Korg Concert 5000 Review
🎹 UPDATED REVIEW - June 10, 2019 - BEST Digital Pianos under $2000 down to $1000 - My name is Tim Praskins and I am an expert when it comes to playing, teaching on, and knowing about digital pianos. I have been working with all the brands and models for over 40 years playing them professionally, teaching lessons on them, and advising people all over the world on what would be best for their musical needs. I offer free, personal piano buyingadvice no matter where you live and can also help you purchase new digital pianos for less money than internet price, Amazon price, store price, and used/demo model price if you are in the US. Many (but not all) of the digital pianos for 2018 continue as current models in 2019 although there are a few changes and new models coming out in all price ranges. When that happens I will review those pianos and have that info on this blog so that you can know more about them. Just email me with your questions and I'll be happy to get back to you, or you can callme if you are in the US. (International replies by email only and will take longer for me to reply).
🎹 If after reading this review you decide you want to purchase a new digital piano, I can help you buy one at a much better discount price than on Amazon or internet stores so please ask me! 😀
CONCERT Series Digital Pianos. DIGITAL PIANO. DIGITAL PIANO. No reviews or videos yet for Korg Concert 5000 (80s). With an Equipboard account you can rate this item, add it to your collection, submit a review to discuss what you like and dislike about it, and associate Korg Concert 5000 (80s) to artists that use it.
I do not have a store or warehouse, but I work out of a large music studio that I own where I play & teach on acoustic & digital pianos, keyboards, synthesizers, organs, and a variety of guitars. I understand what digital pianos are supposed to do and which ones that will give you a realistic piano playing experience (based on my vast 40 year experience with acoustic pianos including concert grands as well as all the name brand digital pianos). Unlike all the other so-called reviewers out there, I have actually played all the the pianos I talk about and many more that I don't talk about. I have literally played thousands of digital pianos and keyboards during my music career. All my reviews are my opinions and done by myself for the public at large. If you want more info on me or my piano experience, go to the following link: The Tim Praskins Story
There are many new model digital pianos being offered by the top piano manufacturers these days and sometimes it can be very confusing as to what the best digital piano is for a particular price range. So I have written this blog article (and others) to help out people looking for goodcabinet model digital pianos between $1000US - $2000US. I also have done a review comparison of new digital pianos under $1000US which you can also read about on my blog at the following link: Digital Pianos under $1000US. I consider the top digital piano manufacturers in this price range to include Kawai, Casio, Yamaha, Korg, and Roland. In the $1000-$2000 price range, the Korg digital piano company makes 2 cabinet pianos called the C1 Air and G1 Air which are very impressive for the money and I talk about them later. The Kurzweilpiano/keyboard company makes nice looking furniture style digital pianos and although a few of them sound pretty good overall, there are others that just have too many deficiencies to be a real contender and are not very good when it comes to better quality piano sound, key actions, and pedaling system in the under $2000US price range. I have done a few reviews of Kurzweil pianos on this blog if you want more info but overall I don't recommend them, especially as compared to the top brands I just mentioned.
Almost all other brands of digital pianos (with a couple of exceptions) that may be available in some piano stores, on-line web sites, or consumer store web sites (like Costco in the US) are what I consider to be off brands. I would definitely not recommend these brands (at least not in the models they have out now) by such names as Artesia, Suzuki, Williams, Adams, Adagio, and a few others that I have seen and played. Stay away from them regardless of how inexpensive the price may be or how attractive the piano may look if you want a good piano playing experience, especially in these mini/micro digital baby grands that are out there. Many of them are just plain bad when it comes to key action response, dynamics, key action noise, durability, etc. I have written reviews on many of these brands and models so if you want more info, take a look at some of my other blog reviews. In this blog article I will be referring only to furniture cabinet style models (including portable pianos with nice furniture stands & pedals) and only those that have an internet or regular store discount price for $1000-$2000US which is where most consumers want to be when shopping for a new digital piano.
