Casio PX-130 88-Key Digital Stage Piano Review

My first keyboard was a Casio.My brother bought it for me when I was 12.It was little more than a 24 note toy, but it was mine and I was proud to own it.As I grew into my music and more serious about performing, I became jaded and picky about my instruments.Casio had a well earned reputation for being cheap, low end starter boards.The most expensive keyboard I ever owned was a Yamaha DX7 FD.Until now, I never owned a full sized, 88 note keyboard, let alone, a keyboard with realistic action.

Enter the Casio PX-130.

Exit all my preconceptions about Casio.

Look and Feel:I love the classic, uncluttered look of the instrument.It has minimal buttons and lights.There is no screen.It first and foremost wants to be a piano.It succeeds.It will look right at home in a studio, a church, or a living room.As for feel, when playing, I have to remind myself that it is not an acoustic.My fingers are convinced that these keys are attached to a big, wooden cabinet in the form of a traditional piano.I did not get a chance to see one of these in a store before buying.I was worried the keys would feel cheap.Needless to say, my expectations were blown away from the first touch.You will not be disappointed.

Sound:If you know what a piano sounds like, you know what this sounds like.I won't pretend to know how all the high end electronic pianos sound, but they can't possibly be head and shoulders above this one.Just as my fingers are easily convinced they are playing an acoustic piano, my ears are equally convinced.If you are thinking about buying an acoustic piano for your home, do it only for the value of a classic piece of furniture, not for the sound.This casio sounds so much better than 90% of the pianos I've played in the homes of people I have visited.The speakers are more than sufficient for most common uses.High notes sound like they originate from the right of center while the opposite is true for low notes, just like you would expect from an acoustic piano.Such full and realistic sound from such a compact package is shocking.You will not be disappointed.

Features:This keyboard has several other sounds besides the traditional piano.To my ear, they are all quite good.Not everyone will find use for all of the sounds, but all of the sounds will be useful to many people.I will not take the time here to describe each sound.There are YouTube videos that do a good job of that.IMO, this keyboard would be well worth it just for the piano sound; the others make for a great bonus.You can split the keyboard to play two different sounds, or you can combine two different sounds to make one composite sound.There is a library of songs built into the memory that are readily accessible.You can even transfer files from your computer to be played on the keyboard.Speaking of computers, this is a great companion for a midi enabled computer, Mac or PC.I use a Mac.After connecting a USB cable, I was instantly able to use the keyboard to trigger the midi in all three of my music creation programs: GarageBand, Logic Studio, and Band in a Box.I experienced no detectable latency in any of the programs.It just worked.You can even record your performances directly in the piano's memory and send them to your computer for editing and use with other programs.There are many useful features.You will not be disappointed.

Value:It is worth every penny of the asking price.Even so, you can find even better deals if you are willing to do a bit of searching.Yes, this is a Casio.No, this is not even the top model in the Privia line.Do not let the low price or the name brand trick you into passing this one up.From now on, I will look at Casio before looking at Yamaha or Roland.Yes, I feel just as silly writing such a thing as you do reading it.But there it is.I have got to believe that the Casio PX-130 is the best keyboard value going right now.

Cons:By no measure can this be considered a toy.Having said that, it is still made out of plastic.Nor is it that good polycarbonate stuff Apple uses for the white MacBook line.It is not industrial grade anything.It is just plain old cheap plastic.I suggest you buy a good case if you are going to travel with it.Also, be prepared for a small learning curve.Because there are so few buttons, most of the functions can only be accessed through the use of a function key paired with one or more of the 88 playable keys.That is a slightly annoying, but acceptable trade-off for having an uncluttered look.Finally, I wish there was more than one USB port.Once you have such a useful device, you will think of many ways to use another USB port or two.That is more of a wish list item than a complaint.

Conclusion:Despite the minor gripes, I gladly gave it five stars.In fact, I plan to buy another one specifically for travel.I do not write many reviews, but I felt it was important to do my part in getting the word out about this product.Casio should be rewarded for what they have done.They have successfully reinvented themselves and we are the beneficiaries.You will not be disappointed.

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Product Description:
The new Casio Privia PX-130 redefines the digital piano category with unprecedented sound quality and performance in a sleek package that is supremely portable. Featuring all new grand piano samples and a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard and weighing less than 25 lbs., the Casio Privia PX-130 is versatile enough for home, church, school or on stage.


