In-depth analysis and review of Casio CDP 130

The Casio CDP 130 is an 88-key piano keyboard. This is important to keep in mind because the intention of this keyboard is to resemble as much as possible a real piano. The Casio CDP 130 could be said to be the cheapest of the keyboards that could be considered a piano keyboard.

It’s a digital piano that has the basic elements. Maybe, your keyboard is Hammer Action one, which means that it is a keystroke sensitive keyboard. Specifically, this model has three different sensitivities. So the louder you press the key, the louder the musical note will sound.

Check out below to see the best place to buy the Casio CDP 130. But keep reading after that, as there is much more review and comparisons between its rivals.

Sound

On a piano keyboard the sound is pre-recorded from a true acoustic piano. There are two important variables in this process that will define the sound of the piano keyboard. One is the polyphonic memory and the other is the type of sampling used to record that sound. Casio on this keyboard uses Intelligent Resonator Sound Engine (AIR).

The polyphony is 48 notes, 24 for certain tones. The polyphony is the number of notes that can sound at a time. It’s a bit basic and for intermediate level it will be a bit short (when you do layering you consume a lot of notes, keep reading to know more about it). This digital piano can give you vouchers for the first 5 years of piano in conservatory if you don’t have another budget.

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It has 10 types of sounds including piano sounds, electric piano… Enough to play the piano at ease. We repeat that it is the digital piano with the best price by far.

Then, it also has the following sound modifiers that usually have 90% of digital pianos:

  • 10 reverb levels.
  • Hall mode which is at the same time a type of reverberation that gives the air of a cathedral.Chorus. To give more presence to the piano sound.
  • On the other hand it has dual mode or layering. This mode allows you to play two piano sounds at once. A very typical combination is Piano + Strings. So it looks like you are playing with an orchestra. This is where polyphony is important, but 48 notes is good for most of what you will play.

Dual mode divides the keyboard in two. So in one half there is a piano sound of your choice and in the other half there is an electric bass, for example. This service is also very common.

Is it good for any level?

In this case the question could be better… what’s your budget? Of course, if you or your child are going to be left without playing the piano because you do not have a higher budget, this is the perfect and cheapest option within what we consider it’s worth.

The reality is that many people study with mid-range piano keyboards and sometimes with 61-key musical keyboards with simple keyboard sensitivity without Hammer Action. Hammer Action is not just velocity sensitivity, but it also means feeling the weight of the key as if it were an acoustic piano.If you already have a good piano training, this model is perfect for practice and maintenance.

It is also good for beginners who are starting, although when you are in middle conservatory you may already be a little short and will limit your learning.It is perfect for composition. It has a more than enough sound and has a tremendously affordable price.

For children or beginners a cheap digital piano like this is a good option, because it allows you to study with headphones and for the level you can have at the beginning, this keyboard can cover that. Both in Hammer Action in feel and sound will get shorter for our improvement, as we advance and our level gets more of intermediate type.For professionals it may be valid for concerts in small restaurants.

So, your idea is to have a better piano keyboard but this model comes with two powerful 8W speakers quite powerful.

Pedal

This is important because the pedal is vital for a keyboard to be considered a piano keyboard. This keyboard comes with the sustain pedal. Which keeps the note in time even if you stop pressing the note key, but keep the pedal pressed. A very important interpretative resource.It does not admit complete triple pedal. But it is one more factor to consider at intermediate levels.

Important extras and connectivity

From its 2 piano tones, it has a few more. But we like the Jazz Organ tone that imitates a Hammond. Below we link several videos for you to see what can be done with this piano keyboard.It brings transposition function up to an octave and metronome.

Comes with power supply but does not support batteries.It also has USB to HOST MIDI connectivity. We can use it as a MIDI controller and connect it to our computer. So with programs like Sibelius we can write scores while playing in real time.

We can also record MIDI tracks with programs like CUBASE, Ableton, etc. So the recorded track (with real piano sound) can be exported to score.It has an entrance for headphones so you can study in silence. Important to start and that your flatmates or neighbors do not kill you and end up with an incipient and promising musical career.

The output of large jack create hulls, but this does not mean that it is line output. If you connect to large amplification equipment (an outdoor direct) you may need an injection box to give your sound signal more power. For a small amplifier, though, there is no problem.

Its weight is normal on this type of piano keyboards, about 11.4 Kg. With this weight, we can say that it is portable with the right backpack. We always recommend that, If possible, you have backpack handles, so that you do not harm your back when carrying it. Below we will link you to one.Here is a video for you to hear what it sounds like, but then keep reading that there’s more important information to keep in mind.

And in this video you will see how to try the different tones available from minute 5. We will leave you the video, starting right from that moment. The man teaches you first the grand piano sound and then the electric piano sound.

Casio CDP 130 vs Yamaha P45

It is important that you know other options at similar prices and then you decide which one suits you best.The direct competitor of the Casio CDP 130 is the Yamaha P45. Yamaha’s tends to gain in sales although Casio also has its market share, but Yamaha surpasses it.There is usually a little difference in price. A few tens of euros, but this can vary quite a bit.

If you see little difference, better choose the Yamaha P45. Although the good thing about Casio CDP 130 is that in price it is unbeatable.

  • The Yamaha P45 has a polyphony of 64 voices compared to the 48 of the Casio CDP 130. This allows you to play more works and do more things with layering…
  • Yamaha’s Hammer Action GHS system has 4 sensitivities in the touch of the key versus the 3 sensitivities of Casio.
  • The Casio CDP 130 gains in loudspeaker power with its 8 W compared to the 6W of the Yamaha P45.
  • Cassius has a slightly more plastic feel.

Where to buy Casio CDP 130?

As you have seen in the pictures of before, you can buy it online at a much more advantageous price. But it is important that the online store has a good reputation with shipping and warranty, in case there is a problem.In America, check Amazon and in Europe, always check Thomann. Here are the direct links to the product:

If not in stock I recommend the Casio px 160 or Casio CDP S100

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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Jaime Echagüe

Hi! I'm Jaime Echagüe, a musician and an authentic fan of musical instruments. With this blog I want to give general information about musical instruments in an easy, direct and honest way. I hope you enjoy my website and that you find it very useful.

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