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Are Casio keyboards professional?

Casio SA-76, SA-77 and SA-78 are 44-mini-keys keyboards. They are designed mostly for kids, and you may be surprised if I tell you that I, being a professional pianist, have SA-76 at home. ... Casio SA-series: SA-46, SA-76, SA-77 and SA-78. Parameter Value Tones 100 Rhythms 50 Play-along tracks 10 Built-in display LCD 10 more rows

pickmypiano.com - Overview of Casio Digital Pianos and Keyboards

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Casio is one of the world’s leading consumer electronic manufactures and of course it couldn’t pass by electronic musical instruments as well. It has a wide lineup of digital pianos and electronic keyboards for every person: whether you are a kid, a student, a home player or a professional musician – Casio surely has something suitable for your needs and your wallet. I’ll try to classify Casio keyboard instruments from my point of view, write about some most important pros and cons of most popular keyboards, compare them to other market leaders such as Yamaha and Roland, and give you some advice on what to choose. Hopefully it will help you to find your ideal Casio piano. I would categorize Casio keyboard instruments into 3 big parts: Portable keyboards, Stage pianos and Console pianos. I will not talk a lot about workstations, synthesizers and music arrangers here, since this is a topic of separate discussion.

Casio Portable keyboards

https://www.casio.com/products/electronic-musical-instruments/portable-keyboards

Let’s start from the most affordable, compact, and light Casio keyboards. They are not actually digital pianos (see what’s the difference between digital piano and electronic keyboard), but they can certainly be used by beginner players as a starter instrument. Casio portable keyboards are presented by the following series:

SA – the smallest Casio keyboards with minimum number of functions

CTK – starter Casio keyboard with 61 full-size touch response keys and many integrated voices and rhythms

LK – full-size lighted keys keyboards for easy learning

Casio SA-series: SA-46, SA-76, SA-77 and SA-78

Casio SA-76, SA-77 and SA-78 are 44-mini-keys keyboards. They are designed mostly for kids, and you may be surprised if I tell you that I, being a professional pianist, have SA-76 at home. And I like it! I will talk about SA-76 below, but everything I say will be true for SA-77 and SA-78 as well because these models differ only by color: SA-76 has orange shell base, SA-77 – grey, and SA-78 is “girls edition” (pink color). SA-76 (as well as other Casio SA-series keyboards) has 8-note polyphony, 100 tones, 50 rhythms, 5 drum pads, and 10 integrated songs. Large buttons make it easier for young musicians to change voices and control this mini keyboard. Though you can’t consider SA-76 a serious instrument, but actually it can be very useful even for professional musicians. For example I have it as a portable piano in my bedroom. Yes, sometimes when I go to sleep, an inspiration may come and I need to urgently play some tune which came to my mind in order to remember it. Or I need to work out some harmonic details of the tune when I’m away from the piano. I don’t have to go to another room where my Yamaha console piano stands; I just take this small portable mini piano and play. Though it doesn’t have MIDI controller, but I can connect it to my iPhone by 1/8” mini jack and record the melody! SA-76 size and weight is very little, moreover it can be battery powered (6 AA batteries are required), so I sometimes take it with me on a trip, and it helps me out in some situations. By the way battery lifetime is very good – I used this keyboard for several months without changing the batteries! SA-46 modification is a smaller version of SA-76, it has only 32 keys, which is 2.5 octaves. It is even more compact (its length is less than 18”) and is ideal 2-3 years old children.

Cons:

If you have big fingers, Casio SA series may not be suitable for you, since the keys are not as big as real piano keys Don’t expect this keyboard sound as a $1000 instrument. Voices are not very realistic, though loud and clear Note that power adapter should be purchased separately or buy this bundle with power supply

Pros:

Price is very low

Very portable

Wide choice of voices and rhythms to play around

Good battery lifetime

The tempo of 10 demo songs can be changed. You can turn off the melody and play along slowly

This keyboard has metronome!

SA is the only cheap keyboard that has a 1/8 headphone jack

Parameter Value Number of keys 44 mini size Polyphony 8 Tones 100 Rhythms 50 Play-along tracks 10 Built-in display LCD Speakers 2x0.8 W Connections Stereo mini jack Weight (kg) 1.4 Weight (lbs) 3.1 Dimensions (cm) 60.4x21.1x5.7 Dimensions (inch) 23 13/16"x8 5/16"x2 1/4" AC adapter 9.5V DC Check Price Of course you cannot consider Casio SA-76 keyboard a serious instrument for music learning, but it would be ideal for children to play their first tune or for experienced musicians as a take-away and play-on-the-road piano with minimum set of options for the minimum price.

