Product Review: Korg Poetry – The Chopin Piano?

The new Korg Poetry is a mid-range digital piano with a unique concept: It pays tribute to the renowned Polish composer, pianist, and educator Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849).

Calling the Korg Poetry a “Chopin piano” would be an understatement, as it offers all the features you would expect from a modern digital piano. However, its historical focus is evident in its piano sounds: One of the two main piano sounds is a faithful sample of a historic piano from the renowned French manufacturer Pleyel, sampled especially for the Poetry. These were the instruments Chopin, one of the most famous Romantic composers, came to favor during his time in France.

Korg Poetry: Romantic & Modern

To authentically reproduce Chopin’s piano pieces, Korg sampled an original Pleyel instrument from the height of Romanticism in the first half of the 19th century.

However, if you’re looking for a contemporary piano sound typical of today’s digital instruments, you won’t be disappointed. The Korg Poetry also features samples of an Italian Fazioli concert grand piano. Bridging the gap to the present, this sound allows you to interpret Chopin’s works in a way that reflects modern standards.

In addition, the piano includes 50 selected Chopin pieces as demo songs, with 23 of these pieces featured in an accompanying music book for practice.

Elegant in Sound and Design

The Korg Poetry has a sleek design characterized by front legs, a flat surface when the piano lid is closed, an almost fully enclosed back, and gold-colored triple pedals and feet.

This modern aesthetic is enhanced by a grained wood finish that subtly references its historical roots. In addition, the “Poetic Brown” color exudes warmth with its slight irregularities and adds a touch of vintage character that aligns beautifully with the Korg Poetry’s historical focus.

Korg Poetry: Bigger Sound Than You’d Expect

With a total power of 2 x 25 watts, the built-in speaker system creates a well-balanced soundscape. Positioned in a sound bar beneath the keyboard, it delivers a surprisingly loud volume for such a compact piano. The “Italian Grand” presets, in particular, showcase their full potential, while the digital piano and pad sounds also impress with their quality.

Historic Pleyel Piano Sound

The first piano sound in the Korg Poetry is the “Italian Grand”—a concert grand from renowned Italian manufacturer Fazioli. Despite the compact size of the piano, the sound feels expansive and is a pleasure to play in both a bright, brilliant tone and a “mellow” variation with softer overtones.

The second piano sound takes you back to the early 19th century, featuring a sampled original from the French piano maker Pleyel. While this sound doesn’t match the clarity and range of the Italian Grand, it creates a fascinating contrast. In a way, this preset reflects the evolution of modern piano making.

Nevertheless, the sound certainly makes for an interesting experience. Playing the Pleyel preset allows you to authentically recreate music from the Romantic era. Interestingly, the Pleyel sound can also add a vintage touch to older jazz tunes or bring a unique texture to jazzy riffs in hip-hop or rap.

Korg’s Proven Mid-Range Technology

The Korg Poetry incorporates proven features typical of Korg’s mid-range models. It features an 88-key RH3 (Real Weighted Hammer Action) keyboard with a graded hammer action for an authentic playing experience. While it lacks Ivory Feel keytops and let-off simulation—features you could expect in this price range—the graded hammer action keyboard still guarantees a highly responsive and comfortable playing experience.

The 120-note polyphony of the sound engine is somewhat limited for this price range but still sufficient for most standard piano pieces. You can layer up to two sounds at once, for example, a piano and strings. There are a total of 30 layer sounds available, including digital pianos, organs, strings, and choirs. While all of these are of good quality, it’s important to keep an eye on the polyphony. The manual points out that some sounds require more oscillators than others, which can be a bit confusing.

The control panel, featuring a small LED display and an array of buttons, is positioned at an angle above the lowest two octaves. However, Korg has opted not to support a remote control app or any advanced editing features for customizing individual settings.

Digital Piano Features

As expected, the Korg Poetry comes with a simple 2-track MIDI recorder and a metronome to help you practice. For online lessons or play-alongs, you can connect to mobile devices or computers via Bluetooth audio. That said, the ports are positioned underneath the keyboard, which feels a bit outdated. On the positive side, you’ll find an audio line out and a headphone jack. However, the lack of a USB port might be a drawback, as it would offer a simpler connection to a music computer compared to the traditional MIDI in and out jacks provided.

Conclusion: Well-Executed Concept, Excellent Sound

The Korg Poetry immediately sets itself apart from other digital pianos: A distinctive name instead of a typical model number—that’s already a statement. Paying tribute to the legendary composer Frédéric Chopin with a historical piano sound may seem like a clever marketing tactic, but this unique feature gets the Korg Poetry the attention it deserves. It truly lives up to all the expectations you might have of a modern digital piano.

Blending classical and contemporary elements, the Korg Poetry impresses with its sleek design, high-quality aesthetics, and, most importantly, its impressive sound quality and playability. The standout feature is undoubtedly the historical piano sound, a true innovation in today’s digital piano market.

Korg Poetry – Overview

Release date: approx. 04.2024
Keyboard: RH3, weighted, graduated keys
Polyphony: 120 voices
Manufacturer/Distributor: Korg/Korg&More

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