Casio Revisited - withstanding the test of time?

[Garrafon]

I have seen amd read through the various Privia threads on here. My question is more specific. For those of you who have now used/gigged with the Privias for a reasonable amount of time - from a physical standpoint, do these boards seem like they will withstand regular playing, transporting, and gigging? Are the sturdy enough to "take it"?

 

I am considering lightening my DP load and the Privia line is a contender...

 

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[Skinny]

I gigged with an old PX100 for a couple years. Never had a problem with it. Wasn't the most ideal gigging board, because of the 1/8" output, but it was all I could afford at the time; got it at Best Buy for $300. But as far as durability, I think it was fine.

 

Lovin' my CP33 now.

[Jim Alfredson]

Been using the PX-330 on the road with Janiva Magness since April. I can't remember how many gigs we've done. The Privia still looks brand new and plays great. Of course, I splurged and got a really nice hard case for it, but that's a given considering all the gigs and traveling we're doing.

[PianoMan51]

Newbie here.

 

I've been using a Privia 300 for about seven years. Had it out on at least a hundred gigs. Carry it in a padded gig bag. Use it in the studio to control the Bluthner Digital Model One (its a heavier action and gives me much more control of timbre than the Fatar action in my K2500). Given all its warts (wall wart, crappy non-piano sounds, f(*&ing rhythm machine that always mysteriously turns on in the middle of my piano solo, loud key noise, etc.) I have not had a single failure or problem.

 

An earlier discussion had some folks commenting on Kurzweil being built to last, and Casio being plastic ready to break. The fallacy in this argument is that my K2500 weighs about 85 lbs. It has to have a metal frame. But the Casio, being in the mid-20s does very well with a stiff plastic case.

 

I played a dixieland gig last night with the Casio and a Mackie SRM-150. Sang into the Mackie too. Was my sound exemplary? Hell no, but my playing was. (a beat-up upright in the 20s wouldn't have been exemplary either. )

 

Take this thing for what it is. If you're like me, and you play a lot of lo-fi gigs (restaurants, bars, big-bands) where a perfect piano sound would be wasted, it's a terrific compromise of sound, price and weight.

 

 

 

 

[Michelle ggurl]

Wow, thanks for the input everyone, and thank you Garrafon for starting this topic! I'm looking for a lightweight stage piano and was somewhat entertaining the notion of the Casios (I do think I prefer the action on the Yamahas so I am weighing my options) so this is helpful info.

[acidolem]

Hi,Privias rock! I've gigged 5 or 6 years on a PX300. Replaced the ac adapter twice but the keyboard never disappoints except for that drum machine button getting hit,.,~~ operator error. I like my PX 300 better than my PX330 so if your in the twin cities , I have one for sale. I guess this review turned 2 spam.

[BigJPatton]

Been gigging with a PX-310 for about 3 years now, a soft case for easy-on-the-gear local gigs, and a hard case for others, it seems to be holding up fine, even the flimsy power supply keeps on working and I thought that would fail by now for sure.

[Josh Paxton]

Got my 310 in 2005, and gigged with it regularly till I got my SV-1 late last year. Considered selling the Privia at that time, but decided to keep it as a backup. Was very happy with that decision when I broke a key on the SV-1, which is still in the shop waiting for replacement parts to come in. So in the mean time I'm back to using the Privia four nights a week. It's certainly no SV-1, but for what it is, it does a fine job, has held up well, and has never given me any problems.

[AnotherScott]

from a physical standpoint, do these boards seem like they will withstand regular playing, transporting, and gigging? Are the sturdy enough to "take it"?

 

In my experience, yes. As long as you're transporting it yourself, and have it in a case (a soft one will do), they have been darn reliable in my experience. I don't know if I'd be quite as confident if I was buying one for a gear rental company or a show with a road crew, I don't know how much the plastic would survive drops and such, but if you're halfway careful with it, they seem as reliable as anything.

 

The only problems I've had were my own fault, really. On one model, I was using the 1/8" side headphone outputs to go into the PA (it was a model with no 1/4" outs), and I banged into them enough that they had to be replaced. I did manage to drop another model, and it continued to work fine, though I thought maybe the keyboard (or maybe some kind of "felt" inside) had shifted, because I thought the keys felt "clunkier" but it was certainly playable, and I had a tech look at it and he said he didn't see any problem. I also worried maybe I'd done something to the speakers, because at one point I thought they started to distort more when I cranked it, but again, the tech said they were okay. Sometimes you can't be sure whether something was always like that, you know? Anyway, considering the number of gigs I did with it, I certainly can't complain. And at the start, I didn't even have a case! I'd also dropped the wall wart a number of times, crossed my fingers that it was okay... it always was. The newer ones seem likely to be less fragile, too. Less heavy, anyway!

[bluesdisciple]

I don't have a Privia, but I do have a Wk 3700. I have gigged and hauled it to practice now for about 4 or 5 years with no problems. Like many said, I use a soft case for it too.

 

It doesn't have a scratch on it and it plays now just as good as the day I bought it. Best $400 I ever spent on gear.

 

BD

[AUSSIEKEYS]

I was one of the first on here [blah blah blah] to spruke about how good my PX300 was...infact the only other privia spruker at the time was Hobo who did some great experimental tech stuff to his by removing the speakers and confided to us the difference in weight was not worth the effort...anyone know what happened to Hobo..he had some good tech info back then.

 

I said then these are made tough enough for their weight...[due to their corregated plastic underneath..creating the strength,]...fortunatly mine proved my words and lasted me to be replaced by the PX 330...but you know what..I was very sorry to let the 300 go...it was super reliable and infact was an ex rep demo model so it had worked hard before i got it, and it never showed any playing wear factors ,all keys were level, no undue clicking, no wobbly keys, it came to me with a few scratches as he had never put it in a roadcase or bag [yes plastic scratches..but so does paint, alloy, etc]...it just went on and on..