Before I talk about my 'recommended' brands below, there is another company that most people have not heard of before which produces just one digital piano model and it has an internet selling price of $1281, although it can probably be purchased for less money at a discount if you are interested. This digital piano is put out by a company called Wanaka
and their new digital piano is called 'The ONE Smart Piano.' Basically this new piano is a furniture cabinet style digital piano that has just 1 sound in it..piano, and also has a digital metronome in it for timing. Another more interesting feature of this model is that it has little LED lights above the keys which show you what keys to play as songs are playing back. The way you get songs to play back through this piano and what makes this model unique, is that it relies on a special App to be used with an iPad or Android so that you connect The ONE Smart Piano to an iPad or Android tablet using the Smart Piano App, and then everything is done through the App (Application/program). I have played and examined this digital piano and although there are some deficiencies in this model, I think it's worth mentioning so you can read more about it at the following link: The ONE Smart Piano REVIEWOne more thing that I want to share with my readers before you read more about the digital pianos under between $1000 to $2000 below. I recently did a full review of the TOP 3 new digital pianos for 2019 in every price category. Take a look at that review at the following link because it will help you narrow down the many digital piano options out there and focus on what is the 3 best and most popular digital pianos in every price range including $500 to $1000, $1000 to $1500, $1500 to $2000, $2000 to $2500, and so on. Top 3 Digital Pianos 2019
Roland digital pianos are fine instruments and that brand traditionally offers most of their digital piano models for well above $2000 and are thought of as a 'higher end' company. However, Roland does have 3 newer model furniture cabinet digital pianos and one new self-contained portable model (furniture stand & pedals optional) which sell between $1000-$2000 and they're called the F140R ($1199US internet price), the RP501R ($1499 internet price), the new FP90 ($1799 internet price) self-contained portable piano (furniture stand & pedals optional). The RP501 is the identical piano as the previous RP401R with the exception that Roland replaced the WiFi technology with Bluetooth (but not Bluetooth audio streaming), and Roland changed the shape of the speakers in the RP501 and the piano is made in a different Roland factory. The RP501R and F140R are identical models in different cabinets and have upgrades over previous Roland pianos in this price range in past years. Roland is a very good value for the money and and are quite popular throughout the world. Roland has a newer portable model called the FP60 ($1399 internet discount price) which has a lot of similarities to the RP501R using the same key action and piano sound technology but having upgraded abilities, features, and polyphony. So when it comes to a higher quality portable digital piano, the FP60 would be a good option although for me personally, the piano sounds are still too brassy and bright overall and similar to the FP 30 $699 internet price) in that way. Of all the Roland models under $2000 it seems that the more advanced FP90 is the most popular given what it offers in this price range ($1799 internet price) and comes in an attractive compact portable cabinet and I have done a recent review of the FP90 so look for it under my 'search reviews tab.' The thing that makes this brand a strong competitor is the realism of the piano playing experience among other things. Although all of these models have some unique and useful digital features, it's really the piano sound, key action, and pedaling authenticity that many people enjoy in this price range. I have played Roland home and stage pianos professionally for many years (along with other brands) and have enjoyed playing them. Roland is not as well known outside of the electronic music business because they do not produce regular acoustic pianos like Yamaha or Kawai and don't build many non-musical consumer products like Casio does. Roland concentrates on producing pianos for musicians as well as recreational (and beginner) students & players who want higher quality technology in a musical instrument that is generally easy to use and in a reasonable price range. As with my other recommended brands here in this price range, Roland is a Japanese company and a good one, but is not as well known in the mainstream consumer market as compared to huge companies like Yamaha and Casio. But it's not about how big you are but it's about how good you are:). I have detailed blog reviews on all of these new Roland models here on this blogsite if you want to read more about them.
