LIST PRICE: $399.00
WEBSITE: YAMAHA

The most common standards desired by pianists for a digital piano are: number of keys, key weight, sonic quality of presets and functionality with other gear. The biggest problems with most digital pianos are: weight, price, lame preset sounds, the obsolete factor and connectivity. Yamaha has developed a great electric piano for gigging musicians who want to feel good about using their gig piano in the studio. The NP-30 is lightweight (12 pounds), 72 keys, affordable (see local retailer), has realistic sounds (all presets are sampled in stereo) and has the feel of a weighted keys only piano, without the weight (graded soft touch keys). What more could Yamaha possibly pack into 12 pounds? Add optional battery power. It runs on six AA batteries, as well as a standard Wal-Mart adaptor. Go check out the guts too; you can never really know the presets until you’ve heard them in person. I must add that, for catalog buyers, this is a great blind purchase.