Casio CDP-S100 | CDP-S150 Review: Slim, Simple And Affordable

previously we covered the newer keyboards from casio.

the px-s1000 and px-s3000 were excellent digital pianos that delivered on the promise of new versions of the tried and tested privia series.

As a quick review, the px-s aimed to be the thinnest digital piano ever made without sacrificing too much in terms of playability.

Along with the px-s series mentioned above, Casio also introduced the cdp-s series during its 15th anniversary, another slim form factor keyboard aimed at keyboardists and beginners who want a most affordable instrument.

the cdp-s100 is the same price as other pianos under $500, such as the casio px-160, the roland fp-10, and the yamaha p45.

The keyboards and digital pianos in this range don’t offer all the features of their more expensive counterparts, but that’s not to say they’re not worth considering.

In a dedicated article, we’ve covered the best keyboards in this price range, so feel free to read it before diving into this review.

With affordable keyboards, we look for something that plays well and sounds good. we want weighted keys and quality samples. everything else is a bonus, though it’s nice to have some options for features and functions.

does the new casio cdp-s100/cdp-s150 fit in with the rest of the pack? Let’s find out. everything in this review applies to the cdp-s100 and cdp-s150 models.

Check the availability and current price of the casio cdp-s100 | cdp-s150 in your region:

design

while the px-s series has a flashy look, a futuristic chassis and touch controls, the cdp-s series follows a more traditional design with the usual buttons and knobs.

Despite the differences, the cdp-s100 is still a very slim keyboard.

the dimensions of the cdp-s100 are impressive 52″ (132.2 cm) x 9.1″ (23.2 cm) x 3, 9″ (9.9 cm), slimmer than the px-s1000 we praised. The CDP-S100 is also very lightweight, weighing in at 23.1 lbs (10.5 kg).

This was the design ethos behind the cdp-s series, and it shows. The lightweight CDP-S100 is easy to move around and lets you practice anywhere.

This feature is further exemplified by the cdp-s100’s ability to run on 6aa batteries.

You can now use the keyboard from mains power with the supplied AC adapter, but 6 fresh batteries should give you a full 10+ hours of battery life, which is no small feat considering note the cdp-s100 has built-in speakers.

apart from its slim form factor, the chassis is standard. the materials are plastic, although the surface has a matte texture, so fingerprints are less of an issue.

In terms of robustness, the cdp-s100 is decent, with the chassis staying solidly in place even when a lot of force is applied. in any case, the cdp-s100 should survive collisions, but maybe with some scratches.

The same build quality can be found in the volume knob, which stays in place and doesn’t move. a fair amount of resistance is also present, allowing for precise volume changes.

I also like the feel of the buttons, with a soft, tactile click that you can feel (but not hear) when each button is pressed.

something worth considering here is that the presence of physical buttons on the cdp-s100 may be important for people with visual impairments.

Since the px-s1000 and px-s3000 use capacitive touch controls, pianists who rely on touch are at a disadvantage, as touch controls require the use of visual aids.

In terms of controllability, the cdp-s100 is similar to other budget keyboards in this price range, including its button and key combinations.

I never liked key combinations to access features and functions and will use dedicated keys any day.

Most keyboards that are based on keybindings (such as the yamaha ydp 144 and the casio px-s1000) require the use of a manual, as there is no built-in guide.

Although you will memorize the most used controls over time, this is not an intuitive layout. still, the cdp-s100 does it well.

On the front panel, printed text guides above the keys guide you through the process of changing settings.

Even without the manual, it is possible to use the cdp-s100 without problems. Casio even managed to include a numeric keypad style input for the metronome tempo.

on top of all that, a helpful tone sounds every time you change a setting. for example, when changing sounds, a beep sounds indicating that changes have been made.

the same tone is produced in some variations to indicate the intensity of the effect.

Overall, the control scheme here is very well implemented. the keybindings may seem complicated, but they make the front panel a lot less cluttered, which is understandable since there aren’t too many functions that require dedicated buttons.

If you can’t live without a graphical user interface, Casio’s chordana play piano app integrates with the CDP-S100.

This application is available on android and ios and speeds up navigation. We’ll cover this in detail in the connectivity section, but the experience was fine without it.

There is no choice when it comes to color, as the cdp-s100 only comes in black.

