Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I am a professional jazz pianist of some 30+ years. I recently bought this keyboard as a much needed gigging and practicing piano that was light weight, had built in speakers, 88 note key weighted action and a good piano sound. You will find all of this and more in the PX-330. I don't think there is any other keyboard currently being manufactured that provides all these features at this low a price point.
Pros:
- great weighted action... a bit mushy but one can certainly adapt to it easily.
- good piano sound, but not without its faults (see below) It reminds me of the sound of the Kurzweil pianos.
- auto arranger with tons of grooves for practicing and jamming.
- good selection of song style presets... it even has "Giant Steps" for all you jazz pianists to practice on. Any tempo, Any key.
- some interesting world beat grooves are included along with standard pop, rock, latin, etc. grooves
- weighs only 25 lbs... this is one of the best features of all!
- skinny... easy to carry
- built in speakers lead to instant gratification when turning on the keyboard and playing. You just sit down and play. No muss, no fuss.
- good contruction. Uses alot of plastic. Not as good as Roland or Yamaha but good enough
- pitch bend wheel is a surprise bonus
- nice LCD display is a big improvement over previous models
- line inputs let you bring in a submix from an mp3 player, iPod, or mixer
- two separate 1/8" mini stereo headphone outs
- good for education and dual playing... the keyboard can be split into duet mode each playing the same sound
- the auto harmony feature is very good and alot of fun to play around with. (dual voice, three voice, etc.)
- memory card slot for saving your patches and performances
- excellent price and value for the money
Cons:
- piano sound is good but suffers from too fast a decay in the middle register. It's difficult to make a melody "sing" or play in a smooth legato style. This decay problem would be fine in pop or rock music, but for solo jazz and classical it is a definite flaw. It is not so noticeable when playing with a rhythm section.
- there is no way to adjust the volume of the primary piano sound when using splits or accompaniments. You can decrease/increase the accompaniment, but cannot increase the main voice independently.
- there is no way to adjust the reverb wet/dry depth. I find this particularly irritating, since certain styles of music require more reverb. Access to a heavier reverb would also help cover over some of the flaws in the piano sound. However, you can adjust the reverb wet/dry depth on the individual accompaniment parts. Why they didn't include this feature on the main sound is a mystery to me.
- labeling of buttons is too dark and hard to see, especially in dim lighting
- buttons lack tactile "feel", are shallow, and can easily be missed in the heat of a performance. Combine this with hard to see labels and you have a recipe for disaster. However, most of the buttons do have LED lights which helps in seeing what is engaged.
- unit comes with a cheap sustain pad/switch which easily flips over when playing. For serious playing you will need to buy a separate sustain pedal. Or use gaffe tape.
- the polarity of the pedal is reversed and cannot be changed internally like many other keyboards. This forces you to buy Casio's pedal unit. A work around is to buy a sustain pedal with a polarity switch, or a regular sustain pedal which you can adapt reversing the polarity of the wires.
- the unit supports half-pedaling which is great, but only if you buy the Casio pedal board.
- the much ballyhooed "acoustic resonance" feature is barely discernible and for all intents and purposes contributes nothing to the piano sound.
- multiple button and combination button pushes can easily make for confusion. You will need to sit down and really learn this keyboard to effectively use its features esp. during performance.
- some of the auto accompaniment parts are pretty cheesy, and with a few exceptions the non-piano sounds are just so-so.
- at maximum volume there is some distortion in the piano sound coming out of the built in speakers.
- when using split keyboard mode, the sustain pedal sustains both zones... If you are playing bass with your left hand, it will sustain when you pedal for the piano sound. Not good.
- Flimsy 1/4" jacks will not last in the long run.
I do not mean do denigrate this product by listing all the cons... overall, it's an excellent low priced piano packed with features not found in other brands that cost more. I just wish I could get comfortable with the fast decay in the middle register, and have more control over the effects. The sustain on the lower split is an oversight that should be corrected.
I have Synthogy Ivory on my laptop, and on more important gigs I use the PX-330 as a controller for the Ivory piano. I bring the output of the Ivory back into the line inputs. Now that's a righteous piano sound! Nevertheless, I am happy I bought this keyboard and am sure it will serve me well as I continue to make music.
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Casio PX-330 88 Key Digital Stage Piano with Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer ActionThe new Casio Privia PX-330 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 only 26 lbs., the Casio Privia PX-330 is versatile enough for any home, studio or stage.
Realism, Expression and Dynamics The grand piano sounds in the PX-330 delivers an unprecedented level of realism and expression. Four dynamic layers of stereo piano samples are integrated with Casio's proprietary Linear Morphing System, for a grand piano sound with seamless transitions and a superior dynamic range. For added realism, the PX-330 simulates the sound of the open strings when the dampers are raised by the pedal using Acoustic Resonance DSP. The PX-330 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 unsurpassed at any price.
Truly Expressive Touch The Privia PX-330 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 of a piano without sacrificing the portability of the instrument.
Performance, Studio or Stage The superior keyboard action, piano sound and built-in USB MIDI interface make the PX-330 the perfect instrument to integrate into your studio. When you're ready to take the PX-330 to a gig, the built-in registration memory allows you to instantly recall splits, layers and combinations of sounds. The PX-330 also has 1/4-inch outputs for great live sound from your amp or the house's PA system.
16-Track Recorder, Pitchbend Wheel and Much More While it's easy to connect the PX-330 to your computer, you can easily create and compose music using internal 16 track recorder. Utilizing the PX-330's 250 on-board sounds and 180 rhythms you can record up to 16 tracks. Accepting SD memory, you can save your songs and take them with you or load standard MIDI files that you've downloaded from the web. With these flexible tools you can capture moments of creativity and remember song ideas. It also works great as a practice tool. A built-in metronome and optional accompaniment mean you can practice in-time and later listen back to what you just played. A pitchbend wheel gives you full expression for 250 tones. You can even plug in other instruments or an MP3 player into the keyboard and hear it through the internal speakers and headphones.
Professional, Versatile and Portable Design Whether you're at home, working on a studio or out on stage, the PX-330 was created to tackle it all, making it a valuable investment. With its light weight, you can easily take the PX-330 from home, to rehearsals, to the gig and back with no worries. It connects effortlessly to your computer via USB and connects just as easily to a live mixer for use on stage. The Casio PX-330 is now the indisputable leader in the digital piano arena.
8 Digital Effects Add a little more depth and variation to the built-in tones with 4 reverb and 4 chorus effects, along with brilliance and acoustic resonance settings.
Duet Function The new duet functions allows teachers and pupils to play parallel to each other. The PX-120 can be divided into two keyboard areas, which can be transposed individually.
Two Headphone Connections The PX-330 features two headphone connections, ideal for the duet function.
Stereo Line In/Out Connect to a PA system or studio equipment, or connect other sound sources with the line inputs.
Powerful Speaker System The PX-330 features built-in speakers, with 2 x 8 Watts of output power, to fill a room with sound.
3-Pedal Unit Support With the optional SP-30, the PX-320 has up to three pedals with half-damper effect. This "half-damper" effect simulates a "half-pedaled" damper pedal.
What's in the Box Privia PX-330 Keyboard, AC Adapter, Music Stand, User's Manual
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