Donner 61-Key Digital Piano Keyboard for Beginners & Professionals - Electric Keyboard with 249 Voices, 249 Rhythms, Music Stand & Microphone (DEK-610S) - Perfect for Home Practice, Studio Recording & Live Performances

My wife was interested in learning how to play piano, and figured a keyboard would be the perfect learning tool. I had an old Casio (we're talking 20 years old), but wanted her to have something that would be a little more...updated. That's when I stumbled on this keyboard. I've heard the Donner name a few times (own one of their capos, an Alchemy effects pedal, and have heard good things about their ukeleles), and it seemed to have a lot of tools that would encourage her to learn, and at a great price to match. I mean, a full-size keyboard for under $100? There aren't too many of those floating around.This is a great keyboard for beginners, or even some intermediate players looking to hone their skills. It's made of plastic, but doesn't feel cheap, and the buttons also feel sturdy; I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'd feel comfortable taking it gigging, but for home practice it's a good fit. I'd say the build quality is pretty much on par with my old Casio, but at a much lower price point. It's also much lighter and less bulky, which makes moving it around a breeze, even for my short wife. It can be powered using batteries (just 6 AA, much more practical than the 6 "C" batteries required for my old keyboard), or the included AC adapter, and even has an automatic setting that disables draining of the batteries when the AC cord is plugged in.There's a large library of "voices" (500 of them!) that range from standard (piano, guitar) to more exotic, so you should have no troubles finding a sound that will fit your mood (or envisioned musical project). We haven't had time to noodle with them all yet, but ones I've heard are useable, and good for the price point. Personally, I wouldn't use most of them in any serious recordings, but for demos, or singalong practice, or posts to social media, they will fit the bill quite nicely.The electronic display is crisp and, for the most part, easily readable: the only drawback is the finger diagram, as it can be hard to see which fingers are being highlighted when you're playing along. Outside of that, though, it clearly lists all activated settings, and even has cool treble/bass clef staffs that highlight the notes you're playing as you press them (or in the case of learning mode, the notes that you are supposed to press). This can not only help users learn to read music, but also to quickly transcribe cool "riffs" and melodies for later use.Overall, this is an excellent keyboard for the price point, as long as you go in with the right expectations: this isn't something that's going to blow you away with its tonal qualities or versatility. But it has virtually every feature a budding pianist could want, including MIDI connectivity, a headphone jack to practice even in quiet surroundings, dozens of songs to practice along to, and a handy music stand. If you're looking to learn and don't want to waste a lot of money (who does?), there's no need to look any further.