Casio CDP 100: More than You Bargain For

Every musician is looking for that one piano that will seem to satisfy their basic needs. For accomplished musicians, finding a digital piano that will please them isn’t that easy, and there is always that comparison to a real piano. However, when it comes to keyboards and digital pianos, the Casio CDP 100 might just be able to change the face of it all.

 

Casio CDP 100 Review

The Casio CDP 100 is an 88-key digital piano keyboard that brings you almost the same genuine sound and feel that your grand piano would. If you are looking to buy a good keyboard at a price that is pocket friendly, then this is the keyboard to go for. For what it offers at the price it asks, you’ll be hard pressed to find another digital piano to match.

 

Here’s a video of the Casio CDP 100 in action:

 

Casio CDP 100 Spec Chart:

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	Casio CDP 100
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General
Weight	24.7 lbs
Height	5-3/16 in.
Depth	10-15/16 in.
Width	52-2/16 in.
Main Features
# of Keys	88
Weighted Keys Weighted Keys: Weighted keys mimic the keys of an acoustic piano. They will be lighter on the lower notes, heavier on the higher ones
Touch Sensitivity Touch Sensitivity: Touch sensitivity means the harder or softer a key is pressed, the louder or softer the sound will be. Conversely, a piano with no sensitivity will have the same degree of loudness no matter how hard the keys are pressed.
Built-In Speakers Built-In Speakers: For pianos without speakers, either a pair of headphones must be used, or amplified speakers must be connected via the line-out jack	8W x 2
Polyphony Polyphony: The number of notes or sounds the piano can play simultaneously	32
# of Voices # of Voices: Voices are the different types of pianos or other musical instruments (such as harp, organ, etc) that the piano can play	5
Reverb Effects Reverb Effects: Echo effects that can simulate playing the piano in different venues, such as a hall or an auditorium
Built-in Songs
Built-in Recorder Built-in Recorder: Does the device have built-in storage to save songs? If not, the piano can still save songs to a computer using either a MIDI or USB port
Metronome
Available Colors	Black
Connections
USB Port
MIDI Connector
Headphone Jack
Line-Out Jack
Accessories
Footswitch Included
Power Supply Included
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	Casio CDP 100

 

Just Like a Real Piano

The  Casio CDP100 is just like a genuine piano, with its great sound and scaled hammer action keys. This means that you get a heavier feel in the bass octaves than in the higher registers, just like your regular real piano. The keys are full sized to allow you maximum comfort while playing your music.

Aside from these, you get the flexibility of 5 different tones and 3 touch sensitivity levels. The tones available on the Casio CDP 100 are: full grand piano, bright grand piano, electric piano, harpsichord, and strings. Touch sensitivity levels are weak, normal, and strong. The weak setting produces solid tones even with light touches on they keyboard while the strong setting produces a normal tone even with heavy touches on the keyboard. All these settings give you the most flexibility and customization out of your digital piano.

Also, just as you can pound on your real piano in order to make more dramatic sounds, you can also be assured that you can pound away on your CDP 100. The keyboard itself is reinforced with a steel bar, which allows you to play what you would normally avoid on other more fragile keyboard sets.

If you want, you can also get the Casio CS43 stand which perfectly fits this Casio keyboard, is sturdy, and fixes the piano in place with screws to prevent it from slipping.

 

Lightweight and Portable

Weighing just a mere 25 pounds, this Casio piano is highly portable and lightweight. It’s easy to store and bring with you, especially if you are always taking your keyboard from place to place. Its design is also compact so it doesn’t take up much space in your home.

 

What’s Missing?

Of course, the CDP 100 can’t have everything, even with its great value. It does have some cons and missing elements, which you’ll find in other more expensive brands and models.

• No foot volume control
• No line out jack – instead, you have to use the headset jack
• No USB connectivity – equipped with only MIDI ports and will require you to use a MIDI to USB cable if you want to connect it to your computer
• No built-in metronome, but I’d recommend this metranome if you need one

 

Owner Feedback

I read several customer reviews for this piano and these are some of the more current:

“So if you just want to play a full size piano, and have it be light, not take up space, and be portable, this is a good one…”

“The best bang for the buck out there…”

“This has a really good tone – better than some of the real pianos I’ve played on…”

“I take classes at my University and I actually prefer this Casio to the more expensive Yamahas in our piano lab…”

 

Summary

All in all, it’s a great piece of musical equipment that is really a bang for buck. If you’re a beginner looking to get your first keyboard, or a professional who practices regularly, then the Casio CDP 100 is a great choice to go with.

(some links here are sponsored affiliate links. The owner makes commission if you buy after clicking these links. The owner is not a bona fide user of this product, but has thoroughly researched it and provided his personal opinion only)