playing that you can't easily recall or repeat.
Of the new models, the AP-750 is the flagship, with its Grandphonic 8 spatial sound system and 39 sounds. You get nine grand pianos, including the Hamburg tone, a Berlin Grand developed in collaboration with Bechstein, and a Vienna Grand based on “one of the world’s finest pianos”.
The AP-550 is the middle model and has a 2-channel/4-speaker system and 26 tones, six of which are grand pianos, including the Hamburg and a New York Grand. The AP-S450 is more compact, and available in black, white and brown, as is the AP-550. The top-end AP-750 is only available in black.
The three new models feature the Celviano edition of Casio’s Smart Hybrid Hammer Action Keyboard, plus the WU-BT10 Bluetooth adapter, which supports wireless MIDI and audio. You can connect to many apps including Casio’s Music Space (iOS and Android), which enables you to adjust settings, view and annotate sheet music, have interactive lessons and more.
Price wise, the AP-750, AP-550 and AP-S450 are £1,999, £1,749 and £1,549 respectively and available now. Get more information at the Casio website.
A new Wurlitzer
Just as we've recently enjoyed the next-generation Rhodes Mk8 electric piano so another classic keys brand, Wurlitzer, has confirmed it has a new model on the way. Well, kind of.
Both keyboards were and are iconic electric pianos, with the Wurli offering just that bit more bite when played hard. The first Wurlitzer came out as part of the 100 series in 1954, but went out of production in 1983 with the 200A. There's a good guide by Anthony Marinelli on the different models here.
Of the new one, though, it looks like we're going to have to wait a while to find out more, as there's been little info – actually none – since the teaser campaign at the NAMM show where an image was shown on the Wurlitzer Pianos website. Still, we're including it in our 'ones to watch' list for 2024 as a new (and maybe) improved Wurlitzer could be great news for all players.
Roland LX Series
Roland recently added three models to its LX series of its digital pianos, all of which look like being great choices for the year ahead. The new models are the LX-5, LX-6 and LX-9, and Roland says they all "offer a harmonious balance of elegance and convenience, supported by a range of powerful digital features".
Each of the new models uses Roland's Piano Reality Modeling for its piano sound emulation. They also feature an 88-note hammer action keyboard, with both the LX-9 and LX-6 offering an extended key length – the same you'd find on acoustic grand pianos – which offers the "natural hand position and precise articulation that advanced players require during demanding technical passages".
The top-end LX-9 also includes haptic technology which gives the keyboard the subtle physical vibrations you get while playing an acoustic grand.
Roland has fitted out the pianos with multi-channel sound systems made specifically for each LX model. The speakers are designed to reproduce everything, from the piano sound to other characteristics like the string and cabinet resonances and hammer noise, and more. There's also Roland’s 'Piano Reality Ambience' that places the piano sound in different virtual environments, like studios and concert halls.
All the pianos partner with the Roland Piano app that offers a number of learning tools. They are priced from $3,799.99 for the smaller LX-5, which also features less sounds, right up to $7,199.99 for the flagship LX-9. They are also available in a number of different finishes including polished ebony, charcoal black, and dark rosewood.
There's more information at Roland's website.
Roland RD-08
Roland's newest addition to its RD stage piano range is also its cheapest, but that doesn't seems to hold the specs back, which include built-in speakers, SuperNATURAL and ZEN-Core sound engines, and Roland Cloud expansion support.
RD-08 is an 88-note instrument incorporating Roland’s PHA-4 Standard Keyboard tech, with a hammer action, Escapement and Ivory Feel. The three sound generators are SuperNATURAL Piano, SuperNATURAL E Piano and Roland’s ZEN-Core synth engine, so it's pretty obvious what each one specialises in.
The RD-08 has 100 scenes and over 3,000 tones, plus a good number of effects. There are hands-on controls including an assignable pitchbend and modulation wheel and four control knobs. You also get inputs for a damper pedal and two assignable pedals.
RD-08 also features a song player and a metronome, and around the back you get a 1/4-inch headphone out, stereo 1/4-inch output jacks, a 1/4-inch mic input and a line input minijack plus MIDI Out and USB ports.
The Roland Cloud compatibility is an interesting addition as it lets you expand the RD-08's sonic range by installing the Acoustic Piano 3 from the Cloud. There are other expansions too, although the costs are not stated as yet. For live performers, you also get Apple MainStage support.
RD-08 is compact and lightweight, with dimensions being 1,284 (W) x 258 (D) x 159 (H) mm, and its weight 13.5kg. However it is mains only so not truly portable.
Roland's RD-08 will cost you a nicely rounded $1,000 and is available now. Get more info on the Roland website.
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