Overall, the cdp-s100 follows a slim, standard design that meets all the right design requirements and provides a solid experience despite the limitations that come with a low price.

keyboard

With the new line of px-s and cdp-s keyboards, casio has added a new key action to the mix, and it’s different than the trusty casio tri sensor hammer action found in the previous private line of digital pianos.

with the cdp-s series, casio uses their new 88 key full weighted keyboard, which they call scale hammer action ii.

feels very similar to the keyboard found on the px-s1000 and px-s3000.

As we’ve covered in the respective reviews, these key actions are designed to fit the compact form factor and have shorter pivot lengths to reduce the overall width of the keyboard.

These keys are two-sensor key actions that track the keystrokes that pass each sensor.

Unlike the keys found on the px-s series, the cdp-s series does not have a so-called “intelligent” part of the action which relies on a software-based solution to track keystroke depth. key.

In terms of playability, this results in a slightly lower degree of accuracy, although from personal experience it still feels responsive. the keys can be perfectly used for practice and general playing.

despite the px-s series key action shrinking, the impressive engineering feat that is the reduced width is still present, and the slim width of the cdp-s100 speaks for itself. If only.

specifically, this occurs at the top points of the white keys, about 2 finger widths from the intersection with the top panel. if you’re in the habit of tapping keys, this could be a problem.

However, if you’re a beginner, this will hardly be a problem, and this aspect of the cdp-100’s keyboard is comparable to other entry-level pianos on the market.

The keys themselves are plastic but have a simulated ivory and ebony feel, providing a subtle grip that reduces the risk of slipping during gameplay.

This is not something you get on most keyboards in this price range, so its inclusion is very welcome.

Overall, the keys work very well, especially considering their low price. while they are a bit lighter than those found on acoustic pianos, they are a decent approximation of the real deal and work great for practice.

touch sensitivity is also well implemented. the keys also respond accurately to repeated keystrokes.

Speaking of tactile feedback, there are 3 different intensity levels plus an off option.

heavier settings require stronger key presses to trigger stronger sound samples, and the opposite is true for the lighter setting.

I liked the default setting, which gave realistic feedback, even relative to the lightness of the keys.

I like this keyboard, even compared to the rest of the competitors in this price range.

handily beats yamaha’s ghs stock (which lacks textured keys and feels less responsive overall) and feels on par with kawai’s offerings.

however, i still prefer the roland standard pha-4 action found on the fp-10, and it’s the same key action found on roland midrange keyboards, which is a bargain for the price.

sound

Cheap keyboards aren’t always the best when it comes to sounds. large sample libraries take up a lot of space and are expensive to fully implement.

However, detailed sounds are important for practice, especially in terms of tactile feedback.

the cdp-s100 uses an updated version of the ahl sound engine from previous keyboards, delivering up to 4x higher resolution stereo audio compared to the previous sound engine.

In theory, this means higher audio fidelity, but it doesn’t seem obvious in reality.

The piano sounds are well sampled and differ from previous privia digital pianos. older budget privias had piano sounds that felt picked up in the mids, so I’m glad the new samples fix that.

The new sounds are sampled from a big, unnamed concert and sound great and clean.

I suspect the same px-s1000 samples are used here, albeit with fewer velocity layers and a shorter decay (as expected from a budget keyboard).

the 3 variants are versatile and flexible. the standard piano is the perfect all-rounder and can handle songs of any genre with its clean, neutral tone.

The soft piano preset is ideal for ballads and backing accompaniments. Finally, the brilliant piano covers your jazz and blues needs.

Personally, I recommend practicing with the Standard preset as it has the lightest tone of the bunch and allows you to easily identify mistakes and weaknesses.

pianos aren’t the only sounds on the cdp-s100, and can be used to liven up practice sessions or practice genre-specific playing styles.

the 3 electric pianos are a good selection of classic sounds, ranging from classic wurlitzers to fm synths.

I’m amazed at how responsive these sounds are, as playing hard really does produce the bite you’d expect from a real, amplified wurlitzer.

The harpsichord is acceptable at best, as it lacks the key-off samples that emulate the response of a real harpsichord when the keys are released. otherwise this sounds like you would expect and will help you practice pieces from the baroque era.

The string sounds are less than stellar, but will mostly be used in conjunction with layer mode where they won’t be the center of attention.

Finally, the organ sounds are very well done. the keys function as slider organs, and the sounds include true rotary speaker emulation (though not changeable).

Essentially, the sound palette on offer is decent enough for practice purposes, with a clear focus on piano tones.