A sleek, portable digital piano.Click to enlarge.
Versatile enough for home, church, school or on stage.
Add a wooden stand and three-pedal unit for an even more piano-like experience.
Realism, Expression and Dynamics
The grand piano sounds in the PX-130 delivers an unprecedented level of realism and expression. Four dynamic layers of stereo piano samples are integrated with Casio's proprietary Linear Morphing System, resulting in a grand piano sound with seamless transitions and a superior dynamic range. For added realism, the PX-130 simulates the sound of the open strings when the dampers are raised by the pedal using Acoustic Resonance DSP. The PX-130 also has 128-note polyphony, enough horsepower for the most demanding musical passages and the ability to layer sounds and use the damper pedal without worry of dropped notes. The result is a grand piano experience that is unmatched at any price.
Expressive Touch
The Privia PX-130 features a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard. Casio's superior engineering has resulted in an authentic piano touch that captures every detail and nuance of your performance.This scaled hammer action provides the weight, feel and resistance without sacrificing the portability of the instrument.
Education Features
In addition to the superior keyboard action and piano sound, the PX-130 is the perfect instrument for music education. Featuring Casio's Duet mode, the keyboard can be split into two equal ranges, allowing student and teacher to play at the keyboard simultaneously.The PX-130's built-in 2 track recorder and metronome allows you to practice any tempo and later listen back to what you just played.The recording features can also be used to capture moments of creativity and remember song ideas. The optional SP-32 pedal board simulates an acoustic grand piano by providing all three pedals - soft, sostenuto and damper.
Connect and Create
It's easy to connect the PX-130 to your computer with its built in USB MIDI interface. The PX-130's 88-note weighted scaled hammer action keyboard makes it an ideal controller keyboard for using with music software applications. The USB connection also allows you to move songs to and from the computer into PX-130's flash ROM, allowing to you save songs you've created.
Versatility, Portability and Design
Whether you're at home, church, school or on stage, the PX-130 was designed to tackle it all, making it a valuable investment. With its light weight, you can easily take the PX-130 from home, to the classroom or even to the gig and back with no worries. It connects easily to your computer via USB, and its Duet mode is perfect for student and teacher practice. The technology in the Casio PX-130 allows you to do it all.
Plenty of Variety
Choose from 16 built in tones, and combine if desired--layered or split. Further define your sounds with four digital reverbs, four choruses, along with a brilliance and acoustic resonance setting.
Two Headphone Connections
The PX-130 features two headphone connections, ideal for the duet function.
Powerful Speaker System
The PX-130 features built-in speakers, with 2 x 8 Watts of output power, to fill a room with sound.
Accessorize
With the optional SP-32 three-pedal unit, add damper, soft, and sostenuto pedals to the PX-130.
Optional Custom Wood Stand
The CS-67 custom wood stand is available for adding a bit of elegance and holding your PX-130 at ideal level.
What's in the Box
Privia PX-130 Keyboard, AC Adapter, Music Stand, User's Manual

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Yamaha P85 Digital Stage Piano (Black) Review

When a master controller keyboard started to go flaky on me, I started looking for a replacement, and since I didn't REALLY need anything but a basic piano at this point (already having other keyboards that can serve this purpose), the focus was going to be on having 88 weighted keys, but being lightweight and portable.In the start of the 90s, stage pianos that remotely sounded like the real thing were becoming affordable, though hideously bulky and heavy.Let's just say they wouldn't fit in my car so easily, which leaves you reliant on the rest of the band for your transportation.End of the 90s, Korg was selling their 88 key Trinity keyboards, one of which I had the pleasure to lug around in my car for 10 years (it just barely fit!) but ultimately wore out because I couldn't get a case or even bag for it - it was just too big.It still works but gets unpredictable when I move it, so I had to make the call, and buy a replacement.

