Comparison Casio Compact CDP-S350 vs Casio Compact CDP-230R

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 user tones provided in the instrument's design.

A certain assortment of built-in sounds is a must for any digital piano; see above for more details. However, the specific list of these timbres may be different, and it does not always include the options required by the user. In this case, the possibility of creating user timbres is provided. The specific method of creation may be different: in some models, timbres are loaded from a computer or a USB flash drive, in others you can create modifications to the “instruments” available in memory (for example, by applying certain filters and effects), in others, you can set all sound parameters manually, achieving unique sound. However, the most popular is the first option.

Anyway, the presence of user timbres greatly expands the capabilities of the instrument. Choosing a model by their number is based on how many original timbres will need to be constantly kept in memory.

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.

Additional features and sound customization options provided by the instrument in addition to those listed above. In this paragraph, usually, various original proprietary technologies and solutions are indicated; the specific meaning of these functions is best specified in the documentation for the tool.

— Mini-jack (linear). Any line input is designed to receive an audio signal in analogue format. Such an audio signal can be played back by the instrument itself through the built-in speakers, external speakers or headphones, switched to external equipment (for example, an amplifier or audio receiver), or recorded (if you have a sequencer, see above). In digital pianos, the most popular is the first option — playback; typically, the line-in sound either serves as an accompaniment to the main part or provides additional effects. As for the mini-Jack standard, this is a miniature plug, also called "3.5 mm" and known to many as a standard audio jack on a smartphone, laptop or computer. However, this standard is also very popular in digital pianos — among external signal sources, mini-Jack plugs are generally more common than full-size Jacks.

— Jack (linear). Line input using a Jack type connector (aka "6.35 mm"). In terms of purpose, such an input does not differ from the mini-Jack type input described above. As for the connector, it is almost 2 times larger than the mini-Jack in diameter — however, given the dimensions of digital pianos, this cannot be called a serious drawback. At the same time, the Jack socket provides a better and more reliable connection, with less likelihood of interference. At the same time, for a number of reasons, this type of connector is used somewhat less frequently in digital pianos.

— MIDI in....An input that allows the Digital Piano to receive MIDI signals from external equipment. MIDI is a standard signal format in electronic musical instruments; such a signal (MIDI-event) is created for each keystroke and contains information about the note number, strength, speed and duration of pressing; these signals can then be recorded and/or played back in a specific tone. The ability to receive MIDI events from external devices can be useful, for example, when playing two keyboard instruments at once (to play all the music on one of them, with better sound quality), or to use the digital piano as an adapter for another instrument that does not having the desired tones. In addition, technically, a MIDI signal can be switched to other devices (see "Outputs — MIDI thru").

— USB to device (type A). USB connector that allows you to connect various external devices to the digital piano. However, most often the range of such devices is limited to "flash drives" and other drives. However, even this functionality can provide very extensive additional features: you can play backing melodies from a flash drive, update user timbres and auto-accompaniment styles (see above) or even instrument firmware, and copy materials recorded by a sequencer to a flash drive (or even write music directly). ), etc. Specific features in different models may be different, this point should be clarified separately.

— Card reader. A device for reading memory cards — usually, the popular SD format. By purpose, this function is similar to working with a USB flash drive (see above), adjusted for the fact that memory cards will be convenient primarily when exchanging data with a laptop — almost all modern laptops are equipped with card readers, which cannot be said about desktop PCs.

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.

The power consumed by the tool during normal operation.

The cost of electricity, as well as connection requirements, depend on this indicator. At the same time, we note that digital pianos require relatively little energy — even in the most powerful and advanced models, consumption usually does not exceed 60 watts. So in fact, power consumption data is required mainly for specific cases — for example, to calculate the total load when connecting a tool to an autonomous generator along with other devices. In addition, this information may be useful when assessing the power of the built-in speaker, for more information, see "Built-in acoustics".

The type of battery power provided by the Digital Piano.

Such power, as the name suggests, allows the tool to work without being plugged into an outlet; it can be useful both in the complete absence of sockets nearby, and in the event that it is difficult to connect to them or the presence of extra wires is undesirable. The operating time from an independent source, however, turns out to be limited, but it is usually quite enough for at least several compositions, and even for several performances (for more details, see "Working time").

However, the specificity of digital pianos is such that even portable models (see “Cabinet”) rarely have to be used in the absence of sockets. Therefore, there are few self-powered models among such tools. As a source, standard AA (“finger”) batteries are most often used — this is the most popular type of replaceable cells, available for sale almost everywhere where batteries are sold at all.