Customer Reviews

Casio CDP-100 88-Note Weighted Hammer Action Digital Piano

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased a used version of this based off the previous reviews. I definitely agree the weighted keyboard has a nice feel to it (this is coming from someone who's used acoustic pianos in the past) and the keyboard itself is very slim & not too heavy...easy to carry around.

What was really disappointing was the sound...it sounds a little masked, not sharp/crisp. I'm not very picky, I just wanted a full keyboard to practice on, but this was something that bothered me. I actually was able compare it to a Casio WK-200 (which is a cheaper keyboard) & surprisingly the CDP-100 sounded worse than it's cheaper counterpart.

I brushed off someone's previous comment about the sound because I figured it couldn't be that bad. It is that bad, so take this into consideration if you're planning to purchase.

The CDP-100 is a great practice piano for anyone who is looking for a temporary-somewhat portable piano to practice on.
The sound is decent, I really like the headphone jack feature which allows me to plug in my headphones when I practice. With the headphones on the notes sound crisp and sharp, however relying on just the built-in speakers the piano sounds a little dull and could be louder. The foot pedal isn't that great, I found myself holding it down the entire time to hear the effect; but it's a minor issue. The weighted-hammer keys feel just like real piano, really great.

I am very happy with the CDP-100 and highly recommend this as a piano for people who don't have the money/space for a real piano. As a college student, I think this is the perfect keyboard since I can put on my headphones in when I practice and not disturb my roommates.

However, Don't make the mistake I made in buying the CDP-100 for $399! After I bought this, guitar center had a holiday special and was selling the CDP-100 for $299, so check there first!

This is the best deal in 88 weighted keyboards these days, hands down. Not sure why Casio thought it was a good idea to have a nice board but then put only one piece of crap stereo 1/8 inch jack output. I guess it's their way of saying "You haven't paid enough to actually use this thing for anything professional." Would it have killed them to put a couple more useable outs on this thing for an extra 15 cents?
Other than that, the speakers suck, but the board is pretty nice and it's light weight. I gave it 4 stars because of the price, which is actually a good deal, and midi outs make it useable as a controller for recording.

I keep my CDP-100 at my office, for occasional use while figuring out chords, working out a transposition or just zoning out. The one time I took it out to a gig, I was stunned and embarrassed to discover that it had no line out -- there was no way to amplify it unless I was willing to use the 3.5mm headphone jack!

I now have a second Casio, a Privia PX-330, which is a terrific gigging piano because of its incredibly light weight (it's truly a one-handed carry), and great array of sounds (including decent organ tones), but I'm glad I didn't sell my CDP-100. It does have MIDI, which has proved handy for building tracks in GarageBand on a couple of occasions.

I have been pleased with the built-in speakers, when I've had occasion to use them -- I think they're well-tuned to the tones of the keyboard.

I was looking for a basic digital piano. My requirements - 88 weighted keys and a decent piano sound. The yamaha NP-30 sounds better but doesn't have weighted keys. The Yamaha P85 sounds better and has weighted keys but is $600. For the price, this keyboard is good enough.

I bought this keyboard used for a young student. Before I delivered it, I did some comparisons against my Yamaha Motif 8, which costs many multiples of what this keyboard does. My overall impression is that this is a very good deal for the money. It has full-size keys, it's touch-sensitive (don't assume all keyboards are), has a nice feel and the piano sound is very good, especially through headphones. It's a little heavy on the bass on the low end and brighter than I prefer on the high end, but not too bad. I like the Motif piano much better, but then again there is that huge price difference. I don't find the built-in speakers to be that bad. You certainly wouldn't gig with them but they seem adequate for home use.
On the downside, the one thing I did notice that no one else here mentioned is that the keys are very noisy. With the sound off, they clatter and are MUCH nosier than the Motif. However it didn't bother me during normal playing, although if I paid attention to it I could hear them under the music.
Aside from that the biggest issue is the lack of a proper line out.
The wall-wart plug is huge, the biggest I've ever seen. It actually covered most of a 5-outlet power strip. Of course you can plug it in so it hangs off the end.
Overall, it's a bargain at this price and I think that for most people the key noise and lack of a line out will not make much of a difference.

