Help deciding between Yamaha P525 and Casio Hybrid GP310

Hey Chris, wow these two are really different. What are you looking for in your upgrade?

Pianoteq specific thoughts:
- If you want to use the internal speakers, I'd recommend going with something that supports bluetooth MIDI, because otherwise you may end up getting interference from the cable loop formed by the midi + audio lines
- don't neglect the importance of a good pedal! in that sense the casio is the better of the two options.
- personally I find the form factor important: having a realistic grand piano sound coming from something that doesn't look convincingly like a piano breaks the immersion for me
- the keyboard action is of course the most important selection criterion for pianoteq. While built-in sounds can work around unrealistic responses by tweaking the audio, pianoteq is modeled after realistic actions, so the closer you get to that ideal, the better.

Here are a few thoughts, facts , pros and cons  based on reviews and comments .

P525
The P525 doesn’t send variable note off .
White keys core is wood , black keys are plastic There is a USB audio interface , even though it’s basic .
Light touch with black keys lighter than white keys .
Good speakers ( for a portable, that is)
Good repetition speed , slower than Kawai RHIII action but faster than Roland PHA-50
Difficult to reach low velocities below 25-30 and above 110 so need a proper curve to fix it
No report on in inconsistent note on velocities

GP310
Probably ahead of the p525 for feel compared to acoustic
Speakers are ´so so’ according to reviews
No audio interface included
Quality relatively good except the back panel .
Good repetition speed , at a minimum as good as the P525 if not faster

Keys tend to become noisy . It has been reported a few times . Here’s a video after 3 years . https://youtu.be/hDsB4RUhNp0?is=MJgY_zq8TuhQzGeN
This digital piano is now old and will be presumably presumed .

Conclusion:hard choice . The P525 being more recent and portable is probably easier to resell.
Funny enough given the drivers you have mentioned and given you use pianoteq   , these are not the 2 keyboards I would have chosen . If I was to buy blindly a keyboard between the two , I will monitor the price of the Casio in sites like sweetwater and Thomann and wait for a price drop that will happen is Casio decides to upgrade the GP line . But nothing is guaranteed as the action is coming from Beichstein and I don’t know if this partnership was a one off or a long-standing commercial relationship .

Not a review, but I am still pretty amazed at how quickly Casio built up their DP tech. Years ago I remember owning the early Privia line and it was pretty decent already. Now they are actually up there with the other juggernauts.

Well here are the keyboards I would consider , there are more than two in fact . Fact of the matter is that they have all have their pro's and con's and  there isn't a single keyboard that scores 10/10 all aspects being considered . Here is a a quick summary of top pro's and con's of most popular keyboards in that price range .  I am not paying any consideration to internal sound banks given you interned to use the keyboard as a midi controller  .

In the portable range the  contenders are
Yamaha P525   already made comments

Roland FP90X
Pro's
Best midi output consistency and midi output range in the selection
Stabiliser pins under the keys, eliminating key lateral moves
Built like a tank
Con's
Slow key return , so not the fastest for repetition speed
Wood is just cosmetic , core keys are plastic, black keys 100% plastic
A bit expensive

Kawai ES920
Pro's
Fastest action of all, very fast key return, speed king, excellent repetition speed
Counterweights making initial resistance low
Good midi range
Con's
Plastic keys
Relatively high upweight which is the price to pay for quick key return
Not as rugged as the FP90X

Studiologic Numa X GT

Pro's
Excellent feel  and touch according to reviews
Quite good repetition speed and midi output
Sturdy frame.
Con's
Sensors under the keys . All other keyboards have sensors under the hammer.  This causes issues in the long run
Hit or miss , quality control  is not the best and some batches have some key issues  according to reviews
Wood adjunction is just cosmetic and are wood veneers glued on the side of the keys.

Studiologic SL MK2 GT
This is the midi controller version with same characteristics than the Studiologic Numa X GT above , without double escapement let off simulation and without ivory top .
It supports Midi 2.0 which maybe Pianoteq will support in the future and is quite attractive from a price standpoint. But same con's , hit or miss when you buy.

On the console side, the GP310 is probably an attractive choice, the Yamaha and Roland Consoles are more expensive .The  Kawai CA501 is about the same price than the GP310 and is  more solid and higher quality but not as fast  for repeated speed.

Hope it helps Chris, It is not going to make your choice easier.  Considering that no DP is perfect, any of these keyboards will be fine. It is just a matter of personal preference. Given you are going to buy online, make sure that they accept keyboard returns. Thomann is really excellent for that.

Thank you for all your replies people. Appreciated.

I did actually play a Casio GP500 several times when there was a Yamaha dealer in town. That was around ten years ago ish.

It was very impressive. Even hooked it up with my laptop and Pianoteq. Solid feel to the keys.

The GP510 had some improvements to the action/response although I'm unclear as to what they improved.

I'm thinking I should wait to see what Casio brings out next! I'm sure we're due for a new model of something, if history teaches us anything!

Thank you all for your helpful advice and comments.

Warmest regards,

Chris

Will this be used exclusively with Pianoteq? If so, no need for such a modern, contemporary keyboard. If feel is key, Kawai is the best. I have a Kawai CP150 which is 20+ years old running Pianoteq and its great. Awesome wooden KB and feel, powerful internal 4 speaker system. If you'll be using the digital piano internals as well, I'd go with the Casio. Very underrated, good feel, and sound (3 great GP to choose from)