Relying on a strong and efficient R&D team, Donner has earned a reputation for its high-quality and affordable musical instruments and accessories. John Evans investigates
Since 2012, Donner has been creating innovative, enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing musical instruments for both entry-level and advanced musicians. It is dedicated to research, manufacturing and the sale of musical instruments of all kinds. The company was founded by Hevin He, who explains, ‘The world is nothing but boring and bleak without music. Playing music is fun. For me, it got more thrilling when I learnt to widen my taste for music, travelling through its evocative world, transporting me beyond age and race, and across time and space. Music offers me so much that I decided to start my own company designing and producing musical instruments as part of my mission to make music more playable and accessible to everyone.’
Combining performance with aestheticism is in the DNA of this exciting company. Indeed, it regards the two as inseparable and a stimulus for the other. Take its ground-breaking OURA series of digital pianos, for example. At the 2024 Music China Expo in October, besides forging a partnership with the renowned guitar hero MIYAVI and launching a new member to their HUSH guitar line-up, Donner unveiled their latest series of digital home pianos, OURA, marking another promising commitment to beginner music lovers. [See above image of the prototype of OURA R400 at Music China 2024.]
‘I decided to start my own company designing
and producing musical instruments
as part of my mission to make music more playable
and accessible to everyone’
Hevin He, Founder, Donner
Discard your expectations of what a digital piano should look like and instead embrace a new aesthetic. Thanks to a choice of attractive finishes, simple clean lines and Scandinavian-influenced design, an OURA digital piano enhances the ambience of a room with the soul of music, in turn making the instrument an essential part of everyday life and bringing the warmth and tranquillity of music to the home.
The name ‘OURA’ is derived from the Greek for ‘ancestor flower’, a phrase that symbolises elegance and simplicity, two qualities perfectly reflected in an OURA piano’s Nordic design philosophy. It’s a philosophy that enables an OURA piano to be not only an inspiring instrument to play but also to serve as a stunning piece of home decor, harmoniously complementing a variety of home styles from country cottage to contemporary urban apartment.
OURA EXPLAINED
Meanwhile, in its primary role as musical instrument, an OURA digital piano wants for little in the way of features. There are four models in the range each with a full-size, 88-note keyboard whose touch and responses mirror those of an acoustic piano, and three pedals: sustain, soft and sostenuto. In addition, high-quality sound sampling for accurate rendering of tones and a choice of 15 voices allow the player’s imagination to take flight.
Opening the OURA line-up is the S100, a compact piano boasting a simple yet elegant design; one that enables it to integrate with any décor. Two 10W speakers ensure powerful but sensitive sound projection; indeed, the S100 can also double as an impressive Bluetooth speaker. In addition, the instrument has a transpose function and can support Bluetooth Audio/MIDI and Aux IN, making it the perfect creative companion.
The OURA S100
Next in the range is the OURA S300, a stunning piece of Scandi-inspired design that effortlessly bridges the divide between instrument and furniture. It builds on the S100’s features with a specially tuned speaker system delivering impressive sound quality. It is followed in the range by the R300, an instrument showcasing OURA’s total commitment to aesthetics and performance. Its exquisite, rustic country design perfectly complements any home décor while to the S300’s already impressive specification it adds even more powerful speakers and the authentic feel of a grand piano offering a concert-like playing experience. Topping the OURA line-up is the R400, a powerful instrument with a high-quality digital piano sound and which, thanks to its solid American walnut finish can double as a functional desk or piece of home art.
Whichever instrument you choose, be assured it is a testament to Donner’s deep understanding of both music and design and the company’s commitment to enhancing quality of life. Through OURA, connect music with your home environment and experience the beauty and warmth that music can bring to your living space.
AND THERE’S MORE
OURA complements Donner’s existing series of digital pianos; instruments with their own unique characters and styling. Elegance and simplicity combined with classic piano quality define this four-model range of pianos featuring high specifications and a host of features. Impressively, each instrument is individually styled, enabling you to choose the one that best complements your décor.
The DDP-60
The range opens with the DDP-60, an impressively specified, 88-key piano with four levels of touch sensitivity, three pedals, generous sound sampling and multiple voices, rhythms and demo songs. Powerful 15W speakers provide a room-filling sound, while teacher friendly-dual mode turns the instrument into a great teaching tool.
The DDP-95 boasts an even more impressive specification featuring 16 levels of touch sensitivity, a 4.3-inch LCD screen, 610 tones, 600 rhythms, three teaching modes and a 5000-note recording capacity. It’s ideal for professional performances and daily practice. More functions including transpose, dual tones, an internal metronome, tempo adjustment and keyboard drums.
The DDP-200
The DDP-80 Plus digital piano is an upgraded version of the DDP-80 with keyboard cover. Its sound is of a French grand piano and, accordingly, it is of a vintage design with sleek, slanted legs that ensure it will fit comfortably into any environment. It is made with eco-friendly, low-formaldehyde materials. The DDP-200, the fourth model in the range, benefits from Donner’s Dynamic Grand Hammer keyboard that mirrors very closely the feel and responses of a grand piano. It’s a fully featured digital piano with grand piano-like pedal operation, a choice of immersive grand piano sounds, powerful speakers, an LCD screen and full connectivity. Despite all this, the DDP-200 is a compact instrument whose elegant appearance allows it to blend with contemporary aesthetics.
Finally, Donner offers the Page Turner, an inspired solution to the age-old problem of turning a page of music while playing. Experience seamless music reading thanks to footswitches that emulate arrow keys and mouse clicks. A generous Bluetooth range, 50-plus hours of battery life and compatibility with IOS, Android, MAC, and PC, the Donner Page Turner will transform your playing experience.