If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to! th-cam.com/channels/u1LrpmWwK1ztTvIayRar9w.html
you're very technical and informative but very easy to understand, and you answered all of the questions that i had in my head, for example non of the videos i watched about these pianos talked about the clicking sound that the piano makes which i think is a very important thing. unlike many reviewers, your video is long but not to only make more money but i think that you actually have a lot of important things to say plus you're not saying the same things over and over again to make the video longer. and you're not boring unlike my very long comment.
Important topic, especially now when so many music students on a budget won’t be able to practice on grand pianos in their schools and have to buy something for home...
this is what i was looking for to buy a piano, i am not a pianist nor an amateur, i am just falling in love with the piano since i started with Bach, slowly, but surely, and i wanted to invest a little more in a piano like and this Compare of digital pianos has helped me a lot... Thank you
I'd love to see a comparison of the action of the higher-end instruments, for example, the NW-GH of Yamaha CP-88, the NWX with escapement of Yamaha P515, the PHA-50 of Roland RD-2000 and FP-90, and GF on Kawai MP11SE. It would also be interesting to include the Roland PHA-4 on FP-30 and FP-60 since it has escapement mechanisms. Most people online are only talking about how they "feel" and everybody feels differently. You are talking in a really objective and descriptive manner and I think it would be really valuable if you can compare some of the more premium actions.
You are doing the work that few of us can do. First, you have far better piano technique/awareness/sensitivity than I, and Second, the INTERNET has disrupted local commerce so much that I could not easily play-test these four digital pianos even if I went to 4 different shops within a 40 mile radius, even though I live in a small but populous state. It would take me several trips to assess and then recall what I felt. Since I cannot easily test ANY of these digital piano actions, Jimmy Boy, your responsibilty to your audience is growing. I have been agonizing over the last few months about what digital piano under $900 (absolute tops...more like $700) to get since I can practice at work as a guard (Sshh!), but also teach music privately on the side, and I include myself among the well-educated but working poor. (Yet my random/hopeful purchase of a Roland Go Piano is all spring keys, and does not compare to the Gift of a beat-up baby grand from a parochial school 10 yrs ago or so, with a good technician taking the action home to regulate it, and subsequent tunings.) A real piano is truly cool, but mine has defects from Basketball Bonks and temperature/humidity in the gym at said school and just about everybody's REAL piano could use work multiple times a year, depending upon the awareness/sensitivity of the owner or main user. And needless to say, I can't take the Baby Grand to work! Thus, I need and appreciate this video with the gram weights! (Actually, we also know nothing about the quality control aspects and the bangs in shipping and what all they (the digital piano makers) do to prevent that...that's an idea for another video if you choose to travel to Japan and the Far East post-pandemic,eh?) Peace.
That would be interesting, but it would also be a lot of keyboards to buy! I'm always working on purchasing more products for review though, so someday I'll make more videos like this with higher tier keyboards.
@@ThePianoforever Thank you for posting the Roland review soon. I'm buying my first digital piano and a deciding factor between ES110 and FP-30 will be your review. Your videos are helpful, so thanks again!
I’ve used a Kawai ES100, the predecessor of the ES110, for a couple of years. The action is very good considering the price, as is the sound. The only shortcoming I find with it is that it has considerable key noise, which is much greater on some keys than others.
I have Korg D1 and its absolutely lovely. I even like the fact that it has no speakers, because it's more compact and suits me very well! To be totally honest, I don't really like the internal sound(might be just my opinion) but using it as a midi controller with software piano is absolute killer.. action is fantastic to me.
Nice comparison. I’m a beginner, and got the PX s1000. Totally Love it! But actually did notice that the keys get harder as you try to play closer to the top.
Yes, they definitely do. I'd recommend looking into getting something else in the future, if you decide to keep learning the piano. That action is definitely not the best to learn and play on.
Thanks for the comparison James! Could you please also comment on the Korg's PH3 action? (as found in the Grandstage you reviewed in February but also in the D1 which is in the same price range as those 4 keyboards). How is Korg's PH3 action responsiveness, expression, joy to play, compared to these keyboards? Where would it rank in this list? Thanks!
Thank you, James. You have confirmed my reason for choosing the Roland over the Yamaha and the Casio. I wanted the real piano feel and was less concerned about some of the other features. I'm really looking forward to your upcoming review of it. Stay well!
You're so good at these super informative videos, you don't need any editing. Have you thought about including fulcrum length measurement in your digital pianos reviews?
I recently bought the PXS-3000 because of all the positive reviews. I didn’t notice the key weight difference at first, but what really bugged me was the incredibly short pivot. It’s very frustrating to play, and virtually unplayable if you like playing up the keys. Unfortunately I didn’t opt to return it within the supplier window so I’m stuck with it for now. I’m pretty annoyed that none of the other reviewers mentioned these issues.
Your work is truly appreciated by those of us trying to buy something g in this range. Very well organized and presented. Thank you for your investment in time and energy to do this.
Yet another stimulating video. Thanks. I'm about to buy. You already talked me out of the Casio and into the the Kawai, but after watching this I thought I'd better consider the Roland too. What I don't like about it is that it doesn't have normal line outputs. The manual suggests pluging external speakers into the headphone socket. This seems poor for "stage" piano. The phones socket is stereo for a start and musicians use mono amps, or two amps if they want stereo effects. The manual says " You can connect stereo headphones here. If you connect amplified speakers, the sound of the FP-30 will be heard from the speakers. If the sound is distorted when external speakers are connected, slightly lower the volume of the FP-30." The signal for headphones is surely too hot for most amps? What used to be called impedance mismatch? I would expect it to sound awful. I'm sure you have put one through an amp. How did it sound? It kind of feels amateurish somehow to leave something so important off. Keep up the good work.