Casio CTK-series keyboards

If you want a beginner keyboard without spending a lot of cash, then you should try Casio CTK. Most popular keyboards in this lineup are CTK-2550, CTK-3500 and CTK-6250. CTK-2550 CTK-3500 CTK-6250 Number of keys 61 Not touch sensitive 61 Touch sensitive 61 Touch sensitive Polyphony 48 48 48 Tones 400 400 700 Rhythms 100 100 210 Layer/Split No No Yes Dance music mode 50 styles 50 styles - Lesson mode Lesson lite, Scoring system, Voice fingering guide Lesson lite, Scoring system, Voice fingering guide - Chordana Play compatibility Yes Yes - Metronome Yes Yes Yes MIDI interface None Yes Yes Dimensions (inch) 37.2” x 12.1” x 3.6” 37.2” x 12.1” x 3.6” 37.2” x 15.2” x 4.8” Speakers 2x2 W 2x2 W 2x6 W Connections Pedal input Pedal Input Pedal Input

Phones/output (stereo standard jack)

Audio In (stereo mini jack)

Phones/output (stereo standard jack)

Audio In (stereo mini jack)

USB type B

Phones/output (stereo standard jack)

Audio In (Stereo mini jack)

Line Out (2x Standard Jack)

USB type B

Memory Card - - SD Card Weight 7.3 lbs 7.5 lbs 12.6 lbs AC adapter 9.5V DC 9.5V DC 12V DC Check Price

CTK-2550 – Entry-Level Casio Keyboard

Casio CTK-2550 is the entry-level CTK keyboard. It has 61 full-size keys (not touch sensitive*), 400 voices, 100 rhythms, 48 note polyphony; it is compact and light-weight. *Touch sensitivity. If a keyboard is touch sensitive that means the volume of the note depends on the pressure with which you pressed it. This is similar to acoustic pianos. Cheaper models are not touch sensitive: the volume is always the same, whether you press keys harder or lighter. For those of you who like electronic music, CTK-2550 has so called Dance Music Mode (DMM). You can easily create your own dance music using one of 50 built in DMM styles, adding filters, effects and more.

Cons:

Keys are not touch sensitive

No MIDI interface

Pros:

Cheap price

Great toy for your child or for yourself

Lots of voices and rhythms to play around

Lesson mode – play along with integrated songs and learn how to play them

Comes with AC power adapter

CTK-2550 is compatible with Chordana App (it will display chords of the tune you play through the app, and you can play along with the the tune) As the price for CTK-2550 is rather low, you can’t expect much from it. I actually can’t recommend it for those who are planning to learn piano seriously. You can buy this keyboard only for the first 6 months – to study basics and learn notes. But later you will have to buy more expensive keyboard. You don’t necessarily need to look for weighted 88-key piano if you are on budget, but I recommend starting with at least Casio CTK-3500 model or above. It costs just a little more, but will be much better for learning.

CTK-3500 – Budget Beginner Casio Keyboard

CTK-3500 is one step higher then CTK-2550.

These two keyboards are similar, CTK-3500 has all the features which CTK-2550 has, but CTK-3500 has the following important additions: It has touch sensitive keys (two levels of sensivity), which is very important for those who plan to study seriously It has USB port, which can be used as MIDI interface to connect CTK-3500 to computer MIDI programs CTK-3500 can be connected to your iOS or Android smartphone for use with free Chordana app. This application uses Casio’s LCD display to show you how to play your favorite songs. Given the above CTK-3500 is the minimum keyboard I recommend for beginners. You will anyway have to buy weighted keys digital piano after a year or so, but for beginner lessons this keyboard with touch sensitive keys is good enough and will certainly not enforce you to rob the bank to buy it. You will also have fun with its additional features such as Dance Music Mode, plenty of built-in styles and voices.

CTK-6250 – Very Good Keyboard for its Price with Lots of Features

One more CTK keyboard worth talking about is CTK-6250. This is the top Casio keyboard in CTK lineup. Though it costs two times higher than the entry-level CTK-2550, but it’s surely worth it. I consider this keyboard one of the best in its price category.

CTK-6250 has 700 tones. You will find at least a dozen of sounds which you like among them; moreover you can customize sound to your taste using built-in tone editor. Number of integrated rhythms is 210, plus the ability to create your custom rhythms. These numbers are impressive, aren’t they?

Another great thing about CTK-6250 is built-in sequencer which allows you to record 16 tracks mixing 32 channels. And if you are planning to connect it to computer to create music – you have all possibilities to do that, this Casio keyboard has MIDI interface (through USB port) for connecting to MIDI-compatible programs and line-out jack for direct audio recording. What I liked in this keyboard (except the red color incut on its top) is that you can adjust the volume of the backing rhythm and solo voice independently. And of course tremendous opportunities to edit voices, which moreover sound great on CTK-6250’s two 2-way speakers and can be adjusted with built-in graphic equalizer. I should mention that as for me some of the voices sound even better then on Yamaha keyboards, which are considered the best in their field.

