Stage pianos of the past have not been known to give serious piano players the feel and response of a traditional acoustic piano. Modern digital pianos, however, have been developing instruments that change all that. You can now buy a stage piano that makes you feel like you are playing a grand piano.
Modern digital pianos not only provide the sound and feel of a traditional grand piano, but they are also more lightweight and easier to take to a performance. They are a lot more affordable as well, and you can find many quality stage pianos for under $2000. Here are a few tips and reviews to help you find the best digital stage piano under 2000 for your needs.
Our pick of the 5 Best Digital Stage Pianos under $2000
 | 1. Best stage piano under 2000 for piano sound – Casio PX560BE One of the highest quality piano sound using Casio’s newest Multi-Dimensional Air technology. Only weighs 26 pounds. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 2. Best Yamaha stage piano under 2000 – YAMAHA P515 The natural wood keyword and fully weighted keys will give you the authentic feel of a concert grand piano. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 3. Best Roland stage piano under 2000 – Roland RD88 This simplistic, modern and lightweight Roland is so versatile and can work like a synth. Come with free access to the piano learning app Pianote. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 4. Best budget stage piano – YAMAHA P71 Yamaha P71 has a minimalistic design and weighs only 25 pounds. At a very affordable price, it still comes with 88 fully weighted keys and a sustain pedal. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 5. Best portable stage piano under 2000 – Casio PX-5S Only 24.5 pounds in weight. You can store up to 100 stage settings, which will ensure a smooth stage performance even for the most sophisticated pieces. | Buy on Amazon |
5 Best Digital Stage Piano under $2000 Reviewed
Best stage piano under 2000 for piano sound – Casio PX560BE
Offering the same response and touch of a concert grand piano, the Casio PX560BE includes their well-known Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard along with a multi-dimensional air sound source that gives you some of the best piano audio that you have ever heard. This digital piano goes way beyond the typical stage piano definition by including 550 tones that cover a large variety of musical genres and instruments.
Unlike any other stage piano that you have seen, this Casio PX560BE features incredible sonic technology that is very easy to use. Equipped with a comprehensive number of features, this stage piano will allow you to take your performance farther than you have gone before.
With the Casio Color Touch Interface, you can easily read the display. Featuring familiar graphics, its simple to select functions and instruments making exploring all the features easy and fun. Enjoy experimenting with new sounds as you find inspiration and ideas that allow you to find new ways to create music.
This lightweight stage piano features heavier keys in the lower register with a lighter one up top just like a real concert grand piano. You can actually feel the ivory and ebony textured keys with your fingertips. The Casio PX560BE provides a more realistic feel while also giving you a positive grip.
The Casio PX560BE basically provides a built-in studio that lets you record and creates audio files right onto a USB stick. You can also edit and record songs using external instruments through the audio inputs. With the many different tones and rhythms, you can create a backing band that will the music style of your choice.
Pros
- It has a lot of features to choose from
- This digital piano is very easy to transport
- It has the feel of a standard piano
Cons
- It lacks software support for beginners
- The volume pedal can be an issue
Best budget stage piano – YAMAHA P71
Designed to be the ideal digital piano for your home, the Yamaha P71 Weighted Digital Piano allows you to practice, learn, and create. Offering a full-sized keyboard, this digital piano features weighted keys and piano tones that give you the most realistic sound and feel possible. With a depth under 12-inches, this digital piano also has a compact design that requires a moderate footprint in your house, plus it only weighs about 25 pounds.
The Yamaha P71 allows you to easily integrate with other music software through USB support. This digital piano includes a headphone jack, sustain jack, and USB port, so you can easily connect your amplifier to the instrument.
Simple to operate, you can change many of the settings on the Yamaha P71 with just one button. Using preselected keys, you can change the voice, play a demo source, or configure the metronome. And the advanced wave memory allows you to use digital technology to create richer and deeper sound when recording the sounds of an acoustic piano through the use of two waveforms.
