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Casio Privia PX-S1000 ($600) and S3000 ($800)


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My S1000 arrived today. I also have the three pedal unit (top tip: I find the cheapo sustain pedal that Casio ships with the piano makes an excellent rotor speed switch for your organ). Overall, I'm very impressed. Here are some bullet points:

 

* The build quality and finish is really nice, even though it's basically shiny black plastic.

 

* The music stand, for those of us who occasionally use one, is a big improvement.

 

* The keybed is outstanding almost at any price, and certainly at this one. It feels wonderful under the hands and the keys have a crisp, assured bounce-back. If you had any doubts about the pivot point regarding the length of the keys, forget them. I specifically improvised for a while in flat keys to test this and even in Gb, no issues for me even towards the fallboard end. I would add, however, that I'm classically trained and play with hands well raised and curved fingers. If you're perhaps self-taught and use a flatter finger technique, I could _perhaps_ imagine this might be a _slight_ issue.

 

* Though the piano sample is substantially improved on the PX-5S, you do still have that slight 'plinkiness' in the mid-range. However, I found this could be somewhat improved by turning on the 'surround sound' feature. This could well be just a positioning/monitoring issue, to be honest.

 

* Perhaps of slightly more concern is that the decay of notes, particularly in the lower half, seems rather artificially long and too slow to drop off in volume.

 

* I can't see myself using any of the other tones on the S1000 other than in a pinch, but the piano is what I bought it for.

 

* The built-in speakers are fine for background cocktail piano in a small to medium-size room, though adding an external speaker naturally makes for a more enjoyable experience. If you're doing this, I would recommend a speaker which has some built-in EQ controls. My K10 is a bit bassy and I could really do with rolling some of that stuff off. Fortunately, Casio seem to have learned their lesson from the PX-150 I had back in the day, in that you can add and blend in an extra speaker without any shenanigans.

 

* The SP-34 triple pedal unit is a must have. The pedals are shorter than you might expect and a little close together (if you have clodhopper feet like mine), but all work as you'd expect and this is a must-buy, in my opinion. The good news is that it's not too heavy to not take along all the time, and the generous amount of rubber on the bottom does a good job of stopping it from moving around.

 

* I'm still waiting for the Casio carry case to be delivered, so will add my thoughts on that later.

 

* As a gigging proposition for a travelling solo pianist, this is immense. 11kg, great action and a good tone that will more than pass muster I wouldn't hesitate. If you need anything else, I'd check out the S3000.

 

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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My S1000 arrived today. I also have the three pedal unit (top tip: I find the cheapo sustain pedal that Casio ships with the piano makes an excellent rotor speed switch for your organ). Overall, I'm very impressed. Here are some bullet points:

 

* The build quality and finish is really nice, even though it's basically shiny black plastic.

 

* The music stand, for those of us who occasionally use one, is a big improvement.

 

* The keybed is outstanding almost at any price, and certainly at this one. It feels wonderful under the hands and the keys have a crisp, assured bounce-back. If you had any doubts about the pivot point regarding the length of the keys, forget them. I specifically improvised for a while in flat keys to test this and even in Gb, no issues for me even towards the fallboard end. I would add, however, that I'm classically trained and play with hands well raised and curved fingers. If you're perhaps self-taught and use a flatter finger technique, I could _perhaps_ imagine this might be a _slight_ issue.

 

* Though the piano sample is substantially improved on the PX-5S, you do still have that slight 'plinkiness' in the mid-range. However, I found this could be somewhat improved by turning on the 'surround sound' feature. This could well be just a positioning/monitoring issue, to be honest.

 

* Perhaps of slightly more concern is that the decay of notes, particularly in the lower half, seems rather artificially long and too slow to drop off in volume.

 

* I can't see myself using any of the other tones on the S1000 other than in a pinch, but the piano is what I bought it for.

