Kurzweil SP7 Review

We rated the Kurzweil SP7 a 10/10. This digital stage piano is geared towards beginners and meets its target audience’s needs well- In fact, it’s better than we ever would’ve expected for something marketed as a beginner stage piano. While we wish that the touchscreen was bigger like the Kurzweil SP7 (keep an eye out for a Kurzweil SP7 Grand review!)  this two-in-one synth-like digital stage is an intermediate instrument at an entry-level price.

 While I do wish the woodwind sounds were better and the chassis was metal like the step-up model, for the price point?! We couldn’t ask for more.

Overview

The Kurzweil SP7 is an 88-key digital stage piano- And one that is at a pretty reasonable price, too. The instrument is fully weighted with hammer action, and has loads of factor presets. The instrument was first released in February of 2023, making it relatively new in the digital grand world. 

A Bit About Kurzweils 

Today, Kurzweil instruments are being made in the Republic of Korea. The original Kurzweil Muisc Systems was created by Ray Kurzweil in the 1980s in the United States- With the K250 being the first of its kind. After some time, the company was sold to Young Chang. Young Chang’s musical instruments aren’t exactly the best, but they aren’t the worst, either. Young Chang offers entry-level (acoustic) grand pianos to learners at a fraction of the cost of other makers. However, it’s generally thought that they’re not as good as Yamaha, and certainly not to the level of honed-in that a Steinway might be. Later on, the company Hyundai acquired Young Chang. The company name stakes a claim to a whopping 50% of the piano market in S. Korea and is an absolutely huge manufacturer. 

So, moving forward with this review it is very important to note that this is not really the same maker/synth that was first released in America in the 1980’s….. However, I’ve found that the newer SP7 and SP7 grands are far better than I ever expected, especially for the price. 

Kurzweil SP7: Features

ATST Sound Engine 

The Kurzweil SP7’s ATST sound engine is a high-fidelity engine that is also known as “Authentic Timbre Synthesis Technology”. The sound engine is advertised as creating “Seamless velocity layer transitions”.

Hundreds of Presets, Convenient Sound Preset Pads

The SP7 boasts hundreds of presets and some nice effects. 

Onboard on the right, there are buttons that look sort of like drum pads that allow you to choose a tone- Such as brass, bass, drums, strings, e. piano, grand piano, winds, organ, and so on. The string sounds on entry-level pianos aren’t typically very good (in my opinion) but these ones are stellar. The addition of vibrato made the strings just shine in this sound bank!

Circling back, the drum pad-like button feature makes using the instrument really intuitive- On some pianos, you have to dive into the menu using little buttons, which makes it difficult to get what you want, especially in a live performance setting. Overall both the more experiemental/synthy tones and the classic acoustic-style tones all sound quite good. 

Also, many players like the fact that the SP7 has great organ sounds- Digital stage pianos don’t usually offer a nice selection of organs, especially at this price point. The harpsichord could be better, but they’re hard to do well…

FX

This instrument has some really nice quality FX on board, like the EQing, a variety of reverbs, and a vocal harmony generator. Here’s a list of all the instruments’ FX onboard: 

• Reverb (6)
• Dynamics (2)
• Distortion (2)
• Pitch Correction 
• Mod. (modulation)
• Harmony Generator 
• EQ (4)

Resonance Modeling 

The SP7 has both string and pedal resonance modeling, which makes the instrument sound more full and real.

Fatar Keybed 

Fatar is an Italian keyboard supplier that’s generally thought of as being of good quality. The SP7 has a Fatar keybed and keys that are fully-weighted. 

Specifications

• Weight: 38 pounds
• Sound Engine: A.T.S.T
• Factory presets: 307

Who is it Suitable for?

The Kurzweil SP7 is best suited for music enthusiasts who know their way around a keyboard, and for those who want to make a variety of music, be it recorded or in a live setting. While the SP7 is marketed as a beginner stage, it can also act like a synth, and it certainly feels more intermediate than the entry-level, to say the least. 

The SP7 In Action

This all-playing no-talking video by Kraft Music will help you get to know the sounds of the instrument a bit better.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The sounds on the instrument are largely editable
• The piano tones are almost indistinguishable from that of an acoustic
• It feels sturdy but is also portable
• It has an organ sound engine, which can be hard to find in a digital stage piano 
• It’s portable– And makes taking the sound and feel of a lush piano with you possible
• It has physical controllers like a synth would
• It has loads of effects that make live performances sparkle
• It has an SD slot for expansion
• It’s an aesthetically pleasing instrument with light-up controls that are easy to see in the dark
• It’s versatile, preset-wise

If you like playing a synthesizer, then you’ll love the Kurzweil SP7’s controls. Overall the sound quality and feel are good- and phenomenal for the price. 

The FX is good, and the storage space is great…And you can tell that there has been a lot of thought that went into the making of this instrument. It’s a digital stage- And a synth, practically. 

The onboard vocal pitch correction is a really nice aspect to have- Especially on something marketed as a beginner’s stage piano. The Kurzweil SP7 could be used to perform live at a number of venues. In fact, it’s pretty much set up for this, given all of the slots and memory the instrument has. Performers can set up their presets/effects/sounds and be ready to roll on a moment’s notice. 

Cons

• The buttons make it aesthetically look like a synthesizer 
• No speakers onboard so you’ll have to purchase external amplification if you don’t already have it on hand
• The touch screen is small and harder to navigate than the SP7 Grand’s
• Some players don’t care for the Medeli keybed
• The build quality is good, but not as good as the step-up 
• Not all the sounds are equally as good as the pianos and strings 

I’m going to play the devil’s advocate here and also say that the controls will be a con- for some. Those looking for a plain digital piano won’t find what they are looking for inside of the SP7. Aesthetically the instrument looks like a synth, and some of the way the controls are set up make it kind of feel like one, too. 

