Today we're going to be looking at one of the most popular musical instruments on Amazon in Canada and the United States - the Alesis Recital. This is an 88-note, non-weighted but touch-sensitive digital piano.
Given the massive popularity this instrument has achieved, we figured it was definitely worth taking a look at here to see if all of the attention was deserved, or simply the result of effective marketing.
We'll cover everything from the sound, action and features, and leave you with our overall verdict on this 88-key digital piano.
Are Semi-Weighted Keys Okay For Piano Lessons?
Before we start digging into the specifics of the Alesis Recital, let's have a quick discussion with regards to whether or not an action that is not fully weighted is appropriate for someone learning piano.88-Key Semi-Weighted Action
The Alesis Recital features an 88-note action, and the dimensions of the keys themselves are pretty close to those found on a real piano. While touch sensitive, the action is unweighted, and weighted keys are a pretty often recommended feature for anyone looking for an instrument when they or their child starts lessons.An argument is going to be made that there's certainly a basic level of technique that you can start to build and work on with this instrument, but most piano teachers will agree that weighted keys are required to start developing the proper sense of control and dynamics needed for taking piano lessons and learning the instrument.
It's definitely important to keep this in mind if you're starting lessons and looking for a piano. With that out of the way, let's jump into the sound engine.
Alesis Recital - Sound Engine
Strong Value
One of the big things Alesis focuses on in their marketing literature is the argument that the Alesis Recital is a one-of-a-kind instrument for the price not only because of the 88-note action but because of the quality of the tone engine and speaker system.Some reviews online will state that the Alesis Recital can go head-to-head with the Yamaha P-45 in terms of tone, especially since the Recital has 128-note polyphony and 20-watt speakers. But let's hold our horses a second here - the P-45 absolutely smokes the Recital from a sound perspective to the point that it's not even close.
That said, the Recital costs about half as much as the P-45 so that really needs to be kept in mind. When Alesis claims that the Recital is one of a kind for the price, they have a legitimate point.
It's just going to come down to whether the Recital is delivering enough, or if the jump to a higher price point and a superior playing experience from a Yamaha or Casio would actually make more sense
128 Note Polyphony & 20 Watt Speakers
The 128-note maximum polyphony count is a nice bonus, and the speakers are pretty decent, though if you crank them anywhere above 75% or so there is definitely some distortion happening.Grand Piano Sound
Now, specifically to the character of the grand piano sound here. Right away it's clear that it's actually a pretty complex sample that Alesis is using. They don't disclose what types of sampling they've done or how many sample layers were used, but the point is, the sound is pretty decent.There's a reverb engine with a few modifications possible so you can adjust the character of the tone to some extent. There's also Chorus which you can use on the non-acoustic piano tones, of which there are 5 in total including electric piano, organ and synth, as well as a Modulation effect.
For the price, definitely some pretty decently realistic sound happening here.
Digital Piano Action
Touch Sensitive
As mentioned above, the Alesis Recital features an 88-note, non-weighted, spring-loaded action. There are a couple of levels of touch sensitivity, perhaps 3 or 4, so there's some amount of dynamic control possible here. There's adjustable touch response across a couple of levels as well.The key dip however is a lot shallower than you'll get on a real piano, so the transition from this instrument to an acoustic piano will be hampered somewhat by that.
Who is this Action Suited For?
So who is this action really appropriate for? If you're a parent looking for a keyboard to spark some interest and get your child into lessons and gauge overall interest, the Alesis Recital and this action would probably work really well.Sure, if things go well, you might need an upgrade sooner than you might have expected, but fortunately, the initial financial investment isn't totally staggering.
The Recital could also work really well for folks who need an 88-note action for gigging and aren't concerned at all with whether or not the action is weighted.
Additional Features
Metronome & Transpose
The Alesis Recital has a fine selection of additional features. For starters, there is a built-in metronome with adjustable BPM. This is pretty key for students as they work on developing their internal sense of time and rhythm. A built-in metronome saves you an additional purchase.Transpose is also covered as well. The benefit of this feature is that it allows you to shift the pitch of the keyboard without changing where your fingers happen to be playing.
Layer, Split Mode & Twin Piano
You can also get into layering of 2 sounds, and Split Mode is present as well, as is Twin Piano. Alesis refers to this as a powerful educational feature which is an exaggeration, but it is definitely a useful feature to have.Professional keyboard players certainly make extensive use of Layering and Splitting the keyboard, but for beginners and students, features like this are included more as fun ways to engage a learner.
Skoove Premium Subscription
Certain packages of the Alesis Recital also include a free subscription for 3-months of Skoove Premium which is an online piano lesson platform with new music theory tips.Connectivity - Power & RCA Audio
Connector Ports
In terms of connectivity, the Recital has a DC and includes a power supply in the box, which is actually nice because at this price point, often a power adapter is not included. You also have the option to power the Recital with 6 D Cell Batteries.Oddly, there are stereo RCA outputs in case you want to connect the Recital to an amplifier or stereo. It's not as common anymore to have RCA outs on a keyboard as it's now usually 1/4-inch outs, but having an RCA out is better than nothing.
Pedals
There's also a pedal input for a sustain pedal, but keep in mind that a sustain pedal is not included. The Recital does not support half-pedalling, so you can add on a pretty basic one to get some sustain happening.Headphones
Of course, a stereo headphone output is present for private practice, and there's a USB-MIDI port for connecting to devices for apps or software synth plugins.Closing Thoughts
Considering the comparably low price point, is the Alesis Recital delivering a solid instrument for the price? We would definitely say the answer is yes.Is it a long-term solution for piano lessons? Most definitely not, but for getting introduced to music, the Alesis Recital will do the trick.
The post Alesis Recital | 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano | Review & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos
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