They all have black and white keys, but a digital piano, a portable keyboard, a synthesizer and a MIDI controller do quite different jobs. The right choice depends on what you want to do: learn piano properly, play songs for fun, make music on a computer or shape your own sounds.
In short: choose a digital piano if you want to learn or play piano, a portable keyboard if you want many sounds in a light, affordable instrument, a synthesizer if sound design is the point, and a MIDI controller if your sounds live in a computer or tablet. A controller makes no sound at all on its own.
Many bands use more than one. A typical rock keyboard player might have a stage piano for piano and organ parts and a synth on top for leads and pads.
The four types at a glance
| Type | Keys | Key feel | Makes sound on its own | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital piano | 88 | Weighted, hammer action | Yes, with speakers | Learning and playing piano |
| Portable keyboard | Usually 61 | Light, often touch sensitive | Yes, with speakers | Beginners, fun, many sounds |
| Synthesizer | 25 to 61 is common | Light or semi-weighted | Yes, usually no speakers | Creating and shaping sounds |
| MIDI controller | 25 to 88 | Light to weighted | No | Computer music, virtual instruments |
Digital pianos
A digital piano aims to feel and sound like an acoustic piano. It has the full 88 keys and a weighted action, often called hammer action, where the keys are heavier in the bass and lighter in the treble, as on an acoustic instrument. Piano teachers usually recommend this for anyone serious about learning, because technique built on light keys does not transfer well to a real piano.
There are two main styles in the digital piano range:
- Compact or portable pianos, such as the Casio CDP-S110, which is a slim 88-key model with scaled hammer action. They fit a small room and can go on a stand or table.
- Console pianos with a wooden cabinet and three pedals, such as models from Kawai and Yamaha. They look like furniture and usually have stronger speakers, but take more space and cannot easily move.
Check that a sustain pedal is included, that there are headphone outputs for quiet practice, and how many notes of polyphony the piano offers. More polyphony means fewer notes cut off when you hold the sustain pedal down.
Portable keyboards
A portable keyboard, filed under electronic keyboards and in a few cases with the controllers, usually has 61 keys, hundreds of built-in sounds and accompaniment rhythms. Many run on batteries as well as mains power. The keys are unweighted and lighter than a piano’s, though most are touch sensitive, which means the sound gets louder when you play harder.
The Casio CT-S500 is an example: a 61-key portable keyboard with speakers that can also connect to a computer by USB. Keyboards like this are good for children, casual players and anyone who wants to try playing before spending more. For proper piano lessons, a weighted digital piano is the better long-term choice.
Synthesizers
A synthesizer builds sounds rather than playing back recordings of instruments. You start with oscillators that generate a basic waveform, then shape it with a filter, envelopes and modulation. Synths come as analogue, digital or hybrid designs, and some are modules without any keys, built to be combined in a rack.
The synthesizer range runs from small desktop units to full keyboard instruments. The Arturia MicroFreak, for example, combines digital oscillators with an analogue filter and has a flat, touch-sensitive 25-key keyboard instead of moving keys. It is four-voice paraphonic, so it can play chords, but all voices share one filter.
What to check:
- Monophonic or polyphonic. A mono synth plays one note at a time, fine for bass and leads. Pads and chords need a polyphonic synth.
- Number of keys. Small keyboards save space but limit two-handed playing.
- Presets and memory. Being able to save your own sounds matters on stage.
- Connections. MIDI and USB for working with a computer; audio outputs to a mixer or amp. Most synths have no built-in speakers.
MIDI controllers
A MIDI controller sends note and control information to software on a computer, tablet or phone, which then makes the sound. It is the cheapest way to play thousands of virtual instruments, from pianos to orchestras and drum kits, and to record into music software.
Controllers in the MIDI controller range differ in size and extras. The Arturia MiniLab 3 has 25 slim keys plus pads, knobs and faders, and fits next to a laptop. Larger models, with 49, 61 or 88 keys, suit players who want two hands on the keyboard. Pads are useful for drums and triggering samples; knobs and faders let you control software without the mouse.
Remember that the controller is only half of the set-up. You also need the software and a way to hear it: headphones, studio monitors or a speaker system.
How many keys do you need?
- 25 keys: two octaves, for melodies, bass lines and travel.
- 37 to 49 keys: room for simple two-handed parts.
- 61 keys: enough for most pop and rock parts and many lessons for beginners.
- 76 keys: a compromise for organ and synth players.
- 88 keys: the full piano range, needed for classical piano music.
Quick checklist
- Learning piano: 88 weighted keys and a sustain pedal.
- Playing for fun or for children: a 61-key touch sensitive keyboard.
- Making sounds: a synthesizer with the polyphony you need.
- Computer music: a MIDI controller plus software and headphones or speakers.
- Measure your space: an 88-key instrument is well over a metre wide.
- Check headphone output, power supply and what is included.
If you also play guitar, the guide on how to choose an electric guitar covers pickups, necks and accessories.
Common questions
Can a MIDI controller replace a digital piano for practice?
Only partly. An 88-key controller with weighted keys and good piano software can work well, but you need a computer running every time you play, and most controllers have lighter keys than a digital piano.
Can I connect a digital piano or keyboard to a computer?
Most current models have a USB port or MIDI connection, so they can also work as a controller for music software. Check the shop’s listing for the exact connections.
Is a synthesizer good for a complete beginner?
It can be, if your goal is to make electronic sounds. If you mainly want to learn songs and chords, a keyboard or digital piano is simpler to start on.
