An electronic keyboard instrument capable of producing electronically generated piano-like sounds. Many models also offer related timbres such as harpsichord, honky-tonk piano, vibraphone, clavichord and clavinet. Electronic pianos, based on electronic oscillators, were first manufactured from the 1970s, mainly in Italy; digital pianos were introduced in the early 1980s, originally based on digital synthesis, from around 1986 featuring sampled timbres. Around 1985 their increasingly realistic timbres and comparatively low cost led to the demise of the Electric piano, based on the amplified vibrations of an electro-acoustic or electromechanical sound-source (common usage makes little or no distinction between the two approaches). Apart from a continuing Italian involvement (Farfisa, GEM, Orla and Viscount), recent digital pianos have been marketed (also in the form of ‘piano modules’ without keyboards) by Alesis, Baldwin (Pianovelle), E-mu, Ensonig, Kurzweil, Lowrey, Madison, Peavey, Rhodes, Rodgers, Samick, Voce, Wurlitzer and the Japanese companies Akai, Casio (Celviano), Kawai, Korg, Roland, Suzuki, Technics and Yamaha (including the Clavinova and GranTouch). They have a ‘polyphony’ of notes that can be sounded simultaneously from 12 to 128 voices (usually 24, 32 or 64), and are presented as uprights, grands or ‘home keyboards’, mostly with a weighted-hammer action resembling that of an acoustic piano and incorporating a sequencer or digital recorder.
S. Miller, ed.: Digital Pianos: the Complete Consumer Guide to Contemporary Electronic Pianos (London, 1989)
J. Colbeck: Keyfax 5: a Guide to Every Major Digital Piano, General MIDI Module, Home Keyboard, and Computer Sound Card (London, 1994), 9–51, 131
J. Conrad Seidel: Electronic Musician's Digital Piano Buyer's Guide, viii (Emeryville, CA, 1999)
HUGH DAVIES