Casio CDP-100 and the Privias...

[rhess]

Thanks again for all the feedback guys.

 

While we are on the topic...I understand that Ivory is one of the best samplers out there. I've never been able to hear any three of those pianos in a live instrument setting. I assume they replicated the sound of each instrument well? Are they indistinguishable from the real thing?

[RWeldon]

I have a Privia 310 which I like because it has a nice smooth feel, but the action is slow.

When I say slow I mean the key rebound when you try to play fast ostinato type riffs like Les McCann.

 

If you are playing scales the keyboard is beautiful but try hammering out some machine gun type stuff on the same note and it feels like running in boots.

 

I went to Guitar Center today to try the Yamaha pianos I had been hearing so much about. I had been in Sam Ash in NYC but the place was so damned noisy and confused I had to leave.

 

I tried the cp300 and the 90es.

The 300 has the best action I have ever played on an electric keyboard. Silky smooth and lightning fast, especially on the ostinato stuff.

The 90es had a very good action and an aliveness to the sound which was stunning.

Neither one of these boards felt heavy.

I also tried a Yamaha P140 which did suffer from that heavyness which I have been reading so much about.

 

Considering the price and the weight the Privias are an extremely good value, but after playing the top of the line Yamahas, the action of the Casio which initially feels good, in my opinion isn't even close.

[Joe Muscara]

I never actually played a Steinway, a Bosendorfer, nor a Yamaha grand to compare, but Ivory sounds excellent overall. I mean, I have played a few grands, and Ivory shares nuances and even sometimes quirks you would expect in a real grand, stuff I've never heard in any other piano patch or sample. It has lots of subtle bits that make you go "wow." It also has a lot of tweakable settings that you can see if you visit their web site and look at the screen shots. Since I'm mostly happy with what's built-in, I haven't messed with these.

 

And it goes great with my "CDP-100" (RS-4073).

[delirium]

I just run onto Casio CDP-100 in GC and after playing few notes I was very pleasantly surprised... Very good action, piano and rhodes sounds not bad at all (hard to tell exactly in noisy GC)

 

But anyway all that for 299$ ??? Its like giving it away for free. Midi controllers cost more.

What are we paying for in yamahas, rolands etc? I hope casio soon force them to lower the prices...

[resigned]

I've used the Radio Shack version of the Casio CDP-100 as a MIDI controller on stage for about a year now. I play it an average of four hours a night/four nights a week. Excellent controller, very easy to transport, no problems.

[Jazzwee]

Many of us here, Pro and myself included, bought the Radio Shack version of the CDP-100 a year ago. $299. Man, even today, looking back, that's a deal that can't be beat. I have extended warranty on it too but nothing has ever happened to it.

 

Like I said many times, the feel of the keys are the closest to my Yamaha U3 Acoustic. My S90ES is a lot lighter. So practicing quietly at night, I know that when I use the Casio, I can easily transfer to the acoustic.

 

When I just mostly practiced on the S90ES and then tried playing on the U3 for the first time, my fingers were too weak. It took a little bit of adjustment. I thought the Casio had heavy keys before. Now I look back and the Casio feels normal and the S90ES light. So it comes back to a little bit of muscle training but on the correctly weighted keys and the Casio is an excellent weight for dealing with Grand pianos and such.

[delirium]

Yeah, I think I'm gonna buy it for myself too.

Banging scales and sh*t on expensive yamaha is a risky business