Alesis Prestige £369
Alesis made bold claims about their affordable digital piano; Daryl Robertson finds out if it lives up to the hype
The latest instrument to enter the beginner piano arena is the Prestige, a full 88-note, weighted keys stage piano from the digital instrument giant, Alesis. Featuring full-sized keys with a beginnerfriendly action and impressive low price-point, it’s clear Alesis are trying to take on industry leaders Yamaha with their new stage piano, but how does it hold up?
It has to be said that the Prestige is a rather elegant-looking instrument with a strikingly simple control layout. The coloured buttons make selecting a voice incredibly easy, while their large form means that changing sounds while performing is something of a breeze. Changing other parameters, such as the reverb level, or even the touch sensitivity of the keys, is also incredibly simple.
It’s all well and good for something to look the part, but how does it feel to play? Well, for the most part, the key action is pretty good – albeit on the light side. It definitely has a long way to go if it wants to compete with the superior feel of Yamaha’s ever-popular P-45, but it’s certainly serviceable. Beginner pianists may like the soft, keyboard-like touch, while the more experienced player may find it a little spongy. That being said, we did find the keys a tad unresponsive. If played lightly enough we could compress the key fully without triggering the sample.
Unfortunately, this makes playing with dramatic dynamics very difficult. Alesis boast that the Prestige has “the most advanced and versatile sound library ever created for a digital piano”. Now, after playing this new stage piano for several hours, it has to be said that the sounds – while promising – don’t live up to this incredibly bold claim. The basic grand piano sound is certainly satisfactory, but the dark variant is lacking so much top-end, it’s difficult to see a use for it. The other voices, such as the organ and electric piano, are on par with other entry-level pianos on the market, while the strings setting offers a lush orchestral sound. Although we have to admit, the inclusion of a synth bass – while it can’t compete with Roland – is very fun and an excellent addition.
The micro-array speaker system delivers 50W of power, and while it may not be the loudest stage piano on the market, it’s more than loud enough for home practice. The bass response is actually pretty impressive for the price point, and the lowest notes stay relatively tight and punchy. Of course, if you find yourself craving more volume, you can always take advantage of the convenient stereo outputs on the rear of the unit.
Out of the box, the Prestige comes with a rather large music rest and a very basic sustain pedal. Now, this pedal will definitely get you started, but you will want to get something more substantial at some point.
That being said, this is a fairly typical affair with budget stage pianos, so we can’t get mad at Alesis for including this style of foot pedal here.
“It has to be said that the sounds – while promising – don’t live up to the claims”