[BenQ PianoLight Review] Does the piano need a dedicated light?

Have you ever played an upright piano using a special piano light?

I have never used such a light in the 20 years since I started learning to play the piano. I've never had any particular inconvenience when playing the piano, even with just the lighting in the room. Of course, I knew that they sold lights specifically for pianos, but I just kept looking at them and passing by, thinking, ``There's no need to go that far, right?''

However, this time, after being introduced to it, I decided to try it out using a dedicated light for the first time. In the end, it turned out to be a piano accessory that I highly recommend, so I would like to introduce it to you.

The piano light I used this time is BenQ's PianoLight, which is famous for monitors and projectors.

About BenQ PianoLight

First of all, I would like to briefly introduce the BenQ PianoLight that I used this time.

This product is a special light designed for upright pianos. Featuring a modern and stylish design, it can brightly illuminate everything from one end of the piano keyboard to the other. It brightly illuminates not only the keyboard but also the score, and the small notes make it easy to see the score symbols. However, it is a light that is easy on the eyes because the light does not shine directly on the performer who is playing, so there is no glare. In addition to being able to change the light intensity and color temperature with touch operations, it also has an automatic dimming function and a motion sensor, making it highly functional.

What's even more surprising is that in order to create this product, they "visited piano factories many times to ensure that the weight and cushioning does not affect the structure and sound of the piano." You can tell how serious BenQ is about piano lights.

If you would like to know more, please visit BenQ's website.

https://www.benq.com/ja-jp/lighting/pianolight/pianolight.html

It was good point

I actually installed it on an upright at my parents' house. I will introduce the usage experience for each item that particularly interested me.

① Music scores and keyboards are now crisp and easy to see.

Even if you don't have any lights, you can identify the keyboard and read music scores just by using the lighting in the room. However, by using this light, I was able to read it more sharply.

When you play the piano, your eyes will alternate between looking at the sheet music → the keyboard → the sheet music. When you move your gaze, you might feel a momentary blur until it comes into focus, but now you can see much more clearly. I was honestly surprised because I didn't expect it to be this different. This was the biggest shock for me as I had never used a dedicated piano light before. . .

②Intuitive and easy-to-understand operability

Although the light has various functions such as brightness and color temperature, it is easy to operate and can be determined just by the icon without having to read the manual carefully. Additionally, once you set the light, you can save it, and it turns on and off automatically using a motion sensor, so once you set it for the first time, you don't need to do anything else.

③ Techniques to avoid dazzling while playing

This piano light has an eye cover (shield) that prevents the light from reaching as far as a person's head. (Although the image has been processed to be red, it is actually black.) Of course, the head of the light itself can be lowered, making it suitable for people of short stature.

If a normal desk light is illuminated from above, the performer may feel dazzled by the direct light when looking at the music score. However, this piano light does not have that, and I was able to use it without feeling any discomfort while playing.

Points to improve

①Why only upright pianos?

Using this light not only made me feel like my performance was much more efficient, but it also changed my impression of piano lights. However, this light is only for upright pianos. It is not suitable for grand pianos or electronic pianos due to height and storage issues. Since this is such a high quality light, I would like to see it made for grand pianos and digital pianos, just as others have said in their review articles. The market for electronic pianos is particularly large, so I'd like BenQ to make bracket-type or spot-type lights.

②A little expensive...

This light currently costs approximately 25,000 yen. I can tell that they are very particular about the piano, but I feel that the price is a little high considering the light. If possible, I would have liked to have it designed in the 10,000 yen range. . .

summary

1. ・The piano-specific light allows you to clearly see the sheet music and the keyboard, making playing more efficient.
2. ・BenQ PianoLight is a perfectly designed light that does not affect the resonance of the piano's sound, such as weight or cushioning.
3. ・This product is easy to use and makes music scores and keyboards much easier to see.
4. ・However, it is only for upright pianos, and the drawback is that it is a little high.

If you are interested, please purchase from BenQ's store on Amazon or Rakuten.