Why you should check out the Alesis Prestige Digital Piano

[@gctechs]

Starsky you have that early 1990s energy

[@StarskyCarr]

I've not learned any piano tracks since then!

[@kevinglennon2370]

Hi Starsky! Thank you for your excellent overview of this electric piano! You have given me all I need to decide if to buy or not this particular piano.

[@anonymike8280]

For those who are considering the purchase of a digital keyboard am going to offer my opinion as a recent purchaser. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a musician, but I am a good researcher. My research pertains to what I call a full-feature entry-level keyboard. Full feature means a graded weighted keyboard and plugs for both a sustain pedal and a three-pedal unit. At the entry level, there are only a few major players. These are the Casio CDP-160, the Casio Previa PX-1100, the Alesis Prestige Artist, the Roland FP-30X and the Yamaha P-225 or P125. If your desire is to get piano emulation, the Roland FP-30X (or its predecessor, the Roland FP-10) is your best choice far and away. My experience learning piano was in the early 1970s. I did all of my research before I ever pushed down a key. A local music store where I live sells keyboards at an online price. The first one I touched was the Yamaha P-225, which is the successor to the P-125. Yamaha has a very good and I would say deserved reputation. The next one was a Roland. All I can say is that I immediately knew the difference and immediately recognized the degree of piano emulation Roland has achieved. I can only compare tuoching it to going back to some place you had been to long and go and having the memory of the air and the light and the vibe come back to you. A Roland is as close as you are going to get an acoustic piano at an entry level budget. I have not touched a Casio or an Alesis, but I have an opinion. The Casios might be good instruments for someone who wanted to play jazz or pop. They might even be good for someone who played in a club or did gigs. Not only that, but the Casio CDP-160 is amazingly cheap if you shop carefully. The Yamahas are good all-purpose instruments. I'm not faulting them at all. But they do not have the highest level of piano emulation. I haven't touched or even seen an Alesis Prestige Artist. The appearance to me, however, is that the Prestige Artist is designed to prioritize acoustic piano emulation above any other function. I would say, it is a good instrument for someone who wants to learn piano and wants an instrument that is highly user friendly. A Roland does not cost a lot more, however. If you are at all advanced, get a Roland if acoustic piano emulation is what you want. My research and experience says, do not select your keyboard based on any secondary concerns like which way the speakers point, how easy or hard it is to switch between voices or use other functions or anything else. Your keyboard has to be a keyboard ahead of anything else. Before anything else, it has to perform the function you want a keyboard for, be it piano emulation, the voice and feel of some other instrument or playing a genre like jazz, blues, pop or rock. You can learn fingering and such on any keyboard, even the cheapest and least functional. Make sure you get something that suits your purpose.

[@cresshead]

£435 on thomann 30 sounds 2 headphone outs splits layers fx looks nice too .. nice one

[@StarskyCarr]

I only ever use the piano sounds, so that's not a biggie for me, but the feel of the keyed is really good, especially for the price.

[@penkatadrums]

Hello, sir, thank you for this video, I would like to know if you want to put the piano against a wall, what do you do with the cables on the back?

[@StarskyCarr]

Mines up against the wall, but I’ll have to check when I’m back home. Maybe the skirting board gives enough clearance - but it’s not been an issue. Good question!

[@anicetjoy5456]

I just ordered one today

[@anonymike8280]

I've been shopping and working out what best matches my purposes among the entry-level full feature digital pianos. Hope you got the Alesis Prestige Artist. I think I will be going with something else, but I will be paying more too.

[@repentant]

I’ve had to watch both vid about 5 times each but I think I’m sold I was thinking about Roland 30 or yam 125 or Korg B1 This really seams to have all I want and need and it’s going to be a first instrument. Thank for such a thorough review.

[@martinapolamova540]

DId you end up buying the Alesis? How do you find it?

[@tdub77]

B&H in the US is selling this with the stand for $500 right now, Just picked it up for my 8 year old son...

[@joseph2453]

Does the sustain pedal in the accessory pack support half/continuous pedaling or is it simple on/off?

[@StarskyCarr]

The pedal that comes with the keyboard is on off. There are 3 pedals in the stand accessory pack that do as you’d expect.

[@joseph2453]

@@StarskyCarr so the single sustain pedal is on off, but the sustain pedal on the 3 pedal unit has half pedaling capability?

[@StarskyCarr]

@@joseph2453 I can’t say if it’s half pedalling - not tried it and I’m not there at the moment.

[@johndavid3621]

The sustain pedal on the 3 pedal unit has half pedaling

[@tlazohtlalia]

The brake piano almost sounds like a cross between an upright piano and a digital grand sound from the 90s

[@reginaldbraithewaite5833]

What a lovely world this would be if digital pianos had CV I/O and DAW integration -- esp. if Kawai ever tried their hands at that.

[@boscorner]

What do you mean exactly? Like if a keyboard like this has midi out, it can be used in a DAW. And I think the 1/4 inch Jack's can be used with modular synths and stuff if thats what you mean by cv.

[@grandaurore]

I`m waiting fot the prestige with bluetooth.

[@DaraM73]

I dunno mate, Kawai make great sounding stuff in various price ranges.

[@StarskyCarr]

I must confess I've never tried a Kawai.

[@nads5907]

Kawaii is waaaay more expensive.

[@anonymike8280]

The lowest Kawai full feature digital is above the entry level price range. The top for entry level is either the Roland FP-30X or the Yamaha P-125. The Casio Privia PX-S1100 is another top end product. The Alesis Prestige Artist is another good one. You can get all of these for $600 US or less, if you shop around. The Roland FP-30 is the predecessor to the FP-30X. The FP-30X has some important upgrades including the chip itself. If you buy Roland, make you get the FP-30X.

[@inthesunbythebeach]

The stand moves too much.

[@leschatsmusicale]

It sounds out of tune.

[@StarskyCarr]

haha that'll be my playing!