My ongoing search for a stage piano to suit my somewhat unconventional desires has led me in several directions described in part one and part two of this series, but when I came across the details online about the Numa X Piano GT my head was decisively turned. I ordered the flagship stage piano from StudioLogic without even trying it back in February, 2022 and due to chip shortages didn’t receive it until the end of July. It was worth the wait. It isn’t without flaws, but they are easily worked around and overshadowed by the exceptional flexibility, playability, and sound quality of this marvelous machine. This article will not serve as a review, but as an explanation of why this instrument suits me where others might not have.

The first thing I’d like to address is the action. The key bed is Fatar’s new TP/400 Wood and includes realistic escapement, velocity, and aftertouch sensitivity. Many stage pianos do not include aftertouch, limiting controller capabilities, so having it was an important factor in my decision. The key bed feels fantastic and responds better than any other weighted controller or stage piano I’ve tried. Another characteristic of the key bed that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is the key texture. More often than not electronic instruments have glossy keys that can feel sticky or slippery to your fingers. The Numa X Piano GT has a soft, ivory, grain-like texture on the keys that feels great under my finger tips. In the light the subtle grain appears to be different on each key. The texturing is a thoughtful detail that I never considered, but ultimately helps me connect with the instrument.

Another group of features that attracted me includes the built in audio interface and four channel mixer. These additions open up a wealth of conveniences and possibilities for live performances and studio work. Conveniently, with one or two additional stereo instruments in my live setup there’s no need to bring an external mixer. The mixer can be set up as 2 stereo, 1 stereo and 2 mono, or 4 mono inputs. Independent master effects, including delays and reverbs, can be applied to the incoming signals. The class compliant audio interface allows me to connect an iPad for MIDI arpeggiation, sequencing, looping, and signal processing with little more than a USB cable. I’ll discuss more about how I am exploiting these possibilities in a future post.

The sound engine offers a mix of samples with acoustic piano and electric piano modeling. Four independent “zones” or parts and a whopping 300 notes of polyphony means you can sustain glissandos across the keyboard while three other parts continue to play. The four parts can be split in any configuration across the keyboard, stacked, or played independently via separate MIDI channels. A zone can also be setup as a MIDI controller, so that it simply sends MIDI data versus playing a patch from the internal sound engine. In addition to a master delay and reverb, each zone has two insert effects with around 19 algorithms to choose from. When is comes to sound design the acoustic and electric piano physical models only have four parameters to work with, but adjusting them can lead to significant variations within each model. I find myself gravitating toward the German Grand (Model D 1968) model for the acoustic sound and the EP Drive model for the Rhodes. I’m fond of the sounds and have been able to dial them in to my satisfaction, but honestly it’s the feel and expressivity of the instrument that makes me want to play it constantly.

There are some parts of the Numa X Piano GT’s interface that are really slick and a few others that feel rather awkward, but these do little to distract from the flexibility, beautiful sound, and inviting feel of the keyboard. StudioLogic have recently released new sounds and updated the firmware to version 2, so I anticipate a long a rewarding future with it. I’m currently immersed in a deep dive of getting to know the nooks and crannies of instrument, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions in the comments below.