Casio PX-770 Review

With this Casio PX-770 review, we’re attempting to analyze this successor of the well rated PX-760. Along the PX-870, the PX-770 is the new version in Casio’s line of cabinet digital pianos. In this review we’re going to take an in-depth look at this musical instrument, and see how it compares to the predecessor. Casio PX-770 is the most affordable of Casio’s line of cabinet digital pianos.

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Considering the fact that there are certain clear improvements that can be seen right off the specifications list, and that the PX-760 was among the most popular home digital pianos under $1000, the PX-770 has all the prospects of surpassing its predecessor.

Design

The Casio PX-770 is a cabinet style digital piano that is pretty compact, considering the type. Its dimensions are 54.5″ wide x 11.8″ deep. As you can see it will easily fit into most places, even in smaller apartments.

Its weight reaches 70 pounds when fully assembled. It sounds pretty much, but it’s not built as a portable piano anyway. If you need to move it, though, then 2 people can carry it easily.

Unlike other pianos, this one comes with integrated stand and pedal units.

I must say it looks really nice. Casio redesigned its cabinet, giving it a sleeker, more modern look with minimalist lines. The wooden texture of the cabinet is a nice touch to the overall look of the digital piano.

A sliding cover is part of the design, offering protection for the keyboard. It’s great against dust particles. This makes buying a dust cover unnecessary, a protection measure that is important otherwise.

The cabinet style stand also has an integrated 3 pedal unit that offers sostenuto, soft and sustain pedals, as those found on an acoustic piano.

Many people have a fear, and that is connected to the thought of putting the piano together once they get everything out of the box. Especially if you have a helper around you and a power screwdriver, this feat can be accomplished in maximum 30 minutes. If not, it might take a while longer, but not for hours on end.

The Casio PX-770 comes in 3 color variations: brown, black and white, so you can choose the one you like better, or fits the space where you intend to place it better.

For design purposes, and better user experience, some of the control buttons have been relocated to the left hand side of the keyboard. This way they obtained a sleeker, less cramped look. Here you will find dedicated buttons for piano and electric piano sounds as well as a volume knob. You can also find various functions among the control buttons here. In the owner manual that comes with the piano, you will find detailed instructions on how to operate all of these. Most of the functions are accessible by holding down the ‘function’ button and pressing certain keys. This too is described in the owner’s manual. So that it’s as intuitive as possible for you, there are labels over certain keys which hint towards certain functions performed by them.

Although there is no screen on the piano that would make understanding which function is selected easier, there is a certain beeping sound that will signal your selection.

Casio PX-770 Specifications

• Dimensions: 54.53″ x 11.77″ x 31.42″ / Weight: 69.4 lbs.
• Keyboard: 88 fully weighted keys with artificial ebony & ivory tops;
• 3 level touch sensitivity;
• Key action: tri-sensor scaled hammer action II;
• Sound engine: AiR Sound Source multi-dimensional morphing;
• Instrument sounds: 19 total (5 pianos);
• 60 preset songs;
• Modes: duo, split, dual;
• Damper resonance, hammer response;
• Lesson function;
• MIDI recorder: 2 track;
• Octave shift, transpose, fine tuning, metronome;
• Concert play feature: 10 songs;
• Temperament: 17 types;
• USB to Host, sustain jack, 2 headphone jacks;
• Two 8W speakers.

Modes

Just like most digital pianos of this caliber and upwards, the PX-770 has 3 modes: split mode and dual mode, which can combine 2 different sounds and duet mode, which can be used when two people want to play the keyboard at the same time.

Dual Mode

Also called layering, this mode enables you to mix any two sounds of the ones offered by the instrument. What happens is that after choosing two sounds the mode will mix them, creating a new more complex and harmonic sound. There are the classic piano and strings combinations or organ and choir, but your ear is the limit as to which two sounds you can combine. You can also adjust one sound to be dominant among the two if you want.

Split Mode

This mode essentially splits the keyboard in two parts. You can allocate a different sound for each part, and select the location of the splitting point. The left part will play a bass sound, while the right part can play a sound of your choice.

Duet Mode

If you are a beginner, this mode is especially helpful for you. When you practice with a piano teacher, you can use this mode to split the keyboard in two equal halves. Both will have a middle C, so that two people can play, and practice, certain passages at the same time.

