Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Amazing deal on Casio PX-310

Ok, so right now Music123 is blowing out the Casio PX-310 for $399. Use the online coupon SAVE80 and get an additional $80 if you spend $400 (so I just bought some string winders for my guitar). When I went to check out it said shipping was like $57, but I thought that was strange since so many other digital pianos shipped free. I called Music123 and they said it was a mistake and that shipping should be free so they would adjust it. So I went ahead and placed the order on the internet (since the coupon can only be used for online purchases) and called back customer service to get the shipping adjusted. So that means you get your piano for about $320!!!

Just a note. Some items and brands are exempt from the coupon use. So you may have to try a few items to get over the $400 mark to apply the coupon to its value. Otherwise the coupon will just show $25 off since it's varied by scale.

Check it out: Link to the page

If I didn't already have two DPs I'd buy one, what a deal.

it means that new PX320 is coming out soon...

loosegroove, thanks for the tip about the coupon, I got a PX-200 at $419

Hey pianewbie,
If you spend a $1 extra, you get an automatic $100 off discount so the PX-200 ends up coming out to $399. Saves you a little bit more. May want to look into it. Music123 is open 24 hours if you want to call them and change your order.

Wow, thanks for the heads up! I just bought the PX-110 for $399 and it hasn't been 30 days yet, so the company I bought it from said they'd take it back and price match this one so that I could trade it across for a PX-310. It looks like you just got me a free upgrade!

Thanks man!
dave

Does anyone know if you can turn off the on-board speakers if you line-out to external speakers on the 310 or other models?

I guess you will have to get the stand, pedals, keyboard cover, and headphones separately. So that maybe another $200?

Also, has anyone had any problems with dropout with 32 note polyphony models like this?

Hey Ken,

Does anyone know if you can turn off the on-board speakers if you line-out to external speakers on the 310 or other models?

When you use line-out, the volume controls the external speakers, so I would assume that the on-board speakers are off that point. The manual explicitly states this is the case for headphones, but it's not clear about line-out. Sorry, I don't have the unit here or I could test it for you.

I guess you will have to get the stand, pedals, keyboard cover, and headphones separately. So that maybe another $200?

Unless you have that stuff already. The price would mostly depend on the kind of stand you get.

Also, has anyone had any problems with dropout with 32 note polyphony models like this?

I never had that problem with the PX-110, but I never really pushed it either. You can read about 32 note polyphony on the net and see what people think.

dave

Thanks dave. Also, someone on another thread said that these models may only take a Casio pedal and you might also have to get a Casio stand to plug in the pedal. Is that so?

I already have a stand and a pedal, so hopefuly I can just plug it directly into the piano.

I am pretty sure that it does not turn off the internal speakers.

Options on pedals are as follows:
- You have one standard 1/4" TR jack on the back for sustain and one for soft or sostenuto. Functions will change the purpose of the second pedal. These are on / off - ie. no half pedalling.

- You have a non standard pedal connector on the bottom of the keyboard that connects to Casio SP30. It is not a standard connector. This will give you half pedalling on the sustain pedal only. The bar mounts to brackets on the CS65 stand, so it may be hard to use without the stand.

I don't have any poly problems, but I don't layer and I'm not working on that advanced rep. Note that it is really 16/32. The stereo sounds like grand piano 1 have only 16 poly.

Turning off the internal speakers:
I line-out to an external on my PX-310, but keep my headphones plugged in. That way, the internal speakers are muted.

Ken,

Also, someone on another thread said that these models may only take a Casio pedal and you might also have to get a Casio stand to plug in the pedal. Is that so?

You know, I'm still pretty new with this particular keyboard since I ordered, but haven't yet received it. It looks like DragonPianoPlayer addresses the pedal situation. But the pedal isn't connected to the stand, it's "free floating", i.e. you just lay it on the ground. Are you thinking about mounting it to a stand so it won't move around?

I line-out to an external on my PX-310, but keep my headphones plugged in. That way, the internal speakers are muted.

I was going to suggest that. You can actually buy a "plug" that just plugs into a 1/4" connector and doesn't go anywhere. I use them with photography studio lighting; it looks to be a fairly common practice elsewhere, too.

