Korg or Korg Inc to give them their full name have been creating affordable and high-quality electronic musical instruments since the early 1960’s. Unlike some other manufacturers, this Japanese company has produced a number of different instruments over their time.
They have also produced audio equipment, recording equipment, and electric tuners, but it’s one of their most popular products we’ll be looking at today, digital pianos. Korg has produced a number of impressive digital pianos but today we are reviewing one of their most popular products the Korg B1.
Introducing The Korg B1
The Korg B1 is a very stylish instrument and its white casing has been highly publicised but whether you opt for the black or white model this is a very good-looking instrument. It’s also very light-weight weighing just 26lbs and the style isn’t just service level either.
The Korg B1 feels just as good as it looks and you can see that Korg hasn’t skimped on the materials. The keypad features 88 natural weight hammer keys and the keypad has a very natural and heavy feeling, if you’ve ever played on a cheaper piano or keyboard you’ll feel the difference.
You also have three different sensitivity levels to choose from a light, normal and heavy option which make it great for practicing. The Korg B1 is a very light-weight and modern digital piano that is ideal for beginners and while it’s got plenty of features and is built using high-quality materials there are some downsides to this sleek and modern machine.
Technical Details
The Korg B1 is powered by KORG’s servo-assisted MFB technology this is used in a number of their instruments and it’s backed up with full-range speakers. This gives you clear and rich acoustic sound with every touch of a key, but while the sound quality is good it isn’t very loud.
This could be a problem if you wanted to use the Korg B1 to perform in a larger venue, bigger speakers are available separately though. The Korg B1 also comes with 8 in-built sounds, 3 are acoustic settings, 2 are electronic piano settings, 2 are organ settings and finally, there is also a harpsichord setting.
This does give you plenty of a variety but it should be noted that the acoustic and electronic settings are usually seen as the best when it comes to sound quality. The others are perfectly serviceable but the difference is noticeable.
The Korg B1 features 120 note polyphony and thanks to its specially designed MFB technology it can play at low frequencies with virtually no distortion. It also features a headphone jack and pedal connectors but doesn’t come with either, so you will have to buy your own separately.
The Korg B1 is a very good “jack of trades” digital piano it features everything a beginner would need to learn but doesn’t offer much else. There are some small perks and extra features but nothing that really makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s a little disappointing that the internal components of the Korg B1 don’t match its admittingly amazing external design. They’re by no means bad but they could be better.
The Final Verdict?
So, what’s the final say on the Korg B1? While the Korg B1’s features and specs might not be anything overly new or exciting it’s still a very good starting digital piano that is perfect for beginners.
If you’re an advanced player there’s isn’t much on offer with the Korg B1 but its obverse from its features that this is an instrument designed for beginners.
With its modern look and high-quality construction, the Korg B1 is perfect for beginners and it’s lightweight enough to easily carry about. It’s also very fairly priced so many people will be able to afford it and there are plenty of extra accessories available.
Check out our review of the Korg LP-180 digital piano here.
Last update on 2024-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
