Casio now has a complete line of 88-note, weighted key,
digital pianos that are comparable in quality and features
to those of the "traditional" companies: Roland,
Korg, and Yamaha. Please visit Casio's
homepage for a full listing of their products. Casio
digital pianos are in a class by themselves in both features
and cost. Although Casio has been making inexpensive keyboards
for quite some time (just go to Walmart or Target), they
are a relatively "new-kid-on-the-block" where
class piano lab pianos are concerned. In true Casio fashion,
they have chosen to give the customer as many features as
is possible in a comparably priced keyboard. Casio has an
impressive line of pianos, most of which would work OK for
a traditional class piano lab. However, several of Casio's
top-of-the-line pianos have features on them that might
make them unsuitable or might drive the teacher to distraction.
For example, several models have keys that LIGHT UP WITH
DIFFERENT COLORS and flash randomly like a virtual DISCO
BALL -- WOW!!
Seriously however, long-term reliability is unknown
for Casio pianos as compared to Roland, Korg, and Yamaha.
(Roland after all, INVENTED MIDI and instigated the International
Midi Association back in 1980 when Casio was just making
watches and radios.). But now, the playing field has been
leveled and any electronics company if they choose, can
manufacture reliable digital keyboards with lots of features.
See Reliability.
See our List of Pianos.
See A Critical
Overview of Class Piano Lab Manufacturers.
Back to Class Piano
Lab Resources.
Contact us
for information about designing and installing a class/group
piano lab in your school.