Pros:

SD card support

Lots of sounds and rhythms

USB-Midi

Multiple digital effects

Cons:

No lesson system

Keys are not weighted

Only 61 keys

Other model variations for CTK-6250 are: CTK-6200 (this is more conservative black color version of 6250) and WK-6600 (76-key version of 6250 with microphone input, but costs higher). Although CTK-6250 doesn’t have lesson mode as other CTK models, but it should be considered more serious keyboard and would be a good instrument for all-level pianists from beginners to professionals. Nowadays when there are lots of online piano lessons are on the Internet, integrated lesson function is not actually needed. And for its price CTK-6250 offers many features which competitors usually add only to higher class keyboards. My verdict: Casio CTK-6250 is good keyboard for beginners and for those who want to play around with sounds without spending a lot of money. Very much recommended.

Casio CT-X keyboards

Casio CT-X product line, which appeared first in 2018, is famous first of all for its sound engine called AiX. It provides very realistic musical instruments sound. Most popular CT-X models are CT-X700 and CT-X3000 (or CT-X5000). I will talk about them below, but first let’s see and compare their main specifications in the form of a table. CT-X700 CT-X3000 CT-X5000 Number of keys 61 Touch sensitive 61 Touch sensitive 61 Touch sensitive Sound engine AiX AiX AiX Polyphony 48 64 64 Tones 600 800 800 User Tones - 100 100 Rhythms 195 235 235 User rhythms 10 50 100 Built-in Songs 160 30 30 Layer/Split Yes Yes Yes Step-up Lesson mode Yes Metronome Yes Yes Yes MIDI interface (through USB) Yes Yes Yes Midi Recorder 6 tracks 17 tracks 17 tracks 5 songs 10 songs 10 songs Speakers 4.7”x2 (5 W) 3.9”x2 (2x6 W) 3.9”x2 (2x15 W) Connections Pedal Input

Phones/output (Stereo Standard Jack)

Audio In (Stereo MiniJack)

USB Type B (USB-to-Host Usb Type A (flash drives)

Usb Type B (USB-to-HOST)

Pedal 1 Jack (sustain)

Pedal 2 Jack (expression)

Phones (Stereo Standard Jack)

Audio In (Stereo Minijack) Usb Type A (flash drives)

Usb Type B (USB-to-HOST)

Pedal 1 Jack (sustain)

Pedal 2 Jack (expression)

Phones (Stereo Standard Jack)

Audio In (Stereo Minijack)

Line Out (2x Standard Jacks)

Microphone In (Standard jack) Dimensions (inch) 37.3" x 13.8" x 4.3" 37.3" x 15.1" x 4.6" 37.3" x 15.1" x 4.6" Weight 9.5 lbs 15.2 lbs 15.4 lbs Power by Batteries (optional) 6 x AA 6 x D cell - AC adapter DC 9.5V DC 12V

CTX-700 – Budget Casio Keyboard with Great Voices

When Casio first introduced its CTX keyboards in 2018 and its base model CT-X700 in particular, I should say that it was some sort of a revolution in inexpensive keyboards. When I tested CT-X700 last year I was blown away with the quality of sound it produced, because for such a price (it costs less than 200 USD) it sounds like a professional 1000-dollar instrument! Of course this is my subjective feeling, but I’m continuously testing many keyboards, and I have some experience in that. CTX-700 has 48 polyphony voices, 600 tones, and 195 rhythms, plus and integrated 6-track MIDI-recorder. This modern Casio keyboard quickly gained popularity for its price, sound, ease of use and lots of functions.

Pros:

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AiX sound chip delivers very quality and realistic musical instrument voices

Lots of tones and rhythms

Lightweight

Reasonable price

Compatible with MIDI software

Can be powered by batteries

Six-track recorder

Step-Up Lesson system, displaying proper notes and fingering

Cons:

The printed manual has very small font, not so easy to ready

Non-weighted keys (but this is common in this price range)

There are several “packs” of CT-X700 available on Amazon. I don’t recommend buying “educational pack”, because the educational part of it is just a promotion of eMedia course, for which you will anyway have to pay additional money. You’d better buy Premium pack (if it is available) which includes only keyboard itself, power adapter, keyboard stand and headphones. The included stand is rather solid and will be more than enough for the keyboard. Or buy the Standalone pack – the cheapest solution with only keyboard in it. That way you are free to choose any of the keyboard stands separately. I recommend CT-X700 as a budget keyboard with quality voices. If you like to read more about CT-X700, see my full review here.

