Editing Digital piano (section)

==Form factors==
<gallery mode=packed heights=150px widths=200px>
File:Roland FP-90X at Roland Taiwan Enterprise booth 20221224.jpg|"Modern" traditional ([[Roland Corporation|Roland]] FP-90X)
File:Piano Victoria Quarter 8 November 2018 2.jpg|Digital grand (Yamaha)
File:Nord Piano 3 case.jpg|[[Stage piano]], in case ([[Nord Piano]] 3)
Image:Yamaha P-140S top view.jpg|Portable ([[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] P-140S)
File:Yamaha, IFA 2018, Berlin (P1070119).jpg|Hybrid (Yamaha U1 SH2)
File:Waldorf Zarenbourg piano module (front) - 2017 NAMM Show (2017-01-21 21.15.34 by Pete Brown @ Flickr 32320951462).jpg|Piano module ([[Waldorf Music|Waldorf]] Zarenbourg)
</gallery>
The physical form of a digital piano can vary considerably.

=== Traditional type ===
'''Traditional''' digital pianos are designed to resemble the console of an [[electronic organ]] or a [[spinet|spinet harpsichord]] but usually having a stand rather than fully enclosed lower section. Some models are based on the casework of traditional upright pianos with a fully enclosed bottom part and metallic weighted sustain and soft pedals that resemble traditional piano pedals. An opposite and 2000s-era trend is to produce an instrument which has a unique and distinctive appearance, unobtainable with a conventional wooden-cabinet instrument. These instruments have a modern appearance, with a sleek plastic cabinet that makes no attempt to emulate traditional instruments. [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]], [[Kawai Musical Instruments|Kawai]] and [[Casio]] make models which are designed to stand against a wall and are far shallower from keyboard to back than any possible acoustic upright design, as well as a shorter height.

Traditional digital pianos, due to their form, offer less portability than the other types, and are mainly designed for use in a single place (e.g. home, classrooms or studios), and are not intended for mobility such as on stage or for live performance.

=== Upright type ===
These are a sub-type of traditional digital pianos that offer a more classical design which closely resemble an acoustic upright piano. The most expensive models may appear similar in their outer appearance and height to a full-size upright piano. Upright digital pianos are mainly intended for home use and are usually more expensive than the other types, due to the expensive wooden case. Some models, especially the higher-end, more expensive ones, often use wooden keyboards, as opposed to regular plastic keyboards.

=== Grand type ===
An uncommon form of digital piano that resembles a grand piano, usually with a more precision keyboard action and high-quality sound system built into the unit's cabinet in a similar manner as the strings on a grand piano. These pianos are mostly high-end novelty models offered by only small number of manufacturers, and often have higher prices than an average acoustic piano.

=== Stage piano ===
Another common form is the '''[[stage piano]]''', designed for use with live performances, professional audio, or in a [[recording studio]]. This type of digital piano normally makes no attempt to imitate the physical appearance of an acoustic piano, rather resembling a generic [[synthesizer]] or [[music workstation]]. A distinguishing feature of most stage pianos is a lack of internal loudspeakers and amplification - it is normally assumed that a powerful keyboard amplifier or [[Public address system|PA system]] will be used. However, some stage pianos are equipped with powered speakers.

=== Portable type ===
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Yet another form is the '''portable''' digital piano which often combines the capabilities of stage pianos, but with additional features similar to a conventional [[electronic keyboard|home keyboard]]. These digital pianos are mostly designed for various purposes such as home, studio, classroom, stage or personal use. It is similar in form to a stage piano, but much lighter in weight, and having a more compact size. Unlike stage pianos, portable digital pianos were commonly equipped with built-in amplification and loudspeakers, usually has lower cost than other types, and its sound quality was often comparable or similar to that of a conventional keyboards due to a simpler sound synthesis system, though some models, often utilize a similar sound generation system as the more advanced model lineups of the same manufacturer. Many of them also contain a wide assortment of sounds, like one would expect from an electronic keyboard, including sound effects and [[drum kit]]s. Also like conventional keyboards, these digital pianos often feature an automated "[[rhythm section]]" function which is controlled by playing chords with the left hand.

Most portable digital pianos could be freely fitted in a regular keyboard stand like a stage piano, while some types also come equipped with a dedicated matching stand which, when assembled, will have a slight resemblance to a console digital piano.

Portable digital pianos, for the sake of lower production cost, were often equipped with a less complex system for the weighted keys. As a result, the feel of the keys is usually much less realistic than other digital pianos. However, it still retain the emulated weight mechanism (lower keys are heavier than higher ones), though not as precise as more expensive pianos, but far more true to life than a keyboard. Furthermore, certain models include synthetic ivory-like keys as opposed to standard plastic keys.

===Hybrid type===
Hybrids are a type of high-performance digital piano that incorporate actual [[Action (piano)|piano action]] and high-quality modeled samples of an acoustic piano. This type of digital piano was first popularized by [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] in the 1980s, with their flagship stage piano at the time, RD-1000.

=== Piano module ===
There are also digital piano modules, which are simply keyboardless [[sound module]]s chiefly containing piano samples. To use these modules, they are typically connected to a [[MIDI controller]] keyboard, and the output signal from the module is plugged into a [[keyboard amplifier]] or [[PA system]]. One early example of a digital piano module is [[Roland Corporation|Roland]]'s 1986 [[Roland MKS-20|MKS-20]] digital piano module.

''[[Pianoteq]]'' is a [[software synthesizer]] which shares some characteristics with piano modules.