Retailing at US$379, the Alesis Recital Pro is an affordable digital piano with 88 full-size keys, weighted action, a music stand, and enough features to keep your practice sessions interesting.
So is the Alesis Recital Pro the best and most affordable digital piano for beginners? To answer that question, here’s a detailed review!
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**While Alesis sent us this keyboard to review, we were under no obligation to write a positive review.
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Features of the Alesis Recital Pro include:
12 Voices
The Alesis Recital Pro comes with 12 voices: piano, bright piano, electric piano, vibraphone, organ, church organ, harpsichord, clavichord, synthesizer, strings, acoustic bass, and fingered bass.
3 Effects
You can further customize each voice by adding a sound effect: modulation, reverb, or chorus.
Layer Mode
Layer Mode lets you combine two voices to create something more unique and resonant. Try layering piano and strings together for an orchestral feel.
Split Mode
This feature lets you split the keyboard down the middle and assign a different voice to each side. You can also choose where you want the keyboard to be split.
Lesson Mode
This feature is perfect for students and teachers. It lets you split the keyboard into two sections, with each section playing the same octave. This is like having two pianos in one!
Out of the box, the keyboard comes with a music stand and power supply, but no sustain pedal is included.
Note: YouTube reviewer James Pavel Shawcross notes that the pedal-operated rotary organ effect does not work with his pedal unit. However, it did work for me. So if you’re purchasing a third-party pedal, you may want to test it first.
Sound effects are fun, but when it comes to enjoyment and progression, it’s all down to how the keys feel. We call this action.
The Alexis Recital Pro offers weighted action. This means the softer you play, the softer you’ll sound. And the harder you play, the louder you’ll sound.
But the Recital Pro doesn’t have graded action. In more advanced pianos, graded action means the high notes feel lighter than the bass.
Weighted action is a must-have for anyone who wants to progress at the piano. So, it’s great to see this feature in a $379 keyboard. However, the Recital Pro’s action is not the greatest. It’s very basic, and while it works, the keys feel springy, almost button-like. This is acceptable for early beginners and casual pop players, but it’ll be difficult to pull off classical and jazz on this piano.
Shawcross proves in his YouTube review that the black keys are weighted lighter than the white ones. I noticed this too (though I may not have noticed it had I not seen Shawcross’ review). This unevenness in weighting can lead to uneven playing.
You can adjust the touch sensitivity and there are four levels: off, 1, 2, and 3. When playing classical music, I preferred 3.
The Alesis Recital Pro has onboard speakers. They’re not terribly loud, but they’re strong enough to hold a bedroom concert.
The sound quality of the Alesis Recital Pro isn’t amazing, but you can add more depth to it by adjusting reverb, resonance, and the equalizer. I found I liked the “rock” equalizer the most. I also found the electric piano sound the most pleasing.
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The Alesis Recital Pro has an impressive set of features for a piano of its price point. It’s everything a beginner needs to get started. But the elementary action mechanism may leave more advanced pianists wanting.
Still, pianos are some of the most expensive instruments you can buy. At US$379, the Alesis Recital Pro is an excellent deal for early beginners and those looking for a portable second keyboard.
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Charmaine Li is a Vancouver writer who has played piano for over 20 years. She holds an Associate diploma (ARCT) from the Royal Conservatory of Music and loves writing about the ways in which music—and music learning—affects the human experience. Charmaine manages The Note. Learn more about Charmaine here.
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