Sound

The sound engine of the Casio PX-770 has a superior capacity. It provides enough space in order to hold better samples, enabling a better sound. The sound engine that Casio uses on the PX-770 is called Air Sound Source. They don’t use it only on this piano, it’s the technology they use on all of their high quality keyboards. Enhancing the sound even further, they installed a technology that compresses data, preventing any loss of quality.

Because they sampled their grand piano sounds in different tonal variations, the transcendence between pianissimo and fortissimo is seamless.

The PX-770 has made clear progress in most of the sounds that are installed on the instrument, compared to the previous model. The piano sounds, especially, are more natural, with superior resonance and decay.

There are a series of effects that you can use to tailor these sounds to your preference. You can choose between 4 types of chorus effects and 4 types of reverb effects (Room, Small Hall, Large Hall, Stadium)

Overall, you have 19 sounds at your disposal: 5 grand pianos, 4 electric pianos, 4 organs, 2 strings, vibraphone, harpsichord, bass.

Keyboard

The keyboard of the Casio PX-770 is a fully-weighted keyboard with 88 keys with artificial ivory and ebony key tops.

The keyboard on this piano is the same that’s found on all of Casio’s digital pianos priced under $2000, and it’s called Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Actin II. One of the advantages of this system is the use of actual hammers, this way replicating the functioning of acoustic piano keyboards. The feeling when playing this keyboard is very similar to the real thing, because of the mechanics behind the functioning.

The characteristic feature of acoustic piano keyboards where the touch is heavier towards the lower end and gets lighter towards the higher end i rendered on the PX-770’s keyboard by the scaled hammer technology.

The keys are very touch sensitive with 3 sensors for each key. This enables you to play passages where fast repetitions of the same notes are needed with precision. The volume will also adapt to the intensity you play with. You can choose between 3 levels of touch sensitivity, with the 3rd having the widest dynamic range. As with other keyboards too, you also have the option to turn the sensitivity off, so that you the sound has the same intensity no matter how you play.

The key tops are also a big advantage in this price range. The artificial ebony and ivory offer a good grip when you need it the most. You can’t really encounter this feature on other keyboards that are within this price range.

Polyphony

Polyphony represents the maximum number of notes that can be played at any given time. Many people think that just a couple of notes are playing at the same time. But in reality, on a digital piano, with all the technology and effects that you can add, there’s the need for quite a lot of polyphony for your performance to be heard as intended.

The PX-770 has a 128-note polyphony. This should be enough for even advanced musicians. This is within the normal range of polyphony at this price category. Other comparable digital pianos have 128 or 192-note polyphony.

Having in mind the capabilities of this digital piano, and the fact that you can’t surpass 2 tracks for a song, you’ll probably never reach the polyphony limit.

Speakers

The speaker system of the PX-770 is not the most impressive aspect of this piano. It is equipped with two 8W speakers, which are just enough for home use/ room performance.

If you intend to use it in larger spaces, you should know that it’s definitely not enough power to fill a larger room. Compared to the amplitude of an acoustic piano, this is definitely less than that.

But, from a qualitative point of view, the sound is really good, even compared to the same system on other digital pianos from Casio, like the PX-160. Because of the fact that it comes with a cabinet, and because of design reasons, the sound gets a boost in amplitude.

Further useful features

Besides the metronome function, which is a great tool in helping you develop the proper rhythm, there are three functions that enable you to tweak the pitch of the instrument:

The tuning function lets you set the overall pitch in increments of 0.1Hz. This is very useful if you play with another instrument because you can set the tone to sound harmonic together.

With the help of the octave shift function, you can set the pitch in octave steps.

And ultimately the transpose function enables you to set the pitch of the keyboard in increments of one semitone. This is extremely interesting in the case where you would like to adjust a song so that you can play it in the key of your choice, but without affecting its original melody.

There are 16 temperaments that you can choose from when trying to find the right tone. These are: Equal, Pure Major, Pure Minor, Pythagorean, Kirnberger 3, Werckmeister, Mean-tone, Rast, Bayati, Hijaz, Saba, Dashti, Chahargah, Segah, Gurjari Todi, Chandrakauns. They might not say a lot to you, but each one is better suited for a certain style of music, such as Indian, Arabian, Classical and so on, hence the exotic names.

Recording

The recording capabilities of the Casio PX-770 are limited. But, that’s pretty relative to your needs. At this level, I wouldn’t say it’s bad.