I wish I could be more helpful. Like I said, I haven't gotten the keyboard yet. But I sure can't wait until it arrives!

dave

Here's the SP-30 Pedal bar:


Unfortunately, this one is not free floating.

Rich

DragonPianoPlayer, you mention two options for the pedal. But isn't there also a third option: to connect one through the MIDI-In port?
(I haven't tried it myself but read about it when looking for a solution for my PX200).
The manual seems to imply that it should work and allow half-pedalling, but I am not sure if there will latency issues. Can anyone with MIDI experience comment?

Also, I could not find too many piano-style pedals that have a MIDI port. CME-GPP3 looks attractive, but seems to have reliability issues. Are there others?

Yes, MIDI would be another possiblity. MIDI commands are so small, that I don't think latency would be an issue.

I've also heard of so many problems with various keyboards and the CPP3, that I would not be willing to take a chance on it working with the Casio.

There are also MIDI Solution's converters that may work. Here's a link to their line of products at guitar center:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/MIDI-Solutions.gc
These are even more expensive than the CPP3.

I've seen a project to create a MIDI pedal interface. You need to purchase a micro controller chip and program it. (The website with the project gives the code for download, as well as the circuit board diagrams. Way beyond what I am willing to put in.) This uses standard switch style pedals instead of the continuous pedals you need for half pedaling.

Also note that Casio's implementation of half pedaling is off / half / on. There is no constant graduation like you would really find on an acoustic piano. I believe this is the same for MIDI pedal commands.

Rich

Thanks, that was helpful.

That's just a mental price. Mental.

BTW, I just received this item in the mail and it does come with the SP-3 pedal in case you're wondering.

dave

Wow dave18, thanks for sharing that good news about the pedal. I am torn between that 310 for $320 or else upgrading to the px200 and spending a little more to get it down to $399. (I need clarinet reeds.) I was going to wait until summer but now I am tempted to act in the next month or so because of this deal at music123.

I could use that pedal with the 310 but the 128 polyphony on the px200 is tempting. I'd like it for quiet practice and to allow other beginners in the family to play at the same time. I've been using a CTK 496 in the evenings. It buzzes a bit. I haven't had time yet to find or play the 310 or 200 locally, only the px110.

FYI, the 310 feels exactly like the 110. I would imagine that the 200 would, too. In fact, that's the reason I originally bought the 110, was for the feel. But since the 310 came down so much in price, I figured I might as well "upgrade" while I still could. 128 polyphony would be a good thing, so you may want to consider that if you have the money.

Yeah, I know about having to consider whether to wait or not. It's always a tough call. Just consider how much you would actually use it between now and when you had planned on buying it. If the answer is "a lot", then it may be worth it to pick one up now. But if you do decide to wait, I'm sure prices will continue to fall. That's just the nature of electronics!

Good luck!
dave

Thanks dave18 and Pidge! I just ordered the PX200 (with clarinet reeds for $10.99) and music123 upped their $100 off to $125 off! So instead of their website price of $499, it is $376.69. Thanks PW and other wonderful digital forum posters! Edit: And thanks loosegroove for starting this thread!

This looks really intriguing. I'm really considering getting the PX-200. How much longer does the deal run?

Edit: And what would I do about a stand and pedals?

well that's the problem, the deal expires tonight but who knows what their next deal for February will be. But another poster said they are open 24/7 with their 800#. So maybe they will tell you some good news. Last night their deal on my purchase was $100 off, but today it was bumped up to $125 off my same total purchase. I had left the items in a cart overnight while trying to decide and just checked it again in the last hour.

I don't know if they'll throw in a pedal but i think there is a basic pedal in the $20-$30 range. I have a basic x stand already.

So if you need a pedal and stand, check out pricegrabber dot com because some places may be offering the new px120 with a stand and/or pedal for $499-$599. My impression is, it depends on what you need and how tight you want to keep your budget.

Added edit: The recommended stand cs65, i think, runs $100-$120 just scouting online stores and some places it is out of stock right now. The basic x stand isn't usually thought to be sturdy, sometimes people complain the board jumps around a bit but that might sell for $60-90. You'll have to add it all up, and see whether savings on taxes and/or shipping make sense...

