Nice testing, but every person have other ears and feelings to sound. So for me has the kronos the best pianosound. I like this "hard" sound, he's clear, and power for band playing.
@@MarcWN I agree. You cannot trust anyone´s preference but yours. I'm about to send back a Casio PX-560 that has tons of positive reviews. I had a Roland F-20 and I sold it 2 weeks ago and the quality of its sounds is way much better for me.
I think going back and forth between all pianos is a better test because in all fairness the first piano had no reference as to what would be considered good. Maybe set them up in a circle and blindfold again and have him go back and forth and then truly review. Oh and try various piano patches too.
My thoughts exactly. In all fairness though, ANY of these pianos are fine for any studio or stage gig. That said, the Kronos has sympathetic resonance which would be lacking in the other, purely sample based keyboards. Imo all of these pianos pale in comparison to the physically modeled pianoteq engine.
Agreed. Set them all up in a room, and pick best grand, upright, and EP. Best is subjective but generally trying first sound in the patch would work. Still a marvelous effort.
Just comparing the sounds (not action) Korg: Pretty good piano sound. Roland: Plastic. Synthethic sound. Artificial Yamaha: Good, but a bit too much reverb. Casio: No depth whatsoever. The cheapest sounding of them all. Nord: Great piano sound. Period Would've loved to see Dexibell comparision!. Put everything onto shame. Truly. Great video!
I strongly disagree. Side by side comparision, and they wipe the floor with Nord. Truly. At least prior Nord Grand. We still have to wait and see (and hear!) that one.
@@MrPonkine Roland is known for that in Piano circles. It commonly distinguishes (based on your preference) which people buy. Roland has a metallic, artificial/sterile tone - which some enjoy for clarity. Yamaha high end samples (CFX) are bright and have a warmth to them that some dont like, or do, depending. Casio should stick to watches, objectively no music school will likely ever have them. Nord has its reach and fanbase but overpriced here. Kronos is a workstation synth - it shouldn't even be pitched against the Nord Piano at all. In the end, not the best test at all.
"The action feels squishy" - and the whole damn keyboard is rocking and swaying on the table as he plays, no wonder if it feels weird. I think that could affect the blind test.
I’m sure someone has mentioned this, but NP4 has triple sensors and slightly more weight to the action than NS3 88. Not the same action, but close. It’s those 3 sensors that make it like butter.
@Maafa 1619 @Maafa 1619 But the Kawai MP11SE is over 30kg right?!! That must be about three times the weight of the 560. How many jobs are you going to take that to? The 560 is designed to be portable. And there's no speakers on the Kawai either. By the time you've shelled out for the MP11 and a decent set of monitors you've spent over $3000! How's that a fair comparison?
@@darrenfield399 Sure but then as a gigging rig the MP11 is useless. So the concept of weight is only relevant to the guy delivering it to your door. 11SE is also dated, wouldn't bother picking one up anymore.
Great video! I think that judging the action of different pianos is somewhat subjective and probably the best way to do it is to do it democratically: a good ideea might be to get 4-5 piano players that have different backgrounds and judge the pianos. Because I remember from my university years how much debate was going on on different pianos from different class rooms. Some preffer a smoother action, some a harder one etc.
Geez guys, the man liked the Casio. No need for a witch hunt. He liked the action, and how it played, the sound probably played part, but who knows to what percent. Considering it's a fraction of the price of all the other offerings, I'd say that's preeeetttttyyy good, all things considered. And, I don't even think it's their 'flagship' considering the new Privia PX-S1000/3000 are out, but what's done is done. Get off your respective horses, and stop sniffing your own farts for a second, and realise that for the cost, it should've been severely out-classed, yet held its own among much more expensive digital pianos. Cheers.
Kris Sturni well, as we know, there's a lot more to all of these keyboards than just feel and one single piano sound. So, while this was a bit of fun, it's kinda pointless.
I use a Casio PX-350 (not S350) paired with a Roland Juno DS76 and an iPad with Korg Module (and midi routing) as my live rig. Max flexibility and value and lighter than most 88 weighted key boards. Casio has really upped their game lately. Definitely the value leader.
@@joshjones9749 Kontakt has all the Nord Pianos so go for a Montage or Kronos lol I have a Montage 8 it's fire don't what that dude in the video is saying lol
To be fair, the RD-2000 is a stage Piano whereas the Kronos and the Montage are Workstations. The Korg Granstage and the Yamaha CP88 would have fitted better, or maybe instead of the RD-2000 the new FANTOM.
Start by listening to gospel music, follow the guys that recorded some of these songs (my fav top 5 Kevin bond, Aaron lindsay, Jason white, Mike bereal, Jason tyson and the rest lol), and there are more, check out tutorial on TH-cam
10:57 Testing the CASIO. “I really enjoy the action, it feels pretty light.” So he prefers lighter key action over heavier action, which anyone interested should take into consideration when judging this blind test. Kurzweil, Nord and Fatar (obviously) use Fatar actions, which have the reputation of having a comparably poor feel, to say the least. Nord tweaks the action to their own liking, though, which improves the feel. There’s a good video about the feel of the keyboard actions of the main manufacturers of keyboards with weighted keys, namely Casio, Fatar, Kawai, Korg, Kurzweil, Nord, Roland, and Yamaha, from a professional piano player’s standpoint, by PianoManChuck: th-cam.com/video/cEZa-lZG1Vo/w-d-xo.html
Shawn Saul I've got the PX 560 & previously had a PX 330 , I play a lot of Jazz gigs & they are great, they really 'Amp' up well , Sound good & crucially for me as I suffer from back problems , are not too heavy. There is an issue with some of the higher notes having a rather too short fall off when playing slow legato , however they now have a completely new PXs 1000 & 3000 which both have improved & longer samples . I am surprised that they didn't use this for the blindfold test as it wasn't really fair to Casio to pitch one of their lowlier models against the flagships or near flagships of the others !
