The 10 Best Korg Keyboards And Pianos
Even if you’re not a pianist, every studio should have a quality keyboard. Whether it’s a home studio or professional, for the sake of composition or quick expression of ideas, a piano is essential due to its versatility.
That said, it’s impractical for most people to purchase an acoustic piano or even a grand piano (because of their size, weight, lack of portability, and sometimes, expense), making an electronic keyboard a perfect solution. The high-end models offer nearly as much sound quality as a grand piano, and the additional recording and playing features are astounding compared to an acoustic.
Furthermore, even a high-end electronic keyboard is far cheaper than an acoustic. This guide will cover one of these high-end brands, Korg, and 10 of their best keyboards over several different categories.
Table Of Contents
- What To Look For In An Electronic Keyboard
- The Best Korg Keyboards For Beginners
- The Best Korg Keyboards For Intermediate Players
- The Best Korg Keyboards For Advanced Players
- The Best Korg Keyboards For Composing
- The Best Korg Keyboards For Portability
- The Best Value Korg Keyboard
- Which Korg Keyboard Is Best For You?
What To Look For In An Electronic Keyboard
The Keyboard Itself
It should go without saying that the actual keyboard, keys, and key-bed, are a key factor in determining your keyboard. Deciding on the amount of keys you would prefer is a good way to start. The majority of keyboards come in 66, 72, or 88 keys.
Additionally, if you want a keyboard that feels like a piano, then go for one with weighted keys (acoustic pianos have weighted keys that offer a bit of resistance while playing). If you are looking for a keyboard that’s more composition based with synthesizers, weighted keys may not be necessary (non-weighted keys may also be easier to play when playing fast melodies).
Here’s a good video on the differences between weighted and non-weighted keys, if you’re unsure which to go with:
Price
Price is always a huge factor when purchasing a digital piano or keyboard, as they typically are not cheap.
Korg prices range from a few hundred dollars to over five thousand dollars. At any price, however, Korg will deliver a quality keyboard.
Sound
An electronic keyboard, as opposed to an acoustic one, uses recordings (often called samples) of live pianos to produce sound. As you would expect, the higher the price, the better your audio quality will be. You’ll likely also have a larger number of sample sets (or piano sounds) in more expensive models.
If you need your keyboard to sound like an authentic grand piano, you will need to purchase a model that has top-quality sound bank recordings.
Not to be underestimated, the majority of keyboards will come with built-in speakers. Even though you are able to play through headphones or a PA system, having good built-in speakers are useful and convenient for practice and songwriting.
Features
Each keyboard will also have different types of features.
- Will they have an LCD screen to choose different sounds from and how big is the screen?
- Does it have synthesizers and other sounds built-in or is it strictly an electronic piano?
- How portable is it and does it have Bluetooth/MIDI capability?
Several of these keyboards come as bundles as well, with accessories such as foot pedals, piano stands, carrying cases, music rests, and more.
The Best Korg Keyboards For Beginners
1. Korg B2 Digital Piano
The Korg B2 is a widely popular digital piano that is absolutely perfect for a beginner. It is fairly priced under $1,000 and has many awesome features.
It has 88 natural weighted action keys that feel just like an acoustic piano. It also has great built-in speakers and includes five different grand piano sounds recorded around the world, as well as strings, harpsichord, and organs.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 88 keys (Natural weighted hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes |
| Accessories: | Power supply, damper pedal |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 1 x ⅛” – MIDI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 51.65 in. x 13.23 in. x 4.61 in. (1311.91 mm x 336.04 mm x 117.1 mm) |
| Weight: | 25.13 lb. (11.4 kg) |
2. Korg Liano 88-Key Digital Piano
The Korg Liano is a brand new, ultra-portable digital piano that is an incredible option for beginners.
It is low-priced and incredibly lightweight at just over thirteen pounds, and features 88 keys with Korg’s Light Touch technology (in between a synthesizer and grand piano in terms of weighting). It also comes with a PS-3 pedal and a music stand.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Semi-weighted, 88 keys (Light Touch action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes, extremely portable |
| Accessories: | Power supply, switch pedal, music stand |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 1 x ⅛” – MIDI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 50.47 in. x 11.42 in. x 2.87 in. (1281.94 mm x 290.07 mm x 72.89 mm) |
| Weight: | 13.23 lb. (6.001 kg) |
The Best Korg Keyboards For Intermediate Players
3. Korg SP-280 Digital Piano With Speakers
As the price goes up, so does the quality of keyboard. The SP-280 is an excellent option for intermediate players. At just under $1,000, you are getting a sturdy and reliable keyboard that is great for gigging or home use.
There are thirty highly realistic sounds including acoustic pianos, electronic keyboards, organs, clavs, strings, a harpsichord, and more. It also comes with a great keyboard stand as well.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Semi-weighted, 88 keys (Light Touch action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes, extremely portable |
| Accessories: | Power supply, switch pedal, music stand |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ⅛” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 53.58 in. x 15.98 in. x 5.51 in. (1360.92 mm x 405.89 mm x 139.95 mm) |
| Weight: | 42 lb. (19.05 kg) |
4. Korg D1 88-Key Stage Piano/Controller
The Korg D1 is another fabulous option for an intermediate player. Not only is it a great stage piano, it also functions as a MIDI controller to play virtual instruments on your DAW.
It has thirty amazing preset sounds that include pianos, electric pianos, organs, choir, harp, and strings. It also uses Korg’s Real Weighted Hammer action keys, which feel shockingly like an acoustic piano.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 88 keys (Real Weighted Hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes |
| Accessories: | Power supply, damper pedal, music stand |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 52.24 in. x 10.35 in. x 5.04 in. (1326.89 mm x 262.89 mm x 128.02 mm) |
| Weight: | 35.27 lb. (15.99 kg) |
The Best Korg Keyboards For Advanced Players
5. Korg SV2-SP 88-key Stage Vintage Piano
As we dive into the advanced Korg keyboards, we naturally see a rise in price, as well as the level of performance.
