Korg announce a new addition to their digital piano product line – the D1. Back in 2015 Korg unveiled the B1, and in 2017 they introduced the G1 Air and the C1 Air. Now the Korg D1, a more portable instrument, further expands their digital piano family.
The digital piano market is now becoming very crowded and it is hard for any one product to stand out from the crowd. Korg, though, are very good at producing compact instruments that sound and feel much bigger than their appearance suggests.
The D1 follows this trend and is a slim, compact, high performance stage instrument. It employs the very popular RH3 (Real Weighted Hammer Action) keyboard. This strives to simulate the ‘natural’ touch of a grand piano. Korg gives the keyboard a more natural feel by making the action slightly heavier in the bass, becoming lighter as one moves up the octaves. This keyboard’s response is all the more impressive when you consider the instrument’s size.
As well as multi-sampled Concert Piano, Grand Piano and Jazz Piano sounds, and six electric/electronic piano presets, the D1 includes a total of 30 expressive sounds covering the usual range of instrumentation.
Korg incorporate two additional features – Damper Resonance and Key-Off simulation – to further enhance the sound authenticity of the piano. Damper Resonance simulates the sympathetic vibration of the strings when an acoustic piano’s damper pedal is held. Key-Off Simulation analyses how each individual note is released, which in turn affects the decay of that note.
The compact size of the D1 makes it very portable (a SC-D1 soft case will be available). So, with Korg’s excellent sound engine and the RH3 keyboard, the D1 will become a very attractive proposition for many, including those not quite in the market for the excellent, but more expensive, Korg Grandstage. It may even appeal to the acoustic pianist looking for a good portable option.
Winter NAMM Show
The KORG D1 will be officially unveiled at the Winter NAMM show. Delivery and price have yet to be determined, but I have had unofficial word that it will be available by May, and should be around the 750 USD (£600.00) price mark.
At-A-Glance
- Japanese-made high-quality RH3 keybed 88 key (A0-C8).
- Compact, take anywhere, casework.
- 30 high-quality sounds.
- 120 voice polyphony (max)
- Cutting-edge technology faithfully reproduces the resonances of a grand piano.
- Convenient functions that you expect from a digital piano.
- Standard-sized LINE OUT jacks, MIDI IN/OUT connectors, HEADPHONE socket.
- Music rest and dedicated pedal for stage play included.
- Weight: 16kg
- Dimensions (mms): 1327 (W) x 263 (D) x 128 (H).
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