I checked out some of the lower end piano models, Rolands P250, Korgs P250, Roland RD700s, and Yamaha not only sounded much better, but was jaw-droppingly cheap.I find Roland's sound sweet but a bit muddy or saturated, the action was not bad.Korg's P250 sounds nice but I find their samples are compressed too much and the decay sounds unnaturally fast.Yamaha hit the sweet spot with their piano samples, granted there's only two sets of samples for piano, but they both sound absolutely brilliant (especially considering the cost of the keyboard). The expressiveness you get out of this instrument is amazing - very careful attention to detail.(Compared to the 'honking' piano on the Korg Triton.)The key action is a bit heavier, I can see that I'll be doing scales for a month before I have the strength to really play that thing.That's ok, I'm still waiting for the stand anyways...Which brings me to :

(1) To incorporate built-in speakers, the bottom is not flat, it's basically a 'V'.It will not sit really stably in ANYTHING but the stand made for it.Acrobatics are right out.So you basically are forced to buy the stand which sells for extra.Give me a break.
(2) There are no stage outs on this piano (if you want to use this piano in a band and hook it up to an amp and/or mixing board), you have to use the headphone jacks (!)VERY odd omission, instead of offering both analog and digital outs, Yamaha actually regresses and doesn't even have stage outs.Anyways, you have to get a cord that goes from stereo 1/4" (RTS) to two 1"4 jacks (very common cord BTW, your music store will have it), you can't just use a standard 1/4" jack because aspects of the piano signal are heavily panned and you get a weird phasey sound if you try to just take one side of the signal.And since it sticks out the front, you need a 1"4 right angle adapter to keep it out of harms way.

Apart from that, the piano sounds very crisp and convincing, some nice onboard effects to enhance this.But basically it's just a piano, not a workstation.Use it for one instrument at a time (you can layer the instruments but I couldn't find a single combination that sounded better than the individual instruments).

There are other sounds built into this, besides piano.There are two electric piano patches - the first is a Fender Rhodes sound, with a DX-ey tinge to it, sounds beautifully full, if a bit tine-y.The second patch, kind of a Wurlitzer or (I guess) Yamaha CP type patch, is almost worth the price of the keyboard itself.Sounds very like Supertramp's keyboard sound, very expressive to play.

The organs are the worst of the samples.Honestly - they couldn't find better organ patches than this, at least after the very high standard they established with the pianos?These sound like a circus calliope (E. Organ 1) and a bad Soundblaster pipe organ patch (E. Organ 2)!They are absolutely terrible, but if you really really need a calliope or pipe organ sound and not one of your instruments does that sound, you might use it.

The strings patch isn't bad, isn't noteworthy either.Definitely usable.I would have liked to be able to apply an (onboard) phaser effect to it for instance.

There are two harpsichord patches that are fairly high quality, better than the Korg Trinity's, anyways.Layering them sounds cheesy, but onboard compression might have helped.Workstations have me so spoiled...

The vibes patch is pretty good too, clear and bell-like.'Tis purty.

All in all, this keyboard is an absolute steal at this price, once again the bar is raised in terms of quality and portability.You get bang-for-the-buck with this!It fits in the trunk of my car, just barely.Don't even have to put the back seats down!It loses 1/2a star for the stand issue, the lack of even a proper set of analog outs, and the wretched organ samples.

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Product Description:
The Yamaha P85 Digital Piano features an authentic, natural sound with remarkable expressiveness in a compact, affordable piano.This new Contemporary Piano gives you all the dynamic, high-quality sound and natural piano response you expect from Yamaha, along with a high-quality built-in speaker system - packed into a slim, exceptionally affordable digital piano you can play virtually anywhere. No compromises, full quality.Exceptionally High-quality SoundThe gorgeous piano sounds of the P-85 feature meticulous digital sampling of a full concert grand piano - that change in tone and volume depending on how you play - thanks to Yamaha's sophisticated AWM Stereo Sampling.Realistic, Acoustic-like Touch ResponseEnjoy authentic, naturally expressive key touch - modeled after an actual acoustic piano, from the low notes to the high - with the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard.Ultra-compact, Stylish DesignThe attractive, slim, lightweight design of the instrument - less than 25 pounds - suits virtually any room decor, while the built-in speaker system fills your room with luscious sound.Extensive Voice Selection and Dual Voice FunctionThe versatile P85 also gives you a variety of other high-quality instrument Voices, including electric pianos, organs, strings and harpsichord - plus a Dual Voice feature for playing two Voices at once.Record Your PerformanceYou can capture your own playing with the song recording feature, then play it back for studying or accompaniment. There's even a built-in metronome for practicing and recording in perfect time.Expressive Half-pedal ControlFeatures a half-pedal effect that gives you greater acoustic-like expressive control over the sound (with optional FC3 Foot Controller or LP-5 Pedal Unit).

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