I mean I don't use these but shouldn't Kawai and Kurzweil be in too? Although of course we have couple of other ones like Nord's new Grand, there's Yamaha CP88 or CP4, etc etc, and then the different piano models (Yamaha, Bösendorfer, Fazioli, Steinway, etc) but I guess that'll make a really long video. I also do think the BH3 used on MOTIF and MONTAGE is squishy, but idk I prefer it over the Nord.
Not even close. The KORG is junk in all areas. Stop peddling lies. Roland make a far better keyboard than most. Nord is fine too. For PURE Piano I prefer Yamaha digital pianos (not synths) but all are a far cry from Acoustic.
I love how much people can't BS blindfold challenges. I love even more when they are willing to recognize how much they can't BS them. Brand names are powerful.
Amen. Even though it’s obvious to sensible to people like me or you that fair blind tests some people still delude themselves they are not susceptible to bias.
This is a fine way to test the keyboard action. But as a sound shootout it’d be better to use one controller and just midi up the sound source. That way you could switch back and forth and his opinion wouldn’t be influenced by his feeling about the action.
The touch to sound connection is going to be completely different if you do that. The touch curves in most instruments are designed specifically when played from the action they come with. Changing the action would really change the sound of the pianos.
the mp11 would destroy at least 3 or maybe 4 in terms of action and piano sound. (happy owner of an mp7 and kronos. played on nord stage 2 and montage and the sound of the piano from kawai it's a bit more realistic than others) the only piano thst sound great on kronos are the e.pianos
Great video and idea!! In all fairness he has been known to play Nord before and the moment you changed the pedal out, every Nord player, including myself, would instantly know it was that keyboard. But still a great test and awesome player!
Wow! I know Casio has come a long way since the "toy pianos" but to compete on any level at the price with these others is amazing. Yes, just the first pianos with no tweaking but still a surprise. Great vid. Like the Blindfold Challenges. Maybe different voices, keyboard amps, etc. Thanks Jack. Always informative and entertaining.
I'm with that Nord and Roland RD. The Casio sounded the worst, not horrible, but like they warmed it up so much to give it a warm piano feel rather than the actual piano sampling being quality. I thought the Montage sounded a bit uninspiring and somewhat muddy. The Kronos was pretty good, a bit bright for my taste but expressive. Roland RD2000 was probably my favorite and the Nord an extremely close 2econd
I was surprised when they gave Kronos the lowest score, whereas the Kronos sounded very clean and clear. On the other hand Casio sounded muddy but got high score. I was not impressed with Yamaha but it was far better than the Casio.
I just bought a keyboard... and LOVED this video. What area of reasearch, teachings, tutorials do I have to look into to be able to play some similar styles like this?
This blindfolded test is wonderful. Shows the two most important things of which every usual player is influenced. Sound and Keyboardaction. Thanks for sharing! Maybe you could do a tutorial which answers the question: „ what Kind of PA for stagepianos“ Thanks
Thought so too! And he just played a few notes and spend a lot of time with thinking, no playing. His words do not always seem to match with his feeling. He seemingly enjoyed the Roland more and of course the Nord Piano
Agree. Not tried the new Casio but their samples always feel soulless and short. I agree that the Chronos is not a good piano replacement. I seem to always like Roland Piano’s even more than the cooler looking Nords though
Another problem - with the RD you have to Tailor the touch to your play style to get the best out of the V-Piano sounds. Also the stock first patch is among the worst on the board - that is it does cut in a mix, but its NOT like a real piano solo'd. The 05/06 patches (deep or mellow) are far better out of the box. The 06 (Bold Beauty) gives the Nord a LOT closer run. The Nord still just takes it for sound mind.
Yeah, I have a RD-2000 that I regularly use for gigs and I very rarely use the first patch for straight piano work. I like it as a base for layering in other sounds though.
Great video there :) I only got an M-Audio Oxygen 88 which is a MIDI keyboard so I always have to play the sounds from my PC. But would be nice to have a stand alone keyboard. Might invest in one :D And yeah this was a great idea for a video. Keep it up!
Seems like an honest blind test. What would have been even better would be to have plugged them in to a generic keyboard controller to separate the action from the subjective quality of the piano sound.
Really great video would love to see more videos from you two ! great comments made about the piano and i am going to be looking into that amazing Casio soon
At the end of the video the person on the left mentions that the Nord Piano 4 and the Nord Stage 3 share the exact same key-action. To my knowledge that is not true. Please correct me if I am wrong.
And the main point of my comment is that different speakers all fail in different ways, which may work better or worse with the character of different synthesized pianos. Idea: do a blind test, tell the tester you're changing the keyboard but actually change the speakers or their setup, and see what comments you get. In real life, mix and match until you find a pairing that makes you happy. Don't get caught up in the "latest and greatest" hype.
Maybe it's partially because I saw it before he started playing...I still didn't think there Nord sounded that much better. Objectively for certain, and I do think it seemed a bit better... Thought the Yamaha was really strong though and the Casio did sound Nice.
Glad to be a Nord stage 3 owner ☺️ and I I’m sure he was playing the intro to a Don Henley tune ‘The End Of The Innocence ‘ at 6:45 huge eagles fan, nice video guys ☺️
Suppose the action of the Casio helps it stand out. Personally, I thought it sounded rather flat and lifeless compared to the others. I've tried the Roland in the store and loved the feel. Out of my budget, though and I wasn't particularly thrilled with the piano sounds That Nord was very nice sounding. Never tried one though.
I think it was the most different sounding one, and that translates as a positive sometimes to our brains to help something stand out. But man I agree about those roland keybeds. they feel so good and even compared to the nord keybed I actually liked the roland more.
