Digital piano opinions - calling all players

[Martinus]

When considering amateur piano playing, is it true that a digital piano is almost as good, sound wise as normal analog pianos?

I am considering getting a piano for my flat (I used to play about 10 years ago and would like to start again) but I checked the prices of analog pianos and they are rather expensive (btw, I am thinking of small type "box" piano, not a grand piano here) and several people I asked claim that digital pianos (which are 5 times cheaper or so) are not that bad.

[The Brain]

Pro Tip: try a digital piano in the store.

[The Larch]

Forget that, you should install this instead:



It'll give you an excuse to ask other players to take off their shoes.

[Ed Anger]

Keytar.

[DontSayBanana]

Most digital pianos still rely on hammer-action keys that are weighted to feel like those of an acoustic piano, and they have much better sustain/dampen support, so the dynamic is much closer to playing an acoustic piano than it would be with, say, an 88-key workstation keyboard.  As far as sound, the built-in packages on digital pianos tend to have a much different timbre that just puts one in mind of a piano.

Properly emulating an acoustic piano tone takes a rather complex rig- ideally, you need a hammer-action MIDI keyboard, a soundcard that supports ASIO, a good MIDI control program, and a good piano VST instrument plugin (ones that have enough settings and variables to properly mimic an acoustic piano do NOT come cheap).

Basically, if you're looking to just play the piano and don't mind if the sound is a little off, a digital piano's fine.  If you're looking to completely replace an acoustic piano, you're going to need to put some elbow grease into it.

[Barrister]

Marti, you're so concerned about appearance you have an interior designer.

I can't imagine you getting a digital piano.  An upgright piano is not THAT expensive, and will look a million times better in your condo.

[Martinus]

The digital pianos look like upright pianos (and have a more sleek, modern look).

For example, this digital Yamaha:



Looks much cooler than non-digital Zimmermann:



And costs about half the price.

None is as cool as the uber-modern Petrof



But that one costs about the price of a medium class car.

[Barrister]

Looks much cooler than non-digital Zimmermann:

Disagree.  The first one looks like a digital piano - the second one does not.

[The Larch]

What about an organ? You can sit there and strike dramatic poses and terrify your neighbours at night.