Choosing between Casio CTX-700 and CTK-6250

Very often these two Casio keyboards – CTX-700 and CTK-6250 – are compared to each other. At first sight it may seem that they are really similar. I’ve created a table where specified both keyboards main characteristics. CTK-6250 CT-X700 Number of keys 61 Touch sensitive 61 Touch sensitive Sound engine AiX Polyphony 48 48 Tones 700 600 Rhythms 210 195 Rhythm editor Yes - Built-in Songs 5 160 Layer/Split Yes Yes Lesson mode - Yes Metronome Yes Yes MIDI interface Yes Yes Sequencer 17-track 6 tracks 5 songs 5 songs Dimensions (inch) 37.2” x 15.2” x 4.8” 37.3" x 13.8" x 4.3" Speakers 2x6 W 4.7”x2 (2x2.5 W) Connections

Pedal Input

Phones/output (stereo standard jack)

Audio In (Stereo mini jack)

Line Out (2x Standard Jack)

USB type B

Pedal Input

Phones/output (Stereo Standard Jack)

Audio In (Stereo MiniJack)

USB Type B (USB-to-Host)

Memory Card SD Card - Weight 12.6 lbs 9.5 lbs AC adapter 12V DC DC 9.5V Highlights

Full 32-channel mixer

Rhythm editor

Tone editor

Very user-friendly operation

Newest Casio technology

High end sounds for the price

Lesson mode

These keyboards are similar by number of keys, polyphony, number of tones and rhythms, but here are some arguments in favor of CT-X700. First of all it is the sound quality, which is top notch on CT-X700 with its modern AiX sound chip. Secondly, CT-X700 has very friendly user interface, so if you are beginner it will be easier for you to start. And another thing – this keyboard has Step Up Lesson mode for you to practice any of 160 built-in songs yourself. CT-X700 also is slightly cheaper than CTK-6250. CTK-6250 in turn has only 5 built-in songs, no lesson mode, and a little more complicated interface, but you can consider it more flexible with sound modification: it supports rhythm and tone editor and full 32-channel mixer. If I were a beginner I would choose CT-X700, because you won’t use all these advanced workstation features CTK-6250 offers. But after a year or two I would upgrade to a more heaped CTK, all the more I’m sure that by that time the new model will be announced with some even more interesting features. Both of these keyboards are great and you should choose by features: if don’t need a workstation and just want great sounds for reasonable price, then I recommend CT-X700. For working with sound more seriously, recording and performing your tracks – choose CTK-6250.

CT-X3000 and CT-X5000

CT-X3000 and CT-X5000 are on the upper level of Casio CT-X lineup. Their main characteristics and differences from the basic model CT-X700 are in the table above. Besides AiX sound chip with great quality of sound, which is a distinctive feature of all CT-X keyboards, there are other highlights of CT-X3000 and CT-X5000 which I should mention.

Increased number of polyphony voices (64 voices against 48 in CT-X700)

Increased number of tones (800) and an editor to create your own tones

USB type A support (flash drives)

235 rhythms and rhythm editor (plus 50 user rhythms in CT-X3000 and 100 user rhythms in CT-X5000)

17-track MIDI sequencer

Powerful sound system (12W on CT-X3000 and 30W on CT-X5000)

CT-X5000 has additional Line Outputs (Left/Right) and Microphone Input, with access to system effects CT-X5000 has more effects than CT-X3000, and direct access buttons for quicker access to tones and rhythms

CT-X5000 has programmable EQ

CT-X3000 can be battery powered, CT-X5000 can not

There are slight differences between CT-X3000 and CT-X5000, but I can say that you will hardly notice them if you are just starting to learn piano. So for beginners CT-X3000 would be definitely enough. Big plus is that you can insert batteries into it and take this keyboard with you on a picnic or anywhere you like. With CT-X5000 this will not work, because it doesn’t have battery support. But if it doesn’t matter to you, If you are serious on playing and experimenting with sound and have additional couple of hundred dollars, then you should choose CT-X5000 with its most incredible powerful sound system, microphone support, and more sound modification options.

Casio LK-series keyboards

As you probably know, the name LK stands for Lighted Keys – Casio Key Lighting System used together with integrated learning system: the keys are lighted indicating which notes to play, which should make it easier for beginners to find the right key and is a fun feature for kids. Most professionals, and me also, agree that lighted keys are a gimmick. It will help you to learn how to play some pieces of music, but won’t help you to learn Music. So if your goal is just have fun and learn some tunes fast – then LK keyboards will be good for you. But you won’t need it if you study seriously, in that case I recommend you looking at the CTK-series or higher level CGP-series digital piano. There are 3 most popular Casio keyboards in this product line – LK-190, LK-265, LK-280. First I’ll compare them to each other and then discuss the highlights and drawbacks of each device.

