Poetry Magnifique is Korg's home digital piano built around two sampled instruments, a modern Italian concert grand and a restored 1843 Pleyel. It arrives with its own stand, speaker box and pedal unit, finished in a wood grain Poetic Brown. Pianists drawn to the Romantic repertoire, and to Chopin in particular, are the intended audience.
Two very different grands
The Italian concert instrument brings a bright, transparent tone with a wide colour range, the sort of voice that has become a favourite at international competitions. Against that sits the Pleyel, a make often described as the one Chopin loved most, sampled from an instrument built during his thirty third year. Warmth from its walnut construction comes through clearly. Familiar pieces sound different on each.
The 1843 Pleyel, restored and recorded
The original instrument was brought from France to Japan and rebuilt with care, with only consumable parts sourced locally and every other component ordered from France. That work left the piano close to its 1843 condition before sampling began. Three Pleyel variations are provided, and the PLEYEL3 programme goes as far as recreating the historic 80 note compass, which means the top and bottom eight keys of this 88 note instrument stay silent when it is selected.
Historic pitch at 430 Hz
Pianos of the Pleyel era were tuned lower than today's 440 Hz standard, so Korg lets you drop the whole instrument to 430 Hz in three button presses. Combine that with the PLEYEL3 programme and the period atmosphere becomes obvious. Returning to modern pitch is just as quick.
EvoTone power and the speaker system
Rather than an external adapter, Korg fits a dedicated internal power supply it calls EvoTone, aimed at cleaner delivery, less noise and steadier behaviour when the music gets loud. Quiet passages hold their detail as a result. Feeding from that is a tuned pair of 12 cm speakers driven by 40 W per side, mounted at the front of the cabinet so the sound is not muffled when the piano stands against a wall. The rigid, sealed enclosure keeps resonance under control.
Keyboard and playing controls
All 88 notes use Korg's RH3 weighted hammer action, graded from A0 to C8, with five touch curves and three temperaments available. Polyphony runs to 120 notes and the sound set holds 30 voices across three banks of ten. Brilliance, reverb and chorus each offer three levels. Damper, sostenuto and soft pedals are supplied, with half pedalling on the damper and soft.
Practice, recording and listening
A two part recorder captures up to 14,000 notes, enough to lay down a left hand and play against it. Sixty demonstration songs are on board, 50 of them Chopin pieces, and printed sheet music for 23 of those comes with the piano. Bluetooth audio streaming lets you play along with a phone, while two headphone sockets suit late nights or a lesson with a teacher listening in.
See it in action
Specifications
| Colour | Poetic Brown (wood grain pattern) |
|---|---|
| Keyboard | RH3 (Real Weighted Hammer Action 3), 88 keys (A0 to C8) |
| Touch curves | Five available |
| Pitch control | Transpose, master tuning |
| Temperament | Three types |
| Sound generation | Stereo PCM system |
| Polyphony | 120 notes maximum. The figure varies depending on the sound. |
| Sounds | 30 sounds (10 x 3 banks) |
| Effects | Brilliance, reverb, chorus (3 levels each) |
| Recorder | Two parts, maximum 14,000 notes (approximately 100 KB) |
| Demo songs | 60 (sound demo song x 10, Chopin's piano songs x 50) |
| Metronome | Tempo, time signature, accent, sound and volume controls |
| Pedal | Damper, sostenuto, soft. Half pedalling supported on damper and soft. |
| Connections | LINE IN jack, LINE OUT jack, USB port (Type B), headphone jack x 2, PEDAL connector, SPEAKER connector |
| Wireless method | Bluetooth (A2DP Sink) |
| Speakers | 12 cm x 2 |
| Amplification | 40 W x 2 |
| Power supply | Internal switching adapter, AC 100 to 240 V, 50 to 60 Hz |
| Power consumption | 25 W |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 1,349 x 349 x 766 mm / 53.11" x 13.74" x 30.16". With the key cover opened: 1,349 x 349 x 1,011 mm / 53.11" x 13.74" x 39.80" |
| Weight | 47 kg / 103.62 lbs (including stand) |
| Included items | Power cord, dedicated stand (with speaker box and pedal unit), piano performance sheet music (23 Chopin pieces included) |
| Accessories (sold separately) | Piano bench PC-400PB |
Specifications from Korg. Appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.