All in all, the sounds are adequate and can serve as a valid substitute for beginners who need a digital practice piano.

effects

In terms of effects, the cdp-s100 comes with 2 built-in effects, a reverb and a chorus.

the reverb has 4 algorithms and an option to turn it off as well. the algorithms differ primarily in their size parameter, from a small room at level 1 to a large concert hall-style reverb at maximum level.

Each preset has a default reverb setting and no adjustments were necessary during my gaming test.

chorus comes in 4 different types, along with the option to turn it off. the chorus ranges from a subtle stereo widening effect to a lush detune effect.

This is best applied to electric pianos and organs to emulate playing real keyboards through an effects box.

I found that most sounds worked better with the subtle settings of level 1 and 2, and that the higher levels were too much for my liking.

that’s about it in terms of available settings.

You should keep in mind that beginners should not have active effects at high intensities during practice, as these could end up masking certain mistakes that can end up becoming long-term habits.

polyphony

the cdp-s100 has a maximum polyphony of 64 notes, which sufficiently covers all types of songs, whether they are classic songs or modern ballads.

Although 64 notes is normal for budget keyboards, this is a bit low, especially since most competitors, such as the casio px-160 and the korg b2, offer almost double the polyphony (128 polyphony). and 120 notes). respectively).

higher polyphony means notes won’t be cut off during playback.

To be fair, it’s hard to force clipping, even at 64 notes, though if you’re playing with sustained and layered vocals, you might hear some dropped notes.

speakers

Like the px-s1000, I’m impressed Casio packed speakers into such a slim digital piano.

Even more impressive is that these are powerful dual 8w speakers, when other competitors like the roland fp-10 and yamaha p-45 rely on dual 6w speakers.

The backfiring speakers are quite powerful for the size and sound excellent, without distortion, even at maximum volume, and offer a clean and spacious soundstage.

The speakers have front-facing speaker grills, so you’ll be able to hear a clear tone even when you’re not near a wall.

Although turning the volume up loud is not recommended, it’s good to know the option is there if you need some extra volume.

features

As a budget piano, there aren’t many extra features on the cdp-s100, but all the necessities are included.

modes

the cdp-s100 comes with only 1 special playback mode, the layer mode.

Layer mode lets you play two sounds simultaneously and is a standard feature on most digital pianos and keyboards, regardless of price range.

The main way you’ll use this playback mode is by layering strings with other sounds to get that classic ballad backing tone. you can also layer acoustic pianos with electric pianos for a wide sound.

Unfortunately, split mode is not an option here, and neither is duet mode which allows the student and teacher to use the keyboard at the same time.

functions

The main features of the cdp-s100 include the following:

1) transposition. this allows you to change the key played. transpositions can be changed from -12 to +12 semitones in 1 semitone increments.

2) master tuning. You can change the keyboard center tuning in steps of 0.2hz, from 415.5 to 465.9hz. 440.0hz is the standard default pitch for media.

3) metronome. pressing the metronome button activates the built-in metronome. you can change the tempo, time signature, and volume of the metronome sound.

connectivity

As a budget digital piano, the cdp-s100 has basic connectivity options, primarily focused on home use.

however, certain features can also be applied to stage and concert use (although not without going through some hoops).

If you want to practice along with a backing track, you can connect your smartphone or music player to the audio-in jack (3.5mm).

For using headphones, a headphone/output jack is provided that fits most consumer headphones with its 3.5mm (1/8″) mini-jack.

To use the cdp-s100 with an external PA system or amplifier, you’ll also use this output, as there are no dedicated line out connectors.

Finally, a USB Type B port is included that connects the CDP-S100 to your smartphone (for use with compatible apps) or to your computer as a MIDI keyboard.

This is also the port you will use to connect the cdp-s100 to the cordana playback application.

Finally, a Damper Pedal jack allows you to connect any standard damper pedal to the CDP-S100. Although Casio includes a pedal with every purchase, you can use any pedal you already own with no problem.

cordana play for ios and android

We have talked about this app throughout the review and it allows you to control the cdp-s100 with a graphical interface via your smartphone or tablet.

This is a common way for manufacturers to compensate for not having a screen. Since the cdp-s100 is a cheap keyboard, I can accept the screen exclusion.

The app itself integrates nicely when connected and allows you to use Casio’s piano tutorials and song teaching features.

chordana play also allows you to control some functions on the keyboard, such as switching between sounds and controlling the tempo of the metronome.