The SV2 is a beautiful, vintage-looking stage piano that is known for its impressive K-ARRAY built-in speakers. It also features world class audio samples taken from around the world that includes electric pianos, acoustic pianos, clavs, strings, pads, brass, voices and synth leads.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 88 keys (Real Weighted Hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes |
| Accessories: | Power supply, damper pedal, music stand and quick guide |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI – XLR |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 53.39 in. x 13.66 in. x 6.18 in. (1356.11 mm x 346.96 mm x 156.97 mm) |
| Weight: | 47.29 lb. (21.45 kg) |
6. Korg C1 Air Digital Piano With Bluetooth
The Korg C1 is a different option to consider as it is a lifestyle piano rather than a stage piano. With its stand it is meant to be stationary in its home or studio.
It is beautiful and sounds even better than it looks with world-class German and Japanese concert piano samples. It also includes Korg’s high end Real Weighted Hammer action keys that feel extremely natural and realistic.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 88 keys (Real Weighted Hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | No |
| Accessories: | Power supply, damper pedal, music stand and quick guide |
| Inputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI – XLR |
| Bluetooth: | Yes |
| Dimensions: | 52.9 in. x 36.4 in. x 13.6 in. (1343.66 mm x 924.56 mm x 345.44 mm) |
| Weight: | 77.1 lb. (34.97 kg) |
The Best Keyboards For Composing
7. Korg Pa5X 88-Key Arranger Workstation
It would be easier to talk about what the Pa5X doesn’t have to offer, which isn’t a whole lot apart from Bluetooth connectivity. This is one of the highest-end keyboards that Korg has to offer and one of the top arranging keyboards on the market.
Between its 8-inch tiltable screen and over two thousand factory sounds to choose from, the Pa5X combines the features of a keyboard with those of a DAW. This is a very hefty investment, over $5,000, but if you are looking for the top of the line in arranging keyboards, this is it.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 88 keys (Weighted Hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | No |
| Accessories: | Power supply, music stand, damper pedal and quick guide |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ¼”/XLR combo – 1 x ¼” (guitar) – 2 x ¼” (line) – 1 x ⅛” – MIDI – HDMI |
| Outputs: | – 6 x ¼” – MIDI – XLR – HDMI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 52.9 in. x 36.4 in. x 13.6 in. (1343.66 mm x 924.56 mm x 345.44 mm) |
| Weight: | 77.1 lb. (34.97 kg) |
8. Korg Krome EX 88-Key Synthesizer Workstation
The Korg Krome EX is a keyboard workstation that has much of the same to offer as the Pa5X, but at a fair more affordable price, sitting at below $2,000.
It has over a thousand amazing sounding presets, a color screen which is very easy to navigate and all the effects and recording capabilities you need in a keyboard workstation. An advantage it has over the Pa5X is that it has more realistically weighted keys, which is a benefit to those who’d still want the feel of an acoustic piano.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 88 keys (Natural Weighted Graduated Hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | No |
| Accessories: | Power supply, music stand and quick guide |
| Inputs: | – 3 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – 1 x ⅛” – MIDI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 57.01 in. x 15.08 in. x 5.16 in. (1448.05 mm x 383.08 mm x 131.06 mm) |
| Weight: | 32.4 lb. (14.7 kg) |
Best Korg Keyboard For Portability
9. Korg SV-2 73-key Stage Piano
When combining quality and portability, the 73-key version of the Korg SV-2 is a hard keyboard not to choose. As it has fifteen less keys, it is far more compact, allowing you to maneuver and play in tight spaces, which is quite common in the gigging scene.
It contains the great features that the 88-key version contains, including its real weighted action keys and excellent sound bank.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Yes, 73 keys (Real Weighted Hammer action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes |
| Accessories: | Power supply, damper pedal, music stand and quick guide |
| Inputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI – 2 x XLR |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 45 in. x 13.66 in. x 6.18 in. (1143 mm x 346.96 mm x 156.97 mm) |
| Weight: | 37.92 lb. (17.2 kg) |
The Best Value Korg Keyboard
10. Korg Kross 2-61-MB 61-Key Synthesizer Workstation
When considering the best bang for your buck in terms of Korg keyboards, the Korg Kross stands out. Yes, it is only 61 keys, but for a keyboard workstation where you are doing more composing than performing, making the key amount less important.
There are 1,075 stellar preset sounds, an LCD screen, an on-board MIDI sequencer, and ultimate connectivity to plug right into your computer’s DAW. It looks and feels great, and is very portable as well.
Key Specs
| Weighted Keys: | Semi-weighted, 61 keys (Synth action) |
| Built-in Speakers: | Yes |
| Portable Design: | Yes |
| Accessories: | Power supply |
| Inputs: | – 1 x ¼” – 1 x ⅛” – MIDI |
| Outputs: | – 2 x ¼” – MIDI |
| Bluetooth: | No |
| Dimensions: | 36.81 in. x 10.59 in. x 3.46 in. (934.97 mm x 268.99 mm x 87.88 mm) |
| Weight: | 8.38 lb. (3.8 kg) |
Which Korg Keyboard Is Best For You?
This guide clearly features a range of Korg keyboard styles. If you are someone looking to learn the piano or gig, then a stage piano is best for you. If you are more interested in sound design and composition, then an arranger or workstation is best.
After you decide that, all you need to do is settle on what price range works best for you and then you are ready to purchase your own Korg keyboard!