This exclusive model includes a sustain pedal and power adapter as well as 88 fully-weighted keys. It also includes 10 voices that feature digitally sampled tones taken from a real Yamaha acoustic grand piano. And the dual-mode lets you combine two of the voices together to develop a new and inspiring playing experience.
Pros
- You can use other music software with it
- It is very lightweight and doesn’t take up a lot of space
- It has a lot of features and functions
Cons
- The headphone jack is hard to access
- The sustain pedal slides around on the floor
Best Yamaha stage piano under 2000 – YAMAHA P515
Featuring weighted action, the Yamaha P515 Digital Piano comes with 88 keys and over 500 voices. This digital piano offers advanced design, sound quality, and features that make it a great choice for players at any level. With its slim and portable design, you can take it with you to gigs or find a place for it in your home.
The integrated speaker system is great for small venues, but you can also use the ¼-inch aux line outputs that let you connect to an external amplification system. For home use, look for the optional stand and piano-style triple-pedal accessories. No matter where you play, the Smart Pianist app for iOS devices allows you to change settings while the instrument’s advanced technologies allow you to experience natural and realistic sound, even when you are listening to it through headphones.
Equipped with a 2-way speaker system, the Yamaha P515 offers an authentic and immersive piano experience with incredible clarity. The wood it is constructed out of has been carefully dried to give it that feel of an acoustic grand piano. Plus, the key-off samples allow it to deliver those delicate changes in sound while the Virtual Resonance Modeling function offers rich and vivid expression that helps create the beautiful sounds of a concert grand piano.
Pros
- It has an incredible speaker system
- It comes with a smart app
- This is a very portable piano that is great for performance
Cons
- The action is heavy and tiring
- The sustain pedal is inconsistent
Best Roland stage piano under 2000 – Roland RD88
The choice of professionals for over 30 years, RD pianos have appeared on stages all over the world. They provide incredible playability and sound in a lightweight and affordable piano. Providing smooth and sturdy controls, these pianos offer keyboard action that is reliable and natural feeling, so you never have to worry about having that spongy or stiff feeling some digital pianos give you.
The Roland RD88 offers a compact and lightweight design that is easy to move and set up for gigs. Featuring world-class playability, this instrument includes a piano-touch keyboard with ivory feel as well as an onboard speaker system that can fill a room. It also includes three zones that include Apple MainStage integration and external control.
The interface is simple to use and optimized for your performance. The Roland RD88 sounds authentic and also has character based on Roland’s rich heritage. It’s also versatile with a selection of electronic and acoustic sounds that have been curated from Roland’s historic legacy that uses the ZEN-Core Synthesis System that is found in their flagship synthesizers. Refreshingly easy, this piano allows you to connect with it easily thanks to its friendly layout and intuitive controls.
All the important controls are marked clearly and easy to reach allowing you to quickly add effects, shape the tonal balance, or find your favorite sounds. With three zones, you can easily configure the internal sounds or control and integrate soft synths from the Apple MainStage feature. This way, you can easily duplicate a live track sound or mix your favorite soft synths with the digital piano’s own sound offerings.
Easily fitting your life, the compact and clean design of the RD 88 is sturdy, but lightweight fitting any cramped rehearsal space or small stage. This super convenient speaker system is fully integrated and lets you play with less fuss and clutter. This affordable digital piano offers the acclaimed RD playability and sound making it a great choice for any stage.
Pros
- It is sturdy but lightweight
- The speaker system has great sound
- It’s very easy to use and operate
Cons
- The standard speaker volume is rather low
Best portable stage piano under 2000 – Casio PX-5S
Featuring unprecedented performance and sound quality, the Casio PX-5S has a lightweight design that is easy to take to gigs. Offering a powerful four zone controller, this digital piano is totally configurable, so you can control all the internal sounds and effect parameters. Full of creative tools and sounds, this instrument also includes a powerful Hex Layer tone feature that comes with real-time filters, multitrack phrase sequencing, and four programmable arpeggiators.
The Stage Setting features allow you to access up to four keyboard zones and tones of phrases and effect settings. There are a total of 100 totally configurable Stage Settings that can be replaced, edited, or moved using the PX-5S’s Data Manager software. And the Hex Layer feature is made with up to six sample layers that you switch around, split, or stack.
