Casio CDP-S100BKC5 Full Weighted Hammer Action Digital Piano

Product Information

Talking about the effects, the CDP-S100 comes with two built-in effects, the Chorus and the Reverb. The reverb has four algorithms in ascending grades from a small room to a large concert hall, at the maximum grade. Chorus again comes in four different types starting from a subtle stereo sound to lavish lush flanging tunes. Update February 2023: The CDP-S100/CDP-S150 models have been discontinued and replaced by the new CDP-S110/ CDP-S160. The CDP-S100 has a maximum polyphony of 64 notes, which sufficiently covers all song types, whether classical songs or modern ballads. In one line we could explain the Casio CDP-S100 as an all-rounder, it is capable of handling every single sound from every single genre. And its clean and neutral tones bring in a lot of life to the original compositions.

Chordana Play also lets you control some functions on the keyboard, like switching between sounds and controlling metronome tempo. On some passages where you are playing multiple notes with (say) your right hand and certain voices need to be emphasized due to the melody, it’s more difficult to do this than on an acoustic piano. Again, this is probably a limitation of my own technical ability but I do notice it even at my level of skill. If there was an area to improve to really set the S110 apart from the S100, it would be its features. And it doesn’t appear that Casio has made any improvements whatsoever in this regard. Good digital pianos will have nice key-action, great sampled piano sounds, nice speakers, and a durable build.

Price and Availability

The CDP S series has some basic connectivity features, just enough for a budget piano of its range. Its connectivity features pertain to basic home use and for stage use with certain limitations. Though you’ll memorize commonly used controls over time, this is not an intuitive arrangement. Even so, the CDP-S100 does it right. For example, when you depress the sustain pedal, the earliest played notes continue to sound while you’re adding new ones and the piano needs more memory to keep all the notes sounding. The company has also re-engineered the electronics so that the pianos consume less power, making the use of batteries viable. As a result, the CDP-S100 can run for 13 hours under certain conditions. This further enhances the portability of the instruments. Most keyboards relying on key combinations (like Yamaha’s YDP 144 and Casio’s PX-S1000) require the use of a manual, since there’s no on-board guidance.

The CDP-S100 plays in only one mode, namely the layer mode, to help two sounds play simultaneously. The best way to utilize this feature is to combine the strings with the acoustic piano sounds to create the best masterpieces. Sound Differences: Not much at all. The S110 has a bit of a more natural decay and velocity, giving it a tiny edge over its predecessor. The Touch Not that the S100 didn’t have plenty of features, because that couldn’t be further from the truth! For an entry-level instrument, the S100 has plenty of features that a beginning pianist would be thrilled to have.Casio CDP-S100 (front) and Casio CDP-S350 (left) both on optional CS-46P stands Price and Availability Definitely a big selling point for this keyboard. It is extremely light and can be powered by 6 AA batteries. When I was younger and learning the piano, I wanted the freedom to take my keyboard outside and play. The problem was that I didn’t have the ability because I didn’t have power sources to make it happen. Something worth considering here is that the presence of physical buttons on the CDP-S100 might be important for the visually impaired. Honestly, if you have a choice, then the only reason to go with the S110 would be its textured keys and if you’d prefer having a white piano. Other than that, the sound, touch, and features are not different enough to warrant paying the extra money, at least to me.