| This is a good question to ask when considering buying | | | | polyphony. You can find 128 note polyphony digital |
| a digital piano. It doesn't matter how good your digital | | | | pianos for very affordable prices. |
| piano sounds or feels if you keep losing notes during | | | | A Quick Note About Stereo |
| play. So what's the polyphony note count for you? | | | | Some of the tones / voices on a digital piano may be |
| Here's how to figure it out. | | | | in stereo. This means one note may have two |
| What are you going to use the digital piano for? | | | | different sounds recorded that play at the same time |
| If you need a digital piano that emulates an acoustic | | | | to emulate the sound of an acoustic. When this |
| piano for simple practice purposes, then you'll probably | | | | happens you are using up 2 notes of your polyphony |
| be fine with 32 note polyphony. In the rare case that | | | | for every key you hit, instead of one. This will in effect |
| you start losing notes with sustain pedal usage you | | | | turn a 32 note polyphony keyboard into a 16 note |
| may not be able to notice it. Digital pianos use | | | | polyphony keyboard. This will only happen on those |
| algorithms to determine which notes to drop off if the | | | | effects that are in stereo. |
| max note count is reached. Often times they will pick | | | | A Good Polyphony Test |
| notes that could be dropped without the listener easily | | | | If you are worried about losing notes when using the |
| noticing. So the bad news is if you reach your max | | | | sustain pedal try this. Hit the two lowest A notes on |
| polyphony you will lose notes. The good news is that | | | | the digital piano. Hold them with the sustain pedal and |
| you may not notice. | | | | do a glissando with both your hands. You shouldn't lose |
| Sequencing and Layering | | | | the two low A's if the digital piano uses an algorithm to |
| If you are going to record multiple tracks on your digital | | | | drop off some of the notes in the glissando. You |
| piano go ahead and get a higher note polyphony. | | | | probably won't notice you're losing notes in the |
| Every time you add another track on top of an | | | | glissando. It's best if you don't lose the low A's, but if |
| existing track, you are contributing to the maximum | | | | you do lose them on your digital piano that's not the |
| polyphony. The digital piano counts the prior track, as | | | | end of the world. |
| well as your current playing, all toward the max | | | | Think of it like this. During regular piano play, if you ever |
| polyphony. So if you start adding different tones and | | | | get to the point where you reach your max polyphony |
| voices on multiple tracks you can see how quickly you | | | | count it will probably only happen for a few seconds. |
| could reach a max polyphony of 32 at some point in | | | | So it's not going to happen throughout much of your |
| the song. | | | | song. Which means you won't lose many notes. |
| Also, if you like to use layering effects a great deal, | | | | But if you're getting a new digital piano and can avoid |
| then get more than 32 note polyphony. The layering | | | | this, by all means do so. Digital piano prices are |
| effect allows multiple voices / tones to play for every | | | | affordable enough nowadays that you can get a high |
| key stroke. If you have a grand piano and string effect | | | | polyphony count for a good price. Even some of the |
| on, every time you press a key it will use one note of | | | | low end models are coming with a minimum polyphony |
| your total polyphony for the grand piano tone and one | | | | of 64. Just use your own judgment when determining |
| note for the strings. This, in a sense, halves your total | | | | if it's necessary to pay the little extra for a higher |
| polyphony count. | | | | polyphony capability. |
| Under these circumstances, get a higher than 32 note | | | | |