Speaking of synths, this stage-synth hybrid doesn’t have onboard speakers. For musicians who have amps and loads of gear to hook their keyboard(s) up to this won’t be a dealbreaker, but entry-level musicians often opt for keyboards that have speakers onboard (again, circling back to my sentiment that this instrument is advertised as an entry-level keyboard but is actually really an intermediate. 

Another smaller issue I ran into was that the touch screen felt rather small at 4 inches– The SP7’s older sibling (The SP7 Grand) is much easier to use by comparison since the screen is 3 inches bigger. 

Another con worth mentioning is that this model has a Medeli keybed- If you play on a Nord and like that feel, then you’ll probably like a Fatar keyboard better (which is what the step-up version of this instrument has). However, a lot of the ‘keyfeel stuff’ is a matter of preference. 

Lastly, given the low price, we knew the SP7 had to fall short somewhere- As a native woodwind player, I was a bit bummed out by the woodwind sounds. If you can’t do it well, don’t do it at all! While beginner players likely won’t mind the okay-ish woodwinds, I didn’t care for them at all. 

Ratings From Customers and Professionals

Here’s what I learned by doing a deep dive:

• The piano is rated ⅘ stars on Amazon
• Many pro reviews/players loved the keyboard overall- but some didn’t like the zoning feature and the way the memory slots were set up 
• One buyer from Sweetwater loved the SP7’s ‘crisp clear sound’ and price point
• Another buyer from a different platform didn’t like that the instrument cost more than some of the comparable stages on the market

I didn’t find anything glaringly wrong with the SP7- Overall the stage was well-received, but some buyers and pros alike agree that there could be a few more features that were fleshed out more thoroughly. 

Comparable Models

• SP7 Grand
• Forte
• PX-560
• For a higher-end stage: Try Rolands or Nords

This regular SP7 model is very similar to the SP7 grand. The SP7 grand is a step-up model that has a larger touch screen and more sturdy casing. It tends to cost about $500 more. The piano we reviewed today (SP7) has a plastic shell instead of a metal one. As long as you don’t mind the lighter chassis and smaller touch screen, then this model SP7 is a great option- but honestly? I liked the SP7 grand a bit better. 

You may also be able to find a Kurzweil Forte on the used instrument market– This instrument was released in 2015 and is another stage piano that is combined with programmable features like the SP7 has. The Forte is still available new for about $3,500, but you can also find used models on sites like Guitarcenter for about $1,000 or so. 

Another option from a different brand would be Casio’s PX-560, which is a scaled hammer-action keyboard that replicates the sounds of a grand piano quite well for the price point- About $1,050. Some buyers have even remarked that they liked the PX-560 much better than the SP7, despite the instrument costing a bit less. The PX-560 has 550 tones, and is another stage piano that feels/looks like a synth.

Speaking of Casio, many users who end up looking at the SP7 may actually just be looking for a basic keyboard. The PX-770 is not very similar to the SP7, but it does make for a nice keyboard that has loads and sounds and ‘all the basics’ for about $700. This keyboard is actually entry-level and has lovely tri-hammer scaled action.

Lastly, Rolands and Nords are always my personal favorite, so take a peek at these two links to some of their stage pianos below!  (Fair warning, these below models are- in my opinion- higher-end/ more expensive instruments. They aren’t necessarily one-to-one comparisons, but they are very nice models worth saving up for!) 

Kurzweil SP7: Quick View 

SP7: Conclusion

Thanks for sticking around until the end of our Kurzweil SP7 review. In conclusion, the SP7 is an excellent beginner-to-intermediate style stage piano with a lot of bang for its buck. While it might not have the most capabilities when it comes to stage pianos on the market, this is certainly more than an entry-level piano- and is worth getting. While we do think that the SP7 grand is better, the SP7 is still great. 

Music quote of the week:

 “Thig crìoch air an t-saoghal ach mairidh gaol is ceòl-The world may come to an end, but love and music will last forever.” -Old Gaelic proverb

10Expert Score

We rated the Kurzweil SP7 a 10/10. This digital stage piano is geared towards beginners and meets its target audience’s needs well- In fact, it’s better than we ever would’ve expected for something marketed as a beginner stage piano. While we wish that the touchscreen was bigger like the Kurzweil SP7 (keep an eye out for a Kurzweil SP7 Grand review!) this two-in-one synth-like digital stage is an intermediate instrument at an entry-level price. While I do wish the woodwind sounds were better and the chassis was metal like the step-up model, for the price point?! We couldn’t ask for more.

PROS

• The sounds on the instrument are largely editable
• The piano tones are almost indistinguishable from that of an acoustic
• It feels sturdy but is also portable
• It has an organ sound engine, which can be hard to find in a digital stage piano
• It’s portable- And makes taking the sound and feel of a lush piano with you possible
• It has physical controllers like a synth would
• It has loads of effects that make live performances sparkle
• It has an SD slot for expansion
• It’s an aesthetically pleasing instrument with light-up controls that are easy to see in the dark
• It’s versatile, preset-wise

CONS

• The buttons make it aesthetically look like a synthesizer
• No speakers onboard so you’ll have to purchase external amplification if you don’t already have it on hand
• The touch screen is small and harder to navigate than the SP7 Grand’s
• Some players don’t care for the Medeli keybed
• The build quality is good, but not as good as the step-up
• Not all the sounds are equally as good as the pianos and strings