The Score Magazine - Archive July 2016 issue! | Page 23

The original Privia was the answer to many pianists’ prayers: the first (and for some time the only)
serious 88-key digital piano at an unprecedented price and weighing only 25 pounds. This made
it a catalyst for increased competition in the under-a-grand piano market: 128-voice polyphony,
graded and weighted keyboard actions, and ample supplemental sounds are pretty standard these
days. What does Casio do to up the ante? For the latest Privia, the PX-350M, they plunged their
resources into a piano playing experience so improved... it’s astonishing.
On the Gig
We took the PX-350M out of the box and directly to a 150-seat jazz
quartet gig. Going through a pair of Barbetta 41C keyboard amps, it
took me a few songs to nail my sound. Most digital pianos, we now
realize, are more forgiving than a well-miked acoustic grand. That’s
what this Privia—with its sensitive dynamics and wide separation—
sounds and plays like in a live situation. For the first few tunes, we
had to concentrate on our voicings and touch. Then, it began to sound
like a good recording of a live performance. A week later we played a
500-seat corporate gig through a pro sound system with a stereo direct
box and wedge monitor. Again, it was like playing a miked acoustic,
only now we knew how to take advantage of it. For example, you don’t
necessarily have to twist the volume dial to make it louder—you can
simply dig in more.
The PX-350M sounds fine through its internal speakers as well as the
signal from the Privia’s line outs is hot enough that you can leave the
keyboard volume knob below three o’clock and just raise the gain on
your amp, P.A., or recording interface without adding to the noise
floor. We tested this, and the results were loud and pure.
A final nit: On a dark stage, it’s easy to reach for and hit a Registration
button and recall a sound category. Registrations save the entire state
of the instrument and can include rhythm and auto-accompaniment
that starts right up. Pre-programming registrations (a good idea in
any case) can save you an embarrassing moment here.
PROS
Uncanny grand piano playing experience. Audio
recording of your performances. Graded action with
textured keys. Giggable EPs, organs, basses, and General
MIDI patches. Ultra-light.
CONS
One needs to buy a case for the PX-350 separately as that
makes it so much easier to carry to a gig.
The latest Privia delivers the most realistic piano experience
you’ll get for under a grand and rivals the sound and feel of
stage pianos that cost many times more.
The Privia PX-350M has the soul of a real acoustic grand. It’s
inspiring and emotional in a way that I haven’t experienced
in a digital piano outside of the best virtual instruments and
most expensive hardware digitals. Kudos to Casio for their
commitment and execution.
The
Score Magazine
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