While I found this app indispensable during my px-s1000 review, I have a different stance on the cdp-s100.

the cdp-s100 includes helpful keyboard guides to help you with navigation and setting changes, so the main advantage of using the app is that you can always see the tempo of your metronome.

In short, the application will be useful for beginners thanks to the lessons it offers. even if you’re not using the lesson features, the control features can make the app worthwhile in the long run. there’s nothing wrong with trying it.

accessories

These are the basics you need to start playing, but here are some recommended purchases.

sustain pedal

The included sp-3 damper pedal is a basic boxy pedal that isn’t very intuitive.

Although it works well for practice (and the cdp-s100 doesn’t support half damping), beginners should use the full-size pedals that emulate the feel of real keyboards.

Personally, I always recommend the m-audio sp-2 acoustic type sustain pedal, which feels solid and is also very affordable.

USB adapter and cable

a usb type b cable allows you to connect the cdp-s100 to your phone (for the cordana app) or your computer (for daw or performance software). you may need an adapter to connect to your phone.

keyboard support

if you want a matching stand that makes the cdp-s100 feel right at home, consider the matching cs-68pbk (or its white counterpart if you like contrast).

works with all recently released casio pianos including the cdp-s100, cdp-s350 and the px-s series. there’s also the more affordable cs-46 mount that should work with both series as well.

The cdp-s100’s slim form factor means it can blend nicely with almost any mount available. so if you’re looking for a more portable and affordable solution, consider purchasing an x or z style mount.

here are some solid options I recommend:

rockjam xfinity double-x bracket (folding)
adjustable knox style z bracket

headphones

Headphones are very useful when you want to practice in private, concentrating solely on playing and not disturbing those around you.

In addition, a good pair of headphones will provide a clearer and more detailed sound compared to the built-in speakers. Check out this guide to learn how to choose the best sounding headphones for your digital piano.

summary

When it comes to budget digital pianos, the Casio CDP-S100 is a good option for the price.

The key action and samples included with the cdp-s100 are new and definitely show it compared to somewhat older keyboards in this price range. Overall, I’m impressed with the quality here.

While most of the innovations come from Casio’s new flagship px-s line, that’s not a bad thing, as evidenced by our overwhelmingly positive reviews for both the px-s1000 and the the px-s3000. As with those digital pianos, the CDP-S100 offers good value for money in a compact package.

That said, the fact that it’s compact may not be as relevant as you think. the px-s series was designed for stage use, hence the portability factor, but I don’t see exactly why the cdp-s series needed the same treatment.

While the compact form factor is nice to have, it comes with the caveat of a shorter pivot length for the keys.

As a beginner, this isn’t a big deal, but advanced players may find the keys a bit jarring, especially if they’re used to more premium authentic keyboards or real pianos.

this hampers the excellent gaming experience and feels like a sacrifice that ends up hurting the cdp-s100.

The compact form factor also doesn’t make much sense considering the limited connectivity options, so it’s clearly not designed for use on stage.

The main reason I’d recommend a lightweight digital piano for practice is if you’re always on the go, but that doesn’t seem like a large enough demographic to warrant the new design.

Minor complaints aside, there’s nothing wrong with the cdp-s100.

The

rear-facing speakers make the CDP-S100 feel at home on a desk and you’ll enjoy the excellent speaker quality even without a stand (a common problem with keyboards with rear-facing speakers). down).

piano sounds and key feel are subjective matters and while I’m happy with the cdp-s100 in that regard, I’d recommend you try things out before making your final purchase.

I highly recommend considering the roland fp-10 if you are considering the cdp-s100.

This uses Roland’s well-received PHA-4 standard key action, used on other mid-range keyboards, and has Roland’s supernatural piano modeling technology behind the piano sounds, delivering a more realistic sound. to my ears.

Check the availability and current price of the casio cdp-s100 | cdp-s150 in your region:

alternatives

The market for entry-level digital pianos is getting more and more competitive every year.

New features and technologies previously only available on higher-end models are slowly but surely making their way into the entry-level digital piano market.

There are a number of strong competitors that you may want to add to your list along with the cdp-s100.

Check out our guide to the best beginner digital pianos for more information on the best beginner digital pianos on the market and how the cdp-s100 stacks up against them (including the cdp-s100’s big brother, the cdp-s350) .