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The Casio PX 770 Digital Piano Black Bundle is an upgrade and newer model of the popular Casio Privia PX-760. But many of the features and functions haven't simply been updated; they have been redesigned and improved, making it worth a new, fresh look. The fact is, this digital piano is not just Casio's most affordable, entry-level console, but an exceptional digital piano with a value that far exceeds its sticker price.
Overview
While portable keyboards are great for travel and practice, for the serious student or experienced player, there is simply no substitute for a console piano. Having a piano in your home or studio space doesn't just add to the atmosphere and décor, but it constantly invites people to create, play, and experience music together. There is a reason that console pianos are showing up in cafes and bars, shopping malls and train stations – they bring people together.
A few minutes’ search will confirm that the Casio Privia PX 770 Digital Piano Black Bundle is widely recognized as simply the best digital console piano in its price range. Compared with the Privia PX-760, the PX 770 has an improved sound engine that even advanced pianists love, built on higher-quality samples and with better memory management for excellent tone, richness, resonance, and sustain times. While the improved cabinet design and addition of features between the versions are nice, it is the sound engine that has people so excited about the Privia PX 770.Video Overview
Casio Privia PX 770 Digital Piano Specs
Specification | Description |
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Keys | |
Touch Sensitive | Velocity touch sensitivity, 3 touch sensitivity modes, or turn touch sensitivity off |
Voices | 19 piano voices, including: |
Songs | |
Effects | |
Polyphony | 128 max levels of polyphony |
Accessories Included | |
Jacks & Ports |
Who the Casio Privia PX 770 Digital Piano Most Suitable For?
The Casio Privia PX-770 Digital Piano Black Bundle is designed for serious students of the piano, who want the sound and feel of a classic acoustic piano for composing and practicing at home, but who can't afford one and haven't the space for it. It delivers an excellent piano quality in a compact space at an affordable price, with all the features someone needs when they are playing the piano on a regular basis.
It is also an excellent choice for people who used to play the piano in the past, but have let the habit go a bit and want to take it up again. It has a fantastic feel and sound, and Concert Play mode is a simple and convenient way to have the experience of playing with a full orchestra.
It has a contemporary, sleek design that will go well in any room of the house, and headphones so you can play to your heart's content without disturbing anyone, and it's an easy way to reconnect with an old love of music.
It's also a preferred console piano for instructors. With Dual Keyboard mode, you can split the keyboard and play side-by-side with a student, while the accurate touch response and keyboard weight system help to build strength and good technique in the hands.
Two headphone jacks allow two players to share music with each other without necessarily performing for anyone else, and the onboard lessons, rehearsal songs, and Chordana App compatibility help keep students engaged and progressing with enthusiasm.What’s Included in the Box?
The Casio Privia PX-770 Digital Piano Black Bundle comes with:
An adjustable X-style bench
A pair of headphones
Polishing cloth
Features
The Casio PX 770 is an 88-key compact digital piano. With a cabinet-style body, PX 770's dimensions are 54.5" by 11.8". Those who have a small space or apartment may enjoy how easy it can fit into limited spaces. With a weight of 70 pounds, the keyboard is relatively heavy and not meant for excessive movement. Nevertheless, during renovations, this unit can be easily relocated with someone else's assistance.
In contrast to many other digital pianos, the Casio PX 770 includes a full pedal unit and a built-in music stand. The keyboard has a minimalistic and sleek design for those who enjoy a simple aesthetic. With a wooden texture, the cabinet adds a pleasant touch to the look. Keeping the keys protected and clean is a piano cover that slides over the keys and locks into place. Covers are beneficial for keyboards because they keep the piano safe from accidental spills, dust, and other damage. Lots of keyboards don't offer this protection, so the PX-770's cover is a convenient aspect.
The three main pedals that come with the piano are the sostenuto, soft and sustain pedals, all found on a real piano. While most keyboards feature a sustain pedal, it's always great having access to the other two. With the three pedals, the piano gives you much more control over the key bed.
Some people fear the idea of having to assemble keyboards from the box. The PX-770's assembly is relatively simple, and one can put it together in less than a half-hour. Having a screwdriver can significantly speed up the process.
The keyboard is available in the colors black, brown, and white. Rather than just including one color, the variety gives you the freedom to choose your favorite.
Many controls are positioned to the left of the keys for heightened usability, giving the unit a non-cramped look. These buttons control several acoustic and electric piano sounds, as well as the volume. The rest of the buttons serve different purposes that the user manual explains. Though there is no screen, there are several beeping sounds that happen when you press buttons.