 

* The built-in speakers are fine for background cocktail piano in a small to medium-size room, though adding an external speaker naturally makes for a more enjoyable experience. If you're doing this, I would recommend a speaker which has some built-in EQ controls. My K10 is a bit bassy and I could really do with rolling some of that stuff off. Fortunately, Casio seem to have learned their lesson from the PX-150 I had back in the day, in that you can add and blend in an extra speaker without any shenanigans.

 

* The SP-34 triple pedal unit is a must have. The pedals are shorter than you might expect and a little close together (if you have clodhopper feet like mine), but all work as you'd expect and this is a must-buy, in my opinion. The good news is that it's not too heavy to not take along all the time, and the generous amount of rubber on the bottom does a good job of stopping it from moving around.

 

* I'm still waiting for the Casio carry case to be delivered, so will add my thoughts on that later.

 

* As a gigging proposition for a travelling solo pianist, this is immense. 11kg, great action and a good tone that will more than pass muster I wouldn't hesitate. If you need anything else, I'd check out the S3000.

 

Would you have considered the S3000 instead to see if there are more serviceable sounds beyond the main acoustic piano sample set? Or was weight, price and the piano sound what the doctor ordered?

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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We all must of received are keyboards on the same day . I went with the S 3000 , if I were to compare the action to my other keyboards the closet one would be my Kawai MP11. The action has the same smooth buttery feeling , only lighter and faster .It is shallower but is very easy to play , no fatigue at all . The first Grand piano that pops up on the screen is my favorite . I had it sitting across from my Dexibell and compared it to the Japanese Platinum piano sound , the Casio is not as lush soundingng as the Dexibell but it does have a nice piano sound of its own , the piano sound has a shorter decay then the Dexibell and is not as intricate and detailed ,but it still sounds great .If you play Jazz this piano is perfect cause of the quick action and the piano sound which compliment each other . It would also be great for a country rock band for a song like call me the breeze because its so quick and easy to play . The only thing I am having trouble with is trying to find out a way to switch the layered parts off and on without going through a lot of button pushing . I've only had one night with it but this is for sure a nice little keyboard .
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I'm a jazz pianist. I got the S3000 to lighten my load for rehearsals, and it's turned out to be good enough that it's coming to my next gig. For the last 3-4 years I have been using Pianoteq, usually into the Spacestation v3 amp for gigs. I needed to make an EQ preset to calibrate the speakers (flatten the output of the SSV3 with pink noise) to enable it to project AP in an accurate-sounding way, at least to my ears. By happy coincidence (?) the S3000 seems to pair unusually well with my SSV3, and its AP sounds great.

 

I'll add just a few comments and tips to the above, related to AP only:

 

Pianos: The first 3 pianos (001-003 Grand Piano Concert) seem to be samples from a distant mic perspective, similar to that used for recording classical piano. I found them nice through headphones, but murky through speakers into a room, even with reverb off. The 004 Stage Piano is a close-mic version that works best for me through speakers. Clear and close-miced, like most piano in a jazz group.

 

Knobs: I set the Knob Set to Brilliance/Reverb, so I can control Brilliance with Knob 1 and Reverb Send with Knob 2. I set Reverb to Room 2 (I think another poster suggested this too), but I roll off the reverb entirely when playing through SSV3. I also found, in 2 different rehearsal rooms, that rolling off Brilliance is the only EQ I need to make the SSV3 to sound "right" for the room. In fact, it really surprised me how well the S3000 paired with the SSV3, without my EQ calibration preset. So far, the Brilliance control is all I've needed to fit the sound to a particular room.

 

Pedals: This was a disappointment. I'm used to Pianoteq, along with one of the Fatar triple pedals, which enables the continuous damper pedaling you get with a real piano. It seems like it would have been possible to enable continuous or half-pedaling in the Casio with already available hardware, but Casio chose to go with their proprietary unit that only enables half-pedaling. The use of a typical on/off switch sustain pedal on this Casio cause a pretty abrupt cut-off in sound, as the damper pedal is lifted, IMO. It will be pretty apparent if you play solo. I know it's a relatively inexpensive keyboard, but given all the bells and whistles included, you'd think this basic pianist's tool would be implemented.

