SeriesCasio Privia

This generation of Casio digital pianos has made me a huge proponent of them, over even the popularly preferred Yamaha pianos and certainly over the Korgs. I own the PX-330, but when in Thailand, with nothing to do but shop for pianos, I kept on gravitating towards the PX-130 over its competitors time and time again. First off, it's nice to know that there are two headphone jacks, so two people can listen or play without disturbing anyone. Next, it does include USB MIDI connectivity to the computer, so it can be used as a MIDI controller. It is an entry level piano, and as such lacks pitch bends and mod wheels. However, considering its older brother, the PX-330 fitting where it fits (see my review of the PX-330) the PX-130 fills a very nice niche: people who just want to play piano! The PX-130 features 16 sounds, but the piano sounds are the only ones that really matter anyway, so that's what I'll be reviewing! UTILIZATION I think this is one of the most simple to use keyboards on the market. The main features, like the pianos, are accessible with their own dedicated buttons. However, several functions are located on the keybed. You just pair the function key with the labeled key, and BAM! Instant gratification. The nice thing about this keyboard is that it makes it easy to do these things, without overwhelming the user with these functions. Despite the fact that its older brother, the PX-330 (which I own), has more dedicated controls, the single-layered simplicity of the 130 definitely makes it much more workable than the 330 I own. The fact that they are labeled also gives it a distinct advantage over the Korg SP170. The SP170 is a very appealing machine aesthetically, but it cannot compare with the Casio's usability in any way at all. SOUNDS Since this is a very basic piano, Casio just jammed the 16 cream-of-the-crop-every-piano-needs-these-sounds sounds into it. That means that unlike my PX-330 and its largely inspirational, but sometimes pathetic and superfluous sounds, pretty much every sound on the PX-130 is usable, although quite corny at times. (I'm looking at you, organs.) The best ones are obviously the pianos, but the first E.piano and the strings are also quite good. There's really nothing else to say about the sound, except that the reverb and brilliance are also adjustable via the function key. The touch and feel of the PX-130 is excellent. Despite Yamaha's reputation for holding that throne, I find that because Yamaha makes acoustic pianos, their digital pianos strive to emulate the keybeds of their acoustics. Personally (it may be different for all of you), I find the Yamaha pianos to have very abrupt action. Crisp, but very grating at times. The PX-130 has just that right level of sponginess. Growing up on a Steinway baby grand, I appreciate lightness, but the Yamaha's in my opinion take it a bit too far. I also want to mention that the PX-130 has a standard 128-note polyphony. The Yamaha P95, which costs more, has only 64. This difference can be crippling when playing thick passages or when layering different instruments. OVERALL OPINION The PX-130 is a great way to get into the world of digital pianos. It offers a no-frills experience to those who just want to play, and a simple and intuitive interface for those who want to tweak just a little bit. If you're the more adventurous type, check out the PX-330, which for all intents and purposes, is the same piano with more buttons and sounds and a better stage-piano flair. I still encourage you to try the other brands, as pianos are quite subjective. In this generation, the Casio line dominates the sub $1k market for me. However, it is up to you to decide.

The Casio PX-100 is a full sized, 88 key digital keyboard that is portable and contains a variety of different types of sounds. It has standard 1/4 inch connections for outputting your signal and for using a sustain pedal, as well as MIDI connections. UTILIZATION The feel of the Casio PX-100 is very good, as the instrument is extremely easy to play. Navigating through this instrument also couldn't be any easier because everything is laid out so that it is easy to see and understand. The instrument contains a series of buttons to choose between different sound patches and to add effects. Even if you have no experience whatsoever with digital keyboards, the Casio PX-100 will be easy to understand and use. The manual for the Casio PX-100 is pretty well put together and designed for the layman to understand, but I honestly don't think that it is necessary considering how easy the Casio PX-100 is to use. SOUNDS The sound quality of the Casio PX-100 is surprisingly pretty good. I wasn't expecting much, but the piano and organ sounds are somewhat realistic, and while I personally wouldn't do any recording with this keyboard, it is definitely suitable for live shows and is perfect for home use and practicing. I usually use the Casio PX-100 for its piano sounds, but the other sounds on it are pretty good as well, adding to the versatility of this instrument. Nothing will blow you away on this keyboard if you are a professional, but for amateurs and intermediate players, the Casio PX-100 is perfect. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Casio PX-100 digital keyboard for about a year or so and I've found it to be the perfect practice instrument for those looking to get a good sounding keyboard that is relatively cheap. This is one of the better sounding models that Casio makes and while it isn't the best sounding keyboard in the world, it certainly gets the job done. The Casio PX-100 is a great choice for those players who want a nice sounding digital keyboard without spending too much money.

