Digital Pianos Review
Alesis Recital Review: The Cheapest Honest 88-Key Piano
The Alesis Recital is the entry point for 88 full-size keys with built-in speakers: semi-weighted keys, five voices, 128-note polyphony, 20 watts of sound and battery power at a price well below any hammer-action piano. This review is direct about what semi-weighted keys can and cannot do, and about who should spend more on the Recital Pro or a Casio CDP-S160.
Our Verdict
Research Score 71/100The Alesis Recital is a sensible first keyboard for a buyer who is not yet sure piano will stick and wants 88 full-size keys with speakers for the lowest sensible price. Its semi-weighted keys are responsive and even but they are not a hammer action, so anyone committed to lessons should spend more on the Recital Pro or the Casio CDP-S160. Five voices and a missing pedal are the other trade-offs; the 20 watt speakers and 128-note polyphony are better than the price suggests.
Editorial research score based on published specifications and documented features, not a customer rating or lab test.
Alesis
Alesis Recital
Best for: First-time buyers who want 88 full-size keys, speakers and a lesson mode for the least money
Skip it if: you can stretch to a hammer-action piano or you need more than five sounds
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Listing verified: October 2026
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if
- You are testing whether piano will stick before spending more
- You want 88 keys with speakers that run on batteries
- You teach or learn with a split keyboard in Lesson mode
Skip it if
- Your teacher requires weighted keys
- You play classical repertoire or want to build acoustic technique
- You want Bluetooth or app control
Key Specifications
| Key Action | Semi-weighted, 88 full-size keys |
| Sound Engine | Sampled voices |
| Voices | 5 |
| Polyphony | 128 notes |
| Speakers | 2 x 10 W |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB | USB MIDI |
| Pedals | Sustain input (pedal not included) |
| Weight | 15.7 lb (7.1 kg) |
| Form Factor | Portable, battery capable |
What You Get for the Money
The Recital is Alesis's long-running budget 88. The keys are full-size and semi-weighted with adjustable touch response, there are five voices, acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, synth and bass, 128-note polyphony, two 10 watt speakers, a quarter-inch headphone output, a sustain pedal input and USB MIDI. It runs from the included adapter or six D batteries, weighs about 16 pounds and ships with a music rest and a bundle of lesson subscriptions.
It is the keyboard that appears in every beginner shortlist because of its price. Understanding what that price leaves out is the key to buying it well.
Semi-Weighted Keys
The Recital's keys are spring-loaded with added resistance, not hammer-weighted. They are heavier than a typical 61-key keyboard and respond well to velocity, and the three touch-response settings adjust how hard you need to play for loud notes. Compared with the Korg Liano, another semi-weighted 88, the Alesis feels a little heavier and slightly less refined.
What the keys do not do is build the finger strength and control that a hammer action teaches, and they feel very different from an acoustic piano. Teachers who run exam syllabuses will usually ask for weighted keys. For casual playing, chords and songwriting they are fine; for a committed student they are a short-term solution.
Sound, Speakers and Polyphony
The acoustic piano voice is clear and usable, if thinner than the samples in the Korg and Casio entry pianos, and the electric piano and organ are pleasant. Five voices is restrictive compared with the ten on the Yamaha P-145 or the twelve on the Korg B2+, but each one is sensible. Layer and split modes combine them, and reverb and chorus are built in.
Polyphony of 128 notes is generous at this price, twice the Yamaha P-45 and P-145. The two 10 watt speakers are the Recital's standout for the money, louder than the entry Yamaha and Roland portables and enough for a living room at moderate volume.
Lesson Mode and Apps
Lesson mode divides the 88 keys into two zones with the same pitch range and voice, so a teacher and student can play the same part side by side. Alesis bundles time-limited subscriptions to Skoove and Melodics, which work over the USB MIDI connection to a phone, tablet or computer. There is no Bluetooth, no USB audio and no display beyond a few LEDs.
Recital or Recital Pro?
The Recital Pro costs more and replaces the semi-weighted keys with a hammer action, adds a screen, doubles the speaker power to 2 x 20 W and expands the voice count to twelve. For a student taking lessons it is the better buy. The standard Recital makes sense only when the budget cannot stretch or when the keyboard is an experiment before a bigger purchase.
Recital Against Other Entry Pianos
Against the Korg Liano, the Alesis has more voices and louder speakers while the Korg is far lighter with a better piano sample. Against the Casio CDP-S160, the Casio's hammer action and slimmer case make it the better practice piano for a modest premium. Against the Yamaha P-145 and Roland FP-10, both hammer-action pianos cost more and are worth it for anyone committed to playing.
The Recital's place is as the cheapest full-size keyboard with speakers that is not a toy. It does that job well.
Who Keeps It
Adults who play for fun, families testing a child's interest, and anyone who needs an 88-key keyboard for a hobby band or songwriting tend to keep the Recital for years and never miss a hammer action. Students who progress sell it within a year or two for a weighted piano. Its low price and wide availability make either path painless, which is the strongest argument for buying it as a first step.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- Lowest-cost full 88-key piano with built-in 20 watts of speakers
- Adjustable touch response and a lesson mode that splits the keyboard
- Runs on six D batteries
- Bundled lesson subscriptions for self-taught beginners
Limitations
- Semi-weighted keys, not hammer action
- Only five voices
- No sustain pedal in the box
How We Scored It
Scores reflect published specifications, documented features and value against the alternatives below. They are editorial research scores, not laboratory measurements.
Alternatives to Consider
Alesis Recital Pro
Beginners who want hammer-action keys and loud speakers for the least money
Read the Alesis Recital Pro review →
Casio CDP-S160
Beginners and casual players who need a light, slim piano that can run anywhere
Read the Casio CDP-S160 review →
Korg Liano
Players who need a full 88-key piano that weighs almost nothing and runs anywhere
Read the Korg Liano review →Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Alesis Recital vs Alesis Recital Pro Compare →
Questions Buyers Ask
Alesis Recital
See the current listing, price and included accessories.
About This Review
Mandrillis Team
The Mandrillis editorial team researches and compares audio and music gear using manufacturer documentation, verified specs and real buyer feedback, so you can make a confident purchase without wading through marketing claims.
Read our full research methodology.