Casio VL-1 would have killed them all! 29 calculator-type button keys, five presets and one user memory patches, built-in rhythm machine (waltz, swing, rock, samba, etc.) and a 100-note sequencer!
Hi Jack - beautiful segment ! - such a cool idea - more of that !!! AAAFNRAA was one of Zappa's mottoes. It stood for Anything Anytime Anyplace For No Reason At All. Music Is The Best.
Out of all the piano's I've tested when searching for one, compared to Roland, Yamaha, ..., I picked the Casio Privia 860 (about 4-5 years ago. It felt the best and sounds fantastic. The weird thing: it was in comparison the cheapest (1000 Euro) and the retailer just couldn't get it sold. It's just the name Casio that makes people go 'no, I don't even want to test it'.
We talk about 88 keys piano and this guy play only in middle register some ballad stuff on pedal... anyway Nord is best one here, most detailed sound and very close to real. Like a keyboard touch best is Roland, but piano sound is plastic. I have Sequential Prophet XL is 76 key model, but piano sound is outstanding, i never hear something like that before, just blow in character and details. For me Prophet XL and Nord are best instruments overall!!!
Vadim Shinnik one of Kronos’s pianos sounds a lot like the Nord though. I liked the nord when I tried it once but chose Kronos for all that it does. Nord would be great too if moment were no object, of course.
@@boothbuster yes, but you know... is hard to find one register of piano and it sound good for everything, for every kind of stuff. Some piano is good for ballad, some good in high register... That's why i mentioned Nord and Prophet XL, they have a lot of characters especially Prophet. Nord have a lot of unique pianos. On Kronos i like keyboard and piano in mix sound good.
Very true! I mean basically, each piano preset and its samples all comes down to how they sampled it... which microphones were used, compression, positioning, etc. I don’t know if any of them move the mics for each octave or note but I can see how that could really affect it too. Piano is an interesting instrument to think of sampling actually, now that I think about it... so many different variables with the large shape of one and all the wood and angles.
Comparison budget piano with flagships is so strange IMO. Casio - 8.5??? hahaha :D BTW - Should be compared stage pianos only or workstations only - why not Grandstage instead Kronos? Why no CP88 or CP4 instead Montage 8? Where is Kawai MP11SE and Kurzweil Forte?
it's great to hear even these snippets of phrases..but I CANNOT believe a pianist like this need to have instructions on where his thumb is placed to start!
More videos please! I'll agree that next time there should be more time given to the full range of the keyboards but for now this is excellent. I have a Roland RD700SX and the 'X-Ultimate' (not the Superior grand) is my favorite, reminding me of the 7' Steinway B that I played for years. Sometimes I forget that I'm playing a digital and I can't give a higher compliment than that.
Well, it really goes to show you that piano preferences are very player-specific AND your assessment may depend on, to an extent, what amplification system you're using to listen to the patch, the type of music you intend to play with it, your chord voicings (different resonances co-occur that shape and color the sounds produced), and what you prefer in terms of keybed feel and response. I own a 61-key Kronos 2 and love the keybed -- likely one of the better ones for a 61-key model. I also own (yes, Jack! :-) a Korg SV-1 88, and think that the RH-3 keybed (like the Kronos 2 88) is a bit much, but then again when playing some types of solo jazz piano, I love it. Through my band's stage monitors (QSC K12.2) the Kronos's German and Italian grands are gorgeous, and my bandmate has several times commented on how incredibly clean the sound is (he plays a Montage 88 and MODX8). Another great comparison test, Jack, and thanks to Dan for participating and sharing his beautiful keyboard playing with us.
Expansion pack 4....close miced piano is fantastic...and Concert Hall just makes my spine tingle, loads of reverb on it so be simple with your playing, but I detect a not very subtle de tuning that sounds a little like the "wow" you used to get on a very nice 33rpm record. Ohhh mate it is breathtakingly nice. Enjoy my friend. On my own youtube channel I made a lullaby for four fingers just to show it off. The synth really flatters me. xx
iseeolly many thanks. I had a DS 61 briefly but returned it for the FA07 (more keys and & performance features) Not played much last couple of years as been DJing a lot (I hear a yuk LOL). Bought a Modx7 a few months ago but not used it much. Somehow fancy a DS76 (used to have an expanded Juno stage for years, always regret selling is as loved it). Think with the sample features and a super low price in the UK currently I should pick one up and give it a proper go. Thanks for the reply. Happy playing 🍻
Moses K.Kashadi This was a blind test where touch response and keyboard action was being evaluated. The Balanced Hammer Action is completely different from NW-X in terms of piano feel. One is designed to feel very piano-like while being useable as a synth action with aftertouch. The other is a piano focused action designed to replicate that feel.
I forgot to also mention that the CP88 actually uses entirely different piano samples. They recorded a new multi-sample of a CFX and it is voiced much differently than the CFX in the Montage. Even the CP4's CFX sounds different than either of those.
Earlier I added comment where I said there is something wrong with Casio sound, simply it dies to soon (I don't talk about sustain but about the decay part, from the moment when we press the key until tone dies). Everyone who ever played piano knows sound won't die in 3-4 seconds, also it will diminish slowly in time. In Casio's case it has steep curve down, like someone pressed some cloth on piano strings, to mute it.. I don't think it's Andertons who should be blamed for low volume level or bad tone of this Casio - simply here is also blind test of 3 cheap pianos in same price range th-cam.com/video/tl9riIwHuV0/w-d-xo.html - you can judge for yourself how Casio compares to the cheapest Yamaha and Roland. To my ears, it sounds like a toy, and I don't think owner of that video tried to sell Yamaha or Roland, or to bury Casio. It is what it is. Regarding price/quality of the sound ratio, of course, compared to price of other instruments in this test Casio is expected to sound worse. Certainly, cheaper devices don't sound as bad as their price looks, for example sound of piano on 3000 GBP worth workstation won't be 10 times better than Casios, as price suggests. But it is not like that only if we talk about music - for example, look at car prices - do you really think car paid 150k GBP is 10 times faster/more comfortable/etc than car with price tag around 15k GBP?
