drksd4848 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 Hi, Folks I came here because I need insight/advice, etc. I figure, heck, if I'm looking to buy a Casio keyboard, this seems like the place to go... Here's the skinny: I've watched all the videos and read all the reviews. Now, I'm looking at either a S350 or a S100 to buy for both my sons and myself. Both my boys are young and just starting out. One is WAY more inclined to to music than my other boy, but we want to see if it will click with him as well. I also want to learn keys. I have a pretty decent understanding of music theory and I've played guitar off and on for years - sometimes in bands, sometimes not. (I have a love-hate relationship with the guitar). Now, I'm at the point where I feel like it's time to break away from the instrument that has tormented me since my late adolescence and play something that's more valuable in a band setting. (Let's face it, guitar players are dime a dozen. Bass players, Keyboardists and Drummers are worth their weight in gold.) This leads me to my question: Since we are all kind of starting out here, is the S350 worth all the bells and whistles, or would it make more sense to get the S100 and see where we all land with this? Or, would another model be better? My heart says S350, but head says S100. My wife says Casio Keyboard from Target. (Ummm.... No.) Your insight is much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Welcome to the forums! Hopefully we can help. It's always a tough choice for me as well. The CDP-S100 has a small set of sounds and few things to distract from piano practice, so you can keep your focus on actually practicing. The CDP-S350 has a plethora of sounds plus drum patterns and auto-accompaniment. The drum patterns and extra sounds can help with practice too, so it's a tough call. I'm thinking since you're buying one for your two sons and yourself, might as well go ahead and get the S350. The extra sounds plus rhythms will probably be a hit with everyone. Those extra sounds in the S350 are really really good. You can also check YouTube for demos of the CT-X700 and hear everything the CDP-S350 has inside. That might help you decide. If you have anymore questions, we'll be here to help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannjik Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Follow your heart. You won't regret it. We have the CDP S350 and love it. Guitar Center & Musician's Friend run specials all the time at $100.00 off or $399. The extra (fantastic) sounds, drum patterns and auto accomp., along with the improved sequencer are definitely worth it. To have all this built into a slim 24 pound piano is unbelievable, considering I used to have a rack of electronics and drum machines to do the same thing. Don't forget the screen! (You would get tired of holding down a button and pressing a key to change settings all the time.) I recently bought the USB-B to USB-C cable and tried Chordana for piano. It adds to the already great experience. Search YouTube and Jeremy See's review of the CDP S350. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Thanks for the input guys... Quick question: Does the s350 have a vibrato effect? I know it has reverb and pitch shift. BTW, the other option I was considering was this: Actually, maybe not... now. But boy, the holy grail would be to find a voice that could reproduce the sound of the Hammond X66. If I had *really* followed my heart when I was a youngster getting into music, I would have just started with keys all together. There was something about hearing John Kiley play "The Impossible Dream" with all the traps pulled out on the X66 that made me melt. Then hearing David Gilmour play his stratocaster washed it all away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 The CDP-S350 does not have vibrato, but the PX-S3000 has it, which can be assigned to the knobs. And yes, the S350 has a selection of organ tones. I'm not sure of any will live up to a real organ, but they're certainly fun to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Yeah, I figured. Once I figure out where Middle C is, then go to Am, F and G, I'll think about the Hammond Anyway, I think you guys sealed the deal. S350 it is... Glad to know there's a go-to forum for Casio Keys as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Excellent! And if you do end up playing in a band, the extra sounds in the S350 over the S100 will prove invaluable at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Exactly my thinking... Although the real priority is to light a spark in (at least one of) my boys. And it'll be fun is we learn it together. BTW, one more question. What are your thoughts on Chordana? Is it a good learning tool? Is there anything else you'd recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 You can download Chordana Play for Piano beforehand and get a sense of what it's all about. Some features will be locked out until it's connected to the piano, but you should be able to see what it's about. I haven't personally used it since I learn by ear, but I can see where it's useful to get the ball rolling. Probably the most popular part of it will be the remote controller section, which will let you choose tones and settings fron your touchscreen device. Very handy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJP Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 It sounds like you have already decided on the S350, so my post is a little redundant, but I just thought I'd say that I was making exactly the same decision a few months ago and I went with the S350. I haven't once regretted the choice. The extra voices were a big factor for me, but also the multi-track recording and the ability to plug in an audio source and play along. I use the latter feature more than I thought that I would and it's lots of fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 I would pick the 350 over the 100 based on the piano sound alone. They do not sound the same, and the 350 is a clear winner for my ears. The other sounds and capabilities make it even more attractive than the 100. Also, I don't know where you live, but everywhere I've seen them for sale in the US, the price difference is only $100. I already have a PX-S3000 which I love and use on gigs, but I'm planning on picking up a CDP-S350 this week as a backup and practice keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Just bought the CDP-S350 today. And a CT-X800. 