 

As others have commented, the keyboard action is really good, quite an engineering feat in this form factor. It feels reassuringly solid and even. Note repetition is natural and as fast as you can play. It just feels good to play this keyboard as a piano.

 

If you're a pianist looking for a lightweight keyboard that lets you play and sound like a pianist, definitely check it out.

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Disclaimer, I haven't tried it - but I believe the "assignable / expression" pedal input can be assigned to SUSTAIN. This means that a continuous pedal from another manufacturer could potentially be used for half pedaling.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network

 

The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for.

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Disclaimer, I haven't tried it - but I believe the "assignable / expression" pedal input can be assigned to SUSTAIN. This means that a continuous pedal from another manufacturer could potentially be used for half pedaling.

I've tried it with an expression pedal and it works! But its quite odd to use an expression pedal rather than a more standard style sustain pedal - takes some getting used to.

PianoManChuck

Authorized reseller: Casio, Dexibell, Kurzweil, Nord, iLoud, Viscount

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Would you have considered the S3000 instead to see if there are more serviceable sounds beyond the main acoustic piano sample set? Or was weight, price and the piano sound what the doctor ordered?

 

I don't think there's any difference in weight between the two models, or if there is it's trivial. No, I just needed an instrument for solo piano jobs, whether cocktail stuff, accompanying a choir etc. Anything which takes me beyond that, and I already have the MODX8, which is more flexible anyway. Also I liked the slightly cleaner stylings of the 1000, and I saved a couple of hundred pounds in the process.

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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Disclaimer, I haven't tried it - but I believe the "assignable / expression" pedal input can be assigned to SUSTAIN. This means that a continuous pedal from another manufacturer could potentially be used for half pedaling.

I've tried it with an expression pedal and it works! But its quite odd to use an expression pedal rather than a more standard style sustain pedal - takes some getting used to.

 

But sustain pedals like Yamaha's FC3 (which comes with the CP series) are essentially a continuous controller, so I'm guessing this is what Mike was getting at? That said, I'm using the Casio triple pedal unit and haven't noticed anything too horrible going on.

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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Thanks, Mike and PianoManChuck....I'll try this. When I looked at programming the expression pedal jack, it looked like I could only program on/off sustain and not half-pedaling, but I'll be happy if I was wrong.
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Would you have considered the S3000 instead to see if there are more serviceable sounds beyond the main acoustic piano sample set? Or was weight, price and the piano sound what the doctor ordered?

 

I don't think there's any difference in weight between the two models, or if there is it's trivial. No, I just needed an instrument for solo piano jobs, whether cocktail stuff, accompanying a choir etc. Anything which takes me beyond that, and I already have the MODX8, which is more flexible anyway. Also I liked the slightly cleaner stylings of the 1000, and I saved a couple of hundred pounds in the process.

 

Did you find, like I have, that the MODX8 is the best feeling GHS action Yamaha currently has? I found it felt very different from a P series or even the CP-40 (which I dont like very much at all for acoustic piano).

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Did you find, like I have, that the MODX8 is the best feeling GHS action Yamaha currently has? I found it felt very different from a P series or even the CP-40 (which I dont like very much at all for acoustic piano).

 

Yes, definitely. I was worried it would be quite spinet-ish like the MOX8F, which I tried and didn't like at all. The much improved sample set probably helps a great deal too, though.

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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Disclaimer, I haven't tried it - but I believe the "assignable / expression" pedal input can be assigned to SUSTAIN. This means that a continuous pedal from another manufacturer could potentially be used for half pedaling.

I've tried it with an expression pedal and it works! But its quite odd to use an expression pedal rather than a more standard style sustain pedal - takes some getting used to.

 

But sustain pedals like Yamaha's FC3 (which comes with the CP series) are essentially a continuous controller, so I'm guessing this is what Mike was getting at? That said, I'm using the Casio triple pedal unit and haven't noticed anything too horrible going on.

