Korg Liano Review

This is my review on the Korg Liano; great entry level SUPER portable 88 key piano focused keyboard, with great speakers AND a USB audio interface!

Here are some affiliate links if you would like to check out current prices and availability on the Korg Liano in your area:

Check Prices On Amazon:

Intro: 0:00
Portability: 1:40
Key Action: 2:25
Sounds: 5:05
Connectivity: 10:37
MIDI Apps: 12:51
Speakers: 16:59
What's Missing?: 18:31
The Verdict: 19:22

Online Piano Training I Recommend:

Thanks a bunch for stopping by the channel, please subscribe (really helps me out!) and happy piano playing (& shopping!)

Please note that this description contains affiliate links which I may earn commissions from on qualifying purchases.

[AtharvaKulkarni__]

Just bought this one today !! Your reviews have helped a lot. The liano is great, its perfect for the ones who have just started playing and wanted to learn more !!

[donwilson]

Thanks for a great review. I thought I had done my research but seeing this review has made me change my mind over what to buy

[scansy]

A very good review, I'm more confident with this digital piano now. Thanks!

[catherinel.]

Your review is so great! It covers everything I want to know. I think at this price level Liano would be perfect for amateur players like me to both play at home and carry it with me outside. Ordered from Amazon, lol. Waiting for it to arrive. Thank you so much for the great work!❤ I will check out your advice in the future if I ever get to the point of upgrading this keyboard to do more of those MIDI and DAW things.

[emperornguyen]

Hi! Just thought I'd say that this is a wonderful and detailsd review. I've recently taken an interest in busking, where i could take this in a more scenic park where plugs are difficult to come by. The fact that this can be battery powered is a huge plus for me!

[cicinbaboo]

Such wonderful explanation, really great and keep doing such awesome reviews 👍🙏👍

[TheMg]

Well done review as usual. Thanks Tony. Will keep this instrument in mind considering the relatively low price, the voice expandability, the USB audio interface, and the other attractive features. For now I'm still having fun with my ew425.

[BobGrubel]

my only hesitation on this keyboard was it's inability to layer but thanks for sharing the use of the Korg Module to layer.. i will assume the module volume can be controlled to get a balance i like...

[adamyohan]

I had my eyes on this before I got a great deal on a DGX 660. Excellent review.

[vmjacob]

As usual Another excellent review . Thanks

[MarkFrost-gn]

Always enjoy your reviews and have followed recommendations in the past. I have picked up piano at the age of 75, had lessons as a kid and played a little as an adult until it became too ponderous to move a piano cross country. Been relearning since October 2023. I have a Casio PX-S3100 and I enjoy it except that I practice with headphones and I can hear the ‘clunk’ of key action outside of the headphones and it’s irritating. Also, per your recommendation, I got a Casio CT-S1 for a portable solution for practice when I’m not at home. Your review, and others, of the Korg Liano mention the quiet key action. How does the feel compare to the two Casios I have? I have PX-S3100 set to lightest key action. I find I need to adjust to the semi-weighted feel of the CT-S1, is the Liano similar in feel or is it a little more like the PX-S3100? I have also found that even though the hundreds of sounds and rhythms were attractive when I researched, I find that I generally use concert grand, stage and jazz piano voices. Since the Liano weighs right in between the two Casios, I’m considering going to one piano, the Liano. What are your thoughts?

[subodhpawar]

Nice review. Informational. Will you make in-depth video or comparison on it?

[tonybartonemusic]

Did you mention in your review how noisy the key bet is if you’d like to play soft all you can hear is the clicking sound of the keys

[WayneJoyce]

Nice review, Tony! I bought this keyboard last month for busking and a lightweight portable option to take to buddies' houses for jamming. I have a Yamaha P515 for my main piano which is technically "portable" in the sense you can move it and good for proper gigs, but having 30W of speakers and 88 wooden keys it weighs like 70 lbs, so I wanted something lighter for some venues. I actually bought a Roland Go 88 initially which actually cost more, and was very unimpressed with it and I returned it. A full 1kg heavier, actually more if you battery power it with the heavier D-cell batteries, only 4 sounds, the action is worse, the main piano sample sounds worse, and the sustain drop-off was too great for my playing style - it just sounded dead and stacato.

