Casio CDP 120: Features overview

Many musicians, whether beginners or professionals, sooner or later think about how to take advantage of technological innovations and replace the cumbersome acoustic instrument with something more compact. Someone will arrange a synthesizer, but performers who need to play acoustic pianos or pianos (for example, in an educational institution) by the nature of their work or study, such a tool with soft keys will not do.

Characteristics

Digital pianos were originally created as a complete analogue of their acoustic progenitor, so the mechanics in them are appropriate, and the price, compared to synthesizers, is higher at times. Before Casio's budget line appeared, not everyone could afford the purchase of a digital piano. Casio CDP 120 belongs just to this line, it combines functionality, sound quality and reasonable price.

The keyboard of the instrument is 88 full-size keys. There is a unit for hardness of the keys; There are three types of keyboards: semi-weighted, weighted and unweighted. Synthesizers often have unweighted keys with an incredibly soft stroke. They are easy to play on, but this only remotely resembles playing on a real acoustic piano. Semi-weighted - this is an intermediate version, observed in some models of synthesizers. The weighted keyboards are as close as possible to the original, they have a hammer mechanics.

About settings

Digital piano Casio CDP 120 has a key sensitivity setting, represented by three options. You can also turn it off altogether.

Five different timbres will help diversify performance. A polyphony of 48 voices is not the biggest figure, but this is enough for a beginner pianist. In fact, most of the functions that require more voices are simply absent in the Casio CDP 120: there is no auto accompaniment and recording, as well as a combination of timbres.

The sustain pedal is connected to the piano. Due to the lack of polyphony, it's impossible to use a three-pedal system: it will not work as effectively as it does on a 128-voice polyphony.

About sound

Acoustic system Casio CDP 120 - two oval built-in speakers with a total capacity of 16 watts. This is a good indicator for such a budget technique: the tool is ideal for playing at home, but also with a more spacious room also manages. Its volume is enough for an ensemble game, but for the concert hall it will take an additional sound.

Quality sounding of timbres is provided by AHL technology, patented by Casio. The sound is bulky: the top and the middle show themselves perfectly, but the basses are rather deaf.

The Casio CDP 120 has an input for headphones, which is a big plus for those who like to play at night or who live not alone. The headphone jack is a standard "jack", so you should purchase an adapter, if it was not included. You can do it in any store of musical instruments or radio electronics.

Compactness

Despite the full-sized keyboard, the instrument is quite compact. This was also achieved through the use of oval columns. It has a length of 1.3 meters, so it can fit in almost any car, which makes it indispensable for performers, often forced to move. The piano Casio CDP 120 weighs just over 11 kilograms, and it's a little for such a tool, especially if you recall the weight of an acoustic piano.

Casio produces a proprietary stand to this piano, but it can be replaced by a stand from any other digital keyboard instrument, for example, an X-shaped stand for the synthesizer. Nevertheless, most likely it is necessary to independently refine the mechanics of the fasteners, so that the tool does not slip during the game.

Overall Impression

Owners praise the sound and compactness of the Casio CDP 120. The price for this instrument starts from 20 thousand rubles, but it came out a long time ago, so now there are models with a wider functionality. For example, the next in the CDP 130 series, which has 10 timbres, besides reverb also chorus, as well as some other effects.

The digital piano Casio CDP 120 has a USB connector, so it can be connected to a computer and used as a midi keyboard. The possibilities of the digital pianos increase at times: there are connected banks with hundreds of different instruments, and a lot of effects.

Switching between timbres is done with a single keystroke on the panel, no delays are observed. The timbre of "Electropiano" creates a warm, jazz sound, suitable for most modern styles of music, so the instrument will find its application in ensemble ensembles.

The disadvantages include a glossy surface of the keys, which is quickly covered with fingerprints, so you should periodically wipe it off. In addition, on such a smooth surface, when you play, your hands slide. In addition to all the keys have a weak lateral rigidity, which is especially evident in the performance of complex works with sharp jumps and fast passages. However, with the whole program of the music school, the instrument handles perfectly.