If you are a budding pianist who has a great interest in playing the instrument, then you should definitely have an instrument to practice with at home. We have compiled the best digital pianos for small spaces and apartments from the leading brands here. Not only do these pianos have the same audio quality as that of an acoustic piano, but they are also great for your small home spaces and apartments and are exceptionally well on the acoustics. Let us explore these pianos in detail here and learn how best they suit your apartment living style.
Quick Summary
Traditional 5 Pin MIDI
Common applications for the 5/180° connections include SYNC or MIDI interface for electronic musical instruments. Personal computers’ peripherals or power connectors from the 1980s. The early HME wireless communicators had audio.
In contrast to normal MIDI, which only needs three conductors, MIDI cables are 5-PIN discrete, meaning all five pins are linked.
The spherical 5-pin DIN connector, which wasn’t widely used at the time, is one that MIDI specifies because digital musical instruments already have a variety of connectors and connections. So that nothing could be linked incorrectly, a special connector was used. The connector’s pins are numbered incorrectly; it appears as though two additional pins were placed among the pins of a 3-pin connector. The numbers are usually etched in the connector’s plastic to aid in keeping them straight. You need to have a MIDI cable to connect to that connector. Only three out of the five pins on the connectors are actually utilised.
The DIN connector, often known as a circular DIN-standard connector, is used in computer electronics for analogue video architectures, MIDI musical instrument digital interfaces, and IBM AT computer keyboards and mice.
Is It Easier To Connect To An iOS Device Or An Android Device?
Computers and electronic musical instruments can connect with one another via the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard.
You can generate MIDI signals that indicate which key was pressed, how much pressure was applied to it, how long a note was held, etc. by pressing a key on your keyboard, applying pressure to a sustain pedal, or using any other controller your instrument has.
You can send all of these messages to your computer and record them as MIDI files. They can also be used to operate other music-making and educational programmes.
While certain older keyboards and professional-grade instruments employ a MIDI connection (specific MIDI In/Out ports), the majority of modern keyboards have a USB Type B port.
There may be a USB Type A connector in your keyboard; however, this port cannot be used to transport MIDI data; instead, it can only be inserted to record music using the keyboard’s inbuilt sounds.
Because mobile devices lack a full-size USB connection, things get a bit trickier here. In order to use a USB A to B cable or MIDI to USB interface, you will need to buy an additional adaptor.
Alternately, you may try to locate a single cable that can link your mobile device and keyboard together, but this won’t always be possible because some of these cables don’t even exist (or very rare).
Can Only Midi Featured Pianos Connect To External Devices?
The majority of digital pianos feature a MIDI output, which enables one to link them to a computer via a cheap interface and use it to control other instruments and record and modify your playing.
Once you have all the necessary tools, connecting your digital piano to an external device is a rather easy and uncomplicated process.
You will first need a cable that fits into your keyboard directly.
This is either a USB type A to B cable or a MIDI to USB cable converter, depending on the keyboard model.
Determine whether your keyboard supports Bluetooth MIDI connectivity before purchasing any of the cables. In that instance, you might not even need any cords. Instead, you can use Bluetooth to wirelessly connect to your smart device (provided your smart device also supports it).
MIDI Drivers
You require directions in order to navigate from point A to point B, just like in the real world. MIDI drivers are pieces of software code used to make a MIDI interface recognised by the computer’s operating system so it can be used by other programmes and have the data needed routed in which it is required to go in an understandable manner. In the world of computers, we refer to those directions as “drivers.”
Most USB MIDI interfaces today use the MIDI driver already included in your computer’s operating system, while some older or more feature-rich interfaces need you to install MIDI drivers specifically for that device. You should develop the habit of frequently checking the support part of the company’s website for updated drivers because manufacturers frequently change their drivers over time.
It will make use of the default (built-in) Windows USB-MIDI driver. Whenever the instrument is linked to the computer, this driver will immediately install. Choose “USB-MIDI” as a MIDI device to enable MIDI connection between both the software applications and the instrument.