| Yamaha YDP181 |
| Kawai CE220 |
ES8 compact, portable piano ($1649US without optional furniture stand & pedals), the CN27 ($1899US internet price), and the the KDP110 ($1199 internet price), with the KDP110 only available in dark brown rosewood & CE220 piano in matte black. The CE220 has real wood acoustic piano keys although it is an upright feel key action movement as opposed to grand feel and the keys are a bit firm to push down which can be a limitation to some people whether they are beginner or advanced. The piano tone is very good and it has a larger 192-notes of polyphony piano sound memory which is plenty for nearly all playing situations. The features that Kawai offers on the CE220 piano are useful as well. All of the control buttons are across the front of the piano and they're easy to see and use. The CE220 is capable of layering and splitting two tones and it also has some other cool things like octave shift when layering two sounds together which none of the others can do. The CE220 has duet 4-hand play which means two people can play the piano at the same time by splitting the piano keyboard into 2 equal keyboards playing in the same octaves which is very cool. It has 22 realistic instrument tones (22 is good and better than Yamaha), has 100 realistic drum rhythm patterns for rhythm & timing practice, a layer relative volume balance slider control (the only piano to have that), and a 2-track recorder for separate right and left hand recording and playback. The CE220 also has a USB output to connect to computer for interfacing with music software and a USB flashdrive input for storing recorded songs as well as loading in MIDI piano song files for playback. And as far as looks, I think the Kawai CE220 is attractive and looks more substantial than some other pianos. I would recommend the CE220 for what it offers.| Kawai CA48 digital piano |
| Kawai ES8 digital piano |
Casio has 3 cabinet pianos right now between $1000-$2000 including the new lowest priced CelvianoAP270 ($1049US internet price), the new Celviano AP470 ($1499US internet price - left pic), and finally the Celviano AP650 ($1899 internet price) thatis my pick for 'best bang for the buck' in this price range under $2000 for a cabinet model digital piano . I have played all 3 models many times, but with regard to the Celviano AP650, in my opinion the keyboard touch, response, and key movement is surprisingly good and provides a fairly realistic acoustic piano playing experience along with the keytops having a Casio proprietary synthetic ivory & ebony material for smoother finger movement and control. There are 250 instrument sounds utilizing 256 notes of polyphony for advanced piano sound reproduction, along with a wav file audio recorder and playback feature which you can save and load to a USB flashdrive. The pedal movement and sustain/decay time is good in this price range and the piano even has damper & string resonance which produces the natural echo and sympathetic vibrations found in a real acoustic piano when pressing down on the damper pedal or playing the notes and hearing the strings vibrate. Other features include duet four-hand play, layering, splitting, transpose, and many other cool things. The control buttons are across the front of the piano so it's user friendly and intuitive to use. Casio has also included some advanced tech features like USB CoreMIDI connectivity (very nice for plug & play connection to iPad and computer) as well as having audio outputs. The AP650 audio speaker system is surprisingly powerful at this price and includes four speakers going through 60 watts of stereo power with a lid opening feature which allows the sound to project more in an acoustic piano fashion. The AP650 gives you the sense you're sitting in front of a real piano and it looks attractive in its furniture compact cabinet with sliding key cover and front designer legs. So for its $1899US internet discount price, this piano is a very impressive package and a great 'bang for the buck' as far as I am concerned. Go to the following link to read my Casio AP650 review: Casio AP650 Review. Go to the following link to read my review of the new Casio AP470: Casio AP470 Review. Go the to following link to read my review of the new AP270: Casio AP270 Review.
| Korg G1 Air |
My 1st choice in this digital piano comparison for overall winner in piano playing realism along with some cool features in the lower price range under $2000 would be the newer Kawai ES8 (left pic) at $1649 discount internet price (not including stand and triple pedal unit which adds another approx $450 to the price). With a very impressive, realistic graded weighted key movement and resonate acoustic piano tone with better tonal dynamics & color along with its other useful educational features, this one is definitely worth the money and it's out in front of other digital pianos under $2000 in my opinion when it comes to the piano playing authenticity. However, the ES8 is at the top of the price range and the piano is a contemporary 'small footprint' portable model with optional furniture stand and triple pedal lyre (left picture) and is not in a 'traditional' furniture cabinet. So spending a bit less money on a few other selected models in a traditional furniture cabinet may be more to your liking and be more affordable for some people, but you do normally get what you pay for. My 2nd choice and what I consider to be 'best bang for the buck' would be the cabinet model Casio AP650 at $1899 discount internet price (including furniture stand & 3-pedal unit). The Casio AP470 ($1499US internet price) or the Korg G1 Air ($1599US) would be tied for 3rd place for a few reasons, followed by the Kawai CA48 ($2099 internet price) in 4th place.* I will also say that Yamaha makes some very nice digital pianos under $2000 and they have a number of different models including the YDP144 at $1099US internet price and I would put that model in 5th place, although Casio AP270 ($1049US discount price) has just taken over that position in my opinion. Check out my review of the new AP270 at the following link:AP270 Review
***Please make note that in reality all of these top models are interchangeable in their rating order because they are all from each other in a number of ways and all very good. So for some people what I call #1 on my list could be #4, and what I call #4 could be #1, it really just depends on your musical goals, abilities, uses for the piano, and your budget. As I said, it really is difficult to objectively rate digital pianos because their prices and features are so diverse and that's why I believe the top 5 models can be switched around in order depending on your needs and budget. The Kawai Kawai ES8 key action is perhaps more authentic than the Casio AP650 in my opinion as well as their acoustic piano sound, but for most people they may have a difficult time discerning those differences so could likely be happy on any of them depending what kind of cabinet they prefer..but the fact is that there definitely are differences. The Kawai KDP110 ($1199 internet price) in the lower price range is also a very good choice as is the Yamaha YDP164 ($1499 internet price for satin finishes). The YDP164 is a good choice but the Kawai, Casio, Korg, and Roland pianos do offer more bang for the buck right now based on what you get for the price paid in terms of a more realistic piano playing experience, in my opinion. There are really no bad digital pianos out there as long as you get a good reputable brand such as the ones I've mentioned. Also, price obviously has some bearing on the order in which I rated these pianos, so depending on what can afford, if you can spend more money then in many cases you will get more for that extra money. Even though I rated the Kawai ES8 as my #1 pick under $2000, the Kawai CA48, Casio AP650, Korg G1 Air, and Casio AP470 can be a somewhat interchangeable in position depending on what you actually want in terms of a piano, the way it looks (design, cabinet color, size, etc), and your musical goals. They all offer a lot of quality and piano playing realism if you can be in those price ranges. It just depends on what YOU like and how much YOU can afford to pay.