Bought the Alesis Recital Pro in the end . £258. Very happy. But note, it is just for practice. I have a real piano too. Not sure I'd be happy if it's all I had to play.
I'm curious as well please. I prefer playing on acoustic pianos. Casio was the 1st keyboard to impress me with a somewhat real piano like feel when their Privia series came out. And the price was really affordable too. Curious if their newer technology feels any better, same or worse haha (PX-S1000/PX-S3000). Have been wanting to get something with better action for awhile now.
I found your videos recently and I loved the way you explain and the reviews. I would like to see a sound comparison between Casio pxs3000 vs yamanha p125 vs yamaha p515. If you could do this someday, I will be very thankful.
James, thank you very much for this comparison video and for listening to your followers. This is really good, I enjoyed it, and helps many people looking for a beginner digital piano a lot. I also have an unrelated question: have you ever tried Kawai's wooden Grand Feel Compact (GFC) action of the CA48/CA58 models? Even if not, as they should feel close to the regular Grand Feel, what would you think about it, for a beginner looking to spend a bit more and get a closer to acoustic digital piano action? Thanks again.
Excellent and honest video. You feel Yamaha P-125 springy because GHS action has no hinges. The rear part of the key actually bends. So it is not strange that the key feels heavier or stiffer as it goes down. I am curious what will be the downweights measured by you of actions like NWX, PHA-50, RHIII, RH3.
@@ThePianoforever but it is interesting that you find this GHS action quite good despite it is such simple design. It is light and must be light because pivot length is one of the shortest. I think that new action from Casio was shortened so much they had to reduce weighting of black keys to make those keys even possible to press when playing near fulcrum.
Hi James. First I'd like to say thank you for all the videos you've done comparing these four pianos. It's been very helpful to see you go in-depth on these instruments. I was an beginner/intermediate piano player a few years back who is looking to get back into playing again. I've been practicing on a cheap keyboard for a while now, and I want to upgrade to a digital piano. I like the sound and features of the ES110, but I'm worried that the lighter action will give me bad habits which could impact me when trying to play on a heavier piano. This is mainly a concern if/when I plan on taking piano lessons again. Is the difference in weight of the ES110 so great that I will have a hard time playing on other pianos?
Haven't read all the comments so this may have been brought up, but it would have been very helpful, especially for a beginner like me, to actually see how the weight pushed the keys down; ie, a close up using a second camera. Thank you for this tho.
Thank you so much for your professional reviews! I really enjoyed them. Can you do the same test for other pianos? I recently bought my Roland FP-90 (PHA-50 action, same as Roland RD-2000) and I noticed that I have the opposite problem of the Casio PX-S3000: 66g to move (not to make sound) the middle C and 72g to move the C#. Indeed it's a bit annoying playing songs with a lot of black keys. Thank you!
Would be interesting to compare the older Casio PX160. Their older action had a longer pivot length, triple sensors and was well regarded. Shame they went backwards with the PXS series.
I second the suggestion for another comparison of the actions on higher-end digital pianos. Perhaps a comparison of the Kawai MP7SE or ES8 ($1799/$1649), the Roland FP90 ($1949), the Yamaha CP88 ($2499), the Korg Grandstage ($2199)? The choice of an action when a store is unavailable makes for very risky purchases. You can audition many of the sounds of the various pianos on TH-cam but the actions are another matter altogether. Love your reviews!
Have you considered doing a review of the Yamaha Arius series? It's funny how you made all of these affordable digital piano videos AFTER I've decided which one to buy :) Your reviews are in-depth and top quality so they would have been handy. I enjoy watching them anyway because I always learn some cool stuff and this piano action comparison is no exception. Still, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on Arius YDP-144 (the one I ended up with and I'm pretty much satisfied with it so far).
I really like the video. Someone like me won't probably feel any difference at all - but it is interesting to see there are actual differences between actions and I think that this is a good way to show it.
Again, interesting. I just checked my slightly old (i.e., out of production) Casio Previa and found the blacks and whites to move about the same. The bad news is that both are very heavy, at close to 85 grams. Though I may be estimating the mythical "letoff point" to be excessively depressed.
What about the weight if the Casio PX-160? It got replaced by the current psx-1000 / psx-3000 but those 2 are flawed and don't count in my opinion therefore the PX-160 should still also be getting covered or at-least mentioned in these reviews...
Yes please, Does anyone know if the same happens with the px 160 models? I'm getting an extremely good discount with one px 160 right now, but I still in doubt due to this action issue and I don't know if this is something that also happens with this other px 160 model.
Hi Milan, new sub here. Thanks for your videos. I just want to know what you think of Roland RP301 for my first digital piano, thought of buying this week. I like classical piece so I’d be learning and practice them.
Very informative, thanks for this! I'm very curious, how do these key actions compare with Korg's RH3 action in your experience? I've never had the chance to try out that action, but I'm strongly considering getting a Korg D1 to replace my old Yamaha P-95 which stopped working recently.