FEATURE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
Design | Two headphone jacks in the front are perfect for piano lessons or duets when you want to keep your practice private. Or use one jack for headphones, and another for an amplifier or other external sound system. |
Sound | The Casio PX 770 has a high-performing sound engine with ample space to house excellent samples. Called AiR Sound Source, the sound engine is the same for all of Casio's high-performance keyboards. This technology compresses data, preventing sound quality reductions. Due to the wide variety of sampling, the transition from soft to loud is seamless. With significant sound quality progress from the previous model, the Casio PX 770 presents natural sounds with improved resonance and decay. |
Functions | Dual mode allows you to play two instrument sounds at once, and is a common feature in digital keyboards. But the Casio Privia PX 770 Digital Piano Black Bundle has a fantastic layer balance feature, that allows you to independently adjust which tone is dominant, for more complex and nuanced sound. |
Chordana Play app | Casio PX 770 is compatible with Casio's free Chordana Play app, and it's a great upgrade for the keyboard. Chordana Play has 50 built-in songs, and guides beginners through playing along with a visual piano roll display, a music notation display, or a split screen view that shows both. This visual approach helps people master playing and timing while also helping students learn to read music. |
Modes | Like most keyboards in this price range, the Casio has split mode, dual-mode, and duet mode. These modes allow you to play different sounds simultaneously and on different sections of the keyboard. |
Keyboard | The Casio PX 770 features 88 fully-weighted keys with ebony keytops and artificial ivory. All full-weighted Casio keyboards under $2000 have Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II. This keyboard action is similar to that of a real piano because it employs actual hammers, which gives an acoustic piano its feel. |
Speaker | Though the speakers function, they aren't the strongest aspect of the PX 770 keyboard. Equipped on the keyboard are two 8W speakers, which are suitable for playing in a standard room. If you are a performing musician, this keyboard's default speakers don't suffice for larger rooms. Though there are keyboards with more powerful speakers on the market, the PX 770 provides excellent sound quality. |
AiR Tech | This keyboard features AiR technology, a sound source that includes an excellent stereo grand piano sound with superb resonance. The sounds seem to incorporate the entire body of the keyboard, adding more sense of realism. With 19 good quality instrument tones, you have a nice assortment of options. |
Recording | The recording options of the Casio PX 770 are relative to your needs. In the recording world, this keyboard's controls are largely limited. If you desire a piano with vast recording options, the PX 770 may not be the best option. In reality, most pianists don't purchase cabinet style keyboards for their recording potential, but rather for quality playing experience. There are other digital pianos dedicated for those who want to record and produce primarily. |
Connectivity | This piano has the standard ports and connections for its price range. There are two quarter-inch jacks on the front of the piano that can be used for headphones or external amplification. |
Accessories | With the package, you receive an owner's manual, a book of songs, and a power adaptor. If you're a beginner, you may utilize the songbook to improve your skills and learn popular songs. As mentioned before, the inclusion of a three-pedal unit in the piano is very beneficial. While sustain pedals alone can be pricey, three-pedal units are significantly more expensive. Since one comes with the package, this keyboard is excellent for the price. |
Other Features | Concert Play feature allows you to play along with high-quality recordings of a live orchestra. You can listen and practice along with the Concert Play tunes, and then turn off the piano channel and take the lead yourself. It's a fantastic way to learn and experience music. The 60 songs in the media library can also be used similarly to the Concert Play songs, and you can practice the parts, adjust the tempo, and even add your own songs to the onboard memory. Casio PX 770 also has three different pitch tweaking mechanisms. You can alter the tuning by increments of 0.1Hz, which can be useful when playing with a musician with an imperfectly-tuned instrument. You can also change the octave with an octave shift function if you don't want to bend or contort your body to play the outer registers. Another nice feature is the option to transpose. Many piano players value a transposing mechanism to play a song in their key of choice without learning it in a separate key. |
Pros & Cons
PROS |
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CONS |
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Casio PX 770 Manual
If you'd like to check out the nitty-gritty of the Casio PX 770, here's a link to the model's manual:
Alternative Products to Consider
Yamaha Arius YDP-103R
Most people naturally compare the Casio PX 770 Digital Piano Black Bundle to the Yamaha Arius YDP103R because they are the entry-level console piano models for both brands, and Yamaha and Casio are both iconic brands with loyal fans, it's worth taking a look at both digital pianos:
Advantages of the Yamaha Arius YDP103R
Console surface finish is higher quality, more wood-like in appearance, and slightly better construction
Has analogue-like half-pedal functions
Advantages of Casio PX 770 Digital Piano
Tactile surface on all the keys, not just the black ones
More polyphony
More instrument voices
More digital and ambient effects
More preset songs, ability to add your own MIDI songs
Greater transpose range
Ability to record a song
Lesson functions and Chordana Play app
Melody on/off function
Yamaha DGX650B Digital Piano
Near the same price as the Casio PX 770 is the Yamaha DGX-650B Digital Piano. Both digital pianos features 88 fully-weighted keys with excellent action. DGX-650B is a little bit lighter than the Casio, allowing for more portability. However, the top 7 keys seem to bed dead on the grand piano sound. These keys may require significantly more force to produce sound than other digital pianos, including the PX 770.