I’ll start with what you can’t do. You can’t make audio recordings. It unfortunately lacks this feature. But on the other hand, you can make MIDI recordings.

There’s a two track MIDI recorder on the piano that gives yo the possibility to record separately 2 different tracks, for example the part that each hand plays separately, and then play them back together as one song. Or you can record a different instrument for each track, and then play them together as a more complex song.

Connectivity

The Casio PX-770 has all the main connection capabilities that you would expect from a piano of this caliber.

Very conveniently places, you can find two quarter inch stereo jacks on the front side of the piano. These are perfect to connect one or two headphones during long hours of practice. But, you can use these jacks to also connect external amplification or other devices for amplifying sound because there are no line out jacks that you would otherwise use for such purposes.

If you want to hook up your digital piano to a computer, there’s a USB to Host port type B. Connecting your piano to a computer comes with a number of advantages such as exchanging files and MIDI data, but not only that. This way you can use your digital piano as a MIDI controller.

After you connect your piano to a computer or mobile device, you can also use various apps, but especially one app that expands the capabilities of your piano tremendously. This app was especially developed by Casio for their new line of digital pianos and it’s called Chordana.

In my opinion it’s a feature that intends to offer a response for Yamaha’s Smart Pianist App, and it does a great job doing so. You can use this app with either iOS or Android. This app significantly increases the the fun factor of practicing piano, with the included 198 songs that also offer a visual guidance of the right keys that need to be played.

Accessories

The accessories that are included with the PX-770 are: owner’s manual, score book of concert play songs, music rest and a power adapter.

Pedals and Stand

One of the greatest advantages of this digital piano is that you don’t have to separately buy a stand and pedal unit. It already come with a cabinet stand and 3 pedal unit, which otherwise would probably cost around the $200 mark. Because it’s already part of the package, it makes this digital piano very high value for its price.

Headphones

It’s always a good idea to use headphones when you practice piano. First, you avoid disturbing other members of the house or your neighbors. And second, there’s significant increase in clarity and quality of sound through headphones compared to that of the piano’s speakers. And this is not only the case for the PX-770, it’s a general rule.

A recommendation at this point would be the following: avoid choosing cheap headphones, because in this category you get what you pay for, most of the times. The headphones that are usually sold in bundles are mostly the lower quality ones, so pay close attention what you choose.

Alternatives

The Casio PX-770 is part of the PX line from Casio, and takes its place between the PX-160 and the PX-870. Feature-wise, it’s situated comfortably between those two pianos. Probably some of the best alternatives for the PX-770 would be the Casio CGP-700, the Yamaha YDP-103 and the Yamaha P125 / P115. If you want to see how it compares to the PX-870, read my Casio PX-770 vs Casio PX-870 comparison review.

Casio PX-770 vs Yamaha P115

Although the Yamaha P115 and its successor the P125 are portable style digital pianos, they compare with Casio PX-770 because they have stand and pedal units that you can buy separately. Those extra accessories make them very similar to the PX-770.

The Yamaha P115 is very beloved among beginner and intermediate pianists because of its many features, good value for money and easy portability.

The Pure CF sound engine of the Yamaha combined with the Graded Hammer Standard action offer a relatively realistic piano playing experience. The main piano sound is sampled from a Yamaha CFIIIS 9′ grand piano. The 192-note polyphony limit is more than enough for the intended beginner or intermediate level pianist.

The speaker system of the P115 is slightly less powerful compared to that of the PX-770. It’s total power of 14W are enough, though, for home use or small performances. The sound is very nice, although it doesn’t have the same degree of resonance like that of the PX-770. The cabinet design may also contribute to the end sound, besides the a bit more powerful 16W speaker system.

Other advantages of the Yamaha are the dedicated line out jacks, and specific sound effects. The Casio, on the other hand has 19 total sounds, compared to the 14 total sounds of the Yamaha.

Aside from these characteristics that we’ve noted, there are not many differences between these two digital pianos. The biggest advantage of the Yamaha P115 is its portable design, which gives you the ability to move it to multiple locations with relative ease. Because the Casio PX-770 is designed to work together with the stand and pedal unit, it’s main purpose is for home use.

If you want to find out more about this alternative, read our full Yamaha P115 review.

Casio PX-770 vs Yamaha P125

The Yamaha P125 is the successor of the P115. There are certain aspects that are upgraded compared to the former model, and many that aren’t. But considering how popular the P115 was, they really didn’t have to upgrade many features, but rather technologically update certain traits.