Thanks for the meticulous comparison. One additional measurement that would have been useful: the difference between the down weights on the edge of the keys to the close to the fall board.
Chetan Crasta I've been wondering if this is what Casio are poorly articulating as the reason for the difference between white and black. Possibly the white and black keys on the Casio have a very different shift in weight front to back and rather than fix this they've made the black keys much lighter at the front so that when your playing further back on them they match the whites better. Even IF that's true they should have solved the root issue or been able explain why it is an intentional feature and what benefit they expect it to provide. Currently just having their keys be unconventional and refusing to explain why other than implying that people who don't like it just don't get it is very poor and does heavily imply they just did a bad job and aren't willing to hear criticism about it. It would be nice to know if there could be more of a logical reason for it though.
Love the feel of the PHA-4 action on my Fp-10, it definitely takes more effort than a keyboard which i'm used to (felt the soreness in my fingers, the first day I got my fp-10)
Thanks, James, this is really helpful! I especially liked that you included a section on key action noise, which is a big deal for some of us trying not to drive people crazy. I'd be interested in seeing a comparison against the higher-end actions like the MP11 for key weight and noise, as I've heard wildly differing opinions. Keep it up and stay safe/healthy!
Haven't had a chance to play one yet, but it looks interesting. Like an affordable stage piano for the gigging musician. No internal speakers, which is odd for an instrument of that price, but expected in the stage piano world, so it's an interesting situation. I like the fact that it has an RH3 action, that's been a very reliable keybed for me.
ThePianoforever Hi, James, thanks for your review. How would RH3 compare to the actions of this video? Please! I’ve been researching for it for a while now, but I don’t trust many other reviews.
Interesting review, and totally agree, Roland had the great idea of creating entry level pianos using the keyboard action that you would find in more expensive lines of digital pianos, and that's awesome because honestly I would not spend a lot of money on a home digital piano.
Yes, I like the action of the FP-30, it definitely is very realistic feeling. However, at times it seems a bit clunky, and I enjoy playing the P125 and the ES110 more, they give me a bit more control over what I'm playing. I also prefer the sounds of the P125 especially, and also the ES110, over the Roland, which just sounds sterile and rather fake to me.
@@ThePianoforever Yes, actually I found the FP-30 action more realistic just when playing slower, but it is not very responsive if you require more agility, or note repetitions, etc. I am curious to know more about how the P125, ES110 and FP-30 pedal action compare, I know that the ES110 and FP-30 are capable of doing fractional pedaling but that would require special pedal attachments. Thanks for the review, really enjoyed it.
Hey James, first of all, thanks a lot for the video. I can't tell you how helpful it was for me. I wanted your opinion on the key action of Korg D1. They call it RH3. It's the same action found on Korg's flagship Grandstage and SV2 stage pianos. I wanted to know if it has three sensors, synthetic ivory textured keys and escapement, but there's no information available on Korg's official website. I found an image on Google. The pivot point seems a bit further inside as compared to all the digital pianos discussed in this video. I was really thinking of going with Roland because action is a huge priority for me. But now I'm confused. If you get a chance to see it in a piano store, it will be really helpful if you could make a video and compare its action with other digital pianos in the same price range and tell us your personal opinion. Thanks again!
For me, the RH3 keyboard (on a Kronos) is a little heavy - reputedly 75-80g - some people actually take a dremel to it and remove some of the excess weight! - the results apparently are very good, if you're brave enough to do it!
I enjoy your videos and getting an insight of various piano's. Have you ever played a Roland MKB-1000? It's a 'Mother-keyboard' not a piano as such but it has a fine weighted action for the keys. I have one collecting dust which I bought new but never really used it. It is one of my prized possessions though. I'd love to know your thoughts on these if you've come across one.
Would you be able to review pianos from one bracket lower, the Casio CDP S100, Roland FP10 and Yamaha P45? Most other reviews seem be promotional in nature, so your input would be great.
@@ThePianoforever Yes, I have seen that. I was wondering about a comparison between the P45, the CDP S100, Korg B2 and the FP10. Your opinion between the pianos would have been enlightening. I'm looking to start learning along with my kids and the fully weighted pianos start one category below the ones you are currently looking at. So it will be useful for buyers in that category.
I just bought the Yamah. It's coming in Wednesday. I've played on a baby grand for a long time, and needed something when I come back to college after this quarantine. How do you like it?
I enjoy your feedback on digitals, alas it gets confusing choosing one..! I took all your reviews on board while searching for a digital, including price range... I eventually chose a digital piano that was a great price at well under $800 AUD.(that coud be around $1000 USD.? ) unfortunately there was no video review/demo I could use as a benchmark... surprising eh,??? I searched everywhere.! I chose it on written and spec info and price only, and I am very happy with it, (but I am no musician LOL ) I wish you could do a review on it, your opinions are highly rated. the Model is 'Beale stage performer 1000 digital piano' it is made in Chinas 'Pearl river' factory. Yes it originated in Australia and made here, but not anymore. Thanks James.
Hi James, thanks for the excellent honest review, we need more of these than just salesmen pitches, can I ask you do still find the es110 action the best of all lightweight portable DPs? You dont find it too lacking in resistance for things like trills? Do you find it better than the new rd-88? I cant find the es110 review you mentioned...
Great videos! I'm thinking of purchasing the Roland FP30, but I'm wondering if it maybe will be updated pretty soon? it's already 4 years old. What do you think?
