Casio started out with its "toy" keyboards many years ago, until, over time, it decided to offer "more serious" models with a more professional character, such as those in the series it calls PRIVIA, which are now in demand all over the world. Many of us still remember some of those inexpensive, "almost toy" models that were (and are) sold even in supermarkets, mostly intended for children and teenagers, some of which still "last and keep playing, seeming like amazing novelties."
At the start of this century, they decided to offer new designs with some quality that already seemed more professional, such as those in the PRIVIA series, because, among other things, their keys were now wider, with a touch quite similar to what you might find on more conventional upright pianos, which also meant placing them on somewhat larger stands. They also had new and surprising sounds, especially similar to those heard on the conventional pianos mentioned, plus others that were generally very well received, as well as many added features for generating and practicing many styles and forms of music and recording it, making them, in short, more practical and fun, not to mention their spectacular price.
The PX-330 model
The PRIVIA series keeps expanding and includes different configurations, which naturally affects prices. Normally, the higher the model number, the more features it has, which of course influences the final price. For example, at a lower price, the PX-100 could already replace a practice piano, needed for studying piano, but "without driving the neighbors crazy," since a "conventional piano" is generally more "disruptive and noisy" than this model, which even has a headphone jack that mutes the external sound.
In addition, it can be discreetly stored, even "standing up," in a closet, or, if desired, the distributor offers an additional stand so it keeps an appearance similar to an upright piano and a somewhat more conventional look (model PX-110DX). Other models with more features include the PX-310, the PX-410, the PX-500L (with little lights that turn on and off to help beginners press the right keys in some of the exercises they practice with it), the PX-700 and others.
Curiously, the series is "now going back" to a "lower number" with the introduction of this PX-330, which I now have in my hands and about which I will share more details below.
Price and features of the PX-330
For a final price of €825 including VAT, they are now launching this model, which offers "much more than the basics," so that it can become, for example, a key piece for a piano student to practice comfortably in their own room, and even make quality recordings.
It has speakers (which aren't visible) under the body of the instrument, through which any sound its engine produces can be heard directly, so being self-powered it doesn't need external gadgets to be heard comfortably and at a decent volume. In a way, those speakers also produce a slight sensation of vibration that increases or decreases depending on how hard we press the keys, giving a fairly "natural" impression, as if we were doing it on a more conventional wooden piano. However, on one side it has two jacks so it can be heard through two pairs of headphones (for example, the student's and the teacher's), with identical sound, while muting the external speakers.
When we plug it in, using a power adapter supplied with the keyboard, the first sound we hear is that of a "conventional" piano, which, in my opinion, is quite well done. It has quite a lot of acoustic power when I set the volume control a little over halfway. When I turn it "all the way up" and play the keys with more energy, those speakers begin to saturate, almost bordering on annoying distortion, but before reaching that point, there's already quite a lot of volume coming out of the unit. I think that if you want to fill a larger venue with sound and feature this instrument, the most sensible thing would be to connect a cable to its (stereo) audio output and send that signal to a larger amplification stage installed in the room or to a mixing desk, from which the processed signal would be sent to the amplified sound system that desk controls.
With many types of sounds
Of course, it has much more than the well-simulated sound of a conventional piano. Other types of sounds are selected by groups or "banks" that can be accessed quickly via a panel of buttons located on top and to the right of the cabinet. There are many styles of piano sounds: classical types, some darker, others brighter (such as "Rock Piano" or "Honky-Tonk"), as well as other combinations of piano sounds such as "Octave Piano" or "Piano with Strings," many types of electric pianos, some of the Rhodes type, which I like, but also vibraphone, clavichord, harpsichord and marimba styles, and various types of organ sounds, some of which, of course, I like more than others, with many differences among them, even including "Leslie" types like those of the Hammond.
But it has an even greater variety of sounds, for example "strings," in different configurations, simulating larger or smaller numbers of "natural string instruments," or synthesized ones with more or less fantasy, and "human choir" effects that, for my taste, are only "reasonable" for mixing with other sounds. For "pad"-type effects, it also has many styles of "synthesized pads," among which it's easy to find some we like more than others, until we settle on our preferences, because it has plenty of them. Another of its banks selects sounds that simulate different types of basses and guitars (some more convincing than others...).
A final group or bank contains up to 178 different sounds (in addition to those described above) corresponding to a huge number of timbres from many instruments, some as classic as saxophones, flutes, trumpets, clarinet and trombone, other types of pianos such as "Celesta," "with bells" and even more Eastern ones, and many types of synthesized sounds, some more defined or recognizable than others, and many of them surprising. Most of the sounds in this group correspond to the typical configurations usually found in GM (General MIDI) banks; but on the PX-330 it is oversized, at least in its large number of additional sounds. It seems incredible, but going through the number of sounds mentioned in its manual (which, by the way, is very clear and in perfect Spanish), I read "250 different sounds," among which we can select many that we're sure to like, especially the most fundamental and first one, a piano that sounds good.
Various tools
I haven't yet said anything about its percussion and accompaniment sounds, which is another area with plenty of content on this instrument. It also has, spread across many "banks," an enormous number of percussion sounds and rhythms (180 different styles) of almost every desirable type, at least enough to feel well accompanied when playing rhythmic melodies on the keyboard, also including, at any moment and as we wish, different "breaks," intros and endings for those rhythms in our own songs, performed in a coordinated, practical way. If we also learn to use its "accompaniment" tool, chords and bass lines will be added that blend automatically (with up to 300 different configurations), according to the notes we play with our left hand on the keyboard. Playing with just one finger is enough for "its corresponding major chord to sound, in key." Its manual includes a very complete list of how to place the fingers of your left hand so that the accompaniment responds to any type of chord required. This is undoubtedly another "fun" way to use this instrument.
Thanks to its USB connection, we can link it via MIDI to our computer and set it up there as a data input and output device, allowing us to control the huge number of music software programs on the market. It's a very good option, considering what the competition offers. In any case, check your usual store. Try the Privia and other models that fit your budget and expectations. You decide.