When I heard the forth Piano, which happens to be a Casio, I figured out its uselessness after the first two notes. Can't tell what made Daniel who played it there like this particular model, but you can hear how cheap it is without any problem. By the way I'm blind without needing a blindfold so I didn't see the Casio. For a final comment, if there's anyone who took the "put my little finger here and there" too seriously, I just wanna say that a blind person not only can find his/her way on a piano, but in some of the biggest cities in the world too. Thank you for the splendid videos you make and for the service you offer to us with this reviews.
Casio result isn't too surprising given that it's a digital piano and the others are stage pianos and a synth. A few of these stage pianos have lighter actions than digital pianos. The Roland FP range has a heavier, more realistic action than the MODX, Nord and Korg Kross imo, and the cheapest FP is far cheaper than these.
This video was very useful! Very informative! I was really surprised with the results! Going to have a look at the Casio, then, as it's almost the same price as a naked 88-key MIDI controller. Amazing. The Nord really did sound fantastic, and is always a winner, so no surprise there.
More blindfold testing please...it's so much more impartial and ideal for potential buyers.
Nice testing, but every person have other ears and feelings to sound. So for me has the kronos the best pianosound. I like this "hard" sound, he's clear, and power for band playing.
@@MarcWN I agree. You cannot trust anyone´s preference but yours. I'm about to send back a Casio PX-560 that has tons of positive reviews. I had a Roland F-20 and I sold it 2 weeks ago and the quality of its sounds is way much better for me.
MarcWN I much prefer kronos’s pianos to Yamaha or any plugin samples even... there’s just something about the controls and the way it responds.
Great review, maybe you could rate the best piano vst next.
1:58 Korg Kronos 2
4:20 RD-2000 Roland Digital Stage Piano
6:40 Yamaha Montage 8
9:46 Casio CDP-S100
11:59 Nord Piano 4
hehe
That dude is playing some straight up church/talk music lol
I thought the same thing.
Thats what I said
Exactly
I was saying that too lol
Right !
Them: Do piano stuff blindfolded
Stevie Wonder: Hold my---
Ray Charles: --f*cking beer.
Beethoven: Wait... What did you say?
Steven R yea it was kinda a dumb comment
Admin Account WOOSH
@@Alchemymasta you're the dumb one man. Lol
He plays really "churchy". He sounds really good!!!!
Yea I really like this binger guy
I said the same thing. Im like "This dudes talk music is killing!" 😂
@@LegendaryMike seriously. These boys catching up to us!!!!
Yeah I even made a compilation th-cam.com/video/nQ-t4YZG5NY/w-d-xo.html
@@AGAU1022 Amzing, THANKS !!!
I think going back and forth between all pianos is a better test because in all fairness the first piano had no reference as to what would be considered good. Maybe set them up in a circle and blindfold again and have him go back and forth and then truly review. Oh and try various piano patches too.
Best comment, I think.
Agree
My thoughts exactly. In all fairness though, ANY of these pianos are fine for any studio or stage gig.
That said, the Kronos has sympathetic resonance which would be lacking in the other, purely sample based keyboards.
Imo all of these pianos pale in comparison to the physically modeled pianoteq engine.
Agreed. Set them all up in a room, and pick best grand, upright, and EP. Best is subjective but generally trying first sound in the patch would work. Still a marvelous effort.
Next video Nord Grand, Kurzweil Pc4 , Kawai Mp11se , Yamaha Cp88 , Casio Px-5s
I've always loved the Nord but my God even I was blown away by how much better it sounded than the others
Joseph except. No.
He is a monster on the piano omg how have I never heard of him his chord patterns are so thick
He is so good.. What's his name?
Thicc
His playing gives me a gospel feel
Just comparing the sounds (not action)
Korg: Pretty good piano sound.
Roland: Plastic. Synthethic sound. Artificial
Yamaha: Good, but a bit too much reverb.
Casio: No depth whatsoever. The cheapest sounding of them all.
Nord: Great piano sound. Period
Would've loved to see Dexibell comparision!. Put everything onto shame. Truly.
Great video!
Dexibell samples sound too thinned out.
I strongly disagree. Side by side comparision, and they wipe the floor with Nord. Truly. At least prior Nord Grand. We still have to wait and see (and hear!) that one.
@@MrPonkine Roland is known for that in Piano circles. It commonly distinguishes (based on your preference) which people buy. Roland has a metallic, artificial/sterile tone - which some enjoy for clarity. Yamaha high end samples (CFX) are bright and have a warmth to them that some dont like, or do, depending. Casio should stick to watches, objectively no music school will likely ever have them. Nord has its reach and fanbase but overpriced here. Kronos is a workstation synth - it shouldn't even be pitched against the Nord Piano at all. In the end, not the best test at all.
"The action feels squishy" - and the whole damn keyboard is rocking and swaying on the table as he plays, no wonder if it feels weird. I think that could affect the blind test.
It'd be quite interesting if you let him guess what each one was just after he takes the blindfold off
I yelled DOH! when they didn’t do it that way.
I’m sure someone has mentioned this, but NP4 has triple sensors and slightly more weight to the action than NS3 88. Not the same action, but close. It’s those 3 sensors that make it like butter.
The Casio is under £400.....The rest are at least 4 to 5 times the price. It certainly holds its own against the premium brands.
@Maafa 1619 @Maafa 1619 But the Kawai MP11SE is over 30kg right?!! That must be about three times the weight of the 560. How many jobs are you going to take that to? The 560 is designed to be portable. And there's no speakers on the Kawai either. By the time you've shelled out for the MP11 and a decent set of monitors you've spent over $3000! How's that a fair comparison?