 

I was tempted to keep it but with over 20 keyboards I had to cull things a bit.

 

I had previously a WK1500 76 note keyboard [niece has it now], realy the forunner of the skinny portables...introduced the WK range but in a way paved the way for the privia..a skinny 76 note lightweight board..

it lasted many parties, walk up songwriting nites, or backing nites at the local country music club [didnt want to lug my heavier pro gear]..truley a reliable and versitile toy keyboard that was easy to carry to non pro gigs and with GM was passable for what I was using it for..

 

It paved the way for me to accept Privias before the masses did...not to mention the fantastic Casio AZ1 sling-on [keytar] that showed me casio could market a pro controller that was better than the current "pro" manufacturers could make.

 

It took years before the Casio stigma dissolved from the Privia...but its certainly changed around now..so I better find another unloved brand to campaign for now...my duty is done...ha ha.

[David Loving]

I have been using a 330. about 3-4 months. It works very well. 25 lbs and sounds good. I am never going back!

[Rost Vavrick]

On my px330, after month and a half of daily usage, one of the keys dropped down and stuck. Had to bring piano to the local casio authorized repair shop. Good thing it weights only 25lb

 

Love the keyboard. Wobbly, cheap, plastic feeling keys though.

[JeffLearman]

On the 330, can you set up patches to silence the internal sounds and send on different MIDI channels?

 

One of the uses I'd have for this keyboard would be as a piano and also controller for laptop, if it could do this and change between modes or MIDI channels quickly & easily.

 

If not, the P3-X would be the better choice for this application.

[Ken Beaumont]

You can silence the internal sounds and transmit midi but its not very flexible at all. The PX-3 would be a far better choice as a controller for a laptop.

[Hobo]

Still here Aussiekeys! And I still have the privia. It still works as new but I don't use it since I started building my own keys. Never let me down though, and would happily recommend Casios as a giggable instrument.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Still here Aussiekeys! And I still have the privia. It still works as new but I don't use it since I started building my own keys. Never let me down though, and would happily recommend Casios as a giggable instrument.

 

mate so good to hear that...your interesting posts were great...enjoyed learning from you

 

wow...making your own keys...gotta know more...have you a thread you have written on here?

 

cheers aussie

[pjprevitejr]

I bought a PX-330 when it first came out and played it on somewhere around 180 gigs, carrying it in a "Privia" padded bag. It has never let me down and it plays as good at the day I received it. I've retired it to the house as a practice keyboard now that I have the PX-3. I've played it on 8 gigs, thus far, (still using the original padded bag) and it's playing just fine. I sure don't miss the automatic drummer starting up on it's own in the middle of playing a tune (my own fault).

[CEB]

My old Casio CZ-1 was built like a tank.

 

[AnotherScott]

I sure don't miss the automatic drummer starting up on it's own in the middle of playing a tune (my own fault).

 

Ah yes. I've had that happen too.

[Ken Beaumont]

Originally Posted By: pjprevitejr

I sure don't miss the automatic drummer starting up on it's own in the middle of playing a tune (my own fault).

 

Yup! been there! I hate were they put the rhythm buttons on the 330!

[Joe Muscara]

Where are they located? I just tried to look at some pictures but couldn't spot them. I don't see anything close to the keyboard itself, but I could be missing it.

[Ken Beaumont]

Right next to the volume knob about the 4th button over to the right fairly close to the keyboard. The space looks greater from the picture on sweetwater looking down. But the space between the buttons and the keys is beveled at an angle. Which forces your middle digits on to the button. I've hit with a stray digit doing fast chromatic octave walk ups.

Its a touchy little bugger. I have also hit it reaching for the volume. Not often, but all it takes is once mid song in a gig! Then you have to "find" the stop button on a dimly lit stage!

[Brad Kaenel]

I sure don't miss the automatic drummer starting up on it's own in the middle of playing a tune (my own fault).

 

The PX-330 does have a Panel Lock feature. I wish it was a little more convenient (or had a dedicated button like the CP300), but you'll find it about 8 pages down in the Function menu.

[Mark Schmieder]

I've been listening to the four weirdo instrumentals that I recorded in the 80's with my own custom CZ-101 patches recently, and am amazed at what a ballsy synth that was!

 

If one used only one's eyes, it was hard to believe. If one simply listens and ignores any visions of what the synth looked like, in many ways it went beyond the expressivity of the DX7.

 

The CZ-1 was built like a tank, but had extremely low output -- although that is typical of older synths and electric pianos.

[acidolem]

My old Casio CZ-1 was built like a tank.

I wonder if dudes in the military say "this old tank was built like a Casio"

[AUSSIEKEYS]

My old Casio CZ-1 was built like a tank.

I wonder if dudes in the military say "this old tank was built like a Casio"

 

hah...love it..

 

 

[CEB]

....

 

The CZ-1 was built like a tank, but had extremely low output -- although that is typical of older synths and electric pianos.

Sounds sort of like year's Bears D-line.

[pjprevitejr]

I've been playing my PX-3 for several months now and have performed dozens of gigs with it. I transport it in the "Privia" soft case. It's still looks, sounds and plays wonderfully. No problems wth anything. I also still have my PX-330, which I leave set up at home for a practice keyboard. The internal speakers are handy as I don't have to plug it into an amp to hear it.

[MoKen]

I bought the PX-3 in August. Light gigging and heavy practicing. 2 weeks ago one key started making an odd noise - the key itself, not the output. It still worked fine, just made an odd noise. Notified Sweetwater. They sent me a new one.