I was looking at this Quik-Lok Z-14 stand.

http://www.music123.com/Quik-Lok-Z-14-Folding-Keyboard-Stand-450439-i1142047.Music123

It got good reviews on amazon, with many people specifically stating it was very sturdy. I think I'm gonna get it if no one thinks it's a bad idea?

Edit: Oop, it's too small. Glad I caught that before I got it.

Double Edit: Right now, I'm thinking this:
http://www.music123.com/On-Stage-Stands-Pro-Platform-Keyboard-Stand-450384-i1142020.Music123

Good luck, I don't know about that pro platform stand. Maybe DragonPianoPlayer or signa or one of the other regular posters may...
Edit added: and I don't know the details on the pedal, if it must be a Casio pedal, or if generic pedals will work...another thread said something about how some Casio products only work with a Casio pedal.

Ahh, that could be bad then... I just bought a yamaha pedal for it.

http://www.music123.com/Yamaha-FC4-Piano-Style-Sustain-Pedal-151550-i1124541.Music123

Yamaha FC4 pedal is an on/off pedal, bad idea. maybe the better choice is Casio's SP30R or SP-2:

http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/from-bizrate.asp?id=964732720&rf=bz&dfdate=1_30_2008

http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-US650...lectronics&qid=1201835554&sr=8-1

How much better off would I be with the three pedal one as opposed to the single pedal?

And could I get another pedal in the future if I decide I want it and just use two different pedals instead of having to buy them in one unit?

How much better off would I be with the three pedal one as opposed to the single pedal?

It depends on what you want. I'm sure some wouldn't consider anything less than all three pedals, and others just use the one.

And could I get another pedal in the future if I decide I want it and just use two different pedals instead of having to buy them in one unit?

I just looked on the back of my PX-310... it has two standard pedal jacks, so you can plug in up to two pedals individually. But if you want all three, I think you have to get that "three in one" setup from Casio because it uses a proprietary connector. There may be the possibility of using MIDI pedals that plug into the keyboard via MIDI. But honestly, I don't know if the PX-310 will handle all 3 incoming MIDI pedal messages. If anyone knows the answer to this, I'd love to know.

dave

i'm thinking about picking up one of these casios as a lightweight, easily portable practice piano. i'd been thinking about a yamaha NP30 which is half the weight but have not been able to play one and the casio is likely more bang for the buck.

with the $125 discount on the PX200, it is priced pretty close to the 310 and the CDP100. any reason to choose the 310 or CDP100 over the PX200?

Hi tm3. I am no expert. I am taking a chance on the px200 because it will be our back up quiet practice piano. I have read many of the threads here using the search function. Some posters have commented that the action on the px200 is heavier than on the 310, so much so that one knew of someone getting tendinitis. So that may be a question of your personal preference on action.
It also depends if you are looking for a keyboard that is similar to an accoustic piano in its feel. I may be mistaken, but I thought I have heard that the NP30 does not have weighted keys?
Regarding the CDP100, I have heard that it doesn't sound as nice or play as nice as the px110; the px110 was brought out as an improved version of the 100. That again may be a question for your personal taste, you may find the CDP satisfactory. I haven't seen one locally to play and some of the websites like Amazon were out of stock. But if the CDP100 comes with a stand, pedal, bench, and/or music desk included in the base price? If so, that difference may be worth it to you.

Regarding the 310, I believe it has line in while the 200 does not. So that may be a question. I understand that the 310 is like the 110 as a keyboard and in having 32 polyphony while the 200 has 128. A lot of posters think 32 is enough for most players, especially if they decide to have the sound come out of their computer with sound software like Ivory. Others recommend at least 64; others still who use the pedal alot and/or layer lots of other voices and effects want all the polyphony available in the world. Because I am hoping not to have to upgrade for another 5-10 years on a digital, I am interested in more polyphony instead of less.

Edit added: There may be other features on the 310 that I am not knowledgeable about that would make it more attractive than the 200. And then there is a question of what else can you spend $50 on? For example, if you like having line in and are satisfied with 32 polyphony, then there is the question of the difference in price. You might put that $50 difference toward a stand, etc., or some other accessory.