🙂 Got early Black Friday deals on both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 25, 2019 Author Share Posted November 25, 2019 17 minutes ago, Rod Tompkins said: Just bought the CDP-S350 today. And a CT-X800. 🙂 Got early Black Friday deals on both. Where did you get it from? (if you don't mind me asking) I am most likely going buy it at Guitar Center because I have a $300 gift certificate for them... And I'll probably get it with the wooden stand. I was about to finally pull the trigger last Friday, but I have a feeling I should wait for the black Friday deals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 9 minutes ago, drksd4848 said: Where did you get it from? (if you don't mind me asking) I am most likely going buy it at Guitar Center because I have a $300 gift certificate for them... And I'll probably get it with the wooden stand. I was about to finally pull the trigger last Friday, but I have a feeling I should wait for the black Friday deals... I bought them both at Guitar Center. Their sister company Musician's Friend already has Black Friday prices on both keyboards I bought today. Guitar Center matched them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 25, 2019 Author Share Posted November 25, 2019 4 hours ago, Rod Tompkins said: Alright... alright.. alright.... no need to rub it in... That'll be me... BTW, Rod, what made you also buy the CT X8000? Should I be looking at that in lieu of...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 CT-X800 and CDP-S350 are basically the same aside from one is 61 key synth weighted and the other is 88 key graded hammer action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 26, 2019 Author Share Posted November 26, 2019 OK, thoughts on this: Given all things equal in terms of price: PX-160 or CDP-S350 Which one do you get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 50 minutes ago, drksd4848 said: OK, thoughts on this: Given all things equal in terms of price: PX-160 or CDP-S350 Which one do you get? CDP-S350....many more tones, adds drum patterns, is a much slimmer size and has an improved physical action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 10 hours ago, drksd4848 said: PX-160 or CDP-S350 Which one do you get? One thing to consider about the CDP-S350. I don't believe it allows you to adjust the part volume in layers and splits. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong!) This a a deal breaker for me using this on any gig other than a solo piano one. I plan to use this as a controller in my studio, so I can live with it. I've been so busy I haven't even opened the boxes of my 2 new units. I'm returning the CT-X800 for this reason and picking up a similarly-priced Yamaha as my emergency backup keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 @Rod Tompkins You are correct. CT-X700/800 and CDP-S350 operates the same in that regard. If you want to replace your CT-X800, I would suggest shopping for a CT-X3000. The price can sometimes get really close to a CT-X800 and you gain much more than just volume control over splits and layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Rod Tompkins said: One thing to consider about the CDP-S350. I don't believe it allows you to adjust the part volume in layers and splits. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong!) This a a deal breaker for me using this on any gig other than a solo piano one. But since he asked about PX-160 vs. CDP-S350, the PX-160 doesn't even have a split, does it? I can't remember if it has a bass split, but if it does, that's it. Much less any real control over what of the two layers you've chosen. The PX-160 does have 1/4" output jacks, but no pitch bend wheel, no display, no rhythms, no presets, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drksd4848 Posted November 26, 2019 Author Share Posted November 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Rod Tompkins said: One thing to consider about the CDP-S350. I don't believe it allows you to adjust the part volume in layers and splits. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong!) This a a deal breaker for me using this on any gig other than a solo piano one. I plan to use this as a controller in my studio, so I can live with it. I've been so busy I haven't even opened the boxes of my 2 new units. I'm returning the CT-X800 for this reason and picking up a similarly-priced Yamaha as my emergency backup keyboard. 28 minutes ago, Brad Saucier said: @Rod Tompkins You are correct. CT-X700/800 and CDP-S350 operates the same in that regard. If you want to replace your CT-X800, I would suggest shopping for a CT-X3000. The price can sometimes get really close to a CT-X800 and you gain much more than just volume control over splits and layers. I think at this stage of the game, it probably won't matter for us. Right now, I'm working on applying all the chord theory I learned studying guitar to the keys. The kids will be starting from ground zero. If I get to the point where I'm worried about layering, I'd say I've come a long way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 59 minutes ago, drksd4848 said: I think at this stage of the game, it probably won't matter for us. In that case, you will be very happy with the 350. It's really amazing for the price. I don't think anything short of the PX-S3000 can beat it. 1 hour ago, Joe Muscara said: the PX-160 doesn't even have a split, does it? Joe, I had to look it up on the website, but yes, the PX-160 does split and layer. I'd have to look at a manual to see if you can control the relative volume of the parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Tompkins Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Brad Saucier said: @Rod Tompkins You are correct. CT-X700/800 and CDP-S350 operates the same in that regard. If you want to replace your CT-X800, I would suggest shopping for a CT-X3000. The price can sometimes get really close to a CT-X800 and you gain much more than just volume control over splits and layers. Thanks, Brad. I will check out the CT-X3000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.