Don't buy a non-weighted keyboard for your first keyboard! It's not the way to truly learn piano.

This is the most decently-priced weighted keyboard that I could find. I am glad that I bought it. I agree with the other reviewer who said you should try to find it for $299 instead of $399. I bought mine for $299. I've now had it for about 2 years. I am glad that I bought it. It has been great to learn on.

I totally agree with the other reviewers who said that the speakers kind of suck. They do. But hey, for the price, it's still a nice keyboard to practice on. I guess you could hook it up to an amp if you don't like the built-in speakers, although I haven't tried yet.

I recently had an issue where my right speaker wasn't working. But then, the next day it started working again. However, 90% of the time, I use headphones. Another disadvantage is that it only has a 1/8 in. headphone jack, not a 1/4 in. jack, so you can't use your studio-quality headphones.

I have only used this keyboard as an alternative to an actual piano, and solely for at-home individual practice. I don't recommend this as a performance keyboard, because it has the built-in speakers and because it only has 5 different sound effects. But, for just practicing so you can learn the piano by practicing scales, hanon exercises, etc., it works great.

I imagine that if I ever do get around to buying a nicer keyboard, I may just keep this one around just to practice my fingering technique, because it really does have a pretty genuine piano feel. In fact, I find that it is actually a tad bit harder to push down than a regular piano. I find that this helps, because when I do get to play a regular piano, it is a bit easier.

Hi,

I'm a pianist and have always wanted to own a digital piano. Although I searched for quite a lot of them, I zeroed on this one owing to monetary constraints. I love the quality of the sound and the feel of the keys although if you are looking for different kinds of sounds then this isn't the best one around. The only drawback's I see with these are that the MIDI ports aren't of USB type and if you are playing it at very low volumes you tend to get annoyed by the sound the keys make as they get back to their usual positions, nevertheless its an amazing piece to own for the amount you pay for it.

Cheers,
MRM

This keyboard is excellent especially at this price point.
It does have very basic features (no metronome, no recorder). It comes with 5 voices. The firt piano voice is much better than any digital piano that I've tried before buying (even much more expensive yamaha's. The keys feel exactly like a grand piano. This product is very sturdy and there is nothing cheap about it.
A real tour de force by Casio. This type of quality at this price should just be encouraged.

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I spend a lot of time arranging existing songs my beginning piano students. I had been entering in notes one at a time in Sibelius but finally decided to invest in a keyboard with MIDI capability so that I may play in the notes rather than point and click them in one at a time. The hammer-action keys work pretty well, although it cannot replace the feel of a piano for playing trills, repeated notes, and big chords. The keyboard comes with a plastic sustain pedal, but you will have to upgrade to a sturdier, quieter pedal if you expect to make music. I recommend the M-Audio sustain pedal. The other thing I like about the Casio CDP-100 is that it doesn't have all of those distracting, annoying features (e.g. 100 rhythms, 200 tones, 50 songs, light-up keys, etc.). I just wanted a basic keyboard with weighted action, a decent tone quality, and MIDI function, and that's exactly what I got!

Keep in mind that the buzzing sound you hear in the video is feedback noise from my recording equipment being too close to the keyboard. Otherwise, the sound quality is okay, although the speakers don't play very loud even on max. I usually play with headphones, and it sounds amazing! See my review of the Sennheiser HD 202 Dynamic Headphones, which sell on Amazon for <$30. You could probably also just plug in some external speakers if volume is a concern for you. My only other issue with this keyboard is the price. Other retailers lower the price to $299 (from $399) during the holidays. Overall, this is a good instrument for the price and perfect for an adult beginner.