Hi,
I am interested in learning to play the piano and I am thinking about the following setup with a computer.
Casio CDP-120 digital piano -> USB -> computer with Pianoteq 5 software -> USB DAC -> Dynaudio active monitors
Is this setup going to work? And if not, what is missing?
Thanks in advance,
Arend
Pianoteq with monitors will certainly enhance your experience, but if you're a COMPLETE beginner, you'd probably be fine with just that digital piano alone.
The sound generation especially of the entry level instruments leaves something to be desired. So yes, I got tired of my PX-3's internal sound very quickly even as a complete beginner. It's a matter of taste, but Pianoteq's playability is also something rarely matched even by high-end devices.
You could start with just the CDP-120, and then buy the rest later when you are sure about wanting to continue. On the other hand the tinny sound of a entry-level DP with small built-in speakers can limit the joy of playing, so... if you are sure: yes, your setup is going to work. You should use a decent USB DAC (Focusrite, Steinberg etc.), so not a Sound Blaster or similar, and the active monitors shouldn't be too small (6-8 inch class). And you will end up wanting to switch the Casio against at least a middle class device sooner than you probably think right now.
Arend, you're on the right track.
if you're a COMPLETE beginner, you'd probably be fine with just that digital piano alone.
I don't agree. In my opinion especially beginners should have fine equipment. Ideally they have access to a real grand and upright piano. I consider learning how the original sounds and behaves just as important as learning to play. The CDPs feel reasonably real but the sound, although usable occasionally, leaves something to be desired.
And you will end up wanting to switch the Casio against at least a middle class device sooner than you probably think right now.
I don't think so. In my opinion the more expensive hammer actions are mainly less noisy mechanically. Even if you decide to upgrade you could keep the CDP for jam sessions and gigs as it's very light. It really is an insider tip!
BUT: I'd find a music store and compare the CDP-120 and the CDP-130 before buying! The CDP-130 has some more and refined sounds (especially better strings) and better speakers and it costs just a few bucks more. It's always nice to have internal sounds for playing spontaneously and as backup if you use software on stage.
I'm not sure whether the 120 and the 130 have the same hammer action. The specs don't mention a change but you never know.
Especially the 130 produces a signal tone on certain settings. You decide whether or not it bothers you.
You could start with Pianoteq Stage if you're not sure yet whether you still like playing the piano in a few months.
In my opinion especially beginners should have fine equipment.
It's not so common logic for many other situations, but absolutely true for the subject.
I don't think so. In my opinion the more expensive hammer actions are mainly less noisy mechanically. Even if you decide to upgrade you could keep the CDP for jam sessions and gigs as it's very light. It really is an insider tip!
No, and yes. More expensive actions usually have more mass, featuring a more realistic touch (i.e. heavier touch in forte while still very light in piano). If the CDP-120 has the same action as the Privias, then it is a very good action for its weight. But it is still a very light piano action, lacking 'substance' in forte play.
Your point about portability is right of course. I haven't thrown away my PX-3 either. I just moved to something different as my go-to piano setup at home.
Thanks anyone, it's nice to read the different replies.
I should have mentioned that I already have the Dynaudio's (DBM50 with 7" midbass + controller) and the USB DAC (Audioquest Dragonfly) for my computer audio setup, I am a kind of audiophile, I am also using Dirac Live software for room correction. I was just wondering if it would work, in meantime I have installed the free trial and, using the virtual keyboard, I now know that it works, also with Dirac Live which I was not sure of.
My interest was triggered in these virtual instruments because a friend of me told me about Hauptwerk, a virtual organ. After some browsing I also noticed the Pianoteq 5 'movie' on youtube, and playing through my setup and a little imagination I was amazed with the sound experience.
If I understand it right the main issue with keyboards is the difference in touch, thus how the keys feel. The Casio looks very attractive for me as it has USB output which saves me a MIDI interface, and is affordable for a beginner.
I am looking forward to start my new hobby .
No, and yes. More expensive actions usually have more mass, featuring a more realistic touch (i.e. heavier touch in forte while still very light in piano). If the CDP-120 has the same action as the Privias, then it is a very good action for its weight. But it is still a very light piano action, lacking 'substance' in forte play.
For me most digital piano hammer actions are too heavy. The CDP-130's is lighter but still heavier than the grand piano's I have access to. It also features lighter touch in piano than in forte as you described. Seems as if it's rather an individual thing.
EDIT: I'd say the quality of a hammer action doesn't depend too much on the price. You can pay thousands for a board featuring e. g. the Fatar TP/100LR which I find horrible compared to the action of the CDP-130.
But as a rule of thumb: There's a trade-off between weight, playability and noise.
For me most digital piano hammer actions are too heavy. The CDP-130's is lighter but still heavier than the grand piano's I have access to. It also features lighter touch in piano than in forte as you described. Seems as if it's rather an individual thing.
It's also strongly dependent on the regulation of the individual (grand) piano, and there are noticeable differences between grands and uprights as well. I exercise routinely on some Steinway uprights and let's just say they provide real training for my tactile strength.
In general however, you are missing the point about the 'heaviness' of the touch being quite different between the piano-pianissimo and forte-fortissimo ranges. The forte range usually is much heavier on a 'real' instrument and this cannot be reduced by regulation, since it is purely a function of mass: there are a lot of parts involved in a piano action, and they all have to move quickly.
My main beef with the Casio actions and many, many other digital actions is that they are too light in forte and at the same time too heavy in piano, which is purely due to the fact that they lack the necessary mass. Manufacturers try to find a compromise, but this problem cannot be fixed without making the keys (and the action) considerably more 'massive'.
Because of this, the newest digital actions by Kawai even include counter-weights to increase the keys' mass: this actually makes the touch lighter in the piano range, leaves it more or less the same in the middle range and makes it heavier in the forte range. The RH and RM3 and GF actions by Kawai have always been a lot more massive than the Casio actions anyway, and this is the reason why I switched to a VPC-1 for my daily practice. The price (apart from the monetary aspect) is of course that a VPC-1 or a MP-11 weigh almost three times as much as a Casio digital piano.
My main beef with the Casio actions and many, many other digital actions is that they are too light in forte and at the same time too heavy in piano
OK, I agree. To put it in a nutshell: The Casio's action is also lighter in piano than in forte but the range is not that huge.