Digital Pianos
Brand and Company Profiles

IF YOU'VE READ any of the "Brand and Company Profiles" on the acoustic side, you'll see that discussions of digital makes and models is of a very different nature. For one thing, although a few manufacturers of digital pianos can trace their roots back over 100 years, such histories, while occasionally fascinating, have little or no relevance to a type of instrument that has existed for only a few dozen years. For another, whereas acoustic piano makers may boast of using slowly grown spruce carefully harvested from trees on north-facing slopes in the Bavarian Alps, there are no stories from digital piano makers of silicon carefully harvested from isolated south-facing beaches during the second low tide of October; no tales of printed circuit boards still crafted by hand as they've been for generations, or descriptions of internal cable harnesses made of only the finest German wire. And while it's interesting to know who was the first to introduce a particular feature, digital pianos, like all modern electronic products, are very much a matter of "What have you done for me lately?"

Even more than in the section dedicated to acoustic pianos, the descriptions provided here are only half the story, and must be used in conjunction with the chart of "Digital Piano Specifications and Prices" if you are to have a clear picture of a given brand's offerings. In some cases, little information is available or forthcoming regarding a brand, and much that could have been included would simply be a reiteration of marketing statements. In others, specifications or descriptions available from a manufacturer have been in conflict, as when specifications on their website say one thing and the owner's manual says something else. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of these listings and descriptions, some discrepancies will have undoubtedly slipped through.

Adagio

Kaysound
2165 46th Avenue
Lachine, Quebec H8T 2P1
Canada
514-633-8877
ussupport@kaysound.com
www.adagiopianos.com
www.kingstonpiano.com

Adagio is a division of Kaysound, a Canadian-based distributor of music products. There are six models of Adagio digitals, including verticals, grands, and ensembles. Kaysound also sells three models under the Kingston label.

Behringer

Behringer USA, Inc.
18912 North Creek Parkway, Suite 200
Bothell, Washington 98011
425-672-0816
www.behringer.com

Founded in Germany in 1989 by Uli Behringer, this company is primarily focused on professional audio products, but also makes electric guitars and digital pianos. Their digital pianos, available for some time in Europe, are now coming to North America. Three models are available: a slab, a grand, and a vertical.