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Comparison Korg LP-380 vs Korg LP-180

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Korg LP-380
Korg LP-180
Korg LP-380Korg LP-180
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Main
Authentic sound. Mechanics Weighted Hammer Action 3 keyboard. Low power consumption. Three-pedal block.
Bodystationarystationary
Cover
Built-in pedals
Keys
Number of keys88 шт88 шт
Sizefull sizefull size
Mechanicsmalleusmalleus
Sensitivity adjustment
 /Light, Normal, Heavy/
 /Light, Normal, Heavy/
Rigidityweightedweighted
Specs
Polyphony120 voices120 voices
Built-in timbres30 шт10 шт
Tempo change40 – 240
Metronome
Built-in compositions
Effects and control
Timbres layering
Keyboard split
Reverberation
 /3/
Chorus
 /3/
Brightness
 /3/
Transposition
Pitch controller
Fine tuning
More featurestuning choice (temperament)
Connectors
Inputs
MIDI in
 
Connectable pedals1 шт
Outputs
MIDI out
MIDI out
Headphone outputs2 шт2 шт
Linear outputs1 шт
General
Built-in acoustics44 W22 W
Number of bands11
Displaymonochrome
Power consumption15 W13 W
Dimensions (WxHxD)1355x772x351 mm1365x781x274 mm
Weight37 kg23.3 kg
In box
 
pedal
Color
Added to E-Catalognovember 2016november 2016

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").

Tempo change

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.

Metronome

The presence of your own metronome in the design of a digital piano.

The metronome function is designed to count and maintain a given tempo. It is implemented as follows: when the metronome is turned on, the instrument starts to produce short sharp signals (clicks) at the tempo specified by the user. This feature is especially important for working with the training mode — without it, it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to develop a basic sense of rhythm. However, other options for using the metronome are also possible, up to being used as an independent sound effect when performing and recording music.

Timbres layering

The ability to overlay individual timbres provided in the instrument (or loaded into its memory by the user). Simply put, layering allows you to play a part on two timbres at once — for example, to complement the sound of a grand piano with the sound of a violin. This allows you to achieve a richer and more original sound.

Specific combinations of sounds can be stored in memory, however, in many models, the user himself can choose a combination of his own. However, it's ok to clarify these details separately.

Keyboard split

Possibility of dividing the keyboard into two parts so that the parts of the left and right hands are played in different timbres. This allows you to simultaneously play two disparate parts on the instrument — for example, accompany a piano melody with chords from a string orchestra or organ sounds. Specific combinations of timbres are most often pre-recorded in memory, however, there are models in which the musician himself can choose timbres for each part of the keyboard.

Brightness

The ability to change the brightness of the sound of certain timbres or tracks.

Brightness determines the overall colour of the sound — from soft, smoothed to sonorous, sharp. This feature allows the player to adjust this coloration to their preference, and thus further expands the possibilities for customizing the sound of the instrument.

Pitch controller

The presence of a pitch controller(Pitch Bend) in the design of a digital piano.

Such a controller allows you to smoothly change the pitch of the note being played within a small range (usually up to a semitone up or down). In this case, control is carried out using a wheel, a lever, or another similar element that allows the musician to manually adjust the speed and limits of frequency change (including creating the effect of a note “trembling” in frequency). This function allows you to simulate the playing techniques of some instruments (for example, tightening the strings on a guitar) and gives an unusual sound to timbres that were not originally intended to have such effects.

Fine tuning

The ability to fine-tune the digital piano for specific frequencies.

The essence of this function is generally similar to transposition — a slight shift of each note in frequency up or down. However, with fine tuning, the shift does not occur in steps (by an integer number of semitones), but very slowly and smoothly — by a certain number of hertz or even tenths of a hertz relative to the base scale. The base scale is often called "440 Hz" — this is the standard frequency of the "la" note of the first octave, according to which the rest of the scale is tuned. For a musician, fine tuning usually looks like an opportunity to set a different key frequency value — for example, 438 Hz or 441.2 Hz.

This feature can be useful for tuning the digital piano to another instrument whose frequencies change smoothly, such as a guitar. In many situations, it is easier to change the frequency settings in a digital device than to twist the strings or otherwise fiddle with complex tuning.

More features

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.
Korg LP-380 often compared
Korg LP-180 often compared