LK-190 LK-265 LK-280 Number of keys 61 piano-style

No touch response 61 piano style

Touch response 61 piano-style

Touch response Polyphony 48 48 48 Tones 400 400 600 Rhythms 100 100 180 Built-in Songs 60 60 152 Chordana App Support No Yes No Layer/Split No No Yes Dance music mode Yes Yes No Lesson mode Yes Yes Yes Metronome Yes Yes Yes MIDI interface No No Yes (over USB) Recorder No No 5 songs, 6 tracks Dimensions (inch) 37.2" x 12.1" x 3.6" 37.2" x 12.1" x 3.6" 37.2” x 13.7” x 4.1” Speakers 3.9"x2 (2x2W) 3.9"x2 (2x2W) 4.7”x2 (2x2.5W) Connections

Pedal Input

Phones/Output

Microphone Input

Pedal Input

Phones/Output

Microphone Input

Audio In

Pedal Input

Phones/Output

Microphone Input

Audio In

USB Type B

Memory Card No No Yes (SD Card up to 32Gb) Weight 7.9 lbs 7.9 lbs 9.9 lbs AC adapter 9.5V DC 9.5V DC 9.5V DC AD-E95100L AD-E95100L AD-E95100L Batteries (optional) AAx6 AAx6 AAx6

LK-190 and LK-265

These two keyboards look the same and are very similar by characteristics and LK-265 costs just a little more than LK-190. The keyboard has 48 notes polyphony, 400 tones and 100 rhythms. You can learn to play 60 built-in songs using the integrated Step up Lesson system, and lighted keys will help you find the right key to press when learning (Note that no more than 4 keys can lit at once). The bad thing is that the lessons are very short and some parts of the songs are cut out from learning system. LK-265 is the only keyboard in LK series which is compatible with Cordana App: you can download your favorite music in Midi format, connect your device’s headphone output to LK-265 Audio input, and practice hand by hand with keys lighting up as the tune is playing. If we talk about drawbacks, I can say that I wasn’t impressed with the LCD screen of LK-265. It feels like Casio took this screen from one of their 1990’s calculators. It didn’t even have backlit (c’mon Casio, even the keys light up, and you couldn’t add a couple of LEDs to the screen?). The keys in LK-265 are touch sensitive, and in LK-190 they are not, that means in LK-190 it doesn’t matter you press the key hard or soft, the sound volume will be always the same. But you can’t expect more from a beginner keyboard. Among these two I would prefer LK-265, it’s just a little more expensive then LK-190, but offers a touch responsive keyboard, and Chordana App support. The lighting keys are ok for learning; they will especially delight 3-5 year old kids, who will learn to play with more interest. Note that all LK keyboards are for kids or very beginners. If you plan to study seriously, then you will have to upgrade to a better keyboard with weighted keys after the first year.

LK-280

LK-280 is the top keyboard in Casio LK lineup. It has the largest number of tones, rhythms and demo songs, than the younger LK models, plus the ability to load your own songs in MIDI format and integrate them into the learning system. I like the Casio Step-up learning system: it allows you to divide the song into sections and gives you grade based on how well you play. First it plays the song for you (listen mode), then you play along with it with keys lighting up (watch mode), and finally you play by memory (remember mode). You can slow down the tempo until you are done with some part and play it correctly. If you are not interested in learning how to read scores and just want to quickly learn some tune – this feature is for you. The bad thing about the lesson system and your own MIDI files on LK-280 is that if you want to divide file into small parts for practice, you can’t specify the split point. It splits it by equal parts, and it may be in the middle of the phrase. However there is no such problem with internal songs, they are divided logically. May there is a way to do this for custom MIDI files, but I didn’t find it out for a couple of days I tested this model. Actually LK-280 has a lot of functionality, but some of the functions are really hard to find. You will have to look at the tutorial or search for instructions on YouTube. LK-280 has the largest number of connection ports among all LK models, cause it additionally offers USB type-B port to connect it to your computer and transfer MIDI files. It also has a built-in sequencer which allows you to record 5 songs (6 tracks each)into internal memory. And another useful feature is SD card compatibility to save your data to or from keyboard to the card. If we talk about packages available, I can say that at the time of that review Amazon offered only one package which includes the keyboard itself and the power supply. So be sure to buy some solid electronic stand for your LK-280, as well as sustain pedal, and headphones for training in silence. I recommend Casio LK-280 for those who are not very serious about learning music, but who wants to quickly learn some songs. With the help Casio learning system and a little perseverance you will achieve that very quickly. Also kids will have fun with lighting keys, but for 3-5 year old children there is no need to overpay for the top model, because LK-190 or LK-265 would be enough for them. For those of you who are serious about learning piano I recommend looking for digital piano, not the keyboard. Because after a year or so you will find out that you need weighted keys, wide 88-key keyboard, and more natural sound. I will describe Casio digital pianos in the next part of the article.