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CONS |
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Yamaha P125
One of the standout differences between the Yamaha P125 and Casio PX 770 is the number of default sounds. The Yamaha has 24 different sounds, which is five more than the Casio. With a speaker output of 14W, the P125 has a slightly lower production than the PX 770. In terms of design, the Yamaha keyboard is a little more portable than the Casio and is better suited for performing musicians. Again, the need for a portable keyboard is relative to the keyboardist's needs.Although, both digital pianos has a superb sound design, a slightly heavier option like the Casio can be better for those wanting a more permanent addition to a room.
PROS |
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CONS |
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Casio CGP-700
The Casio CGP-700 is an excellent alternative to the Casio PX 770 and includes many features. With an extensive soundbank, the keyboard has 550 sounds to stimulate your creativity. This keyboard also has more advanced recording capabilities, boasting a 17-track MIDI recorder, giving you way more tracks. One area that the PX-770 beats the CGP-700 is sound quality. Most pianists believe that even though the CGP-700 contains many more sounds, the overall quality is lower than the PX-770.
Featuring a five-inch touch screen, the CGP-700 is very user friendly. Both of these Casio keyboards have a 128-note polyphony. This number dictates how many notes can be played simultaneously. Even advanced pianists will probably never exceed this number, so both keyboards are viable options in that department. Although the sound quality of the CGP-700 is slightly less, its speakers produce 40W of power, which puts many competitors to shame. This unusually high output is due to its six-speaker sound system. If you want a keyboard with an extensive sound bank, you might consider the Casio CGP-700.
Questions of preference between the Yamaha and the Casio
Some of the very strong opinions people have about these two digital console pianos are questions of preference, or what people are used to, rather than objective standards of which is better. Here are the two issues that strongly divide these keyboards and their fans:
AWM stereo sampling vs AiR sound source |
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Generally speaking, Yamaha's AWM Stereo Sampling is a very high-quality sound engine for their beginner-level pianos. These are complex, nuanced, high-quality recordings from the very best Yamaha concert grand pianos, with smooth waveforms and excellent layered sound quality. Casio's new AiR sound engine combines two interesting features. It's not just newer, higher quality instrument samples. It's also more efficient onboard memory management, which allows the source samples to be larger files. Larger sample file size doesn't just mean more quality and fidelity in the sound, but it also allows for more realistic sustain and decay in prolonged notes, and players notice the difference. Generally speaking, AWM piano samples are considered to have a better instrument sound, but AiR samples have better sustain and decay, with no audible looping. |
Graded Hammer System vs Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II |
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Yamaha's GHS key weighting system is common in all their beginner pianos, and many people are extremely familiar with the feel of playing a Yamaha keyboard weighted in this way. The Casio Tri-Sensor scaled hammer action is newer. Three sensors detect and respond to not just how hard the keys are pressed, but how swiftly, and the weight is driven by hammers, not springs. This also gives improved response to rapid repetition of the same key, which is a weakness in most digital pianos. While many people love the realism of the Tri-Sensor system, and find it adds more nuance and expression to their play, some people really love the Yamaha GHS system, and prefer the way those keyboards feel and respond. In this instance, because the Casio Privia PX-770 has excellent sound, great playing feel, and far more features than the Yamaha Arius YDP103R, it would be our pick. However, for committed Yamaha fans, the Arius YDP103R is probably worth the higher price. |
Austin Bazaar's Demo on Casio PX-770
Conclusion
So, to conclude this Casio PX 770 review it can be safely said that for beginner to intermediate pianists looking for an excellent cabinet-style keyboard, the PX 770 is definitely one to consider. With a crisp grand piano sound and versatile keyboard action, you have the opportunity to enjoy a realistic acoustic piano experience. The keyboard's three-pedal system provides pianists extensive control over dynamics and expressiveness. You have to separately purchase a three-pedal unit with many competing brands that can end up costing as much as a 61-key beginner keyboard.
Utilizing AiR technology, the sound system comprises high-quality samples that can yield an enjoyable experience for keyboardists. The Casio PX 770's MIDI capabilities open up a world of sounds and recording opportunities, taking music to a deeper level. The keyboard may be suitable for those who enjoy a sleek minimalistic look. Bulkier than many of its competitors, the PX 770 is built primarily for long-term placement in your home. You can also choose your preferred color of black, white, or brown. Bang for the buck, the Casio PX 770 can be an excellent option for pianists seeking a realistic-sounding keyboard at a moderate price.
We hope that you enjoyed this Casio PX 770 review and it will help you in deciding if PX 770 is for you.