*Just so you know, there is no precise or totally impartial digital piano rating system (like stars, check marks, numbers, etc) as some people on the internet would have you believe..and that's why I don't do it. There are just too many variables in piano touch, tone, pedaling, features, and looks. In fact there are some so-called 'reviewers' out there who have no idea of what they are talking about, they say things that are just not true at all, they rate cheap keyboards along side of digital pianos which is ridiculous (keyboards are not digital pianos), and what they report is only so they can link you to an Amazon site to make THEM money if you buy something. If you see something like that (Amazon selling links from Fake Piano Reviewers..and there are many), then I recommend you run away from those people as they are not there to help you, regardless of what they say otherwise. In fact, I have noticed that many of these 'fake review sites' steal my content and then post a version of it on their web sites. I know this because they would NEVER have been able to test out the pianos that I have played and come up with the conclusions they talk about in their reviews. This is because they have never played those digital pianos and in fact may not even know how to play a piano at all. It is true that imitation or coping is the sincerest form of flattery so people stealing (coping and reusing) my blog content does not bother me..much. Unfortunately on those sites it is done solely to make money off of you and they really don't care what piano you buy, as long as it is through them. I always recommend that you do your homework before you buy because as I said, any of these pianos I recommend may be a good choice for you. However there are definitely some models that offer different things for the money, depending on the price range. If you would like my help in making your best purchase decision, please contact me as I do not charge for my advice and I do this as a labor of love:)
If you want more info on these pianos and lower prices than internet, Amazon, bundles, or store discounts in the USA including helping you with credit and no interest if paid in full in 6 months on purchases over $100, please email me attim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864
I’m back from my trip to Brussels and am really excited because I’ve finally been able to put my hands on the latest additions to Korg’s line of home digital pianos.
I’m talking of course about the new C1 Air and G1 Air, which have become quite a sensation since their release and are a big step forward for Korg.
Not that Korg never made good digital pianos before, but these two models are something very new for the company.
Korg is known for their professional grade stage pianos, which are highly prized and have become kind of an industry standard over the years.
But when it comes to lower-end (home) market, their digital pianos haven’t been as successful and have been having a hard time competing with brands like Yamaha, Roland or Kawai.
Even their popular LP-380, which is a great piano on its own, is often overlooked because it doesn’t offer nearly as many features and connectors as its competitors do.
The good news is that Korg has learned from its mistakes and I should say upfront that the C1 Air and G1 Air are very competitive digital pianos in their price ranges, and you should definitely put them on your list.
The G1 Air is the flagship model in the line and the center of our attention today.
Korg G1 Air Specs
- 88 fully weighted keys
- Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 (RH3)
- Touch Sensitivity: adjustable 4 types, Off
- LED screen
- Sound: Stereo PCM
- 120-note polyphony
- 32 instrument sounds (9 pianos)
- 40 preset piano songs
- Reverb, Brilliance, Chorus (3 types each)
- Piano sound elements: Damper Resonance, String Resonance, Key Off Simulation
- Modes: Split, Dual, Partner Mode
- 2-track MIDI recorder (up to 99 songs)
- Metronome, Transpose, Fine-tuning
- Speakers: 2 x 12 cm (2 x 20 W) + 2 x 5 cm (2 x 20 W)
- Connectors: USB to Host, MIDI In/Out, Headphone jacks (2), Audio Out (mini jack), Bluetooth (Audio)
- 134 x 38.4 x 98.5 cm (53” x 15.1” x 38.7”)
- 41 kg (90 lbs)
Below you can check the availability and current price of the Korg G1 Air in your region:
Design
Among all digital pianos I’ve seen in this price range, the G1 Air appeals to me the most as far as design is concerned.
