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Loog has introduced Loog Piano, a portable digital piano for children and grown-ups, with musician-grade sound and design.

Beginner keyboards are often black plastic affairs with little in the way of personality, so the forthcoming Loog Piano could make for a refreshing alternative.

Loog made its name with its simplified three-string mini guitars, but has diversified into making kid-friendly six-string models. The piano follows the same ethos: it has a stripped-back design and is said to be easy to play.

Stripped-back doesn’t mean dull, though – first impressions are that the Loog Piano looks gorgeous. There are three octaves of what appear to be full-sized, velocity-sensitive keys, built-in speakers and a built-in rechargeable battery. There’s a lot of wood on show, too, including the end cheeks and the volume knob.

So far so simple- Unlike the majority of home keyboards, the Loog Piano features just one sound – that’d be a piano, obviously – which is based on a combination of sampling and modelling. The photos indicate that beginners will be able to learn to play using a system of flashcards, which will indicate which notes to play and when.

Connectivity options – headphone and USB-C sockets (MIDI over USB support is unconfirmed).

The Loog Piano is launching into a well-established, highly-competitive space.

The proof of the piano pudding will be in the playing, though: The Loog Piano is set to hit Kickstarter on 26 September at an early bird price of $249. You can sign up for email notifications on the Loog website.

Korg Liano is now available in 6 different colours – Black, White, Grey, Silver, Blue and Red – so which one looks the best?

Launched last year, Korg’s Liano is the slimline 88-note digital piano with a beginner-friendly, soft-touch key action. It is also portable: you can power it from batteries and it has a pair of built-in bass reflex speakers.

We are telling you this again because Liano is now available in six colour options. In addition to the original black, you now have pearl white and metallic grey, silver, blue or red options to choose from.

So which colour looks the best? Perhaps, if you want to play it totally safe, black is the obvious choice (no one’s going to be scared by that if you decide to sell at a later date) and the grey and silver options look rather conservative, as well. The white Liano is a little bolder, but we’d be worried about marking its pristine finish.

Which leaves metallic blue and red. There are quite a few red keyboards on the market already – but the blue option is genuinely distinctive. As such, this would be our choice, but feel free to disagree because the choice is in your hands.

In terms of performance, of course, it doesn’t really matter. The beating heart of all the Lianos is an Italian grand piano, and there are seven further sounds to play with, too. The Korg Liano is a mere 7cm tall, weighs 6.2kg and offers USB MIDI and audio.

As you can see, the control set has been kept simple. There’s no screen, so sounds are selected via a labelled dial. And includes reverb and chorus effects.

Korg Liano costs £339 /$330, and the new colours will be available soon. Find out more on the Korg website.

Korg Liano in reality is a digital piano and first impressions are good.

Liano is lightweight and features the sound of an Italian concert grand. This can be played using the “premium” 88-note light-touch keyboard, which is designed to suit beginners who do not want a heavy key action.

The emphasis here is definitely on portability and ease of use. Liano weighs just 6.2kg and has a height of 7.3cm. Controls have been kept simple, as well, with the eight sounds being selectable via a labelled dial.

We like the look of this; it should make sound selection quick, and despite the lack of a screen, you will always be able to see which sound you have selected. Reverb and chorus effects are also included.

Despite its low-profile design, Liano still includes a pair of bass reflex speakers. These are positioned on the top panel, so the sound is pumped directly at you. Additionally, there is a headphone port for silent practice sessions.

Korg says that Liano is portable, as it can be powered for up to eight hours using six AA batteries. You can also connect it to your computer via the USB port – useful when you want to use Liano in conjunction with the supplied Skoove piano learning software. In addition, Korg’s Module and Gadget 2 Le apps are included.

Liano ships with an AC adapter (for you when you want to use mains power), a sustain pedal and a sheet music stand, and there is also an optional soft carrying case that can be purchased separately. Liano is definitely competitively priced. You can learn more on the Korg website