@Maafa 1619 I the MPSSE comparable to MP11se? I really like what I'm seeing online.
@@darrenfield399 Sure but then as a gigging rig the MP11 is useless. So the concept of weight is only relevant to the guy delivering it to your door. 11SE is also dated, wouldn't bother picking one up anymore.
Sure, it just sounds like crap!
@Maafa 1619 We're not talking about a PX560, we're talking about the CDP-S100 which is currently £299.
The Casio bit sounded like there was an issue with the video sound (almost like a noise gate kicking in). Otherwise very interesting video.
feel like it would have been more fun if he got to guess the order of the keyboards first, before the reveal
I agree, was expecting that!
Great video! I think that judging the action of different pianos is somewhat subjective and probably the best way to do it is to do it democratically: a good ideea might be to get 4-5 piano players that have different backgrounds and judge the pianos. Because I remember from my university years how much debate was going on on different pianos from different class rooms. Some preffer a smoother action, some a harder one etc.
Geez guys, the man liked the Casio. No need for a witch hunt.
He liked the action, and how it played, the sound probably played part, but who knows to what percent. Considering it's a fraction of the price of all the other offerings, I'd say that's preeeetttttyyy good, all things considered. And, I don't even think it's their 'flagship' considering the new Privia PX-S1000/3000 are out, but what's done is done.
Get off your respective horses, and stop sniffing your own farts for a second, and realise that for the cost, it should've been severely out-classed, yet held its own among much more expensive digital pianos.
Cheers.
Kris Sturni well, as we know, there's a lot more to all of these keyboards than just feel and one single piano sound. So, while this was a bit of fun, it's kinda pointless.
@@officialWWM Casio has decent action and nice feeling keys but the sound out of the speakers is awful, samples are dull and it has zero sustain.
Paul Brennan entirely my point. I can't ever take their products seriously.
I use a Casio PX-350 (not S350) paired with a Roland Juno DS76 and an iPad with Korg Module (and midi routing) as my live rig. Max flexibility and value and lighter than most 88 weighted key boards. Casio has really upped their game lately. Definitely the value leader.
I got a real kick out of the chemistry between these two. Surely there isn't a more entertaining keyboard comparison video out there.
As a montage owner, I can say that the nord is in a different league to all the others.
The nord is a beast
Yeah I think almost everyone would go for a nord if not for that steep price
@@joshjones9749 I guess if the sound was the only factor then yes, but remember the kronos and montage both do things the nord can't
jmlt5066 exactly what I think all the time
@@joshjones9749 Kontakt has all the Nord Pianos so go for a Montage or Kronos lol I have a Montage 8 it's fire don't what that dude in the video is saying lol
And please have him back. Dude is so smooth on keys
So all I can conclude is that I should buy a nord for the samples and a RD2000 to control it. Jeez, will there ever be a "this is the one!" piano?
To be fair, the RD-2000 is a stage Piano whereas the Kronos and the Montage are Workstations.
The Korg Granstage and the Yamaha CP88 would have fitted better, or maybe instead of the RD-2000 the new FANTOM.
Where can I learn more about the style he is playing? I love that sound, really cool chord voicings and progressions.
Start by listening to gospel music, follow the guys that recorded some of these songs (my fav top 5 Kevin bond, Aaron lindsay, Jason white, Mike bereal, Jason tyson and the rest lol), and there are more, check out tutorial on TH-cam
10:57 Testing the CASIO.
“I really enjoy the action, it feels pretty light.”
So he prefers lighter key action over heavier action, which anyone interested should take into consideration when judging this blind test.
Kurzweil, Nord and Fatar (obviously) use Fatar actions, which have the reputation of having a comparably poor feel, to say the least. Nord tweaks the action to their own liking, though, which improves the feel.
There’s a good video about the feel of the keyboard actions of the main manufacturers of keyboards with weighted keys, namely Casio, Fatar, Kawai, Korg, Kurzweil, Nord, Roland, and Yamaha, from a professional piano player’s standpoint, by PianoManChuck:
th-cam.com/video/cEZa-lZG1Vo/w-d-xo.html
How about doing a blindfold test of VST pianos? There are so many to choose from.
Also much easier to swap between...
I have a Casio Privia 360. Best 88 weighted keyboard I’ve own. Had the Keylab 88 and returned it
Shawn Saul I've got the PX 560 & previously had a PX 330 , I play a lot of Jazz gigs & they are great, they really 'Amp' up well , Sound good & crucially for me as I suffer from back problems , are not too heavy. There is an issue with some of the higher notes having a rather too short fall off when playing slow legato , however they now have a completely new PXs 1000 & 3000 which both have improved & longer samples . I am surprised that they didn't use this for the blindfold test as it wasn't really fair to Casio to pitch one of their lowlier models against the flagships or near flagships of the others !
I mean I don't use these but shouldn't Kawai and Kurzweil be in too?
Although of course we have couple of other ones like Nord's new Grand, there's Yamaha CP88 or CP4, etc etc, and then the different piano models (Yamaha, Bösendorfer, Fazioli, Steinway, etc) but I guess that'll make a really long video.
I also do think the BH3 used on MOTIF and MONTAGE is squishy, but idk I prefer it over the Nord.
They can only use what they have in the shop at the time and they also don't sell Kawai.
Paul Brennan oh yea I guess
Outstanding, gents. Fun to watch and really informative. Not to mention, beautiful playing, Dan!!
Can this guy release some videos of him playing this kinda music? This was incredible to listen to.
Not sure which piano sound he used on the Korg but there are are a myriad to choose from that sound way better than the Roland and Casio.
Not even close. The KORG is junk in all areas. Stop peddling lies.