You can really see that Korg has put a lot of work into making this instrument look elegant and unique.
I can’t think of another digital piano in this price range with a similar design.
The G1 is designed with attention to details: curved lines, piano style lid, and beautiful front legs, which make the instrument look even more classy and expensive.
The piano is also very slim and will easily fit into limited spaces such as dorm room, bedroom or even a hallway.
The cabinet itself is only 11.42” deep, but keep in mind that anti-tipping brackets designed to enhance the stability of the G1 Air increase its depth to 15.12”.
The thing to remember is that despite its slim “airy” design, the G1 is quite heavy with a total weight of 90.39 lbs.
And while the assembly is not very complicated, you’ll most likely need a second person to help you unpack the box and put everything together (especially the part when you’ll need to put the keyboard on top of the base)
| View on Amazon | Keys | Width | Depth | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 52.9' | 15.1' | 38.7' | 90.4 lbs | |
| 88 | 53.5' | 13.5' | 30.6' | 76 lbs | |
| 88 | 53.4' | 16.6' | 32' | 83.7 lbs | |
| 88 | 54.8' | 11.7' | 31.5' | 75.6 lbs | |
| 88 | 54.3' | 16.2' | 32.1' | 83.3 lbs |
The lid of the G1 Air serves not only as a keyboard cover but also as a music stand when opened. It allows you to put music across the whole width of the piano, which is very convenient.
The soft-close mechanism prevents the lid from being slummed shut and keeps your fingers safe, which is especially important if you have children around.
The lid’s mechanism also ensures slow opening so that it doesn’t damage the cabinet when you let it fall back.
The build quality of the G1 Air is top notch.
Unlike most digital piano brands (Yamaha, Roland, Casio, etc.), which produce their pianos in China, the Korg produces their G1 models in Japan, and offers a 5-year warranty.
It doesn’t automatically make the G1 a better and a higher quality piano (quality control is something major brands focus on, no matter where the factory is located), but it’s still nice to have a digital piano designed and produced in the country where quality means everything.
So potentially the Korg G1 will last longer than any other brand. Well, time will tell.
The G1 Air comes with a 3-pedal unit that includes Sustain, Soft, and Sostenuto pedals.
The quality of the pedals is very satisfying. They provide a nice resistance and feel very similar to those found in a grand piano.
Moreover, more advanced pianists will appreciate the half-pedaling support, which allows you to control the amount of sustain applied to the notes (rather than simple on/off operation).
The G1 Air is available in 3 colors, which is quite rare for digital pianos in this price range.
There is matte black, matte white and wood grain brown color, which I really like for its beautiful wooden texture.
The control panel of the instrument is located in the center piano. It includes 18 buttons, a volume knob, and a small display.
Everything is pretty standard here: dedicated buttons for 3 main piano tones, recording features, metronome, split mode and for a few others functions.
The thing I didn’t quite like about the control panel is that it gets marked up with fingerprints and grease very easily, especially on black and brown version of the piano.
The display is quite small and basic. It helps navigate through the built-in tones and songs, but I wouldn’t call it very intuitive.
You’ll still need to read the manual to understand what all those characters mean and how to get to a certain parameter.
Keyboard
The Korg G1 Air is equipped with the best hammer action in Korg’s arsenal, and it’s called the Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 (RH3).
The RH3 has been around for quite a while, and Korg continues to use it in its top of the range keyboards and workstations including Korg Kronos.
Over the years, the RH3 has proven to be a reliable, nice-to-the-touch action, which is used by many professional musicians.
The RH3 has a nice medium weight, which makes it suitable for a wide range of playing styles starting from classical piano and ending with fast organ and synth passages.
I like how quick and responsive the action is. It’s a bit lighter than Casio’s Tri-sensor Hammer Action II and Yamaha’s GH/GH3, which are more on the heavier side.
The RH3 is a fully-weighted hammer-action keyboard, which uses graded hammer system to recreate the feel of a real acoustic piano action.
Unlike the competitor actions from Casio (Tri-sensor hammer action II) and Yamaha (GH3), which use 3-sensor detection system, the RH3 utilizes two-sensor technology.
The 3rd sensor is usually added to facilitate playing quick passages and allows for faster note repetition.
Korg Concert 5000 Review Youtube
In practice, the difference is not that obvious, and in case of the G1 Air, I didn’t have any problems playing fast repetitions.