With the Roland fp-30, you can go to the Piano designer app (made by roland) which can adjust hammer noise, key volume, tuning etc. It can be adjusted to be more acoustic like. That being said, some people have trouble with the app bluetooth connection. But, there is option for adjustment. It works for fp-10 as well or most roland product
Roland's PHA-4 Standard action is widely used across multiple Roland keyboards now replacing the previous Ivory Feel G action, and the new Roland stage piano RD-88 also features PHA-4 Standard action. Personally I have a Roland FP-10 with this action, I have to say that you can really feel the let-off mechanism and the longer key for playing comfortably at the inner part of each key, nice action considering the price and experience!
what about the key sensors ? i believe yamaha p125 has dual sensor per key and the roland has tripple sensors. (for fp10 that im aware of). does this mean that the midi will be of a much better quality of the roland than the yamaha ? or is it not really worth considering while buying a digital piano ? @thepianoforever do let us know :) +thepianoforever
Hi, I am looking into getting a digital piano. I haven't played a real piano in many years. I am interested in getting back into it, I would get an acoustic, but don't have the room. I have been considering the Roland RP-102, or Kawai KDP-70 or ES110, I also thought about the Korg D1 or XE20. I want a good action and nice sound, would like action to have feedback similar to acoustic. Any thoughts, recommendations?
Could you paste a link to your fp-30 review? I couldn't find it. Also it would be nice to look at Roland rd-88 which has the same keyboard (I think) but is a more advanced instrument. Thanks for your videos, they are really great!
I have also heard (and seen for myself) that the Korg D1 is an incredibly undependable instrument. They are highly prone to breaking, especially during shipping, and while the destruction of one or two can be attributed to a bad shipment, the fact that a vast majority of D1's are dead on arrival indicates a far more significant problem. I tried once to buy a Korg D1, the supplier told me they had three in stock, all broken in shipping. One of my subscribers bought a D1, it came in broken. There are many Korg D1's for sale online with broken keys, far more than you see with any other make or model. A review of a D1 will happen eventually, but I fear it will not be pretty. Arguably, the action feels better than anything else in the price bracket, but this durability issue with the structural integrity is a big problem.
If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to!
th-cam.com/channels/u1LrpmWwK1ztTvIayRar9w.html
The only piano reviewer so far that I can trust to be objective
Sad, isn't it?
James, thank you. You are objective and go to the details without being obliged by being paid to advertise for any brands. We trust you.
you're very technical and informative but very easy to understand, and you answered all of the questions that i had in my head, for example non of the videos i watched about these pianos talked about the clicking sound that the piano makes which i think is a very important thing. unlike many reviewers, your video is long but not to only make more money but i think that you actually have a lot of important things to say plus you're not saying the same things over and over again to make the video longer. and you're not boring unlike my very long comment.
Good job! I think that many people have been waiting for such a comparison. Especially to hear your opinion about Roland FP-30 key action.
Glad it was helpful!
Yes finally he did it! This is the price range most of us beginners consider i guess.
I have watched an unusual amount of piano reviews and this by far has the most value imo. Thank you for the great video, and your honest information.
James is in another league, compared to everybody else
Important topic, especially now when so many music students on a budget won’t be able to practice on grand pianos in their schools and have to buy something for home...
Finally a reviewer without marketing bs
We opted for the ES110 after much research for feel and dynamics, this review came late but terrific to see we made the right choice.
this is what i was looking for to buy a piano, i am not a pianist nor an amateur, i am just falling in love with the piano since i started with Bach, slowly, but surely, and i wanted to invest a little more in a piano like and this Compare of digital pianos has helped me a lot... Thank you
Great channel and reviews! I can see in the comment section that I'm not the only one hoping for a Korg D1 review! I there one coming anytome soon?
I'd love to see a comparison of the action of the higher-end instruments, for example, the NW-GH of Yamaha CP-88, the NWX with escapement of Yamaha P515, the PHA-50 of Roland RD-2000 and FP-90, and GF on Kawai MP11SE. It would also be interesting to include the Roland PHA-4 on FP-30 and FP-60 since it has escapement mechanisms. Most people online are only talking about how they "feel" and everybody feels differently. You are talking in a really objective and descriptive manner and I think it would be really valuable if you can compare some of the more premium actions.
You are doing the work that few of us can do. First, you have far better piano technique/awareness/sensitivity than I, and Second, the INTERNET has disrupted local commerce so much that I could not easily play-test these four digital pianos even if I went to 4 different shops within a 40 mile radius, even though I live in a small but populous state. It would take me several trips to assess and then recall what I felt. Since I cannot easily test ANY of these digital piano actions, Jimmy Boy, your responsibilty to your audience is growing. I have been agonizing over the last few months about what digital piano under $900 (absolute tops...more like $700) to get since I can practice at work as a guard (Sshh!), but also teach music privately on the side, and I include myself among the well-educated but working poor. (Yet my random/hopeful purchase of a Roland Go Piano is all spring keys, and does not compare to the Gift of a beat-up baby grand from a parochial school 10 yrs ago or so, with a good technician taking the action home to regulate it, and subsequent tunings.) A real piano is truly cool, but mine has defects from Basketball Bonks and temperature/humidity in the gym at said school and just about everybody's REAL piano could use work multiple times a year, depending upon the awareness/sensitivity of the owner or main user. And needless to say, I can't take the Baby Grand to work! Thus, I need and appreciate this video with the gram weights! (Actually, we also know nothing about the quality control aspects and the bangs in shipping and what all they (the digital piano makers) do to prevent that...that's an idea for another video if you choose to travel to Japan and the Far East post-pandemic,eh?) Peace.