Also check: Top 9 Best Keyboards Under $300
Table of Contents
- Quick Summary
- Traditional 5 Pin MIDI
- Is It Easier To Connect To An iOS Device Or An Android Device?
- Can Only Midi Featured Pianos Connect To External Devices?
- MIDI Drivers
- Top 5 Best Digital Pianos for Small Spaces and Apartments
- What To Look For In Your Digital Piano?
- Final Words
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- 1. How does MIDI helping in viewing musical notes benefit the pianist?
- 2. How to connect MIDI to an android?
- 3. How to connect MIDI to an iOS device?
- 4. What does an audio interface’s MIDI in and out mean?
- 5. What can be MIDI used for?
- 6. How efficient is the key action in MIDI featured pianos?
- 7. Are MIDI pianos considered cheap?
- 8. Do people still use MIDI?
- 9. What is a synthesizer?
- 10. Is an ordinary digital piano better than a synthesizer?
- 11. What are the devices that use MIDI?
- 12. But do MIDI controllers really need to be used?
Top 5 Best Digital Pianos for Small Spaces and Apartments
Bigger is not always better and this holds good at least for the digital pianos. The following are small and compact digital pianos from legendary brands that best fit in your apartments and help enhance your piano playing skills to great levels.
#1. Kawai ES110 Stage Digital Piano – Best Overall
| Features | Rating |
| Performance and sounds | 9.4 |
| Connectivity | 9.1 |
| Build Quality | 9.1 |
| For Beginners | 9.3 |
| Value for money | 9.4 |
Check Price on Online Stores:
This is a great digital piano from the legendary Kawai brand that is equipped with harmonic imaging sound technology. It also features an 88-key piano sampling responsive hammer compact action key bed that helps players to compose exceptional and high-order music instantly. The piano also includes 19 sounds, and it also includes eight exceptional piano sounds, Bluetooth MIDI features, dual and split keyboard modes, 192-note polyphony, and built-in Alfred piano lessons. The piano also has a damper pedal and half-pedaling system. Its built-in stereo speaker system helps in filling an entire room or small apartment full of piano music.
This is a great piano for small spaces and apartments and it is available as a lightweight and portable option. Along with 88-key piano sampling, it also includes built-in Bluetooth connectivity and a gig-friendly grand piano touch at an affordable price range. The piano also has dual and split playing modes, with 100 drum rhythms and dedicated stereo line-out jacks.
The piano has high-quality sounds, fast response, and good action. There is no USB port in this piano, but there are a standard MIDI port, other instrument tones, and voices. The built-in speakers in this piano are very good and are connected to an external sound system. The matte keys render a great grip for the pianist and it is a great piano for the serious and intermediate pianist.
Pros
- The Kawai portable digital piano has integrated Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology.
- The piano has built-in classical etudes and Alfred piano lesson books.
- The piano is ultra-portable and holds a sturdy chassis that weighs only 12.0 kg.
- It also comes with a designer stand and triple pedalboard accessories.
Cons
- There is no LCD available on this piano
- The controls on this piano are dedicated to only a few buttons.
Also check: Best Beginner Digital Pianos & Keyboards 2023
#2. Yamaha P45 Digital Piano – Runner Up
| Features | Rating |
| Performance and sounds | 9.5 |
| Easy to Assemble | 9.7 |
| Connectivity | 9.2 |
| Build Quality | 9.1 |
| Value for money | 9.5 |
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The P45 is a great digital piano that features a power adapter, music rest, and sustains pedal. This piano features 88-full weighted keys and offers the feel of an acoustic piano with a high-quality piano playing experience. Its GHS weighted action is heavier at the lower end and the tones are lighter at the higher end, similar to the acoustic pianos. The piano features ten different voices, that includes digitally sampled tones, from the real Yamaha acoustic grand piano.
