In an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a crew member dropped by Captain Picard's quarters with a piano keyboard under her arm, rolled up like a little carpet. When she flattened it out and started to play, the lush, full sound of a grand piano emerged. I said to myself then and there, "I must have one of those!" While the Korg SP100 Stage Piano isn't quite 24th-century technology, this small, lightweight keyboard contains some high-quality samples and a simple interface.

The SP100 is a very slim unit, barely wider than the full-size keys themselves. The controls on top include buttons for selecting six different patches (Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Vibraphone, Organ, and Strings), basic reverb and chorus effects, a built-in metronome, and a simple sequencer that lets you listen to what you just played. You can access other settings such as touch sensitivity, transposition, tuning, and MIDI controls by pushing the Function button and selecting various notes on the keyboard. On the back, you'll find MIDI I/O ports, a damper pedal, mono and stereo 11/44-inch audio outputs, a headphone jack, and a 12-volt DC power input. That's it-nothing fancy, just your basic requirements, giving this model a streamlined look and feel.

The SP100's weighted key action isn't bad, considering the unit's total mass (about 42 pounds), but even though the key dip is set to the standard 31/48-inch depth, it seems a little shallow to me. A real piano's action is a very complicated mechanism-extremely difficult to duplicate in an electronic keyboard. Personally, I prefer a deeper action and a heavier weight, and I have the bad back to prove it (my usual rig weighs well over 100 pounds in its Anvil case). For practice and jamming purposes, however, the SP100's lightweight touch still approximates a real piano much better than your usual organ/synth keys, and makes for a very portable keyboard.

What It Sounds Like The instrument patches in the keyboard sound pretty good to my ears. The unit utilizes Korg's AI2 Synthesis System. I found the quality of the piano patches quite pleasing, and digital piano sounds don't easily impress me (admittedly, I judge against a rather high standard: a vintage 1926 Steinway grand). Although the midrange is a little strident for my tastes, the low end is full and reverberant, while the high end is clear and clean.

But it's the very high end that really catches my ear with its authenticity. Frequently, the top octave of an 88-key synth just extends the last sample and sounds thin and artificial. The SP100's top notes give you that nice woody plink characteristic of the undampened short strings of a piano's high end. In fact, that satisfying clunk of ivory on a wooden key bed is an element of the keyboard's sound throughout its range. The only criticism of the patch I would make is that the low notes hold for an unnaturally long time.

The other sounds vary in usefulness. I really like the Electric Piano patch, a very smooth Fender Rhodes-type sound that reminds me of Bob James and the Taxi theme. But the Harpsichord, Vibraphone, and Strings patches are pretty standard-synthetic, bland, and nothing to write home about. The church organ sound has some interesting delay on the low end, simulating the air column building up in the pipe, but I prefer a Hammond-type organ for the kind of gigs I usually play. However, the ability to play two patches simultaneously does result in some interesting combinations and broadens the SP100's musical palette to some degree.

Playing the SP100 on a Gig The keyboard is advertised as a stage piano, so I wanted to test it in a live performance situation. I sat in with the Shelley Doty X-tet, a funky Bay Area rock band. The gig was a perfect test case. We were the third of three bands, we had to walk up a long flight of stairs to the room, and the building had no elevator. The keyboard weighs a lot less than the Crate amplifier I was using, so loading it in and setting up was no problem.

Molded plastic end pieces provide a nice grip for moving the unit around; however, the power cord, which consists of a thin wire and a fat wall wart, somewhat dismayed me. The hold-fast post next to the 12-volt DC power input, along with the instructions in the manual about how to wind the wire around it to fasten the plug securely, only made me worry more about the connection. I don't know anyone who prefers a socket-guzzling wall wart to a standard computer-style power cable, and I wasn't sure how the plug would stand up to repeated connections and disconnections.

I had a good time playing the keyboard during the set, and the other musicians in the room seemed to enjoy the sound as well. The audience included Mark Abbott of the group Box Set, and he told me afterward that the piano patches sounded very authentic. In only one moment did the disadvantage of a lightweight keyboard became apparent: at the end of a particularly energetic solo, I played a long, fast, downward glissando, followed by an Eddie Palmieri-style elbow slam to the low end that nearly knocked the keyboard off the stand! Gee, that never happens when I play that riff on a real piano.

But It's Way Easier to Move While the instrument wouldn't be my first choice for a 25-city world tour, it should function quite well in practice or rehearsal situations. Overall, the straightforward style and sound quality of the keyboard impressed me-even more so when I checked the list prices of 88-key units from other manufacturers. At just under $1,000, the Korg SP100 Stage Piano is a pretty good deal if you want an inexpensive alternative to hauling around the real thing.

Keyboard Action 88-note, velocity-sensitive weighted keys

Tone Generator AI2 Synthesis System (sample playback)

Polyphony maximum 32 notes (16 notes for piano/organ)

Patches Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Vibraphone, Organ, Strings

Effects chorus and reverb

Playback Sequencer 4,000 events

Controls Volume, Power, Patches, Reverb, Chorus, Function, Record, Play, Metronome, Demo

Functions Transpose, Pedal Type, Set Tempo, Tuning, Touch Sensitivity, MIDI Settings

Audio Output (2) 11/44" main; (1) 11/44" stereo headphones

Other Ports MIDI In, MIDI Out, damper pedal

Power Supply 12 VDC with AC wall-wart adapter

Dimensions 53.7" (W) 5 10.9" (D) 5 4.5" (H) Weight 41.8 lbs.

Accessories music stand, footswitch (pedal)

Korg SP100 Stage Piano $999

Overall Rating (1 through 5): 4

PROS: Small, lightweight, and easily portable. Good value for the money. Excellent piano and electric piano sounds. Built-in metronome and simple sequencer. Good for practicing.

CONS: Power cord too fragile for the road. Keyboard action not exactly true piano feel as advertised. Weak nonpiano patches. Rudimentary effects.

Contact: Korg USA; tel. (516) 333-9100; fax (516) 333-9108; e-mail product_support@korgusa.com; Web www.korg.com