Roland make a far better keyboard than most. Nord is fine too. For PURE Piano I prefer Yamaha digital pianos (not synths) but all are a far cry from Acoustic.
The blindfold makes this such a pure experience. Even for the viewers/listeners. Both gents working well together too. Thanks for sharing!
I love how much people can't BS blindfold challenges. I love even more when they are willing to recognize how much they can't BS them. Brand names are powerful.
Amen. Even though it’s obvious to sensible to people like me or you that fair blind tests some people still delude themselves they are not susceptible to bias.
Nord will always have the best piano sound, litterally every single time I hear the Nord, it blows the other pianos outta the water
This is a fine way to test the keyboard action.
But as a sound shootout it’d be better to use one controller and just midi up the sound source. That way you could switch back and forth and his opinion wouldn’t be influenced by his feeling about the action.
The touch to sound connection is going to be completely different if you do that. The touch curves in most instruments are designed specifically when played from the action they come with. Changing the action would really change the sound of the pianos.
Can we get some blindfolded testing with some more budget friendly keyboards? Yamaha modx8 etc
T H O S E V O I C I N G S
It´s a pity Kawai wasn't included.
the mp11 would destroy at least 3 or maybe 4 in terms of action and piano sound.
(happy owner of an mp7 and kronos. played on nord stage 2 and montage and the sound of the piano from kawai it's a bit more realistic than others)
the only piano thst sound great on kronos are the e.pianos
heterofix Looooooool you’re funny if you truly think the MP11 is going to destroy this.
Andertons don't sell Kawai.
Great video and idea!! In all fairness he has been known to play Nord before and the moment you changed the pedal out, every Nord player, including myself, would instantly know it was that keyboard. But still a great test and awesome player!
Wow! I know Casio has come a long way since the "toy pianos" but to compete on any level at the price with these others is amazing. Yes, just the first pianos with no tweaking but still a surprise. Great vid. Like the Blindfold Challenges. Maybe different voices, keyboard amps, etc. Thanks Jack. Always informative and entertaining.
Wow, Nord samples continue to improve. That company never ceases to amaze me!
The piano playing here is amazing. Please upload more of this guy. I challenge anyone to link me to something classier.
I'm not going to say this is classier, but check out Antuan Walker! th-cam.com/video/m4aP_dpqJNo/w-d-xo.html
@@jasongaluten Thanks, will do!
I'm with that Nord and Roland RD. The Casio sounded the worst, not horrible, but like they warmed it up so much to give it a warm piano feel rather than the actual piano sampling being quality.
I thought the Montage sounded a bit uninspiring and somewhat muddy. The Kronos was pretty good, a bit bright for my taste but expressive.
Roland RD2000 was probably my favorite and the Nord an extremely close 2econd
I was surprised when they gave Kronos the lowest score, whereas the Kronos sounded very clean and clear. On the other hand Casio sounded muddy but got high score. I was not impressed with Yamaha but it was far better than the Casio.
I just bought a keyboard... and LOVED this video.
What area of reasearch, teachings, tutorials do I have to look into to be able to play some similar styles like this?
Worship style piano
This blindfolded test is wonderful. Shows the two most important things of which every usual player is influenced. Sound and Keyboardaction. Thanks for sharing! Maybe you could do a tutorial which answers the question: „ what Kind of PA for stagepianos“ Thanks
i'm sorry but i've tried that Casio and it is awful. the sample is TOO short!!
Lisa Kin try it blindfolded
Agreed! They decay too quickly.
Thought so too! And he just played a few notes and spend a lot of time with thinking, no playing. His words do not always seem to match with his feeling. He seemingly enjoyed the Roland more and of course the Nord Piano
Agree. Not tried the new Casio but their samples always feel soulless and short. I agree that the Chronos is not a good piano replacement. I seem to always like Roland Piano’s even more than the cooler looking Nords though
Casio, good digital watch, bad digital keys. I would have figured his hearing would have gotten better without eyesight.
Another problem - with the RD you have to Tailor the touch to your play style to get the best out of the V-Piano sounds. Also the stock first patch is among the worst on the board - that is it does cut in a mix, but its NOT like a real piano solo'd. The 05/06 patches (deep or mellow) are far better out of the box. The 06 (Bold Beauty) gives the Nord a LOT closer run. The Nord still just takes it for sound mind.
Yeah, I have a RD-2000 that I regularly use for gigs and I very rarely use the first patch for straight piano work. I like it as a base for layering in other sounds though.
I'm a sucker for dark sounding pianos, but the new Italian Grand for the Kronos is majestic.
Lael_Da is that the grand they use in this video?
@@johnnulf624 I think this sounds like the Berlin.
Great video there :) I only got an M-Audio Oxygen 88 which is a MIDI keyboard so I always have to play the sounds from my PC. But would be nice to have a stand alone keyboard. Might invest in one :D And yeah this was a great idea for a video. Keep it up!
@@reginaldjaxen4817 So believable haha
Seems like an honest blind test. What would have been even better would be to have plugged them in to a generic keyboard controller to separate the action from the subjective quality of the piano sound.
Really great video would love to see more videos from you two ! great comments made about the piano and i am going to be looking into that amazing Casio soon
Jack: "Thoughts?"
D-Bingerz: "Yeah"
interesting that he's not looking at the top and bottom of the keyboard - wouldn't that be different - and it is supposed to be 88s he is comparing.
He’s not looking at anything
Dr Fear & Co. they mean he’s not playing anything other than the lower register of the keys
Dude, he's blindfolded!
At the end of the video the person on the left mentions that the Nord Piano 4 and the Nord Stage 3 share the exact same key-action. To my knowledge that is not true. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Change the speakers and you're likely to get a whole new set of preferences. Not many speakers do a proper job of piano at the best of times.
And the main point of my comment is that different speakers all fail in different ways, which may work better or worse with the character of different synthesized pianos.