The keyboard is divided into 4 weight zones. The keys on the left side of the keyboard feel heavier than on the right side, mimicking that characteristic of an acoustic piano.
The keys on the G1 Air are touch-sensitive and offer 5 sensitivity levels to choose from. There are Light, Normal, Heavy, Stable and Steady preset settings.
When the “Steady” setting is selected, the volume will not change depending on how hard or soft you play.
The “Heavy” requires the most force to produce the loudest sound and provides you with the widest dynamic range (from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo).
The RH3 keyboard doesn’t offer ivory/ebony simulation and has conventional smooth plastic keys.
It would be nice to have some sort of textured finish on the keys as it would provide a better grip in high humid situations.
But ultimately it all comes down to your preferences because some people actually prefer a smooth finish, which most acoustic pianos have nowadays.
Sound
At the heart of the G1 Air is the PCM sound generator, which uses stereo multi-layered samples of 3 world’s finest concert grand pianos: German, Austrian, and Japanese.
Each tone has its own unique character, which makes it easy to find the one that suits your taste and repertoire.
The German Grand is probably the best piano sound in the instrument. It’s sampled from a 9-foot Steinway grand piano and sounds incredibly rich and dynamic.
The Austrian Grand has a bit warmer and softer tone, which would be perfect for playing ballads and solos. The sound is sampled from one of the most highly acclaimed piano manufacturers in the world – Bösendorfer.
The Japanese piano is sampled from a Yamaha concert grand, which is known for its incredibly expressive sound and a wide palette of tonal colors.
The Japanese tone sounded a bit too bright for my liking, so I liked it the least out of three.
Each of these tones includes 3 important organic elements found in an acoustic piano, which increases the realism of the sound.
When you press the sustain pedal on an acoustic piano and play some notes, they will vibrate freely as long as you hold down the pedal.
But what’s important is that all the other notes that you didn’t play will also slightly vibrate adding a natural ambiance to the sound. The G1 Air recreates this phenomenon wonderfully.
It’s also worth mentioning that the G1 also has a long natural decay times, which is one of the key elements of a piano’s sound. It means Korg cut no corners and used higher quality samples that allowed for such a long decay.
Other organic element reproduced in the G1 Air are sympathetic string resonance and key off resonance.
Another thing that not every digital piano has is the ability to change the standard Equal Temperament tuning to one of 9 other temperaments suitable for different music genres.
There are Pure Major, Pure Minor, Arabic, Pythagorean, Werckmeister, Kirnberger, etc.
Aside from the main piano tones, there are 6 other pianos including Pop Piano, Jazz Piano, Baroque Piano, Honky-Tonk Piano and a few others.
- In total, the G1 Air has 32 preset sounds including:
- 11 Grand Pianos (Concert, Ballade, Bright, Rock, Ragtime, etc.)
- 5 Electric Pianos
- 4 Organs
- 3 Strings
- Vibraphone
- Harpsichord
- Guitar
- Clav
- and a few others
Sound Effects
There are a few parameters and sound effects you can play around with to add more depth, brightness or liveness to the sound.
To add some depth and ambiance to the sound, you can use one of the Reverb types (Shallow, Standard, Deep).
Chorus effect (Shallow, Standard, Deep) will make the sound richer and thicker by adding very similar (in pitch and time) notes to the ones you play.
Finally, you can adjust the brilliance of the sound (Less Brilliant, Normal, Brighter).
That’s pretty much it when it comes to sound customization.
I personally feel that it would be nice to have more options for reverb and the ability to adjust its type and depth independently.
Polyphony
Polyphony is the number of notes a digital piano can produce at the same time.
Most of the contemporary digital pianos are equipped with 64, 128, 192 or 256-note polyphony.
You may wonder how it is possible to have 32, 64, or even 128 notes playing at the same time, if there are only 88 keys and we never play them all together.
First of all, many of today’s digital pianos use stereo samples, which sometimes require two notes for each key played.
Another thing is that the use of the sustain pedal, sound effects (Reverb, Chorus), Dual mode (layering) and even the metronome tick sound take up additional notes of polyphony.
Korg Concert 5000 Electronic Piano
For example, when you depress the sustain pedal, the earliest played notes continue to sound while you’re adding new ones and the piano needs more memory to keep all the notes sounding.
Another example of polyphony consumption is when you’re playing along with a song playback (can also be your own recorded performance) or auto-accompaniment.
