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Published on 07/06/11 at 03:52The Korg SP 170 is a rather striking entry level digital piano, in that it has no buttons on it! It looks like an instrument instead of a machine. Visually, the SP 170 is a thing to behold, and the way the chassis itself feels screams quality when compared to its competition in the Yamaha P95 and Casio Privia PX-130.
Thankfully, the SP 170 doesn't share the polyphonic plight of the Yamaha P95. I has enough to get by, a strange 120 note polyphony, just under the generally used 128 note polyphony but just as acceptable.
Especially since you can't layer voices with this piano. Yup. That's something that this piano doesn't do, unlike its competition.
This piano also has the weird lack of 1/4" outs. Like its friends, it can be fixed with adapters, and considering the market, it's acceptable, but it's still quite annoying to have to deal with. Thank goodness again, for the MIDI.
UTILIZATION
Everything that needs to be a button is painstakingly tucked away where no one can see. Even the volume is out of the way; this gives the SP 170 a very clean look. It is quite deceptively full of features though. Hold down the top three keys and depress another key to change the sounds, and to adjust reverb, chorus, etc. It is a bit clunky at first, but it's endearing once you get used to it. It also discourages drunk groupies from pushing a lot of buttons on your piano (speaking from personal experience with the Casio Privia PX-330 I personally own here).
SOUNDS
Once again, I urge you to listen to samples and if possible, try the feel of the piano itself; this area is entirely subjective.
In my opinion, however, this is where the SP 170 gets a little erratic. I'm NOT a fan of the samples at all. The only samples I really like are the Rhodes and the FM piano, the grand piano doesn't do it for me; the decay of the notes is very bizarre.
The feel of the piano is also strange. While it's obvious that these pianos are all artificially weighted, this makes it the most obvious. It's heavier and spongier than its competition, but it doesn't seem to be because of hammers.
However, the speakers of the SP 170 are godly compared to its peers. While the Casio's speakers are acceptable and the Yamaha's speakers are awful, the Korg SP 170 speakers are incredibly usable.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're stuck in this class of digital piano, go for the PX-130. It's the most comprehensive and easy to use. Once again, you should try them out to see what works for you. They are all roughly the same, except the Korg and Yamaha have a strange set of limitations that the PX-130 seems to transcend.
Again, see for yourself. The Korg SP-170 is still a perfectly great piano if it's going to sit in a living room!
Thankfully, the SP 170 doesn't share the polyphonic plight of the Yamaha P95. I has enough to get by, a strange 120 note polyphony, just under the generally used 128 note polyphony but just as acceptable.
Especially since you can't layer voices with this piano. Yup. That's something that this piano doesn't do, unlike its competition.
This piano also has the weird lack of 1/4" outs. Like its friends, it can be fixed with adapters, and considering the market, it's acceptable, but it's still quite annoying to have to deal with. Thank goodness again, for the MIDI.
UTILIZATION
Everything that needs to be a button is painstakingly tucked away where no one can see. Even the volume is out of the way; this gives the SP 170 a very clean look. It is quite deceptively full of features though. Hold down the top three keys and depress another key to change the sounds, and to adjust reverb, chorus, etc. It is a bit clunky at first, but it's endearing once you get used to it. It also discourages drunk groupies from pushing a lot of buttons on your piano (speaking from personal experience with the Casio Privia PX-330 I personally own here).
SOUNDS
Once again, I urge you to listen to samples and if possible, try the feel of the piano itself; this area is entirely subjective.
In my opinion, however, this is where the SP 170 gets a little erratic. I'm NOT a fan of the samples at all. The only samples I really like are the Rhodes and the FM piano, the grand piano doesn't do it for me; the decay of the notes is very bizarre.
The feel of the piano is also strange. While it's obvious that these pianos are all artificially weighted, this makes it the most obvious. It's heavier and spongier than its competition, but it doesn't seem to be because of hammers.
However, the speakers of the SP 170 are godly compared to its peers. While the Casio's speakers are acceptable and the Yamaha's speakers are awful, the Korg SP 170 speakers are incredibly usable.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're stuck in this class of digital piano, go for the PX-130. It's the most comprehensive and easy to use. Once again, you should try them out to see what works for you. They are all roughly the same, except the Korg and Yamaha have a strange set of limitations that the PX-130 seems to transcend.
Again, see for yourself. The Korg SP-170 is still a perfectly great piano if it's going to sit in a living room!