Idea: do a blind test, tell the tester you're changing the keyboard but actually change the speakers or their setup, and see what comments you get.
In real life, mix and match until you find a pairing that makes you happy. Don't get caught up in the "latest and greatest" hype.
Maybe it's partially because I saw it before he started playing...I still didn't think there Nord sounded that much better. Objectively for certain, and I do think it seemed a bit better... Thought the Yamaha was really strong though and the Casio did sound Nice.
Me too
Should build a mock upright piano that could conceal all of their appearances so he can play with his sight.
Alternatively, why not try a cheap 88 note hammer action like M-audio and Specrasonics Keyscape software
You know what, I never realised just how much better the Nord’s sound is than the others until this video. Bloody ell it’s good isn’t it.
All things considered the Nords are the more complete piano set, today, and sound good enough., for live music.
Glad to be a Nord stage 3 owner ☺️ and I I’m sure he was playing the intro to a Don Henley tune ‘The End Of The Innocence ‘ at 6:45 huge eagles fan, nice video guys ☺️
Bruce Hornsby playing on this amazing song .
Suppose the action of the Casio helps it stand out. Personally, I thought it sounded rather flat and lifeless compared to the others. I've tried the Roland in the store and loved the feel. Out of my budget, though and I wasn't particularly thrilled with the piano sounds That Nord was very nice sounding. Never tried one though.
I think it was the most different sounding one, and that translates as a positive sometimes to our brains to help something stand out. But man I agree about those roland keybeds. they feel so good and even compared to the nord keybed I actually liked the roland more.
Aaron Porter hopefully they checked the levels too because louder is usually reported as more favourable too.
Casio VL-1 would have killed them all!
29 calculator-type button keys, five presets and one user memory patches, built-in rhythm machine (waltz, swing, rock, samba, etc.) and a 100-note sequencer!
And a calculator! You can do your taxes & jam out AT THE SAME TIME. That's the real bargain right there.
Da da da!
You forget the sheer power of the Casio ML2
Hi Jack - beautiful segment ! - such a cool idea - more of that !!! AAAFNRAA was one of Zappa's mottoes. It stood for Anything Anytime Anyplace For No Reason At All. Music Is The Best.
Please do more of this!
Out of all the piano's I've tested when searching for one, compared to Roland, Yamaha, ..., I picked the Casio Privia 860 (about 4-5 years ago. It felt the best and sounds fantastic.
The weird thing: it was in comparison the cheapest (1000 Euro) and the retailer just couldn't get it sold. It's just the name Casio that makes people go 'no, I don't even want to test it'.
I liked the Roland and the nord they sound much better
Who else has watched this video more than 10 times , his style of playing and sound is too creamy and awesome I love you Dbingerz
Ya such fun this vid
Love that Neo Soul he was playing!
We talk about 88 keys piano and this guy play only in middle register some ballad stuff on pedal... anyway Nord is best one here, most detailed sound and very close to real. Like a keyboard touch best is Roland, but piano sound is plastic. I have Sequential Prophet XL is 76 key model, but piano sound is outstanding, i never hear something like that before, just blow in character and details. For me Prophet XL and Nord are best instruments overall!!!
Vadim Shinnik one of Kronos’s pianos sounds a lot like the Nord though. I liked the nord when I tried it once but chose Kronos for all that it does. Nord would be great too if moment were no object, of course.
@@boothbuster yes, but you know... is hard to find one register of piano and it sound good for everything, for every kind of stuff. Some piano is good for ballad, some good in high register... That's why i mentioned Nord and Prophet XL, they have a lot of characters especially Prophet. Nord have a lot of unique pianos. On Kronos i like keyboard and piano in mix sound good.
Very true! I mean basically, each piano preset and its samples all comes down to how they sampled it... which microphones were used, compression, positioning, etc. I don’t know if any of them move the mics for each octave or note but I can see how that could really affect it too. Piano is an interesting instrument to think of sampling actually, now that I think about it... so many different variables with the large shape of one and all the wood and angles.
@@boothbuster Agree!!!
My Rankings
1.Nord Piano 4
2.Yamaha Monatge 8 Or Kronos depends upon the type of sound you want.
3. Rd 2000
4.Casio
I like the way this unfolded. And I like the playing and the descriptions. Very good format.
Comparison budget piano with flagships is so strange IMO. Casio - 8.5??? hahaha :D
BTW - Should be compared stage pianos only or workstations only - why not Grandstage instead Kronos? Why no CP88 or CP4 instead Montage 8? Where is Kawai MP11SE and Kurzweil Forte?
Yes, where's the Kurzweil? They have 2 of the Forte's in their warehouse.
I could listen this guy play all day. I even got emotional at some points. Such a good video!
it's great to hear even these snippets of phrases..but I CANNOT believe a pianist like this need to have instructions on where his thumb is placed to start!
14:49 as a keyboardist/pianist that's the image u wanna watch every morning next to your bed
More videos please! I'll agree that next time there should be more time given to the full range of the keyboards but for now this is excellent. I have a Roland RD700SX and the 'X-Ultimate' (not the Superior grand) is my favorite, reminding me of the 7' Steinway B that I played for years. Sometimes I forget that I'm playing a digital and I can't give a higher compliment than that.
Really enjoyed this ... I love all those boards, hard to choose
Well, it really goes to show you that piano preferences are very player-specific AND your assessment may depend on, to an extent, what amplification system you're using to listen to the patch, the type of music you intend to play with it, your chord voicings (different resonances co-occur that shape and color the sounds produced), and what you prefer in terms of keybed feel and response. I own a 61-key Kronos 2 and love the keybed -- likely one of the better ones for a 61-key model. I also own (yes, Jack! :-) a Korg SV-1 88, and think that the RH-3 keybed (like the Kronos 2 88) is a bit much, but then again when playing some types of solo jazz piano, I love it. Through my band's stage monitors (QSC K12.2) the Kronos's German and Italian grands are gorgeous, and my bandmate has several times commented on how incredibly clean the sound is (he plays a Montage 88 and MODX8).