Another added edit:Here's a discussion of the new 320 in comparison. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1849272

and here are reviews of the 310 http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000BGUHHE?filterBy=addFourStar

anyone know if the M Audio SP2 pedal in fact works with the PX200?

http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--CASPX200 from Jan. 28 Same day music was recommending the m audio pedal for it, also. signa was recommending it, above.

thanks! i figured it would but read speculation today that it would not.

well, it depends if samedaysmusic and other online stores are posting correct information or not, we are taking a chance buying sight unseen and not having hands on experience with the pedal and stand.

I was also curious if M-Audio SP-2 works with Casio Privia series, after Gyro's helpful input on a different thread. It does work, it seems:
May 3, 2006 By Mouse: "I have the Casio Privia piano, which can use 2 pedals. I bought 2 of these pedals to try and they work great."
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00063678K/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_3?%5Fencoding=UTF8&pageNumber=3&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

i decided to pull the trigger on the PX200 and just got off the phone with music123. sales rep said that the M-audio SP2 works, and it is only $20 at M123. however, it does not qualify for the discount (the PX200 is $1 short of the $125 discount) so adding it to the purchase you still only get $75 off total.

however mr M123 said that a $30 pedal by GEM also works with the PX200 and qualifies for the discount, so i added that one to the order and will keep my fingers crossed until i get it hooked up and see for myself.

Didn't PX200 come with a pedal already?

My PX200 just arrived. It does come with the SP -3 pedal, one pedal. But the pedals tm3 was talking about are more like an acoustic piano pedal, as far as design and maybe materials. This SP -3 is a black square with bumps (presumably for traction).

Would this pedal: http://www.music123.com/M-Audio-SP-2-Sustain-Pedal-703613-i1154553.Music123

work with the Casio PX models?

THANK YOU to the original poster for pointing out this deal!

I wasn't really looking for a DP urgently, but this was so cheap even penny-pinching me couldn't pass it up. I got everything for less money than 4 months of renting a Yamaha or Roland from one of my area dealers-- you can't beat that!

I was looking for something portable, fully-weighted, midi-capable, 88 keys, and cheap. I have a few weeks to learn one of the Cowell piano concerti (!) and won't feel so bad about breaking/abusing this instead of the nice piano I have at home.

**PRICING NOTE: the deal has changed somewhat since the original post. You don't enter a coupon code anymore, the discount is applied automatically. The discount amount has gone down from $80 to $75, and later this afternoon from $75 to $50.

The px-310 is still offered for $399. I picked up a blemished one for $339, an "On-Stage" platform type stand for $60, and the M-audio pedal for $20. Shipping was $20, and with the $50 discount, the whole package totaled $389!

The only downsides I see on paper are the lowish 32 voice polyphony (less on the stereo samples) and the inability to do half-pedal with anything short of the Casio-branded pedalboard. I'd have bought it and their matching stand, but both of those would have made this rig significantly less portable... which was priority #1 for me. Unfortunately, the px-200 also shares the same issue with the pedals, although the polyphony has improved markedly.

Again, thanks for the info on the deal. I'll post in the "price paid" forum once the shipment is done.

Tdegree you have a nice stable of pianos!

the "deal structure" has changed, as noted. the PX200 is $499 and automatically $75 off. if you buy another qualifying item to get the price over $500, the discount goes to $125.

the SP2 pedal works with the privias, according to music123, but unfortunately does not qualify for the discount. meaning that by adding the SP2 you don't get $125 off the total order. you could still buy the SP2, and add another qualifying item, to realize maximum discount.

I'm looking at both the 310 and the 200. However I can't get any deals to work at all, the code nor an automatic discount on either one. I just want to buy whichever I can get the better deal on. I add them both to my cart on their own and its still $399 and $499. Any help?

You're too late for the above promotions.

Try looking on the outlet part of the site, there were some blemished 310's on there for around $335 this morning.

Actually I found a code for music123. Code is AFVAL which is 10% off, looks like its only valid today though!