Very nice! I’d love to see you continue this style up the various price ranges of keyboards ($1-2k, $2k+, etc.)
That would be interesting, but it would also be a lot of keyboards to buy! I'm always working on purchasing more products for review though, so someday I'll make more videos like this with higher tier keyboards.
@@ThePianoforever Fair enough. I'm looking forward to the future videos either way!
Finally,,the moment i ve been waiting for,,,thank u so much
You're welcome 😊
Thank you so much for your honest review for these digital pianos. I cannot find full review of Roland FP-30 on your channel.
would like to be able to find that as well or maybe he has yet to post it? Would also like to see a px-160 review.
I just haven't posted it yet, it'll be coming out soon.
@@ThePianoforever Thank you for posting the Roland review soon. I'm buying my first digital piano and a deciding factor between ES110 and FP-30 will be your review. Your videos are helpful, so thanks again!
I’ve used a Kawai ES100, the predecessor of the ES110, for a couple of years. The action is very good considering the price, as is the sound. The only shortcoming I find with it is that it has considerable key noise, which is much greater on some keys than others.
In-depth comparison between Roland FP30 and Kawai ES110 please!
Would Really like a comparison between FP30 and ES110 as well :)
Count me in on the Roland-Kawai comparison.
Same here
+1 for that, really can't decide between the two
Could you please do a review of Korg D1 and how the action is compared to fp-30 or kawai es110?
Yes please! Or any Korg with RH3 action. I believe you already have a Korg SV2.
Keep in mind that the Korg D1 is a stage piano, it doesn't have any speakers. Its purpose is much different than the ones you're comparing it to
I have Korg D1 and its absolutely lovely. I even like the fact that it has no speakers, because it's more compact and suits me very well!
To be totally honest, I don't really like the internal sound(might be just my opinion) but using it as a midi controller with software piano is absolute killer.. action is fantastic to me.
Interesting video!
How about the Korg D1 or any other RH3 action from Korg?
Great job! bro... Looking for the high-end actions comparison! Korg RH3 , Roland PHA-50 ,Kawai RHIII...
Nice comparison. I’m a beginner, and got the PX s1000. Totally Love it! But actually did notice that the keys get harder as you try to play closer to the top.
Yes, they definitely do. I'd recommend looking into getting something else in the future, if you decide to keep learning the piano. That action is definitely not the best to learn and play on.
@@ThePianoforever Well, I supposed I will stick with this one for a while. Anyway, which one would you say has the best action for beginners?
Thanks for the comparison James! Could you please also comment on the Korg's PH3 action? (as found in the Grandstage you reviewed in February but also in the D1 which is in the same price range as those 4 keyboards). How is Korg's PH3 action responsiveness, expression, joy to play, compared to these keyboards? Where would it rank in this list? Thanks!
Thank you for this SPECIFIC VIDEO
Thank you, James. You have confirmed my reason for choosing the Roland over the Yamaha and the Casio. I wanted the real piano feel and was less concerned about some of the other features. I'm really looking forward to your upcoming review of it. Stay well!
You're so good at these super informative videos, you don't need any editing. Have you thought about including fulcrum length measurement in your digital pianos reviews?
Thanks for a much needed report!
No problem!
I recently bought the PXS-3000 because of all the positive reviews. I didn’t notice the key weight difference at first, but what really bugged me was the incredibly short pivot. It’s very frustrating to play, and virtually unplayable if you like playing up the keys. Unfortunately I didn’t opt to return it within the supplier window so I’m stuck with it for now. I’m pretty annoyed that none of the other reviewers mentioned these issues.
Yup, it's not great to play. A shame, too, because the default piano patch is actually quite lovely.
i bet the other reviewers were just keyboardists and not pianists
Your work is truly appreciated by those of us trying to buy something g in this range. Very well organized and presented. Thank you for your investment in time and energy to do this.
Yet another stimulating video. Thanks. I'm about to buy. You already talked me out of the Casio and into the the Kawai, but after watching this I thought I'd better consider the Roland too. What I don't like about it is that it doesn't have normal line outputs. The manual suggests pluging external speakers into the headphone socket. This seems poor for "stage" piano. The phones socket is stereo for a start and musicians use mono amps, or two amps if they want stereo effects. The manual says " You can connect stereo headphones here.
If you connect amplified speakers, the sound of the FP-30 will be heard from the speakers. If the sound is distorted when external speakers are connected, slightly
lower the volume of the FP-30." The signal for headphones is surely too hot for most amps? What used to be called impedance mismatch? I would expect it to sound awful. I'm sure you have put one through an amp. How did it sound? It kind of feels amateurish somehow to leave something so important off. Keep up the good work.
Bought the Alesis Recital Pro in the end . £258. Very happy. But note, it is just for practice. I have a real piano too. Not sure I'd be happy if it's all I had to play.
Please do that for higher budget as well, p-515, Nord piano, etc !!!!
excellent comparison! reviews from a real pianist is always welcome! hard to get good reviews about piano action from typical keyboardists
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you! I have been waiting for this.
Please review Korg D1, a stage keyboard with RH3 action below 600 usd
What do you think of Casio's Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II?
