GEAR REVIEW
NEW ACCESSORIES | Eric Dahl
A FOLDING PIANO ? The piano / electric organ , in most churches and places of worship , are far from folding or portable . The new Carry-on Piano 49 keyboard ( in conjunction with Blackstar Amplification ) isn ’ t touted as replacing either of these instruments , but it is a portable alternative ! I was definitely surprised when the demo arrived with how small and light it is , how realistic the keys feel under your fingers and the quality of the sounds and accompaniment built into this piano . The Carry-on Piano 49 weighs a bit over 2 lbs . and is less than 15 inches long when folded in half . It contains a rechargeable battery that last 8 hours when fully charged and includes a USB cable to accomplish this . A pair of small stereo speakers provide the sound , but it also features output to an earbud / headphone jack that can be sourced to a PA or amplifier also .
The Carry-on Piano 49 has 30 demo songs and 6 different metronomes settings , 128 different accompaniments and 128 built-in sounds that are easily accessible via the top mounted controls . It is MIDI capable and comes with its own sustain pedal like a traditional large keyboard . The two halves of the keyboard are held together with a magnet . Once you unfold it , simply press down the latches in the center to secure it length wise .
There are many applications for a practice piano that is so portable you can put in a backpack or travel bag . Youth groups could benefit from this for practice and sing alongs and it could be applied at outings and other functions . For writing or practicing music the Carry-on 49 Piano is ideal and at only $ 99.99 it poses an excellent value for musicians on the go .
The 88 key version that was released previously is great , but not nearly as portable as the 49 . Guitarists have always had the easier portability factor compared to their keyboard cousins . Blackstar ’ s Carry-on Piano 49 levels the playing