One of the main differences between the Yamaha P125 and the Casio PX-770 is the number of built-in sounds. The P125 has a total number of 24 sounds, of which 4 are piano sounds. The other main difference is the fact that the P125, just like its predecessor, has dedicated line out jacks.

As far as polyphony is concerned, the Yamaha P125 has 192-note polyphony, more than the Casio PX-770, but not an improvement compared to its predecessor. Truth is, the amount of polyphony is enough at this level.

The speaker system of the P125 has a total power output of 14W, just like its predecessor, and slightly less than that of the PX-770.

The two digital pianos are evenly matched as far as features and quality is concerned. The main advantage of the P125 over the PX-770 is its portable design. But this advantage is relative to how much you need a portable design. If you plan on using your digital piano mainly at home, then this aspect is probably not a deciding factor for you.

Casio PX-770 vs Casio CGP-700

If you look for a mid range digital piano, that has more than the standard features you would expect from a piano, then the Casio CGP-700 might be a viable option for you. A good alternative for the PX-770, the CGP-700 is packed with features that the average pianist might not need, but make it a very complex musical instrument, considering its price range.

The more creative among pianists surely appreciate the 550 sounds, 305 music presets, 35 sound effects and, 200 accompaniment styles.

It has the same amount of hammer action as the PX-770, but is way more evolved in recording capabilities with its 17 track MIDI recorder. It also has an Audio recorder, a feature many alternatives lack in this price range. A similarity between the two is the 128-note polyphony, which is enough in most cases, but they could’ve added more, considering the other features.

A chapter where the PX-770 is above the CGP-700 is in the sound department. Most are of the opinion that the sound engine of the CGP-700 is slightly weaker in rendering the piano sound compared to that of the PX-770.

On the other hand, the speaker system of the CGP-700 is a rare bird in this price range. Actually I believe its the online one, if I can say so. The 6 speaker system offers a total power output of 40W, blowing away any possible competitor.

Another advantage of the CGP-700 is the fact that it can be taken out from its stand, turning into a portable piano, whereas the PX-770 can’t be used without the stand.

The generous 5 inch touch screen on the CGP-700 makes the digital piano more interactive and use-friendly.

Overall, if you want a digital piano that not only offers high quality fundamentals but also various features, you might take the CGP-700 into consideration.

If you want to learn more about this digital piano, read our Casio CGP-700 review.

Casio PX-770 vs Yamaha YDP-103

The Yamaha YDP-103 is probably the most close in format and looks to the Casio PX-770, bot being cabinet style digital pianos. In this line of digital pianos by Yamaha, the YDP-103 is the most affordable option. But don’t confuse affordable with ow quality, not when it comes to Yamaha.

The YDP-103 has Graded Hammer Standard key action and stereo sampling technology, with a speaker system of 12W. These combine to offer a quite nice playing experience. But, I have to say that the Casio still is in my opinion the better choice. It has twice as much polyphony, 128-note, which gives you the ability to play far more complex musical pieces without losing any nuance of your performance. The speakers are also a bit more powerful, at a total power of 16W. It also surpasses the YDP-103 in built-in songs, 60, compared to 10, and instrument sounds, 19 compared to 10.

A feature that the PX-770 has and is something that makes the difference for many potential buyers is the 2 track MIDI recorder.

If you want to learn more about this alternative, read our full Yamaha YDP-103 review.

Conclusion

Probably the main idea after analyzing the Casio PX-770 and comparing it to possible alternatives is the value for money you get with this choice.

If you are a beginner or intermediate pianist, and you want a cabinet-style digital piano, mainly for home use, without breaking the bank, this one is definitely a contender for your best choice.

The grand piano sound, combined with the good quality key action make up for a realistic piano playing experience. The 128-note polyphony limit is also high enough to give you the liberty to play complex musical compositions.

But besides the built-in songs, effects and recording capabilities, what truly makes this digital piano stand out is the fact that, for a relatively affordable price, you get a cabinet style stand and 3 pedal unit included. These accessories cost quite a bit if you want to add them to other models that are sold without them.

And there’s another advantage of the cabinet style design. It influences the sound in a way that makes it richer and more resonant than that of portable pianos that don’t come with this type of setup.

As a last fact, you can get it in three color variations: black, white and brown.