I find the action on this Korg really good considering it is not weighted at all - it is surprisingly playable, whatever spring action they have in there makes it feel semi-weighted (to be clear, it is not actually semi-weighted, it just feels like it). And the sustain is much, much better and richer than the Roland Go 88. A few notes now I've had it for a month...

1) Any idea why they decided to weirdly space the C# and D# off center and further apart that usual? Doesn't really affect playability but looks kinda strange.
2) It works great with AA batteries BUT note the volume noticeably lower when running on these. It's still great for practising but may be volume restrictive if you want to go busking. I have a 50, 000 mah external DC battery which emulated mains which I use which gives me full mains volume (and obviously much lighter to carry than an external amp).
3) I hear ya on the L+R line out, and is the biggest thing missing IMO. I would gladly pay $100+ more for this one option - it would turn this great keyboard into an almost-perfect keyboard.
4) I'd add that it needs a separate function button - pressing reverb+metronome to access a function actually keeps switching the reverb on and off. Or at least stop the reverb toggling if you are using reverb+metronome to use functions. And it would be nice to actually print the functions on the keyboard rather than having to look up on a chart. What would it cost for the printing, an extra $20? $30? I'll pay it! :)
5) On that note - really not easy to tell if reverb is on or not. It is a pretty shallow reverb, but it would be nice to know if it's actually on without just listening for it.

But all in all this is one GREAT value piano. The triple-sampled Italian grand is lovely. That Rhodes EP is divine. I mainly play these 2 voices. But I have used the other EP (which I call the Simple Minds EP - Don't You Forget About Me), the electric organ and even the harpsichord. The strings are a little harsh and attacky I wish they were a bit softer, but for those that want attacky strings they sound good. I personally have little use for the pipe organ BUT it is a very good sound and I can see this having value for anyone wanting to play gospel music or even as a church organ.

But this is without doubt THE best value keyboard I have ever seen in terms of what you get for the price. I actually just WANT to pay a bit more for these extra few bells and whistles which would make it just perfect. With 88 keys and only weighing 6.3kg is astounding. I have this dream of taking it "piano hiking" and climbing to the top of a mountain and playing there :)

[facts.house]

Hey how can i access that skoove's subscription got on korg liano? How can i start that??

[vijaymanimaran]

I'm confused between the Korg Liano and the Yamaha EW425. I understand they cater to different use cases and audiences, but here (the place I live), their prices are almost the same. If I were to choose purely based on the default grand piano sound (as heard through the inbuilt speakers) and the key action (touch sensitivity), which one would you recommend?

And any additional tip/information is also most welcome to narrow down my choice and pick one.

Thanks. Appreciate your time and help.

[stevierobertsmusic]

Great review Tony.
I do have a couple of 88 key options for gigs inc. CK88. But I am very interested in grabbing a super light 88 board for short gigs. I own an EV Everse 8 speaker which has an 1/8 input for media players. This cpuld potentially offer an option to use with the 1/8 from the Liano. Do you have any experience of a similar set up and do you envisage any issues such as "humming noise "?" Great channel by the way. Just subscribed. Cheers Stevie 🎹

[mfurman]

Tony, have you noticed that the black keys of Liano do not have standard position? C# is more to the left and D# to the right

[mfurman]

Hello Tony, I have just got Korg Liano and the first thing I noticed (or rather heard) was how clicky the keys are when coming up to the rest position. Have you noticed it? Was the one you tested also showing this behaviour? It is just terribly loud! I always start by checking the action before even playing any digital piano.

Another issue is that the keys are shorter than 15cm and that octave width is slightly less than 16.5cm:

Octave width: 16.3cm; white key length 14cm

Thank you,
Michael

[planetag]

I just learned the the Korg Liano's connectivity to sound banks only works with IOS. I have an Android tablet and don't plan on buying an iPad any time soon. Is there a way I can access other good sound banks that aren't IOS-based?