When you use a regular USB thumb drive, you can easily capture those moments of inspiration and any of your performances. The Casio PX-55 also comes with a fully programmable Arpeggiator and a Phrase Sequencer that is equipped with 100 phrases and includes room for 900 of your own phrases, which can consist of drum patterns, riffs, or phrases that are triggered live. This digital piano offers serious control with vintage electric piano sounds and an 88 key hammer-action keyboard.
Pros
- It has a lot of features, which is great for creativity
- This digital piano has great sound quality
- This instrument has great action and recording possibilities
Cons
- There is noise when you turn on the board
- You can’t turn off the MIDI program change function, which is annoying
Guides to buying stage piano under $2000
What is a stage piano?
A digital instrument that can be used in the studio and on stage is called a stage piano. They are also portable and great for musicians that gig a lot and do not come with a fixed cabinet. Many of these stage pianos can be moved in a case or gig bag.
A benefit of a stage piano in comparison to an acoustic piano is how easy they are to move. Plus, you don’t have to worry about tuning them. All you have to do is plug it in, and it’s ready to perform.
Considerations When Choosing the Best Stage Piano
Action
When you plan an acoustic piano, there is a hammer that hits the string as you play the keys creating vibrations that turn into sound. Then the resistance of each key gives you a feeling of weight. A cheaper keyboard will use spring behind the keys to move them back to their first position.
These days, stage pianos use a design that allows hammers to rise and fall with the keys giving them a more realistic feel, which is called Hammer Action. On an acoustic piano, keys will become progressively heavier as you go down the keyboard.
Graded action happens on an acoustic piano when lower notes have a weightier action. Each manufacturer uses its own proprietary technology, so you may see both Hammer Action and Graded Hammer Action.
Sound
Simply put, a stage piano uses a digital sampling of each to create the sound in an acoustic piano. A digital recording of each key is stored in the internal memory of the stage piano. And, when you play the key, the sound is activated and played back. Each company will use its own proprietary sampling technology in order to emulate an acoustic piano’s response. of acoustic pianos.
A stage piano will also include the representation of organs, synthesized versions of string and percussion instruments, and electric pianos. Some even have a speaker and headphone outputs with some even feature built-in speakers. When performing to an audience, a separate keyboard amplifier may be needed.
Portability
Portability matters a lot if you plan to carry the piano around for live performance. Both the dimension and the weight of the piano will impact the portability.
A full piano keyboard has 88 keys. Some digital piano models come with fewer keys, such as 61 keys or 76 keys. These models will be more portable. A true pianist may want to stick with a 88-key keyboard. Believe it or not, Chopin actually played on a 76-key piano.
Many digital stage pianos actually don’t come with speakers. This has the benefits of reducing the overall weight of the piano. The downside is that you need to connect it to an external speaker. Connecting to an external speaker usually is a better option for live performance since the built-in speakers are often not loud enough for stage use.
Benefits of a Stage Piano
- With advances in technology, the sound and feel of digital stage pianos are ideal for practicing or performing on a stage.
- It is easy to carry in a case or gig bag. Plus, you can easily transport it in a car.
- Without a built-in cabinet, a stage piano won’t take up a lot of room.
- You can fold up a keyboard stand and easily store your stage piano
- It is easy to travel with, and college students can use it in their dorms
Conclusion
The winner of the best stage piano under 2000 roundup is the Roland RD88. Featuring a compact and lightweight design, this instrument includes a piano-touch keyboard with an ivory feel as well as an onboard speaker system that can fill a room. The interface is simple to use and optimized for your performance. Easily fitting your life, the compact and clean design of the RD 88 is sturdy, but lightweight fitting any cramped rehearsal space or small stage.
This super convenient speaker system is fully integrated and lets you play with less fuss and clutter. This affordable digital piano offers the acclaimed RD playability and sound making it a great choice for any stage. The definite winner of the best stage piano under 2000 roundup is the Roland RD88 hands down.
Last update on 2023-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