The piano holds a dual-mode feature that helps us to combine two voices, such as the piano and the strings, for rendering an inspiring piano playing experience. The P45 is a budget-friendly, 88-note weighted digital piano that has the best features for beginners and intermediate piano players. This is also a compact digital piano that fits seamlessly in small apartments and spaces.
The classic sound engine of this digital piano has advanced wave memory sampling that uses digital technology to record the sound of an acoustic piano. It’s AWM stereo sampling helps to create deeper, richer, and spacious sounds to capture different waveforms. The best feature of this piano is its simple and single-button operation. Players only have to hold down the grand piano/function button to play the demo sources and configure the metronome.
Pros
- The piano comes with a standard P45B power adapter that plugs into the standard US outlet.
- It minims the dynamics of a grand acoustic piano and is touch-sensitive.
- It has a USB port at the back that connects it to the computer.
- It holds expressive sound programs and instrument sounds
Cons
- There is no record function available in this piano
- The keys are noisy.
Note: This piano is also featured in our lists of top 15 best pianos in the market and best pianos for learning.
#3. Alesis Recital Portable Keyboard – Budget Pick
| Features | Rating |
| Performance and sounds | 9.1 |
| Connectivity | 9.2 |
| Build Quality | 9.1 |
| For Beginners | 9.5 |
| Value for money | 9.3 |
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These are great digital pianos that have semi-weighted keys and five voices, and it also features five voices, layer, split, and lesson mode and it is also compatible with the FX and piano lessons. This is not just a great piano for small spaces and apartments, but it is also a great piano for beginners and intermediate piano players. This is a great electric piano that has been tailored to meet the needs of the pianist and it is also packed with rich features.
The piano has an exceptional key bed with 88-premium keys with adjustable touch response to suit the preferred playing style of the pianist. The piano comes with five premium sounds, namely the voices of an acoustic piano, organ sounds, electric piano, bass, and synth sounds. The piano also holds two built-in 20W speakers and is capable of rendering crystal clear piano sounds, that are capable of filling an entire room with high-quality music.
This is a great digital piano for small apartments and spaces and it has all the right connections in place. The piano comes with a ¼” sustain pedal input, ¼” stereo headphone output for private practice and it also has stereo RCA outputs for connecting with the amplifiers and the speakers. It is possible to play this piano on the go and we can also power this piano with an included power adaptor or 6D cell batteries for a professional piano playing experience.
Pros
- The digital piano comes with standard educational features
- We get a Skoove 3-month premium subscription with expert interactive online piano lessons with the piano.
- We also get 60-free virtual lessons from Melodics to hone the skills of the piano players.
- It helps players to dive into the world of pro-piano performance.
Cons
- The piano offers limited sound quality.
- It lacks in-depth noticeably.
Also check: Best Budget Digital Pianos Under $500
#4. Donner DEP-20 Digital Piano – Best for Beginners
| Features | Rating |
| Performance and sounds | 9.3 |
| Connectivity | 9.1 |
| Portability | 9.3 |
| Build Quality | 8.6 |
| For Beginners | 9.8 |
| Value for money | 9.3 |
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This is an exceptional beginner digital piano with 88-full-sized keys. It is a compact piano that is ideal for small spaces and apartments and it is also a portable digital piano with sustain pedal and power supply. The piano has fully weighted 88- keys and its full-sized hammer action keys come with adjustable touch response. Its weighted keyboard adjusts to the desired playing style of the pianist. The piano comes with 238 tones and 128 note polyphony and it is loaded with about 238 types of tones, such as drum, bass, etc.
It encompasses voices of different instruments that help budding pianists to play the different tunes efficiently. Players will be able to clearly distinguish the tones in reverb and chorus notes on different occasions. The panel of this digital piano includes a sustain pedal, triangle pedal, and audio inputs and outputs. These arrangements help perfectly for music ensemble and music arrangements.
The piano has a backlit LCD screen for clearly showing the names of the chords and notations and it also has a recording mode, MIDI, and MP3 player. The piano also has two 25W amplifiers, bringing a richer and better piano playing experience for both performance and practice. This is a great piano for learning, rehearsing, and expert piano practice and performance.
