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Looking for the best piano keyboards on the market? Ready to have access to some amazing sounds in the studio or on the stage?
When you’ve reached a professional level as a keyboard player and you’re ready to play on-stage, not just any digital piano will do it for you anymore. It’s important to have the very best digital pianos that can really allow you to express yourself to the full extent of your playing ability.
Below we’ll take a look at the best piano keyboards and the best digital pianos out there that are perfect for the professional player to use on the stage.
Best Piano Keyboards and Digital Stage Pianos – Quick View
| Image | Model | Summary | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Nord Stage 3 Keyboard | Simply one of the most powerful digital pianos on the market that has a lot to offer professional players. | |
 | Kawai MP11 Professional Stage Piano | A high-quality digital piano that was made with professionals in mind. | |
 | Roland RD-2000 Digital Stage Piano | One of the best piano keyboards on the market that makes a great choice for the stage but could work perfectly in the studio as well. | |
 | Yamaha P-255 Stage Piano | The Yamaha P-255 offers everything you've come to expect from Yamaha and is truly a professional instrument in every way. | |
 | Korg SV-1 88BK Stage Vintage Piano | A great looking digital piano that makes a great choice if you want access to some vintage electric piano sounds. |
How to Choose a Great Digital Piano or Keyboard
When choosing a digital piano for the stage, there are many factors that you should think about. Here are some of the top things to consider when choosing a great keyboard for stage use.
- Sound: A great digital stage piano will have great speakers and a realistic, high-quality sound.
- Weighted: Ensure that the digital piano keyboard you choose has weighted keys that react to your touch in an authentic way.
- Polyphony: Your keyboard should be able to produce at least 64 notes at the same time, so make sure that you understand the polyphony limit of the keyboard you choose.
- Number of Keys: Your keyboard should have a sufficient number of keys for your needs. 88 keys is usually a good choice.
- MIDI Features: If you also plan to record with your digital piano, make sure that it has great MIDI connectivity.
- Portability: The keyboard you choose shouldn’t be too bulky or heavy and should be convenient to transport and carry.
Digital pianos and keyboards have a lot of different features. However, keeping an eye out for the above factors should set you in the right direction.
Great Digital Pianos for the Stage – Our Top Choices
There are a lot of digital pianos on the market, but not all of them offer the same functionality or level of quality. Here are our top 5 recommendations.
1. Nord Stage 3 Keyboard
The Nord Stage 3 is the first and top piano keyboard on our list. The instrument features a very lightweight design and offers all of the features a serious player will need.
The stage piano plays very well and the fully weighted keys feel perfect on your fingers, giving you plenty of emotional expression in your playing. The keys feel wonderful and you may not be able to tell the difference between this keyboard and an acoustic piano.
The Nord Stage 3 includes more sounds than you ever thought you needed. It features plenty of effects, the Nord C2D Organ Engine, and an amazing piano section. The Nord Stage 3 also includes the Nord Lead AI Synth which is award-winning and sounds great.
While the learning curve is a bit steep and the keyboard takes some getting used to, it is incredibly powerful. Once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to control and change your sound to your heart’s desire.
Overall, the Nord Stage 3 earns the top place on our list for a reason. It’s simply one of the most powerful digital pianos and one of the best piano keyboards out there. It has plenty to offer the professional player.
2. Kawai MP11 Professional Stage Piano
The Kawai MP11SE is another amazing piano keyboard that professional players will love. This is a very high-quality, digital piano that was made with professionals in mind.
This keyboard features a modern, new processor that can create some amazing sound effects. It’s hard to beat this piano’s reverb and resonance capabilities. Compared to other Kawai model digital pianos, the MP11 features even better sample memory.
There are plenty of controls as well allowing a player to easily manage the keyboard’s reverb, volume, effects, and sound. This keyboard has 3 different sections including Piano, E.Piano, and Sub.
The keyboard feels great to play and if you close your eyes it feels and sounds as though you’re playing a grand acoustic piano. It has some great feeling keys and offers Grand Feel (GF) wooded key action.
Overall, this is another great choice if you’re looking for the best digital piano for professionals.
3. Roland RD-2000 Digital Stage Piano
The next piano keyboard on our list is the well-known Roland RD-2000 Digital Piano. This instrument is one of the best piano keyboards on the market and makes a great choice for using on the stage but could do perfectly in the studio as well.
The acoustic piano tones and sounds on this keyboard are pretty amazing. They sound very realistic.
Like the other professional pianos on this list, the Roland RD-2000 features some great weighted hammer action. The digital piano really feels great to play and has great action that professionals will love.
The Roland RD-2000 is built well and includes two strong sound engines. The piano also has advanced controller functionality. The keyboard has an onboard 24-bit/192kHz USB audio/MIDI interface which makes it very simple for it to communicate a DAW or virtual instruments.
The keyboard makes use of some great technology such as the SuperNATURAL-based sound engine and has plenty of sound options for all types of music. With this piano, you can create sounds using a large selection of electric pianos from all decades and you’ll have plenty of control at your fingertips.
Overall, the Roland RD-2000 is one of the best piano keyboards out there for professional players that is great for use wherever they choose to play.
4. Yamaha P-255 Stage Piano
The Yamaha P-255 offers everything you’ve come to expect from an instrument by Yamaha and makes this list for good reason. This is truly a professional instrument in every way and is one of the best stage pianos out there.
The digital piano has all of the high-quality and reliable features a professional needs for the stage. Playing the Yamaha P-255 can allow you to feel like you’re playing a much more expensive acoustic version of the instrument.
The piano also looks great and features an elegant yet modern design. The piano is very portable and easy to get around. The built-in speakers of the Yamaha P-255 aren’t too shabby, either.
The Yamaha P-255 has some amazing pre-installed piano tones and voices. You have a lot of options for developing a great tone and style with the 256 polyphony notes.
Additionally, the Yamaha P-255 even has an iOS app that allows you to easily and effortlessly customize and control the sound of the digital piano.
Overall, if you’re looking for another good instrument with some high-quality features the Yamaha P-255 makes a great choice.
5. Korg SV-1 88BK Stage Vintage Piano
The Korg SV-1 88BK is the final piano keyboard on our list but still has just as much to offer as the instruments above. This piano was designed for professionals and its sleek black design is hard to beat. It’s a really great-looking professional digital piano. It’s especially a great choice if you want access to some vintage electric piano sounds.
The Korg SV-1 88BK has 88 keys and features some comfortable and responsive hammer action that really shows off Korg’s excellent craftsmanship. The piano really feels great to play and professionals will be able to express themselves well.
The buttons features on this digital piano are actually pretty intuitive and not so difficult to use. Players will be able to easily manage and access the pre-loaded sounds that are on the keyboard.
The piano features a realistic sound that really gets pretty close to an authentic grand acoustic piano. It also has great electric piano sounds. The digital piano also features a 3 band equalizer that allows you to further control the sound and make sure that it sounds exactly how you want it to.
Overall, Korg always makes great products and the SV-1 88BK is no exception to the rule. This makes for a great choice if you’re looking for a high-quality professional piano keyboard.
Finding the Best Digital Piano for Your Live Performances
While there are plenty of great options out there for serious players and professional pianists, the list above really contains the best of the best. Each of the instruments above features a robust selection of features and plenty of power for even the most serious players.
Looking for the best keyboard stand to go with your new digital piano? Check out our list of the best keyboard stands for the stage now.
Hi, I’m Harrison! I created this website to help musicians navigate the ins and outs of their craft and to help them choose new instruments and gear to add to their collection. I have 15 years of experience as a guitarist and singer and have also played many other instruments throughout the years including the bass guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.