I first tried it with the Korg DS1H half damper (in the expression pedal jack) but that didn't work.

PianoManChuck

Authorized reseller: Casio, Dexibell, Kurzweil, Nord, iLoud, Viscount

Keyboard Reviews +

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I first tried it with the Korg DS1H half damper (in the expression pedal jack) but that didn't work.

 

Did you calibrate it and assign it to Sustain? Again this may not work, this was just my suspicion.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network

 

The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for.

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I first tried it with the Korg DS1H half damper (in the expression pedal jack) but that didn't work.

 

Did you calibrate it and assign it to Sustain? Again this may not work, this was just my suspicion.

Calibrated and assigned to Sustain. No go on the Korg. Works great with a ProLine expression pedal though.

PianoManChuck

Authorized reseller: Casio, Dexibell, Kurzweil, Nord, iLoud, Viscount

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The Fatar VP3-D pedal, which has a continuous potentiometer damper pedal, and a plug called Exp type 2 in the Casio manual, does not seem to work for half-pedaling in the S3000 Expression Jack. I assigned Sustain to the jack and went through the calibration routine according to the manual.
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I'm trying to find the list of 700 tones in the 3000 but googling doesn't turn anything up. Anybody have a list or a link to it?
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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I'm trying to find the list of 700 tones in the 3000 but googling doesn't turn anything up. Anybody have a list or a link to it?

Download the datalist at

https://support.casio.com/en/manual/manualfile.php?cid=008021002

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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The programming of the 3000 is pretty primitive. Questionis there a programming app for iPad or computer to make it more intuitive (and easier)?

Hammond C3, Leslie 122, Steinway B, Wurlitzer 200A, Rhodes 73,

D6 Clav

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There's the Chordana Play for Piano app for iOS and Android (no desktop version) that lets you do a lot, but I don't know if it does the programming you're looking for on the PX-S3000. But it's free so you can try it.

 

(Make sure you get Chordana Play for Piano and not the one simply titled Chordana Play, which is for other Casio models.)

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Once you get used to editing on the S3000 it becomes rather easy. I found it daunting at first but after a few times it all seems user friendly now. (Chordana is not really a Tones editor other than for adjusting only the details of the Grand Piano. You cannot adjust the other sounds or effects with it, such as EPs, Organs, the DSPs and its levels, the Effects, Splits, the Registrations, etc. Those are done on the keyboard.)

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I'm a jazz pianist.

 

Pedals: This was a disappointment. I'm used to Pianoteq, along with one of the Fatar triple pedals, which enables the continuous damper pedaling you get with a real piano. It seems like it would have been possible to enable continuous or half-pedaling in the Casio with already available hardware, but Casio chose to go with their proprietary unit that only enables half-pedaling. The use of a typical on/off switch sustain pedal on this Casio cause a pretty abrupt cut-off in sound, as the damper pedal is lifted, IMO. It will be pretty apparent if you play solo. I know it's a relatively inexpensive keyboard, but given all the bells and whistles included, you'd think this basic pianist's tool would be implemented.

Color me confused- I thought continuous and half-pedaling were the same thing. The S1000/3000 SP34 3 pedal unit DOES offer half-pedaling.

 

From SW:

"Half damper: A piano pedal technique in which the damper (sustain) pedal is only partially pressed down. Some classical piano pieces call for this technique, which raises the felts (dampers) only partially off the strings. Half damper capabilities have (in recent years) been developed for electronic keyboard instruments, particularly digital pianos.

 

On an acoustic piano, the degree to which you depress the sustain pedal affects the amount (or shape) of sustain produced. For many years, electronic keyboards were limited to a simple on/off sustain pedal function. MIDI continuous controller 64 was assigned to handle sustain and, unlike other continuous controllers, only recognized on (usually 127) and off (usually 0) values. This simple pedal approach may hamper pianists who are trained to use multi-pedaling techniques on a piano.