Pros
- This is an exceptional digital keyboard piano that is a perfect companion for playing, learning, and reproducing the sounds of pianos.
- It holds a dual-tone setting function that enables two sounds to play at the same time.
- It features an outstanding tone quality for a sensitive touch response.
- Its sustain pedal offers a real piano playing performance for players.
Cons
- There is no Bluetooth feature in this piano.
Note: This piano is also featured in our list of best sounding digital pianos.
#5. Roland GO: PIANO (GO-88P) – Great for Small Spaces
| Features | Rating |
| Performance and sounds | 9.5 |
| Connectivity | 9.2 |
| Build Quality | 9.1 |
| For Beginners | 9.5 |
| Value for money | 9.4 |
Check Price on Online Stores:
This is a great digital piano with Bluetooth speakers and it is battery-powered. The piano renders premium piano performance in a compact, portable and affordable instrument. The instrument has an 88- note key bed with full-sized keys and it also holds standard spacing for ambient piano playing and practicing. The piano also includes a standard piano tone and 128-note polyphony. The piano also has expert Bluetooth speakers for wireless smartphone connections. There is also a sustain pedal, music rest, and power adaptor available with this piano.
The Roland GO piano is compact and lightweight for playing well and storing the piano anywhere. The piano offers fully wireless operation with battery power. It also comes with exceptional Bluetooth connectivity and advanced Bluetooth MIDI support for advanced music lessons through a tablet or a smartphone. The piano also features a metronome, transpose, and recording feature to support everyday practice.
The built-in speakers in this piano make it easily adaptable for small spaces and apartments. The piano is also easily affordable and is easy to carry for piano classes and studios. The piano is compatible with a Pianote app for rendering an ultimate online piano playing experience. The instrument offers a premium piano playing experience and is a compatible, portable, and affordable instrument.
Pros
- The piano has onboard high-quality Bluetooth speakers for wireless smartphone connection.
- The piano is compact and lightweight and it is thus easy to play and store anywhere.
- The piano offers a fully wireless operation with battery power and Bluetooth connectivity.
- The instrument offers an authentic piano playing experience in a compact and space-saving design.
Cons
- The sound quality in this piano is not loud.
What To Look For In Your Digital Piano?
The following are some of the features that you should for, before investing in the digital piano for small apartments and spaces.
1. Features
Make sure that the piano you opt to buy has all the features to help develop appropriate piano playing techniques. It should facilitate the practice of an appropriate piano playing experience. Look for pianos with good speakers, detailed recording features, and connectivity with smart devices.
2. Space
This is an important consideration for those who live in tight spaces. There are compact variants of the pianos available that could easily fit in a small apartment and it also helps avoid complex furniture clusters in the living room.
3. Weighted Piano Keys With Touch Sensitivity
Irrespective of the size and weight of the piano, a special focus should be on the weight of the keys. Pianos with weighted keys are a must for anyone who wished to practice the instrument with the real feel of an acoustic piano. Its hammer action key bed should mimic the action of the acoustic piano and should also hold touch sensitivity, which is an important consideration to make while shopping for a digital piano.
4. Piano Effects And Sounds
Make sure that the piano you use has the best piano sounds and sound effects so that it escalates the playing experience of the players to great levels. The digital and electric pianos that you buy, should offer the same sensation as that of an acoustic piano along with ample scope for touch sensitivity.
5. Other Features To Consider
Budget is an important constraint that limits our purchase decision. Apart from the cost, the other factors to look for in the digital piano are its speaker quality, the number of polyphony it offers, the recording capabilities of the piano, its USB connectivity option, and the range of its portability.
Final Words
The piano that you choose to buy for practicing and playing the instrument should render the same sensation as that of playing an acoustic piano. It should possess exceptional touch sensitivity and should also be compact and be a visual appeal at home. We hope our buying guide and product recommendations help you in choosing the best digital piano for small spaces and apartments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How does MIDI helping in viewing musical notes benefit the pianist?