Casio Stage Pianos – Ideal Instrument in Compact Form Factor

As the name states stage pianos are portable pianos mostly used for live performances on stage. They are usually light-weight and easy to carry, have 88-key weighted keyboard. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use them at home! Both professional musicians and students have Casio stage piano at home because they are compact, portable, and feel and sound very similar to the real piano. I picked out most popular Casio stage piano models for review from different price range: PX-160, PX-350, PX-560 and CGP-700. PX-160 PX-360 PX-560 CGP-700 Keyboard 88 keys weighted (SHA II) 88 keys weighted (SHA II) 88 keys weighted (SHA II) 88 keys weighted (SHA II) Sound Engine AiR MXi Polyphony 128 128 256 128 Built-in Tones 18 550 650 550 Accompaniment 60 Yes Yes? Yes? Rhythms - 200 200 200 User Rhythms - 10 30 -? Rhythm Editor - Yes Yes -? Demo Songs 6 6 6 Sequencer 2 tracks 16 tracks 16 tracks 16 tracks 1 song 100 songs 100 songs 100 songs Split/Layer Yes Yes Yes Yes Duet mode Yes Yes Yes Yes LCD Display No 5.3” Touch Screen 5.3” Touch Screen 5.3” Touch Screen Pedals SP-3 (included) SP-3 (included) SP-3 (included) SP-3 (included) SP-33 (optional) 3-pedal unit SP-33 (optional) 3-pedal unit SP-33 (optional) 3-pedal unit SP-33 (optional) 3-pedal unit Half-Damper pedal Operation with SP-33 Half-Damper pedal Operation with SP-33 Half-Damper pedal Operation with SP-33 Connections

Phones (2xMini Jack)

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Connection for Sustain pedal

Connector for optional pedal unit

Line Out (L/R ¼” Jack)

Usb-to-Host

USB (to host)

USB (to device)

Pedal x2

Connector for 3-Pedal Unit

MIDI IN/OUT

PHONES/OUTPUT x2 (Stereo Standard)

LINE IN

LINE OUT

AUX IN

USB (to host)

USB (to device)

Pedal x2

Connector for 3-Pedal Unit

MIDI IN/OUT

PHONES/OUTPUT x2 (Stereo Standard)

LINE IN

LINE OUT

AUX IN

USB (to host)

USB (to device)

Pedal x2

Connector for 3-Pedal Unit

PHONES/OUTPUT x2 (Stereo Standard)

LINE OUT

AUX IN

Speaker Jack (for included speaker stand)

Speakers 2x4.7” (2x8W) 4.73" x 2

1.97" x 2

(2x8W) 4.73" x 2

1.97" x 2

(2x8W) 4.7”x2

2”x2

(2x20W) Dimensions 52" x 11.5" x 5.6" 52.0" x 11.5" x 5.5" 52.0" x 11.5" x 5.8" 52" x 11.5" x 5.5" 52" x 11.5" x 31.2" (with stand) Weight 25.5 lbs 26.2 lbs 26.5 lbs 26.2 lbs (56.7 lbs with stand) Included Accessories Pedal (SP-3), AC Adaptor (AD-A12150), Music Stand Ac Adapter, Pedal (SP-3), Score Stand Ac Adapter, Pedal (SP-3), Score Stand Ac Adapter, Pedal (SP-3), Matching Stand with speakers, Score Stand Optional Accessories 3 Pedal System (SP-33), Keyboard Stand (CS-67) 3 Pedal System (SP-33), Keyboard Stand (CS-67) 3 Pedal System (SP-33), Keyboard Stand (CS-67) 3 Pedal System (SP-33)

PX-160 – Casio Beginner Stage Piano

PX-160 on Casio website: https://www.casio.com/products/electronic-musical-instruments/stage-pianos/px-160

PX-160 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/311O1FV

PX-160 is the entry level Casio stage piano. Though it is rather cheap, but it has all you need to take piano lessons or play on your own. The successor of very popular Casio PX-150 this piano is so called Casio “classic”. It features AiR Sound Source (Acoustic and intelligent Resonator) and Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard, which simulates Ebony and Ivory textured keys and has 3 sensors to capture the dynamics of your performance. I like Casio GHA II action very much except for one thing (see below). I should say here, that when I played Casio PX-160 I noticed that the SHA II keyboard sensitivity on fast pieces, where you need to play the same note repeatedly, sometimes doesn’t register the key press played faster than the certain rate. There isn’t such problem when playing different notes fast enough, but only occurs if playing the same key repeatedly. Probably you will never notice it, especially if you are just starting to learn the piano, but for professionals maybe this note will be useful. There is no LED screen on PX-160. But this is not a big problem, cause this piano has only basic functions, which are easily controlled by the lighted buttons.