 

Half-damper pedals still send MIDI controller 64 messages but also transmit standard MIDI control changes ranging from 0 to 127. Provided the instrument itself is programmed to respond to these values for example, with additional samples, amplitude envelope adjustments, or modeling a variety of sonic responses beyond a simple sustain on/off are possible."

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

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Once you get used to editing on the S3000 it becomes rather easy. I found it daunting at first but after a few times it all seems user friendly now. (Chordana is not really a Tones editor other than for adjusting only the details of the Grand Piano. You cannot adjust the other sounds or effects with it, such as EPs, Organs, the DSPs and its levels, the Effects, Splits, the Registrations, etc. Those are done on the keyboard.)

 

I'm coming from years of working and programming Nord keyboards and unsurprisingly they are more intuitive for me. Going from a Nord which seems to have a button or knob for everything with little menu diving to the elegant form and highly menu driven Casio has been challenging.

Having said that, I'm starting to get around on the PXS-3000 much better today.

 

I was concerned with having no actual eq to tweak the sounds but having the knobs and setting to brilliance/ reverb is helping greatly. The S-3000 was a good choice just to get those programmable knobs.

 

I'm still confused about one thing in particular. After going into registration mode and playing a set-up/ sound there how do you completely leave registrations and return to the status you are in when you power up?

Simply hitting the Function gets you to Tone section but you still are retaining some of the settings from the registration. ie. reverb, knob settings etc.

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Hi ed! Bill Levinson here from Key West. I want to get the 3000 as a back up for my Nord stage. Like you, I also have a mojo 61. Question, how are the synthesizer sounds on the 3000? Are any of them usable? Especially the lead sounds . On another note, how are you doing? I am working here six nights a week. Yesterday we did a double at the Green parrot. A spectacular very cool venue, like a much bigger John and Peters. And the big difference is that they pay a lot of money.

Hammond C3, Leslie 122, Steinway B, Wurlitzer 200A, Rhodes 73,

D6 Clav

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Synths at 2:39 sound good to me:

 

[video:youtube]

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Color me confused- I thought continuous and half-pedaling were the same thing. The S1000/3000 SP34 3 pedal unit DOES offer half-pedaling.

 

Sorry if I got that wrong and half-pedaling and continuous pedaling are meant to describe the same thing in digital keyboards. Do all digital pianos with half-pedaling implement a continuous change in sound, and not a discrete intermediate step? I understand that the pedal controller outputs a continuous range of values, but does the sound output also respond continuously from damped to undamped?

 

About the Casio triple pedal, yes it does engage half-pedaling, but it seems to be the only practical way to do it. Other 1- pedal and 3-pedal continuous/half-damper units seem not to work, unless you include rocking-style expression pedals. I don't really need a 3-pedal unit, just a single damper pedal that works continuously. Perhaps one of our forum colleagues will discover one that works.

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To be honest, I'd just get the Casio triple pedal set it's not a huge amount of money, compact, light and doesn't move around.

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D

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Someone can correct me but I think of half pedaling this way. On a real AP half pedaling is just a term used for a partial pedal, it's not a literal term. If you hit the pedal slightly on a grand you get a slight bit of sustain, push it a bit harder, you get a bit more sustain until you go all the way down for full sustain. All of that is still called half pedal when referring to AP's. In a digital piano it is a literal term. A half pedal means exactly that and no more. You hold the pedal above a certain cut off point and that gives you a fixed amount of sustain. It doesn't matter where in the throw of the pedal you are. If it's above the cut off point it's the same amount of partial sustain. Go beyond that point and it's the normal full sustain. There is no continuous sweep going on if it's being referred to as a half pedal. It's only certain specialized digital pianos either software or hardware that specifically advertise they're using a continuous pedal to accurately reproduce the pedal on a real AP.

 

Bob

Hammond SK1, Mojo 61, Kurzweil PC3, Korg Pa3x, Roland FA06, Band in a Box, Real Band, Studio One, too much stuff...
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