- Discovering chords, arranging them, and harmonising them.
- learning the piano notes and teaching them to others
- construct and arrange music while listening to MIDI sounds on several sample instruments; and
- utilize the chances that MIDI offers you as a musician, observer, instructor or learner, and composer.
2. How to connect MIDI to an android?
The procedure for connecting a digital piano to an android device is the same as for an iOS device. The main distinction is that you will need a different kind of cord because Android devices cannot use the Lightning Adapter.
3. How to connect MIDI to an iOS device?
In order to connect to your keyboard, the Lightning to USB Camera adaptor can connect to your iOS device using a USB A to B connection (or MIDI to USB interface). This form of connection is dependable, but it is also more complicated because it requires two cables. One cable is all you need, there is less mass to manage, and you are spending less money when you use this method.
This approach is less dependable than using two cables, and one cable solutions could be difficult to locate and are more prone to breaking.
4. What does an audio interface’s MIDI in and out mean?
The various virtual instruments in your DAW software can be accessed by connecting the controller keyboard, guitar synth, V-Drums kit, or any other instrument having MIDI outputs to the interface using MIDI.
5. What can be MIDI used for?
You value MIDI features as a composer of music, and digital pianos have rendered them widely available. Users can now record music using your digital piano, save it in MIDI format, export it to their computer, edit every parameter note by note and track by track using your preferred DAW software and VST effects, combine each note and track, and then save the result in audio format so that everyone can hear it.
6. How efficient is the key action in MIDI featured pianos?
A digital piano’s keys typically are heavy, completely weighted, and improved with touch sensitivity devices in an effort to mimic the feel of an acoustic piano. The keys are light and lack a touch sensitivity mechanism because most MIDI controllers were not designed with acoustical pianos in mind.
Therefore, a MIDI Controller might not be the greatest choice for you if what you’re searching for is a fully-weighted keyboard. Additionally, exposure to a satisfying acoustic experience provided by a digital piano will help a budding pianist more. With a digital piano, you can more accurately gauge your genuine abilities while learning to perform an acoustic instrument.
7. Are MIDI pianos considered cheap?
While the majority of MIDI controllers lack weighted keys, some models come with 88 completely weighted keys, just like on an actual acoustic piano. However, these sorts typically come at a steep price, and when you contrast them with a digital piano with the same key quality, you’ll see that the latter is significantly less expensive. Therefore, a digital piano might be the greatest spot to begin your music production career if you have a limited budget.
8. Do people still use MIDI?
Today, MIDI is widely employed in virtual instruments and digital audio workstations as well as onstage during live performances.
9. What is a synthesizer?
A synthesiser by itself is more akin to a controller than an actual musical instrument.
Synthesizers imitate acoustically produced sounds. Naturally, air vibrations are the source of sound. These vibrations are detected by our eardrums and converted into sounds. An oscillator, which is the sound source that generates electrical impulses, is a component of a synthesiser. These signals are transmitted from a speaker to an amplifier. These signals are converted into vibrations by the speaker, which then produce sounds.
10. Is an ordinary digital piano better than a synthesizer?
Simply take into account your intended use while deciding between a keyboard and a synthesiser. A keyboard would be ideal if you want to learn piano but don’t require many more features. A synthesiser would be a far better addition to your home studio if you’re seeking for a helpful tool. Don’t forget to consider the future as well. Even if you’re just getting started, you should consider putting money in a more sophisticated instrument now if you want to use more advanced features and settings in the future.
11. What are the devices that use MIDI?
Musicians can easily construct complex, multi-layered compositions in any genre using the sophisticated MIDI technology. The phrase “musical instrument digital interface” refers to the protocol used by computers, keyboards, and synthesisers to exchange information.
12. But do MIDI controllers really need to be used?
MIDI keyboards and controllers are currently regarded as essential tools for modern music production despite the fact that there are still many ways to make music without them due to their capacity to boost creativity and streamline workflow in any music studio.