I'm curious as well please. I prefer playing on acoustic pianos. Casio was the 1st keyboard to impress me with a somewhat real piano like feel when their Privia series came out. And the price was really affordable too. Curious if their newer technology feels any better, same or worse haha (PX-S1000/PX-S3000). Have been wanting to get something with better action for awhile now.
I found your videos recently and I loved the way you explain and the reviews. I would like to see a sound comparison between Casio pxs3000 vs yamanha p125 vs yamaha p515. If you could do this someday, I will be very thankful.
James, thank you very much for this comparison video and for listening to your followers. This is really good, I enjoyed it, and helps many people looking for a beginner digital piano a lot.
I also have an unrelated question: have you ever tried Kawai's wooden Grand Feel Compact (GFC) action of the CA48/CA58 models? Even if not, as they should feel close to the regular Grand Feel, what would you think about it, for a beginner looking to spend a bit more and get a closer to acoustic digital piano action?
Thanks again.
I think Kurzweil SP6 (w/ medeli) and Studiologic Numa (w/ fatar) would be interesting to Review..
I've heard FATAR's keybed is good/best?
Excellent and honest video. You feel Yamaha P-125 springy because GHS action has no hinges. The rear part of the key actually bends. So it is not strange that the key feels heavier or stiffer as it goes down. I am curious what will be the downweights measured by you of actions like NWX, PHA-50, RHIII, RH3.
Thanks for the info! I didn't actually know that. Perhaps in the future I'll do a review of the higher-end digital piano keybeds, like you suggested.
@@ThePianoforever but it is interesting that you find this GHS action quite good despite it is such simple design. It is light and must be light because pivot length is one of the shortest. I think that new action from Casio was shortened so much they had to reduce weighting of black keys to make those keys even possible to press when playing near fulcrum.
Anyway GHS is not a really bad action. Its quite light so the short pivot doesn't make this action unplayable. It's just quite basic.
Hi James. First I'd like to say thank you for all the videos you've done comparing these four pianos. It's been very helpful to see you go in-depth on these instruments.
I was an beginner/intermediate piano player a few years back who is looking to get back into playing again. I've been practicing on a cheap keyboard for a while now, and I want to upgrade to a digital piano.
I like the sound and features of the ES110, but I'm worried that the lighter action will give me bad habits which could impact me when trying to play on a heavier piano.
This is mainly a concern if/when I plan on taking piano lessons again. Is the difference in weight of the ES110 so great that I will have a hard time playing on other pianos?
Can you do a piano action comparison of all digital pianos regardless of price?
Haven't read all the comments so this may have been brought up, but it would have been very helpful, especially for a beginner like me, to actually see how the weight pushed the keys down; ie, a close up using a second camera. Thank you for this tho.
Thank you so much for your professional reviews! I really enjoyed them.
Can you do the same test for other pianos?
I recently bought my Roland FP-90 (PHA-50 action, same as Roland RD-2000) and I noticed that I have the opposite problem of the Casio PX-S3000: 66g to move (not to make sound) the middle C and 72g to move the C#. Indeed it's a bit annoying playing songs with a lot of black keys.
Thank you!
Would be interesting to compare the older Casio PX160. Their older action had a longer pivot length, triple sensors and was well regarded. Shame they went backwards with the PXS series.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Could you maybe do a full review of Roland fp30?? Or maybe even compare that to yamaha p125
Soon!
Out of the four which would you recommend in terms of quality and playability for a beginner?
I second the suggestion for another comparison of the actions on higher-end digital pianos. Perhaps a comparison of the Kawai MP7SE or ES8 ($1799/$1649), the Roland FP90 ($1949), the Yamaha CP88 ($2499), the Korg Grandstage ($2199)? The choice of an action when a store is unavailable makes for very risky purchases. You can audition many of the sounds of the various pianos on TH-cam but the actions are another matter altogether. Love your reviews!
Have you considered doing a review of the Yamaha Arius series? It's funny how you made all of these affordable digital piano videos AFTER I've decided which one to buy :) Your reviews are in-depth and top quality so they would have been handy. I enjoy watching them anyway because I always learn some cool stuff and this piano action comparison is no exception. Still, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on Arius YDP-144 (the one I ended up with and I'm pretty much satisfied with it so far).
Yeah much awaited video 👊
I really like the video. Someone like me won't probably feel any difference at all - but it is interesting to see there are actual differences between actions and I think that this is a good way to show it.
Again, interesting. I just checked my slightly old (i.e., out of production) Casio Previa and found the blacks and whites to move about the same. The bad news is that both are very heavy, at close to 85 grams. Though I may be estimating the mythical "letoff point" to be excessively depressed.
What about the weight if the Casio PX-160? It got replaced by the current psx-1000 / psx-3000 but those 2 are flawed and don't count in my opinion therefore the PX-160 should still also be getting covered or at-least mentioned in these reviews...
Yes please, Does anyone know if the same happens with the px 160 models? I'm getting an extremely good discount with one px 160 right now, but I still in doubt due to this action issue and I don't know if this is something that also happens with this other px 160 model.
Hi Milan, new sub here. Thanks for your videos. I just want to know what you think of Roland RP301 for my first digital piano, thought of buying this week. I like classical piece so I’d be learning and practice them.
Very informative, thanks for this! I'm very curious, how do these key actions compare with Korg's RH3 action in your experience?