The Casio Privia PX 3 has 64 effects as well as MIDI in and out all in an 88 key digital piano. The Privia PX 3 is very affordable coming in cheaper than most all of “useable” digital pianos. The best feature of the Privia PX 3 is the fact that it only weighs 25 pounds, you just can not beat that if you are a gigging player or musician and you don’t have a road crew than you need all the light equipment you can. Because it is light does not mean it is not good either, in fact this is on of the best digital pianos that I have ever owned. The acoustic piano’s sound amazing for a digital keyboard that cost less than 800 dollars brand new. You can also use it as a midi controller for your DAW and software so it will serve as a double purpose which could cut down on having to have studio and gig gear. UTILIZATION For years Casio has put out digital pianos and some of them have been good and some have been rather “cheap” . but if you are in need of a simple digital piano to take with you almost anywhere then look no further! The feel of the keys are great, and the expressiveness of them should have cost more than it does! The keys are light and don’t make your hands ach after playing them for hours. SOUNDS The manual is easy to understand if you even need it and set up is easy as can be. Switching your patches, connecting to midi and using it as a midi controller, You name it and its easy to do on the Privia PX 3! The acoustic and digital piano’s are great sounding and don’t need much done to them. If you choose to use the Privia PX 3 has a sound module to record into your DAW then you can do some small EQ changes to really get those sound sitting right into your mix. OVERALL OPINION Overall, possibly the best option for someone looking for a multi purpose digital piano and keyboard for live performances. Its light and very affordable, you just can not go wrong with it. I have been using the Privia PX 3 for 2 months now and I love it and plan to keep using it for as long as it holds up , which is hopefully forever.

It's woodgrain painted jet black, a really, really beautiful finish. I think the best word is that it looks almost 'stealthy' the way it's painted. It's really small as digital pianos go (see Casio's site for details), and with the top down it makes a great coffee table when you aren't using it. I've been a professional musician for most of my young life, playing keyboards in churches and musicals since I was 10 and playing in various bands on keys and bass guitar since I was 12. Got it through MusicGearReview.com, straight from the Casio representative. They go for about $1000 new, which, feature for price, isn't bad. Still, the higher end keyboards, the Celviano line, that Casio sells only start at around $850, so I recommend looking at them first. <a href="http://www.casio.com/products/Musical_Instruments/">http://www.casio.com/products/Musical_Instruments/</a> I like the feel and the sound of the organ and electric piano settings. I like the look of the unit, as well. It was also very easy to set it up as a MIDI controller with Finale or Sibelius during testing. I also like that it's very small, portable, and light. I don't care for the Function button and using keys to change settings, and I ESPECIALLY don't like the 'ping' sound that happens every time I switch sounds or settings. I like to have a display in front of me and buttons for all the different things so that there is never any confusion as to what my current settings are and I can make quick changes live. I was not impressed with the piano sounds, either, which were thin and lacked any midrange presence. The action felt springy for a digital piano due to the lack of a hammer action. This piano only featured counterweights. Casio can do better with key construction as well. Keys move side to side, not as much as in older models, but still enough to be noticed. It's well made, although assembly can take an hour or two. I wouldn't trust all the screws to hold together in a house where roughhousing was a regular activity. It's a decent piano for home use, but there are cheaper and better options from the SAME COMPANY. I don't care for the format of the dashboard. The feel is awkward and doesn't much resemble a piano. The piano sounds are thin and not very well done. I wouldn't pay $1000 just for the jazz organ or electric piano sounds, even though they were done rather well. It's just not worth it. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Casio Privia PX 330 is spectacular for the price. The touch is wonderful (a fellow accompanist played it and immediately said I got an awesome deal). If you don't need something with tons of complicated buttons and settings, this is the way to go. UTILIZATION I easily hooked it up to my computer recording software - the directions in the manual are easy to understand. I got it specifically for the purpose of using it with my computer and because it has built in speakers that face out toward the people and toward me. It can also be hooked into a PA system or a just a free standing speaker with a 1/4" cable .Even has a stand for music plus at only 25lbs. I can carry it myself! SOUNDS The piano sounds and keyboard feel is really top notch. So far the only complaints are the buttons are hard to read in a dimly lit room or stage. And that you cannot turn off the internal speakers when hooking it up to a really good set of monitors. If you try putting a plug in the headphone jack to mute the speakers you get an expanded stereo/reverb out that sounds great through headphones but not good at all through speakers. That really was bad design decision. OVERALL OPINION I looked constantly for a mid-range priced keyboard (meaning I was desperately hoping I could find something decent for under 1k). I was hoping to spend around 600 tops. The quality and sound of this blew me away immediately so I bought it after seeing it for less than 15 minutes. It took me an hour to check out all 250 sounds and they are all incredible. The weighted keys are perfect for adding dynamics easily to your playing. If you play them soft they are surprisingly very quiet and if you pound them, they sound like you're pounding a piano. I can't say enough good things about this. I'm so glad that I found this. It really is a steal.