Body
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Stationary. Stationary tools have their own stand and are designed to be installed directly on the floor. At the same time, in accordance with the name, such models are designed for constant stay in one place and are poorly suited for regular movements even within the same room, not to mention longer distances. However, this is not a disadvantage, but only a characteristic feature of such cases. But the unequivocal disadvantage of stationary tools can be called their rather high cost. On the other hand, such models are as similar as possible to real pianos in appearance, layout and equipment: the keyboard, usually, is located at a standard height, and pedals are installed in the lower part of the case (and there are usually as many as three of them, a complete set). And it is much easier to provide high-quality sound and an abundance of features in such an instrument than in a portable one — the manufacturer does not need to pay special attention to compactness and weight reduction.
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Portable. Portable are called digital pianos, made in the form of portable keyboards and devoid of stands; to play such a keyboard, you need to put it on a table or other support. Outwardly, such instruments are similar to synthesizers, and sometimes almost indistinguishable from them. At the same time, unlike synthesizers, portable digital pianos have mostly full-size keyboards with 88 keys, and displays are rarel
...y equipped. And in terms of functionality, the differences are that digital pianos are more oriented towards traditional music: they can provide relatively few timbres, often do not support auto-accompaniment (see below), but provide a fairly high sound quality. If we compare portable models with stationary ones, then the key advantage of this option is obvious — the tool can be moved from place to place with relative ease and even carried with you, if you have the appropriate case. The disadvantage also naturally follows from the design — it will be extremely difficult to play such an instrument without additional support, and not every piece of furniture can play the role of such a support. So it is almost impossible for a portable digital piano to do without a stand (see "Packaging").Built-in pedals
The presence of built-in pedals in the design of a digital piano.
Pedals are an indispensable element of equipping a classical piano; accordingly, they are often provided in digital counterparts. Actually, this function is practically obligatory for models of a stationary layout (see "Hull"). But in portable ones, on the contrary,
built-in pedals are not found — there is simply nowhere to install them, external plug-in pedals are available for such models (see below).
The traditional number of built-in pedals is three; there are practically no other options in a power tool. Note that in many models, the specific functions of the pedals can change depending on the set timbre, or even manually, at the request of the musician.
Sensitivity adjustment
The ability
to adjust the sensitivity of the digital piano keyboard.
The sensitivity level determines the volume and sharpness of the sound that the instrument will produce at a certain force and speed of pressing the key. High sensitivity allows you to achieve sharp, expressive sound with significant volume differences, low — relatively quiet, soft and smoothed. And some instruments even provide "zero" sensitivity — when all keys sound with the same volume and dynamics, regardless of the pressing force. This can be useful, for example, to imitate the sound of certain instruments (such as the harpsichord).
In box
Additional items included with the instrument.
— Music stand. A music stand mounted above the keyboard, in front of the musician's eyes. Note that in this case, only the detachable music rest supplied with the portable instrument is meant (see "Body"); in stationary digital pianos, by definition, such a stand is available; moreover, it is often a non-removable part of the body.
— Pedal. Only portable digital pianos (see Body) can be equipped with an external pedal. stationary are equipped with built-in pedals. Note that there is usually only one such item in the kit, even if there is more than one input for the pedals. However, this cannot be called a serious drawback: situations where a musician needs more than one pedal are extremely rare. For more information about the inputs and the pedals themselves, see Connectable Pedals.
— Power Supply. Power supply for connecting the tool to the network. Even for portable tools, an outlet is often the most convenient way to power; and in stationary cases, other options may not be provided at all. Therefore, the power supply is an almost indispensable element of the digital piano package. The absence of such a block in the kit, usually, indicates that it is made built-in; however, this is rare.
— Disk. An optical disc (CD or DVD) containing various digital piano supplements. These can be instructions and other documentation, drivers for connecting to a computer, specialized software for edit...ing music on a PC, etc. Such a medium can be very useful if you need access to information or specialized software, but there is no Internet connection at the moment or there is a problem with it.
— Rack. Stand for floor installation of the tool. It is used only in portable models (see "Chassis") — stationary, by definition, do not require additional stands. Such a device, usually, is made folding, which provides ease of storage and transportation. Racks are also sold separately, but in some cases it is more convenient to buy a stand immediately, along with the tool.