Pros and Cons
How often do you actually use the keyboard keys of the low bass and high treble range? At least some manufacturers answer this question with “almost never” and offer stage pianos with less than 88 keys. This is the case with the Studiologic Numa X Piano 73.
And somehow there is actually something to this question because the majority of piano literature manages without the outer sections of the keyboard. So do most current pop, soul, rock, or jazz pieces. The good thing about the Studiologic Numa X Piano 73: the reduced number of keys does not affect the rest of the equipment, which is identical to the 88 Numa X version. So why not buy a “smaller” stage piano?
In any case, the smaller model does not skimp on quality. As with the Numa X Piano 88, you get an extremely sturdy and robust case. At just under 12 kg, the Numa X Piano 73 feels “portable”.
All the knobs, with or without detent, are also pleasantly tight and sit very firmly on the case. The numerous flat buttons move minimally and confirm successful activation with a loud and full click. Nothing wobbles or rattles, and that feels and sounds very good.
Somewhat unusual for this price range: The manufacturer offers most accessories as optional purchases. This includes the music stand, which is typically included with a stage piano. You can also buy a computer plate, both accessories are conveniently magnetic. And of course, there are various pedals and the obligatory soft keyboard bag for short-distance transport.
In addition to an external power supply, the Numa X Piano 73 also comes with a sustain pedal. The Studiologic VFP1/10 feels rather stiff to use, but made no noise during the test. For more pedal power, Studiologic offers the SLP3-D triple pedal.
When it comes to connectivity, the Numa X piano leaves nothing to be desired. In addition to the ability to connect three different pedals, there are two MIDI ports and, of course, a USB port.
The Numa X Piano 73’s USB Audio/MIDI capability makes integrating piano applications and VSTs easy. It can also process external signals with four audio inputs and a digital mixer. This connects additional instruments (keyboards, synthesizers) to the Numa X Piano 73 in your live setup.
With these possibilities, you can perfectly organize your live set centrally from the stage piano. The Numa X Piano 73 is also a flexible recording tool. You can integrate microphones, guitars, smartphones, or music computers into the performance without interference or the need for additional hardware. All in all, this feature is unique among stage pianos.
The keyboard on the Studiologic Numa X Piano 73 is one of the best I have ever played. While it may not have an Ivory Touch surface and is made out of simple plastic, it gives the pianist a sensational feel and feedback. The relatively new TP/110 keyboard from Fatar is obviously much better than the older TP/100LR version.
The key weight when playing is very realistic – the whole key behavior is exemplary. The speed with which the keys bounce back makes it possible to play very fast passages and trills.
Even when playing a Chopin etude, the keyboard remains pleasantly quiet, which is especially important when practicing. It would be unpleasant if you had to turn up the headphone output to drown out the keyboard noise. With the Numa X Piano 73, there is absolutely no danger of this happening.
The state-of-the-art sound engine of the Studiologic Numa X Piano 73 uses a mixture of sampling, wave shaping, and physical modeling for sound generation. The piano sounds also benefit from the new Acoustic Modeling, which provides realistic sound details of an acoustic instrument, such as string resonance and mechanical noise from keys and pedals.
The result is a very realistic, high-resolution, and vibrant piano sound that allows for great dynamics, is crystal clear, and offers many customization options. With a 300 voice polyphony, even playing layer combinations is pure joy.
The over 200 other sounds fall into the categories Electric Piano, Keys, Bass/Guitar, Organ, Synth, Orchestra, and Other. These include smooth electric pianos, piercing organs, and warm synth sounds. Strings and guitars fall a bit short.
The workflow when creating sounds on the Numa X Piano 73 is also interesting: each sound can consist of up to four individual sounds that you can configure in layer and split combinations. It’s great that the four controls to the left of the display allow direct access to the different layers. This makes it possible to change their volume and sound or simply deactivate them in no time at all.
As with all Studiologic synthesized keyboard instruments, the Numa X Piano 73 allows you to edit the instrument’s presets, change their order, and import your own. This is very convenient and easy to do with the Numa Manager app.
The desktop application is available free of charge for Windows and MacOS. In addition to organizing sounds, Numa Manager is also used to update the Numa X piano’s firmware.
A variety of effects let you customize and add to the sounds you create. These include Distortion, Tremolo, EQ, Compressor, Phaser, Delay, and of course Reverb with ten different reverb chambers. Not only do they sound really good, they also offer many parameters and options.
Not only the effects section but the entire structure of the instrument/audio zones benefits from the UX design, which makes the Studiologic Numa X completely transparent to use. The color scheme of the knobs and the display is well thought out: Activation of an effect is easily done by pressing the corresponding knob, then is indicated by an illuminated ring. Moreover, you can also adjust and confirm all settings using the rotary knob.
The Studiologic Numa X Piano 73 is a mid-range piano – with its four-figure price tag, it is not for everyone. However, the price/performance ratio is excellent because you get a lot of bang for your buck.
The keyboard is fantastic and allows direct access to the excellent piano sounds, the realism of which can also be enhanced by acoustic modeling. Further, the UX-designed control concept also impresses with quick access to parameters, made possible by the physical controls and consistent color coding of software and hardware.
The wide range of sounds and flexible effects are equally remarkable, as is the extensive equipment with four audio inputs and USB audio/MIDI. As a result, the Numa X Piano 73 is equally at home in the studio as it is in performance-oriented live performance and recording applications.
Available from: 12.2021
Tastatur: Fatar TP/110 73-key hammer action keyboard
Polyphony: maximum of 300 voices
Piano app: Numa Manager (Windows/MacOS, free of charge)
Manufacturer/Distributor: Studiologic/B4 Distribution
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Pros and Cons
Tobias Homburger
The keyboard is fantastic and allows direct access to the excellent piano sounds, the realism of which can also be enhanced by acoustic modeling.
Numa X Piano 73 : 1.025,00 €
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