Now let’s jump to the good things which Casio PX-160 has.

88 fully weighted keys with touch response (Tri-Sensor SHA II piano action, higher level Casio PX-350 has the same) – ideal keyboard for piano learning and playing PX-160 can be turned into home digital piano with Casio furniture-style keyboard stand CS-67P

Very lightweight (11.5 lbs) and portable

2-track recorder. You can record your performance hand by hand, and then overlay – nice feature for recording some complicated piece Split and layer. These functions allow dividing keyboard into 2 parts to play for example bass in the left hand, and layer two instruments in the right hand. Duet mode. Divide keyboard into two parts to play along with the teacher. Powerful 2x8W sound system combined with Casio AiR sound engine provides great high quality piano sound sampled from 9-foot concert grand piano. PX-160 has some other instruments voices such as organ, harpsichord, 3 electric pianos, strings

USB connectivity

What I like in PX-160 is that it is very simple, it doesn’t have a lot of extra features; it is easy to use. Most functions are marked right above the keys and can be controlled by pressing Function key with relevant button. And I think PX-160 is the best piano for the value. I recommend it to my students who want to have a good instrument from the very beginning, or to enthusiastic amateurs who are on budget.

PX-160 vs Yamaha P-125

My friends and colleagues know that I am big Yamaha fan. Casio and Yamaha digital pianos and keyboards are often compared with each other. Casio PX-160 is direct competitor of Yamaha P-125 (see my P-125 review here), they are similar by functions; and many students ask me which one is better. I tried both of them and this is what I think. I liked Casio’s Tri-Sensor SHA II keyboard action more than Yamaha’s 2-sensor GHS (Graded Hammer Standard). Yamaha’s keyboard seemed more slippery and not very comfortable to play on. As for the piano sound, at first it seemed to me that Yamaha sounds a little better than Casio. But that’s ok if you consider that P-125 has just been released in 2018 and PX-160 is several years old model. I don’t think you will feel any sound difference if you are just beginning your lessons. And after playing PX-160 for one day I got used to its sound, and I think it is not bad at all. Anyway I would choose better keyboard action instead of better sound, so Casio is the winner in my opinion. So my suggestion to you – test both of them if they are available at your local store. If not, choose Casio PX-160 if you are on budget, and choose Yamaha P-125 if you are fan of new technologies and want a fresh modern device. But as these pianos are very close to each other, you won’t regret anyway.

PX-360 and PX-350

Casio PX-360 is the latest generation of the Privia portable digital piano line. This model has not exactly replaced the Casio PX-350, these two models are being produced in parallel. PX-360 has received a number of modifications, but is it worth overpaying for PX-360 or you should buy PX-350? Let’s see. The keyboard of PX-360 is Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action II, this is the same as in younger model PX-160 and in previous generation PX-350. Casio PX-360 has 550 built-in tones, which is at the level of a good synthesizer. It has standard 128 polyphony notes. Of course, many performers would like to have polyphony of at least 192 notes, but high-quality piano tones in combination with the latest Linear Morphing technology provide great dynamic nuances of sound and the polyphony seems enough for that piano. One of the Casio PX-360 main features is the large touch-responsive display, which provides very simple intuitive control over all instrument parameters and moreover looks very modern.

If we talk about connections, PX-360 has the following connections onboard:

USB (to host)

USB (to device)

Pedal x2

Connector for 3-Pedal Unit

MIDI IN/OUT

PHONES/OUTPUT x2 (Stereo Standard)

LINE IN

LINE OUT

AUX IN

As compared with PX-350 we have one additional input (Aux In) for external audio devices. The most noticeable difference in the exterior of PX-360 in comparison with PX-350 is large and juicy display located in the center of the main panel. PX-350 used to have old-style 2-line display and rather “awkward” interface. The PX-360 now has less buttons, because touch screen display provides much easier functions control. The rest of the design has not changed significantly. It is all the same compact and lightweight body with elegant curves. And small weight (PX-360 weighs only ~26 lbs) is the feature of all Privia series – this is what I like it for. As for color, PX-360 is available only in black, while the Casio PX-350 is also available in white color. Some trifle which always annoyed me a little in PX-350 is the power switch, which is located on top panel near the great octave of the keyboard. I pressed it accidentally several times while playing and everything turned off. In PX-360 Casio has improved this. You now have to press the button for a while before the power is turned off. Though this modification seems small, but I found it very useful. And another thing which I liked in newer PX-360 is the dedicated Grand Piano button on the panel, which was absent on previous generation PX. Now you can switch to piano voice in one touch, just as on Yamaha digital pianos, which had this button from the very beginning. But PX-350 is much cheaper than PX-360, one may say. Yes it is. You should decide if you are ready to overpay for newer release, beautiful and functional touch screen, more built-in tones and Aux In. These are the main differences you are paying for in PX-360 in comparison with PX-350. Personally I would prefer PX-360 because I like everything new and modern. But if you are planning just to play piano and your usage of additional features is limited to 1-2 times per year, then you should certainly save money and go for PX-350, the piano sound and feel of these two models is the same. Both PX-350 and PX-360 are good digital pianos for beginners and advanced pianists, which allow you both to play the piano, to record your music, and to relax with all the nice bells and whistles these pianos have. PX-350 PX-360 Built-in Tones 250 550 Chorus/Reverb Types 4 16 Rhythms 180 200 Sequencer (MIDI recorder) 16 tracks

