Casio CDP-S100BKC5 Full Weighted Hammer Action Digital Piano

Product Information

The standard preset of the piano is ideal for a ballad and for accompaniments and we recommend that beginners and learners play with its preset, for the obvious reason that your mistakes will be highlighted easily, giving you a scope to correct them and learn better. The responsiveness of the sounds is also great and the string sounds are also excellent. Combining this with the layer mode can do wonders for the music. Yes, I actually do. I believe this is at the lower end of digital pianos that I would recommend, however, that’s what its intentions are. Overall The Casio CDP-S100 uses a brand new sound engine, producing an expressive and musical tone that makes every performance fulfilling. Using four times the sample size of its predecessor, CDP-S produces a smooth gradient of touch and sound unlike any other entry-level instrument. Scaled Hammer Action II Keybed

However, if you’re a beginner, this is hardly going to be a problem, and this aspect of CDP-100’s keyboard is comparable to other entry-level piano on the market. I would say that this would make a great kids piano if you can afford it. I often urge students to go for digital pianos over traditional keyboards as I do believe they’ll get more out of them. What Makes A Good Digital Piano? Not that the S100 didn’t have plenty of features, because that couldn’t be further from the truth! For an entry-level instrument, the S100 has plenty of features that a beginning pianist would be thrilled to have. The musical expression you can achieve from the CDP-S100 belies its slimline dimensions, thanks to a brand new Dynamic Stereo Sound Engine and a dual 8W built-in speaker system. You can also plug in headphones for private practice. The PX-S1000 and PX-S3000 were excellent digital pianos that delivered on the promise of brand-new takes on the time-tested Privia series.

In terms of playability, this results in a slightly lower degree of accuracy, though from personal experience it still feels responsive. The keys are perfectly usable for practice and general playing. The keyboard element of the CDP-S100 comes with scaled hammer-action II technology that feels much more like a grand piano than a spring-based mechanism. As the name suggests the keyboard has a realistically firm feeling that starts out relatively heavy at the bottom and gradually gets lighter as you get to the top notes, just like the keys on a grand piano. The CDP-S100 also features synthetic ebony and ivory keytops making it an absolute joy to play.

This app is available on Android and iOS and streamlines navigation. We’ll cover this in detail in the Connectivity section, but the experience was just fine without it. Speaking from a more technical standpoint, Scaled Hammer Action has a third sensor that adds resistance when you’re pressing on it. Many (professional players, I have to add) did complain that this makes the sensation artificial compared to the naturalness of the Graded Hammer Action on Yamahas. The CDP S100 earns more points in this aspect because it has two main effects: reverb and chorus. Granted, not a lot of musicians look for or use the chorus. However, there are some songs that kind of require this effect. It is just an add-on that is quite lovely to have. As a budget digital piano, the CDP-S100 has basic connectivity options, primarily focused on home-based use. Honestly, if you have a choice, then the only reason to go with the S110 would be its textured keys and if you’d prefer having a white piano. Other than that, the sound, touch, and features are not different enough to warrant paying the extra money, at least to me.

I found that most sounds worked best with the subtle level 1 and 2 settings, with higher levels being a bit too much for my taste. With the CDP-S series, Casio uses their new 88-key, fully-weighted keyboard, which they call Scaled Hammer Action II. Now, with that said, I didn’t feel much of a difference in the action of the keys. The action is a bit light for my taste, but considering these instruments are aimed at beginners, that isn’t an issue at all. Most beginners even prefer lighter action on their keyboards. First of all, many of today’s digital pianos use stereo samples, which sometimes require two or even more notes for each key played. In the sound comparisons above, I thought the Yamaha P45 did have a nicer sound, though I do like the sound of the CDP-S100.

In terms of sturdiness, the CDP-S100 is decent, with the chassis remaining solidly in place even when applying heavy force. If anything, the CDP-S100 should survive collisions, but perhaps with a few scratches. As a beginner, this isn’t much of an issue, but advanced players may find the keys slightly jarring, especially if they are used to more premium, authentic keyboards or actual pianos. Most keyboards relying on key combinations (like Yamaha’s YDP 144 and Casio’s PX-S1000) require the use of a manual, since there’s no on-board guidance. The CDP-S100 from Casio represents a fresh, innovative approach to the portable piano. Miraculously combining authentic-feel hammer action keys, class-leading portability and an affordable price tag, it’s the perfect beginner piano that doesn’t cut any corners. Casio’s CDP S100 uses the new and improved Dual Element AHL II. The acronym means Acoustic and Highly-Compressed Large-Wave Form, the company’s proprietary tech that uses waveforms of different samples of a single note producing a realistic sound.The keys are made of synthetic ebony and ivory and this has been a common theme here with newer keyboards. Portability