Topic: Another VPC1 review
Hi All,
I thought I would write a review for those still interesting in buying the VPC1.
I wasn't really too excited about it when it came out. I've had one disappointing digital piano after another. The last one I had was a loser - Casio Celviano AP ...620? I've owned or played on many of the ones currently on the market (though not all), including yamaha p155, kawai mp8ii and roland v piano. Despite the hype for the VPC1 (it was sold out for several months after the release), I was holding out for something better; however, I waited over a year and haven't really seen anything, so I went ahead with the VPC1.
I use the digital piano for practicing (Chopin Etudes, Bach-Busoni Chaconne, and so on), but mainly I bought it to interface with Logic. I own a Kawai baby grand, so I don't really need this for practicing. Still, I really like pianoteq and hope one day the digital pianos will be on par with (or better than) real pianos.
After several weeks, I think it is safe to say I will keep it. It is definitely better than the Casio I had, and I would say, the best digital piano that I've played on so far. The keys feel well made and not cheap. No rattling in the keys. The casing is solid. The touch is pretty good. The keys have that hitch at the bottom when pressed down slowly, just like a real piano. I don't know what that is called, but I like that the mechanism includes this, as it makes it feel more realistic. In short, the key mechanism is pretty close to a real piano, though not quite there. I also like that there isn't a bunch of junk toy sounds included. I always feel like I'm wasting my money buying pianos with built-in whistles and gunshot sounds.
People have complained about the music stand. I don't see what the problem is, but to be honest, I don't really care about the stand. I'll tape my music to the wall if I have to. I guess the stand feels a little bit cheap, but it's fine and doesn't bother me.
3 negatives:
1) Repeated notes. This is a problem with all the digital pianos I've played on. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I think it has to do with how fast the key bounces back up after you hit it once. On a real piano, the key hits the bottom and rebounds up. On the VPC1 (and others), it seems that the key doesn't rebound as well. Like it is sluggish or doesn't spring back as fast. Playing something like Scarlatti's sonata k141 would be hard work. Trills are fine; it's just the repetition of single notes which is a problem. That being said, after trying to playing repeated notes on the VPC1, I find that when I go to the real piano, it seems much easier.
2) The pedals. The pedals feel cheap. On a real piano, you can basically rest your foot on the pedal and it won't go down. On the VPC1 pedals, you have to actively raise your foot if you don't want the pedal to go down. The pedals need more resistance. And they are too short. So, I don't really like the pedals. I feel like they could have done a better job with these.
3) I know people have complained about the top being curved. I see their point, however something related: the height of the top part relative to the keys. I know they were trying to construct it without wasting material or space, but for me, it needs to be taller. In other words, the jump from the surface of the keys to the top of the piano needs to be more. I find that when things start going fast and I'm playing towards the back end of the keys, my middle finger occasionally gets caught on top of the piano. It's not a major problem.
I hope this helps someone. If I had to give a score, I'd give it an 89 out of 100. Overall, I like it. Perhaps newer models will make improvements on 1) and 2). Thank you.