5 songs 16 tracks

100 songs LCD Display 2-line 5.3” Touch Screen Connections

USB (to host)

USB (to device)

Pedal (Damper)

Connector for 3-Pedal Unit

MIDI IN/OUT

PHONES/OUTPUT x2 (Stereo Standard)

LINE IN

LINE OUT

USB (to host)

USB (to device)

Pedal x2

Connector for 3-Pedal Unit

MIDI IN/OUT

PHONES/OUTPUT x2 (Stereo Standard)

LINE IN

LINE OUT

AUX IN

Device Colors Black, White Black Speakers (5.1" x 2.4") x2

2.0" x 2

(2x8W) 4.73" x 2

1.97" x 2

(2x8W) Dimensions 52.05" x 11.26" x 5.31" 52.0" x 11.5" x 5.5" Weight 25.5 lbs 26.2 lbs Check Price

PX-560 vs PX-360

The PX-560 model is a high level Casio compact piano. Casio engineers included all the features of PX-360 into this model, and of course added some interesting functions which you may like. Let’s talk a little more about it. Both of these models have 5.3” color LCD touch-screen, and it looks the same at first site, but only until you dive inside the menu. Here are some features PX-560 has versus PX-360: Tone editor. Depending on the selected tone it allows you to edit many tone parameters, such as Pitch, Filter, Amp, Effect, Pan and other

Rhythm editor

Besides pitch band wheel on the left (PX-360 also has it), PX-560 has modulation wheel, and 3 assignable controller wheels

Arpeggiator

Equalizer

Hex Layer function – this function has been borrowed from PX-5S piano, it allows to combine several different tones into one preset and to create sound arrays by dividing keyboard into zones

256 polyphony notes (vs 128 in PX-360)

650 tones and 220 styles (vs 550 tones and 200 styles in PX-360)

Set of connections on PX-360 and PX-560 is identical.

As per sound, PX-560 and PX-360 use the same AiR sound source with equal grand piano samples, so they sound very similar. The keyboard is also identical – both pianos have 88-keys weighted (SHA II) keyboard with 3 sensors, which I like very much. To summarize, Casio PX-560 is a more advanced version of the Casio PX-360, with more tones and sound control features. If you don’t need them you can go for PX-360: this way you will save some money and won’t lose anything.

PX-360 vs CGP-700

CGP-700 is a compact Casio piano. As the title says, it doesn’t belong to Privia product line-up, though if you compare characteristics of CGP-700 and Privia PX-360, you will find out that they are very similar. There are some differences; I will describe them briefly below.

Features of CGP-700, which PX-360 doesn’t have:

Matching wooden keyboard stand with integrated additional low-frequency speakers is included into package, which adds additional power to the CGP-700 sound. The stand can be easily detached and the piano becomes as compact and lightweight as PX-360 CGP-700 uses different sound engine called MXi (multi expressive integrated sound source) vs AiR (Acoustic Intelligent Resonator) in PX models. Both of these engines use high-quality grand piano samples, but MXi lacks string resonance, key-off and hammer response simulation, and linear morphing. You won’t notice the difference between them if you play in the mix with the band, but this difference can be slightly heard if you listen to solo piano sound, especially through headphones. For some of you it can be valuable information: CGP-700 uses 24V AC adapter (it needs enough power for speakers built into the stand), while all Privia pianos have 12V input, so they are not compatible.

Features of PX-360 which CGP-700 lacks:

With PX-360 you can create built-in audio accompaniments and original user presets

PX-360 has ¼ line inputs and MIDI in/out/through connections

Below is a Casio official video on CGP-700.

Besides the mentioned these two pianos are pretty much the same. So if you are looking for advice which piano to choose among them – I recommend paying extra hundred dollars for PX-360 if you are a gigging musician and rarely use piano at home. And if you are buying piano for home concerts, then CGP-700 with its furniture-style stand and integrated powerful speakers is your choice.

pickmypiano.com - Overview of Casio Digital Pianos and Keyboards

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