There are several factors to consider when positioning your new digital piano. The playback systems of digital pianos vary greatly, so it is worth taking a closer look at the details. And there are a few other factors to keep in mind.
When you buy your first digital piano, you probably already know where you want it to go – and it will most likely be in your living room. A wise choice, because music should be at the center of your life, and a musical instrument in a prominent place shows a sense of art and culture.
One thing to remember when positioning your digital piano is that if you want to play the piano, you also have to practice! It doesn’t make sense to place a digital piano in an area of the living room that may have other priorities. For example, practicing while someone else is watching TV simply won’t work.
Do you primarily plan to play the digital piano with headphones? In this case, the location is not as critical. However, you still shouldn’t place the piano right next to a TV. Otherwise, the same applies to a digital piano as to a piano: Playing loudly, i.e., without headphones, should fill your living room with beautiful sound. Digital musical instruments differ from acoustic ones in this respect as the orientation of the built-in speakers has a significant effect on the sound they produce.
There are big differences here: The speakers are either built into the control panel area, facing up, or located under the keyboard. In addition, hybrid models with woofers facing down and tweeters facing up or out for a nice stereo effect are also available. The basic rule is that the more sophisticated the instrument, the more important it is to correctly position the digital piano to get the most out of its sound.
Typical home pianos are designed to be placed with the back of the piano against the wall. In any case, you should leave about 10-20 centimeters of space between the instrument and the wall. Please be especially careful with digital pianos that have speakers that face backward. If you place such a digital piano too close to the wall, you won’t be able to get the full potential out of the speakers.
Sound reflection may also distort the sound of the instrument if the distance from the wall is too small. Hybrid digital pianos with a soundboard system, such as the Kawai CA-901, even behave similarly to acoustic pianos. Consequently, they will not achieve their full sonic potential if placed too close to the wall.
While this is more relevant with acoustic instruments, in some ways it also applies to digital pianos. Placing a piano too close to a radiator may cause the soundboard to crack because the thin wood of the soundboard is sensitive to drying.
Digital pianos are much less sensitive in this regard. However, digital pianos can also suffer from severe temperature fluctuations, especially if they have wooden keys or a transducer soundboard.
Every room has a specific acoustic profile: Reflections cause resonances that can boost or cut certain frequencies. This means that the sound of the digital piano, which is perfect in theory, can sound quite unbalanced when played through the digital piano’s built-in speakers.
In such cases, EQ profiles found in the system settings of higher-end digital pianos can be helpful. These are pre-defined equalizer settings that you can easily apply without any sound engineering know-how. Ideal for home users!
In the case of persistent room resonance, it may be possible to improve the situation using special editing functions. Most of the editing functions of Virtual Technician or PianoRemote (Kawai), Piano Designer (Roland), and Piano Room/Smart Pianist (Yamaha) have a global effect on the entire sound. However, you can adjust some functions individually, note by note. Kawai digital pianos offer key volume, while Roland Piano Designer also allows you to change the character of the sound. These can be useful service functions for piano dealers and builders – but as a layman, it’s best to leave them alone. Nevertheless, this is how it’s done…
How to compensate for the accentuation of individual notes due to room resonance:
Make sure you know what you are doing when making these sound changes. Otherwise, you run the risk of making the piano sound worse. Also, do not expect miracles from this technical option. Even the most flexible editing options cannot compensate for fundamentally poor room acoustics. Parameters such as key volume and sound character are for fine-tuning – nothing more.
It is best to place the digital piano in a location that is not too far from the nearest power outlet. As a general rule, avoid running power cords across the room, as they are a dangerous tripping hazard. Keep external power supplies and outlets away from areas where you move around.
Digital pianos and wall shelves are a wonderful combination and a convenient way to keep sheet music and other accessories within easy reach. If you plan to place your new digital piano under a shelf or bookcase, don’t forget about the music stand. There’s one more thing to consider when placing a digital piano in a room, even after taking into account both the height of the piano and the music stand: Make sure there is enough space for an average-sized music book, approximately a foot (30 cm) high.
The specifications for digital pianos do not always include the height of the instrument, so it is worth checking before you buy! Some manufacturers list the height without the music stand, while others list both heights – with and without the music stand.
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