I've never had the chance to try out that action, but I'm strongly considering getting a Korg D1 to replace my old Yamaha P-95 which stopped working recently.
Wow, I’m learning so much from this guy. Well done! 👍
Need versus Casio 560M, Roland Juno-DS88, Yamaha MX88. I can't choose
Thanks for the meticulous comparison. One additional measurement that would have been useful: the difference between the down weights on the edge of the keys to the close to the fall board.
Chetan Crasta I've been wondering if this is what Casio are poorly articulating as the reason for the difference between white and black. Possibly the white and black keys on the Casio have a very different shift in weight front to back and rather than fix this they've made the black keys much lighter at the front so that when your playing further back on them they match the whites better. Even IF that's true they should have solved the root issue or been able explain why it is an intentional feature and what benefit they expect it to provide. Currently just having their keys be unconventional and refusing to explain why other than implying that people who don't like it just don't get it is very poor and does heavily imply they just did a bad job and aren't willing to hear criticism about it. It would be nice to know if there could be more of a logical reason for it though.
@@pierssegal5910 Yes I too think that that's the reason. They wanted to make the piano more compact than is possible. So they compromised the action
Love the feel of the PHA-4 action on my Fp-10, it definitely takes more effort than a keyboard which i'm used to (felt the soreness in my fingers, the first day I got my fp-10)
Thanks, James, this is really helpful! I especially liked that you included a section on key action noise, which is a big deal for some of us trying not to drive people crazy. I'd be interested in seeing a comparison against the higher-end actions like the MP11 for key weight and noise, as I've heard wildly differing opinions. Keep it up and stay safe/healthy!
Thanks!! In order, which one makes less key noise for practice with headphones? In ranking?
Oh I’d like to see the Yamaha vs. the Kawai.
Korg D1? Thoughts if you are ever able.
Haven't had a chance to play one yet, but it looks interesting. Like an affordable stage piano for the gigging musician. No internal speakers, which is odd for an instrument of that price, but expected in the stage piano world, so it's an interesting situation. I like the fact that it has an RH3 action, that's been a very reliable keybed for me.
ThePianoforever Hi, James, thanks for your review. How would RH3 compare to the actions of this video? Please! I’ve been researching for it for a while now, but I don’t trust many other reviews.
Interesting review, and totally agree, Roland had the great idea of creating entry level pianos using the keyboard action that you would find in more expensive lines of digital pianos, and that's awesome because honestly I would not spend a lot of money on a home digital piano.
Yes, I like the action of the FP-30, it definitely is very realistic feeling. However, at times it seems a bit clunky, and I enjoy playing the P125 and the ES110 more, they give me a bit more control over what I'm playing. I also prefer the sounds of the P125 especially, and also the ES110, over the Roland, which just sounds sterile and rather fake to me.
@@ThePianoforever Yes, actually I found the FP-30 action more realistic just when playing slower, but it is not very responsive if you require more agility, or note repetitions, etc. I am curious to know more about how the P125, ES110 and FP-30 pedal action compare, I know that the ES110 and FP-30 are capable of doing fractional pedaling but that would require special pedal attachments. Thanks for the review, really enjoyed it.
Damn, this give me a lot of information but at the same Time all of them have their advantages. Guess I will have to play them all to choose.
Great vid.
whats your favourite digi piano under 1000?
Have you ever tried the Casio px560?
James, have you done a 2021 updated comparison?
Fantastic review ! Congratulations, from Spain. Stay at home!
great reviews - thank you
Hey James, first of all, thanks a lot for the video. I can't tell you how helpful it was for me.
I wanted your opinion on the key action of Korg D1. They call it RH3. It's the same action found on Korg's flagship Grandstage and SV2 stage pianos. I wanted to know if it has three sensors, synthetic ivory textured keys and escapement, but there's no information available on Korg's official website. I found an image on Google. The pivot point seems a bit further inside as compared to all the digital pianos discussed in this video. I was really thinking of going with Roland because action is a huge priority for me. But now I'm confused. If you get a chance to see it in a piano store, it will be really helpful if you could make a video and compare its action with other digital pianos in the same price range and tell us your personal opinion.
Thanks again!
For me, the RH3 keyboard (on a Kronos) is a little heavy - reputedly 75-80g
- some people actually take a dremel to it and remove some of the excess weight!
- the results apparently are very good, if you're brave enough to do it!
@@FlyingPhilUK Thanks for your opinion! 🙂
I enjoy your videos and getting an insight of various piano's. Have you ever played a Roland MKB-1000? It's a 'Mother-keyboard' not a piano as such but it has a fine weighted action for the keys. I have one collecting dust which I bought new but never really used it. It is one of my prized possessions though. I'd love to know your thoughts on these if you've come across one.
Thanks! Great video with very consistent points
Thanks a million!
Include KORG D1
Would you be able to review pianos from one bracket lower, the Casio CDP S100, Roland FP10 and Yamaha P45? Most other reviews seem be promotional in nature, so your input would be great.
I believe I have done the P45 and I think you would find that to be a good value in it's price point.
@@ThePianoforever Yes, I have seen that. I was wondering about a comparison between the P45, the CDP S100, Korg B2 and the FP10. Your opinion between the pianos would have been enlightening. I'm looking to start learning along with my kids and the fully weighted pianos start one category below the ones you are currently looking at. So it will be useful for buyers in that category.
