Overview
The original Privia was introduced by Casio in 2003, as a new concept within budget digital pianos, and is widely known for offering more advanced features and high-quality sound at affordable prices, being able to keep up with more expensive instruments. The first Privia was the PX-100. Like any other compact digital pianos, it was able to be played on a table or optional stand, and was equipped with a digital sound source created by independent sampling of various piano timbres. [3]
The first generation Privia was produced from 2003 to 2006, and utilizes the Zygotech Polynomial Interpolation (ZPI) synthesis sound engine, as used in Casio's numerous former flagship keyboards. Second generation follows from 2006 to 2009, using similar sound engine.
The third generation was introduced in 2009, featuring an all new Linear Morphing AiF (Acoustic and Intelligent Filtering) sound engine with 4-level dynamic stereo piano sampling and 128-note polyphony.
The fourth generation is the current version of the Privia, first introduced in 2012 . It uses the improved rendition of Linear Morphing AiF engine, called Multi-Dimensional Acoustic and Intelligent Resonator (AiR) sound engine, featuring a revamped 4-layer sampling and new features such as simulated sympathetic resonance, adjustable key sensor response (referred to as "Hammer Response"), half-damper effect, pedal noises and key-off simulation.
Minor update of fourth generation is introduced in 2015, with some models included color touchscreen and improved built-in speaker system, as well as updated various features with few models has up to 256-note polyphony.
Keyboard action
As with other digital pianos, the Privia features a fully weighted keyboard action to simulate the action on an acoustic piano.
This key action consist of a mechanical system of small "hammers" and weights attached to each keys that will lift up when the key is pressed, while the keys trigger the sensors to generate sound. The sensors are located in the bottom of the keyboard, similar to that of a synthesizer keyboard action
Throughout various incarnations, the key action has undergone several changes over time:
Scaled Hammer Action (2003–2008 models)
The original keyboard action, featuring a single or double sensors installed below the keybed. The weights are attached far back to the keys, giving it a slight resistance after the keys are released. It is also have a simulated weight in which lower notes are heavier than higher ones.
Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action (2009–2011 models)
Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer utilizes three individual sensors for each keys, two installed below the key's base, and one installed slightly further back near the hammers. The hammers are also modified to have less resistance and swings back faster upon release. The three sensors ensures precision response and improved touch sensitivity compared to its predecessor.
Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II (2012–present models)
A revamped incarnation of the previous action. The triple sensors are now installed right below the key's base, while the hammers remain unchanged. Furthermore, this action even features unique keys with simulated synthetic ebony and ivory texture and the sensor's response can be digitally adjusted to match the playing style realistically.
The Scaled Hammer Action II has been described as being harder, more substantial and heavier compared to the previous versions. It is also widely criticized for its characteristic knocking noises when played at medium to high velocities, and considered as being heavier than a generic acoustic piano keys.
Smart Scaled Hammer Action (2019–present models)
Reduces size and weight without compromising playing feel. Included in PX-S1000 and PX-S3000 models. And the new 2021 models, PX-S1100 and PX-S3100.
The piano is an acoustic, keyboard and stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700, in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings.
Casio Computer Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its products include calculators, mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and analogue and digital watches. It was founded in 1946, and in 1957 introduced the world's first entirely electric compact calculator. It was an early digital camera innovator, and during the 1980s and 1990s, the company developed numerous affordable home electronic keyboards for musicians along with introducing the world's first mass-produced digital watches.
A digital piano is a type of electronic keyboard instrument designed to serve primarily as an alternative to the traditional acoustic piano, both in the way it feels to play and in the sound produced. Digital pianos use either synthesized emulation or recorded samples of an acoustic piano, which are sounded through an internal loudspeaker. They also incorporate weighted keys, which recreate the feel of an acoustic piano. Some digital pianos are designed to also look like an upright or grand piano.
An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument, an electronic or digital derivative of keyboard instruments. Broadly speaking, the term electronic keyboard or just a keyboard can refer to any type of digital or electronic keyboard instrument. These include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs and digital audio workstations. However, an electronic keyboard is more specifically a synthesizer with a built-in low-wattage power amplifier and small loudspeakers.
The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stationary stands or which are part of heavy, floor-mounted structures. The instrument has a musical keyboard for triggering musical notes and sounds. Various controls are placed on the instrument's "neck", including those for pitch bends, vibrato, portamento, and sustain.
Kurzweil Music Systems is an American company that produces electronic musical instruments. It was founded in 1982 by Stevie Wonder (musician), Ray Kurzweil (innovator) and Bruce Cichowlas.
