Duolingo just announced a portable piano. Yes, we are talking about the same app that’s become synonymous with learning a foreign language. The app also has some music-learning courses, so this keyboard is intended for that and not for, uh, pushing down keys to trigger Spanish phrases.
The company teamed up with Loog for this instrument, so this is basically a reskin of the pre-existing Loog Piano. It swaps out the red for a, dare I say, Brat green and it ships with a neat little smartphone stand, for keeping an eye on the app during practice sessions. Other than that, it looks nearly identical to the OG version.
That’s not a bad thing. The Loog x Duolingo Piano is a three-octave digital keyboard with built-in stereo speakers, wood sides and a rechargeable battery for portable use. The keys are likely one of the biggest selling points, as they allow for dynamics (piano to forte.) These Loog keyboards are pretty much the only digital pianos with velocity-sensitive keys at this size and price point.
It doubles as a standard MIDI controller, via USB-C, and there’s a sustain port and a headphone jack. This particular version also ships with Duolingo flashcards for budding piano players. Of course, it also integrates with the company’s app, for on-the-fly tutorials. There’s a Loog Piano app coming, but we don’t know when. We reached out to the company for a concrete release date and confirmation that the Duolingo piano will integrate with the Loog app. We’ll update this post when we find out, though I’d be extremely surprised if there isn’t cross-app functionality.
Just like the original Loog Piano, this one costs $249. Preorders are live right now, though it doesn’t ship until November. If you really have a hankering for a student-grade portable piano, the standard Loog Piano ships immediately.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/duolingo-best-known-as-a-language-learning-app-now-makes-a-piano-172012643.html?src=rss
