The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard is advertised as an affordable portable piano keyboard, perfect for a child or adult's first instrument. It certainly is affordable, and it has a lot of beginner-friendly features that will be especially fun for a child.
But Plixio isn't exactly a household name. Is this truly an affordable instrument, or is this just a toy? Today we're taking a look at this beginner keyboard to find out.Quick Overview of the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard
One of the downfalls of many digital keyboard designs is that the interface on the device is just minimal buttons and a screen. In order to access the keyboard's functions, features, and settings, you have to frequently refer to the printed manual to identify the codes and buttons to access these settings, which can be frustrating for beginners.
The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard uses buttons and instructions on the keyboard itself, to help you choose and navigate the settings without having to refer to the manual as often. Rhythms, percussions, and many effects are quickly accessible with buttons directly on the device, making it simpler to use and navigate.
The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard has a fun and playful design, with just enough color and charm to be friendly for kids, while still looking like a serious instrument. It has a decent library of instrument voices and rhythms, that invite play and exploration, and 61 keys are perfectly adequate for a beginner.Summary of the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard's Features and Specs
Keys
61 compact-size keys
LCD display
Yes
Rhythms and Songs
Effect
Ports
Controls and Functions
Bonus Instrument Tones
Oboe, Trombone, Alto sax, Harmonica, Distortion guitar, Acoustic bass, Fretless bass, Slap bass (2 types), Synth bass (2 types), Viola, Cello, Soprano sax, Tenor sax, Baritone sax, Bassoon, Piccolo, Pan flute.
Weight
Lightweight and portable, weighing less than 9 lbs.
Speakers
Bass boost speakers
Percussions
Polyphony
10 max levels of polyphony
Power
Can be powered with included AC cord, or with 6 AA batteries
Instrument Tones
Acoustic grand piano, Orchestral harp, Church organ, Vibraphone, Electric guitar (2 types), Violin, String ensemble, Acoustic guitar (2 types), Rhodes piano, Xylophone, Trumpet, Tuba, Electric bass (2 types), Clarinet, Flute, Banjo
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Who is the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard Most Suitable For?
The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard is most suited for children and young people, and it has far more percussion and rhythm effects than it does piano instrument voices. Young children will have fun with the drum combination and percussion buttons, and 60 demo songs will get anyone started playing along.
It does not have high-quality sound or a high-quality sound engine, so, to adult ears, the instrument voices of the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard leave a lot to be desired. It might be a fun instrument to play around with and practice on, but most musicians prefer richer tones with more resonance and quality for recording or performing.What’s Included with the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard?
The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard comes with a built-in music stand, and an included AC power supply.
Overview of the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard's Features
Design
It has a fun and colorful design, with clearly labeled buttons to ease navigation, but is sophisticated enough that it doesn't look like a toy. It's intended to be easy to use and understand, with minimal referral to the written manual.
The music stand is cute and functional, and the LED display is bright and easy to read. It is lightweight and portable, and can be battery powered to go anywhere.
Functions
It has volume and tempo controls in easy-to-access buttons, and an onboard library of 60 demo songs that provide good opportunity for practice and exploration.
Microphone-in port
The microphone-in port is a great feature for kids, who love to sing along with their favorite songs, or use it as an audio-in port to play any song you like through the keyboard's speakers.
Sound
The onboard speakers have a bass boost assist, for more robust sound in the lower register. It has 40 instrument tones, 100 built-in rhythms, 61 keyboard percussions, and 8 button percussions, for a wide range of styles and musical exploration.
Accompaniment volume can be controlled separately from master volume, which is a great feature, particularly in a child's keyboard, where rhythms and percussion effects are often quite loud.Features
The onboard drum combination buttons are fun for new players, since they are so responsive and are easy to access, with no playing or programming.
The headphone port
The headphone port is ideal for practicing without disturbing others, and is also a feature that is very desirable in a keyboard for kids.
One-year warranty
It comes with a one-year warranty, which is helpful for buying without risk.
An Alternative Product to Consider
It's worth noting that there are two very similar Plixio 61-key keyboards on Amazon. This one has a more playful, colorful display, with easily accessible buttons for rhythms and sound effects.
The other one has a less colorful, more streamlined interface, for a slightly more mature look. It has more features as well, includingBoth Plixio 61 key keyboards are extremely similar in price, but the “adult” model has a USB port that enables a much wider range of capabilities and functions, so it may be worth choosing it instead.
Either of these Plixio 61-key keyboards, however, suffers from some issues that cause concern. They appear to have quality control issues that cause some features and functions to not work, the key behavior is inconsistent, there is a likelihood that it will produce a hum or buzzing sound, and 10 levels of polyphony is so low that it's likely to harm the playing experience.
Instead, you may want to consider the Hamzer 61-key Digital Music Piano Keyboard.
Like the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard, the Hamzer has a lot of appealing features. In fact, both keyboards have:
However, the Hamzer 61-key Digital Music Piano Keyboard also has a lot of features to help a beginner have fun learning to play the piano, including:
The Hamzer only has 24 demo songs vs. the Plixio's 60, and isn't the best-sounding digital piano on the marketplace. However, it's priced competitively to the Plixio, and gives an improved and more reliable experience. And the addition of full-size keys is important for learning, while the microphone and built-in recording features are a lot of fun. It's an excellent alternative to the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard.
Conclusion
The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard is an inexpensive keyboard with performance inconsistencies and a frequent buzz. However, even at this low price range, it's not something you have to put up with. There are keyboards, even affordable ones designed for children, that don't have these quality concerns. Giving kids a better keyboard increases their enjoyment while playing, and increases the likelihood that they will stick with their practice.