The Clavinova is a long-running line of digital pianos created by the Yamaha Corporation. The name is a portmanteau of the two words Clavier meaning 'keyboard instrument' and nova meaning 'new'.
Keyboard expression is the ability of a keyboard musical instrument to change tone or other qualities of the sound in response to velocity, pressure or other variations in how the performer depresses the keys of the musical keyboard. Expression types include:
A stage piano is an electronic musical instrument designed for use in live performance on a stage or a studio, as well as for music recording in jazz and popular music. While stage pianos share some of the same features as digital pianos designed for home use and synthesizers, they have a number of features which set them apart. Stage pianos usually provide a smaller number of sounds, with these sounds being of higher quality, unlike regular digital pianos and home synthesizers.
A MIDI keyboard or controller keyboard is typically a piano-style electronic musical keyboard, often with other buttons, wheels and sliders, used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or MIDI 5-pin cable to other musical devices or computers. MIDI keyboards lacking an onboard sound module cannot produce sounds themselves, however some models of MIDI keyboards contain both a MIDI controller and sound module, allowing them to operate independently. When used as a MIDI controller, MIDI information on keys or buttons the performer has pressed is sent to a receiving device capable of creating sound through modeling synthesis, sample playback, or an analog hardware instrument. The receiving device could be:
The microKORG is a MIDI-capable digital synthesizer/vocoder from Korg featuring DSP analog modelling. The synthesizer is built in such a way that it is essentially a Korg MS-2000 with programmable step arpeggiator, a less advanced vocoder, lack of motion sequencing, lack of an XLR microphone input, and in a smaller case with fewer real-time control knobs.
The Yamaha Motif is a series of music workstation synthesizers, first released by Yamaha Corporation in August 2001. The Motif replaced the EX series in Yamaha's line-up and was also based on the early Yamaha S series. Other workstations in the same class are the Korg Kronos and the Roland Fantom G. The series' successor is Yamaha Montage.
The Nord Electro is a series of electronic keyboards, developed in Sweden by Clavia, that digitally emulate electro-mechanical keyboards, such as electric pianos and electronic organs, while designed to be highly portable.
The Nord Stage is a digital keyboard or stage piano, manufactured by Clavia Digital Music Instruments of Stockholm in Sweden. There have been five editions of the instrument; the original Nord Stage in 2005, the Nord Stage EX in 2008, the Nord Stage 2 in 2011, the Nord Stage 2 EX in 2015, and the Nord Stage 3 in 2017.
Casio's SDSynthesizers were a late-1980s line of analog synthesizers featuring a resonant filter. SD synthesis was traditional DCO-analog synthesis, with the main difference being that some of the SD waveforms' harmonic spectrums changed temporally, or dynamically in relation to the amplitude envelope. SD synthesis is used in six Casio synthesizers and home keyboards released in 1987 and produced until 1991, when Casio exited the synthesizer market completely and focused solely on pure consumer keyboards. Due to some programming limitations plus Casio's poor marketing, the SD synths never gained wide popularity and are now fairly rare in the second-hand marketplace. There still exists a small but devoted fanbase who insist that SD synthesis, particularly as expanded in the high-end model HT-6000, was overlooked and highly underrated and today really rare
Disklavier is the brand name for a family of high-tech reproducing pianos made by Yamaha Corporation. The first Disklavier was introduced in the United States in 1987.
The CZ series is a family of low-cost phase distortion synthesizers produced by Casio in the mid-1980s. Eight models of CZ synthesizers were released: the CZ-101, CZ-230S, CZ-1000, CZ-2000S, CZ-2600S, CZ-3000, CZ-5000, and the CZ-1. Additionally, the home-keyboard model CT-6500 used 48 phase distortion presets from the CZ line. The CZ synthesizers' price at the time of their introduction made programmable synthesizers affordable enough to be purchased by garage bands. Yamaha soon introduced their own low-cost digital synthesizers, including the DX-21 (1985) and Yamaha DX100, in light of the CZ series' success.
The Yamaha PSR-E323, also known as the YPT-320, is an electronic keyboard manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation in 2009. It is a basic home keyboard intended for learning and personal use.
Yamaha CP88 and Yamaha CP73 are professional stage pianos produced by Yamaha. These instruments are identical except for keyboard action and size. The instrument is designed to be played on live concerts on the stage, and it is geared towards the intermediate and advanced players. In addition to live performances, it is also suitable for recording studios due to its high quality audio. As it is intended for professional use in locations with a preinstalled sound system, such as concert venues and recording studios, it does not have internal speakers, like the home instruments.
