Casio’s New Privia Digital Piano Is a Portable Sonic Powerhouse
Tokyo-based Casio Computer Company is known for making everything from calculators and cameras to watches and cash registers. In addition to such diverse consumer electronic products, including select audio gear, it also knows a thing or three about electronic keyboards. The brand’s Privia digital pianos are small but mighty, and when a Concert Grand 290 Imperial just won’t fit in the apartment, a Casio Privia is able to sound like a grand piano, yet weigh as little as 25 pounds.
The three-model lineup features a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer-action keyboard for authentic feel that, combined with the company’s proprietary “AiR” (Acoustic and intelligent Resonator) tech—derived from Casio’s top-of-the-line Celviano Grand Hybrid pianos—enhances detail and dynamics to convincingly emulate a much larger piano. Importantly, the new Privia line employs more than three times the memory of the previous generation, to impart an even more natural tone.
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Casio launched its first electronic musical instrument, the Casiotone 201, in 1980. Its Privia digital piano, developed in 2003, aimed to deliver a professional-quality playing experience in a user-friendly design that was compact, light, and affordable. Twenty years later, the new Privia PX-S7000, PX-S6000, and PX-S5000 pianos advance the art with sophisticated keyboard action, textured key surfaces, and remarkably immersive sound, including the ability to replicate the world’s most legendary concert grands at the famed symphony halls in Hamburg, New York, and Berlin. And the model line works equally well if you just want to play “As Time Goes By” with the same soulful style as Sam in the film Casablanca.
The new Privia models reflect the music-making spirit of Toshio Kashio, second eldest of the four Kashio brothers, and a founding member of the company. Toshio Kashio’s own challenges in learning to play are what advanced his company’s dedication to developing electronic musical instruments.
The flagship Privia PX-S7000, priced at $3,399, has garnered two NY Product Design Awards this year—as a Gold Winner in the Smart Home/Home Entertainment category and a Silver Winner in the Musical Instrument/Keyboards category. The world’s slimmest digital piano features spruce key sides and new ebony-and-ivory key-tops that convey an authentic piano experience, while the mid-century modern design is suited to interiors where the instrument’s small scale is easily integrated.
The PX-S7000 includes wood-grain accents and a choice of three finishes: black, white, and Harmonious Mustard, a color that really takes one back to the days of gold-tone kitchens and sumptuous shag carpet. Its airy, almost floating design—with an integrated triple-pedal assembly—allows the piano to be placed almost anywhere in the room.
A touch ring on the top panel of the PX-S7000 allows scrolling and directional input for the backlit display, illuminated touch sensor controls, and color-changing pitch-bend wheel. Four multifunction, context-sensitive buttons access favorite sounds and settings. A Bluetooth adaptor lets users stream through the piano’s speakers, and the Casio Music Space app displays scores, interactive lessons, and offers graphical control over settings. And for portable use, the PX-S7000 can run for up to four hours on just eight AA batteries.
Click here for more photos of the Casio Privia PX-S7000 digital piano.
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