Another great comparison test, Jack, and thanks to Dan for participating and sharing his beautiful keyboard playing with us.
Got myself a Roland Juno DS88...when I downloaded the Axial piano sounds one of them actually made me cry !
iseeolly which one ?
Expansion pack 4....close miced piano is fantastic...and Concert Hall just makes my spine tingle, loads of reverb on it so be simple with your playing, but I detect a not very subtle de tuning that sounds a little like the "wow" you used to get on a very nice 33rpm record. Ohhh mate it is breathtakingly nice. Enjoy my friend. On my own youtube channel I made a lullaby for four fingers just to show it off. The synth really flatters me. xx
iseeolly many thanks.
I had a DS 61 briefly but returned it for the FA07 (more keys and & performance features)
Not played much last couple of years as been DJing a lot (I hear a yuk LOL).
Bought a Modx7 a few months ago but not used it much.
Somehow fancy a DS76 (used to have an expanded Juno stage for years, always regret selling is as loved it).
Think with the sample features and a super low price in the UK currently I should pick one up and give it a proper go.
Thanks for the reply. Happy playing 🍻
Best way to be more accurate is to make the blindfolded test two times with random order of the keyboards
Would have liked to see the CP88 on there as well as another budget piano that punches above its weight.
Alan Chapman the CP88 has the same sounds as the Montage 8 so there is no point
Moses K.Kashadi This was a blind test where touch response and keyboard action was being evaluated. The Balanced Hammer Action is completely different from NW-X in terms of piano feel. One is designed to feel very piano-like while being useable as a synth action with aftertouch. The other is a piano focused action designed to replicate that feel.
I forgot to also mention that the CP88 actually uses entirely different piano samples. They recorded a new multi-sample of a CFX and it is voiced much differently than the CFX in the Montage. Even the CP4's CFX sounds different than either of those.
Earlier I added comment where I said there is something wrong with Casio sound, simply it dies to soon (I don't talk about sustain but about the decay part, from the moment when we press the key until tone dies). Everyone who ever played piano knows sound won't die in 3-4 seconds, also it will diminish slowly in time. In Casio's case it has steep curve down, like someone pressed some cloth on piano strings, to mute it..
I don't think it's Andertons who should be blamed for low volume level or bad tone of this Casio - simply here is also blind test of 3 cheap pianos in same price range th-cam.com/video/tl9riIwHuV0/w-d-xo.html - you can judge for yourself how Casio compares to the cheapest Yamaha and Roland. To my ears, it sounds like a toy, and I don't think owner of that video tried to sell Yamaha or Roland, or to bury Casio. It is what it is.
Regarding price/quality of the sound ratio, of course, compared to price of other instruments in this test Casio is expected to sound worse. Certainly, cheaper devices don't sound as bad as their price looks, for example sound of piano on 3000 GBP worth workstation won't be 10 times better than Casios, as price suggests. But it is not like that only if we talk about music - for example, look at car prices - do you really think car paid 150k GBP is 10 times faster/more comfortable/etc than car with price tag around 15k GBP?
Would have loved to have seen and heard the Kawai MP11 and the Kurzweil Forte included in the test, but I guess one can't stock up on everything :)
Man you got a gospel feel going man. Very nice.
This is the way a great review has to be done, very good job.
need this with midi keyboards though! NI vs Akai and so on! Would be awesome!
No. 1 - Nord Piano 4 - RRP £2149
No. 2 - Casio CDP S100 - RRP £329
We all know Nord is amazing. Well done Casio.
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was expecting the Nord to be up there but the Casio was a surprise!
I’ve always said that head to head products, should ALWAYS be done without bias, this is a true product shoot out!!!
When I heard the forth Piano, which happens to be a Casio, I figured out its uselessness after the first two notes. Can't tell what made Daniel who played it there like this particular model, but you can hear how cheap it is without any problem. By the way I'm blind without needing a blindfold so I didn't see the Casio. For a final comment, if there's anyone who took the "put my little finger here and there" too seriously, I just wanna say that a blind person not only can find his/her way on a piano, but in some of the biggest cities in the world too.
Thank you for the splendid videos you make and for the service you offer to us with this reviews.
Casio result isn't too surprising given that it's a digital piano and the others are stage pianos and a synth. A few of these stage pianos have lighter actions than digital pianos. The Roland FP range has a heavier, more realistic action than the MODX, Nord and Korg Kross imo, and the cheapest FP is far cheaper than these.
Interesting how he positioned his head like Stevie Wonder would.
It’s the music man!!!
This video was very useful! Very informative! I was really surprised with the results! Going to have a look at the Casio, then, as it's almost the same price as a naked 88-key MIDI controller. Amazing. The Nord really did sound fantastic, and is always a winner, so no surprise there.
Great video guys. More of these!!! Love Jack's videos, but he really shines here being the master of the white board.
Great and useful video...well done Jack....Vic
I am very surprised I bought a very solid Casio CDP-S110 for a couple of bucks! I wasn't sure about the brand but it just felt right.
please do this challenge with more beginner - mid level digital pianos! Maybe the Roland RP-501 and some other similar priced ones
My Casio s150 just arrived, I gotta say, Combining the sound “Grand piano” and “Mellow” is absolute Legend! For its price....
really like to see him compare the Kawai MP11SE, VPC1 (with VST of your choice), Nord Grand, Nord Piano 5, and Roland Fantom 8
Good playing at 2:05 (Korg), 4:24 & 5:46 (Roland), 6:41 (Yamaha), 9:48 (Casio), 12:00 & 13:29 (Nord).