A Digital Keyboard usually comes with various digital effects including pitch bend and modulation wheel. Here’s what you should look for in keyboards if you are an improviser.
If you are an intermediate to advanced player, your choice of keyboard instrument should have a good set of digital effects.
More so if you are a keyboardist playing for a band or for an audience.
There are various occasions when you may have to use the effects, either to enhance the sound or just to break the monotony.
You should have a digital music keyboard that comes with a pitch bend and a modulation wheel as well.
The Improvisers
You are already at that stage where you fingers would fly on the keyboard. Using unique chord arrangements and playing lightening fast solos and licks is what you enjoy doing most.
A set of rich sounds and effects would greatly enhance the final sound that the audience would hear. Stage pianos such as the CP series from Yamaha would do justice to the keyboardist in you.
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Pitch Bending & Modulation
For sounds besides the piano, you will have to use these effects to get the true bending or fluttering of notes that guitarists or string instrument players do.
You need to check that the pitch-bend and the modulation wheels perfectly reflect this feel.
It needs to be easy to use as well. Some players prefer the normal “Up / Down” motion but certain other players use the side-ways motion of the controllers.
Owning Multiple Keyboards
Its very common for pros to own multiple keyboards, and most of the times their setup comprises of multiple sound producing equipment.
But do you really need multiple keyboards?
It all depends on what type of setup you’re more comfortable with. If you like hardware based sounds, then having additional boards means you get more dedicated outputs, and also lots of tonal variation (provided all the keyboards are not from the same manufacturer).
You can even consider using a keyboard along with a good sound module to give you a wider selection of sounds.
However, if you’re going to use your computer for sounds, then you do have more options and possibilities.
More Knobs & Controls
It is always best to get equipment that provides multiple knobs, sliders and controls so that its much easier to use all those features.
There are several musicians who go by the rule: THE MORE the KNOBS & SLIDERS, THE BETTER the PRODUCT. And it is obviously from experience that they are talking.
You may have the best synth or sound module but if you can’t get quick results from them, you’ll soon be avoiding them. So get something with more controls.
Summary – Digital Keyboards
Improvisers need to use all the digital effects and use controllers like the pitch bend and modulation wheel to make their playing sound as authentic as possible, especially when you are using the non-piano sounds.
For beginners, you may not need this in your very first digital piano-keyboard but later on you will need it to effectively use the various voices on your digital keyboard.
Check out the Best Synthesizer Keyboards here…
Additional Reading
Best Pro Keyboard Reviews
The best arrangers, synths and workstations
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Checkout the best arranger workstations.
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Suresh has a background in computer science, in addition to being a keyboard/piano player. He has a keen interest in music, audio & video gear, and also manages the business part of KeytarHQ. Read more here.
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