In this case, the piano will need polyphony not only for the notes you’re playing but also for a backing track.
When you reach the polyphony cap, the piano starts to drop the earliest played notes to free up memory for the new ones, which in turn affects the sound and its fullness.
You’ll hardly ever need all the 192 or 256 voices of polyphony at a time, but there are cases when you can reach 64 or even 128 note limit, especially if you like to layer several sounds and create multi-track recordings.
So it’s very desirable to have at least 64 notes of polyphony.
The G1 Air comes with 120-note polyphony, which doesn’t seem like a lot, considering that most of its competitors have either 192 or 256 notes of polyphony.
But I can’t say that I’ve experienced any problems (e.g., note stealing, cutoffs) even during fast passages and intensive sustain pedal use.
Korg clearly states that each note can take up to four polyphony notes depending on how many oscillators it uses.
All Grand Piano sounds on the G1 Air use 4 oscillators, and we get 30 (120/4) notes that the instrument can produce at the same time, which, as I said, is enough for comfortable playing.
By the way, other digital pianos work in the same fashion, it’s just not every manufacturer clearly states how many polyphony takes each note you play.
Speakers
The internal sound system of the G1 Air is impressive, no question about it.
There are 4 speakers each powered by a dedicated 20W amplifier.
Two speakers are built into the stand and are responsible for reproducing deep rounded bass and precise mid-range frequencies.
The other two speakers are called tweeters, and their job is to ensure crystal clear high frequencies.
These speakers are located right in the top of the piano so that the sound they produce is directed towards the player.
The total output power is 80W, which we’ve never seen in a digital piano under $2000.
Sound engineers did an excellent job of designing the speaker system of the G1 Air, and this is one of the best sounding digital pianos I’ve ever played.
I was also pleasantly surprised with how loud the G1 Air can get.
The maximum volume is comparable with that of an acoustic piano, so you won’t need external amplification to enjoy the experience of playing a real piano.
Features
Korg home digital pianos don’t usually come with a lot of features except for standard ones like metronome, transpose, etc.
But it’s a completely different story with this piano.
Modes
There are four performance modes available on the G1 Air. Aside from the default “Single Mode”, there are 3 other modes that will allow you to split and layer multiple sounds as well as play duets with a second person.
Layer Mode is a feature that will allow you to play two different sounds at the same time whenever you press a key.
Unfortunately, not all the sounds can be layered together. The G1 Air doesn’t allow you to layer sounds accessed via the same buttons.
There are 4 buttons for selecting the tones (G.Piano, A.Piano, J.Piano, Others), so you can only combine sounds available under a different button.
For example, Austrian Grand Piano and Ballad Piano cannot be layered, since they’re both accessed via the A.Piano button.
You can additionally change the volume balance between the sounds as well as shift octaves.
Split Mode allows you to divide the keyboard into two sections (the split point can be adjusted) and play a different sound in each of them.
Here you’ll also come across some limitations.
The thing is that you can only use one of the 3 bass sounds available in the piano for the left-hand section, and any other sound can be selected for the right-hand section.
Partner Mode allows two players to play in the same pitch ranges at the same time.
The keyboard will be divided into two equal parts where each part has the same octave range with its own middle C.
This mode also allows you to assign a different sound to each of the sections and adjust the volume balance between them.
Song Recorder
To record your performances, you can use the built-in MIDI recorder.
The instrument can store up to 99 songs in its internal memory, and for each song, you can record up to two tracks.
For example, you can record the left-hand part to Track 1, then record the right-hand part to Track 2 while listening to the playback of the first track.
After you’ve recorded two tracks, you can either play them back as a single recording and or mute one of the tracks if needed. You can also play along to your recordings as they’re playing back.
Not only can you play back your own recordings, but you’ll also have access to 40 preset piano songs from Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and other famous composers.
Just like with recorded songs, you can choose which parts should be played back and which shouldn’t.
Most of these songs have a left-hand part recorded on Track 1, and the right-hand part recorded on Track 2, so you can turn off either of the tracks and play that part live, while the other part is playing back.
Other Features
The G1 Air has an onboard metronome with adjustable tempo, time signature, volume, and sound type, which a great tool for those who want to practice their rhythm.
To match the pitch of the G1 Air to that of another instrument, you can use the Master Tuning function, which allows you to change the pitch of the keyboard in 0.5 Hz steps.
The transpose function is also available on the instrument.
Connectivity
When it comes to ports and jacks, the G1 Air doesn’t disappoint.