Great video! I just bought the Yamaha and I'm excited to play on it :)
Hope you enjoy it!
I just bought the Yamah. It's coming in Wednesday. I've played on a baby grand for a long time, and needed something when I come back to college after this quarantine. How do you like it?
I enjoy your feedback on digitals, alas it gets confusing choosing one..! I took all your reviews on board while searching for a digital, including price range... I eventually chose a digital piano that was a great price at well under $800 AUD.(that coud be around $1000 USD.? ) unfortunately there was no video review/demo I could use as a benchmark... surprising eh,??? I searched everywhere.!
I chose it on written and spec info and price only, and I am very happy with it, (but I am no musician LOL ) I wish you could do a review on it, your opinions are highly rated. the Model is 'Beale stage performer 1000 digital piano' it is made in Chinas 'Pearl river' factory. Yes it originated in Australia and made here, but not anymore.
Thanks James.
Hi James, thanks for the excellent honest review, we need more of these than just salesmen pitches, can I ask you do still find the es110 action the best of all lightweight portable DPs? You dont find it too lacking in resistance for things like trills? Do you find it better than the new rd-88? I cant find the es110 review you mentioned...
I did a full review of the Kawai es110, but it may not be uploaded yet. I am not a big fan of the RD-88.
Thank you so much! It has been a huge help in choosing what to buy.
Please review the Kurzweil SP6, CP4 and Forte. Love your videos!
To sum up, to train my fingers in future of buying an acoustic piano, what do you recommend between Kawai 110 and fp30
You will be able to play a larger repertoire of music with the Kawai es110
@@ThePianoforever thank you very much for the prompt reply. I'm going to buy the Kawai ;)
How about best action at any price, please!
It would great if you could do a Korg D1 review, complete with downweight measurements. Same price range as these 4.
Excellent video! I personally prefer a highly detailed, dynamic response over the stiffnes/lightness of the keys.
excellent review! i couldnt find your review of the fp30 alone, is it uploaded?
Not yet!
Great videos! I'm thinking of purchasing the Roland FP30, but I'm wondering if it maybe will be updated pretty soon? it's already 4 years old. What do you think?
I have no inside information from Roland. The FP30 is a nice keyboard, but has no direct outs and that is a major flaw in the design.
@@ThePianoforever Thank you for answering, and so quickly for that matter! :)
If I remember correctly, you've done a full comparison between FP30 and Yamaha P125.
With the Roland fp-30, you can go to the Piano designer app (made by roland) which can adjust hammer noise, key volume, tuning etc. It can be adjusted to be more acoustic like. That being said, some people have trouble with the app bluetooth connection. But, there is option for adjustment. It works for fp-10 as well or most roland product
Fp30 isn't listed as compatible on the Roland site. Can any owners clarify this?
Roland's PHA-4 Standard action is widely used across multiple Roland keyboards now replacing the previous Ivory Feel G action, and the new Roland stage piano RD-88 also features PHA-4 Standard action. Personally I have a Roland FP-10 with this action, I have to say that you can really feel the let-off mechanism and the longer key for playing comfortably at the inner part of each key, nice action considering the price and experience!
Great idea to compare keyboard. I like your frank review too much. Sir please review korg d1 about its keybed and sound. Please.
what about the key sensors ? i believe yamaha p125 has dual sensor per key and the roland has tripple sensors. (for fp10 that im aware of). does this mean that the midi will be of a much better quality of the roland than the yamaha ? or is it not really worth considering while buying a digital piano ? @thepianoforever do let us know :) +thepianoforever
Could you do a video comparing the Yamaha DGX660 vs a real piano?
Which one of these has the quietest keybed, in terms of playing over headphones without anyone hearing the keyboard clicking?
he says at 15 minutes
excellent work
How does Korg D1 compare ?
Hi, I am looking into getting a digital piano. I haven't played a real piano in many years. I am interested in getting back into it, I would get an acoustic, but don't have the room. I have been considering the Roland RP-102, or Kawai KDP-70 or ES110, I also thought about the Korg D1 or XE20. I want a good action and nice sound, would like action to have feedback similar to acoustic. Any thoughts, recommendations?
Could you paste a link to your fp-30 review? I couldn't find it. Also it would be nice to look at Roland rd-88 which has the same keyboard (I think) but is a more advanced instrument. Thanks for your videos, they are really great!
I actually haven't uploaded it yet, it'll be coming out soon. I have also ordered an RD88, I'm just waiting for it to arrive along with my Korg SV2S.
Great topic! I heard that Korg D1 has a better Piano action with the similar price. You should include this option!
I have also heard (and seen for myself) that the Korg D1 is an incredibly undependable instrument. They are highly prone to breaking, especially during shipping, and while the destruction of one or two can be attributed to a bad shipment, the fact that a vast majority of D1's are dead on arrival indicates a far more significant problem.
I tried once to buy a Korg D1, the supplier told me they had three in stock, all broken in shipping. One of my subscribers bought a D1, it came in broken. There are many Korg D1's for sale online with broken keys, far more than you see with any other make or model. A review of a D1 will happen eventually, but I fear it will not be pretty.
Arguably, the action feels better than anything else in the price bracket, but this durability issue with the structural integrity is a big problem.
Thanks for videos, without thinking about price just action, which digital keyboard is close to grand piano?
Just thinking about the action it would be the Kawai MP11se.
@@ThePianoforever Not just under $800, if you think any price what is your choice?