Casio CDP-S
Series Review
If you’ve ever been inside any Indian music school’s piano
room, you’re probably familiar with the massive dominance
CASIO as a brand has in the industry. From 90s kids
reminiscing their childhood CASIO keyboards to budding
professionals utilizing the comforts of a digital piano, there’s a
reason why a staggering number of people consider CASIO to
be a synonym for the instruments themselves. The CDP series
has fallen in the comfort zone of most teachers and students
living in apartments, and the S series line of instruments has
capitalized on this strength without burning the metaphorical
hole in anyone’s pocket.
3 instruments have been released under the CDP S-series
line. Apart from their respective differences, the series as
a whole boasts a significantly more thoughtful approach to
minimalism. No intimidating number of buttons and yet
far more actual preset sounds and libraries. The size and
dimensions have become more compact and sleek in shape,
and the entire instrument weighs less than 11 kgs. The usual
88 scaled-keys now come with enhanced hammer action,
making the playing far more conducive to dynamics and
touch-response.
The portability aspect is also enhanced from the wireless
perspective with an astounding battery-life despite the
demanding electronics. The built-in speakers have seen
some performance
improvements too,
despite the prior
models having stellar
quality to begin with.
Unfortunately, the
instrument does not
come with a stand,
which is sold separately
as an accessory, but
this was probably a
conscious choice since
the product makes for a perfect MIDI station too. From a
teaching and practice perspective, the Duet Mode makes for a
simple yet stunningly effective study. The keys left and right
of the centre can be converted to the same tonal range, such
that two people can play the instrument simultaneously on
either side of the centre without any octave differences.
The arguably best innovation in this series however is the app
that goes with the controls of the instrument, called Chordana
Play. Available for Android as well as Apple, it works as a
brilliant control setup to adjust instrument settings, control
the piano’s MIDI and even teach you basic lessons and
concepts using the built-in plugins.
Feature Highlights:
CDP-S350 (MRP: Rs 49,995/-): A wide variety of 700 Tones
& 200 Rhythms, Registration Memory (32 Setups), optional
SP-34 three-pedal Unit, Music Presets, Auto Harmonize (12
types) & Arpeggiator (100 types), Lesson Feature with 152 Song
Bank Tunes, Backlit LCD Screen, Chordana Play for Piano
Compatible, Duet Mode, MIDI Recorder, USB to Host & USB to
Device along with 8W+8W, 2-Way Speaker System
CDP-S150 (MRP: Rs 39,995/-): New Scaled Hammer Action
Keyboard II Keys, 64 Note Polyphony, 10 Tones, Chordana
Play for Piano Compatible, optional SP-34 three-pedal unit, a
Duet Mode, Midi Recorder, USB to Host along with 8W+8W,
2-Way Speaker System
CDP-S100 (MRP: Rs 35,995/-): New Scaled Hammer Action
Keyboard II Keys, 64 Note Polyphony, 10 Tones, Audio IN
feature, Chordana Play for Piano Compatible, USB to Host
along with 8W+8W, 2-Way Speaker System
With the optional CS-46P stand (MRP Rs. 4,495) the CDP-S
Series quickly transform into practical standing models. The
CDP-S350 & CDP-S150 can also be connected with the new
three-pedal unit SP-34 (MRP Rs. 3,495).
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
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