For more convenience two stereo mini headphone jacks are located right under the left side of the keyboard.
Two pairs of headphones can be connected simultaneously and will allow you to practice in silence without bothering anyone else.
All the other ports except for the headphone jacks are located on the bottom center of the keyboard.
I don’t really understand why Korg has been ignoring USB ports for so long, but the G1 Air is probably their first console piano that comes with a USB type B port, which almost all digital pianos have nowadays.
You can use this port to connect the piano to a computer and control various music software by sending and receiving MIDI data.
There are a huge number of apps that can expand the capabilities of the G1 in terms of learning (FlowKey), music production (Logic Pro), education (JoyTunes), etc.
Next to the USB port you’ll find traditional MIDI In/Out ports that might be useful if you need to connect the piano to another instrument or MIDI device.
When performing on stage or in the studio, you can use the Line Out (stereo mini) to plug in external audio equipment such as an amplifier, PA system or audio interface.
“Air” is not just a fancy word in the model name, it implies that the piano supports Bluetooth technology and can receive Audio data from other devices (phones, mp3-players, tablets, laptops) wirelessly.
It means you can use the G1 Air as a powerful sound system to listen to your favorite songs through the built-in speakers or use some backing tracks for your performance.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to exchange MIDI data via Bluetooth and control music apps such as GarageBand.
For that, you’ll still need to use the USB port and a special adapter for mobile devices. In case of iOS devices, you’ll need the Lightning to USB Camera adapter.
For USB computer connection, you’ll need an A to B USB cable.
Accessories
- The Korg G1 Air comes with the following accessories:
- AC Power Adapter
- Owner’s Manual
- Anti-tipping Brackets
- Screw Set
The good thing about console digital pianos is that you don’t need to spend a lot of extra money on accessories.
The Korg G1 already includes a dedicated stand, a 3-pedal unit, and a key cover, so don’t have to buy them separately.
The only thing you should consider for buying is a bench and a pair of high-quality headphones.
When it comes benches, there are a lot of good options available on the market today. Just pick the bench you like, check the reviews, see if it fits your budget and you’re all set.
It gets a little more complicated when it comes to choosing the right headphones for your instrument.
Headphones
Headphones come in very handy when you want to practice in private, focusing solely on your playing and not disturbing others nearby.
Moreover, a good pair of piano headphones will provide clear and detailed sound that onboard speakers cannot offer.
Check out this guide to learn how to choose the best-sounding headphones for your digital piano.
In most cases the headphones included with Amazon bundles are cheap and don’t offer great sound quality and comfort.
Summary
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Slim, exquisite design | Relatively heavy |
| Enjoyable RH3 hammer-action keyboard | No MIDI via Bluetooth support |
| 3 fabulous tones sampled from world's most respected Grand Pianos | Few options for sound customization (can't adjust string resonance and other parameters) |
| String Resonance, Key Off samples, Damper Resonance | Only 3 reverb types |
| 2-track MIDI recorder | |
| Exceptional speaker system (80W) | |
| Wireless Bluetooth Audio connectivity | |
| Japan Quality |
Korg has really surprised me with this piano.
With the release of the G1 Air, Korg has proven that it can make high-quality console digital pianos and compete with big names like Yamaha and Roland in this market segment. And, man, this beast can compete.
There are a number of things that I really like about G1 Air.
First off, I appreciate how unique and classy this piano looks. Without a doubt, it will make a beautiful addition to any room’s decor.
The RH3 keyboard action was very enjoyable to play as expected.
And even though some classically trained pianists would probably prefer a slightly heavier feel, the RH3 is a high-quality action with a very natural and expressive touch.
3 different Grand Piano tones are also something unseen before in a digital piano in this price range.
Usually, digital pianos have one main (flagship) piano sound sampled from a Japanese, German or Austrian grand piano, but to have all three in just one instrument is incredible.
And with the help of a powerful 80 W speaker system as well as organic sound elements such as string resonance and key off simulation, the sound really comes to life.
The Bluetooth Audio is definitely a nice feature to have, but I was a bit disappointed that it doesn’t support MIDI data.
It would also be great to have more reverb options, and the ability to adjust string resonance, and other piano elements manually.
Despite some of the shortcomings of the Korg G1 Air, I feel it’s going to be one of the popular instruments in its price range. There just aren’t that many digital pianos that can compete with it.
Below I’ve listed some of the strongest competitors that you might want to consider as an alternative to the G1 Air.
Check the availability and current price of the Korg G1 Air in your region: