Casio Privia PX-5S Pro Stage Piano

This is the most under-rated keyboard on the market. They sound great, are deeply editable, serve as an excellent MIDI controller (if that's what you need), and if you play gigs you can carry it under one arm. I love the textured feel of the keys and the action is great. I own 4 of them and I have played them a lot and I'm not a particularly gentle player. They have stood up very well. The ability to layer 4 sounds and control the 4 separate volumes in real time is awesome. All in all it is a very good keyboard at a bargain price.

User friendly

For the price, you get a great full sized keyboard with lots of sounds. Customization is easy and vast, the board is incredibly lightweight, and beyond there being a lot of sounds, they're also very realistic. But if feel is important to you, skip this. The moment my fingers hit the keys, I was ready to put this back in the box. The actual keys have a decent feel, but the action is terrible. I'm surprised Casio can even call this a semi-weighted keyboard. For those who are used to the feel of acoustic pianos, skip this and get a Roland or Yamaha.

What can I say about this thing other than if you need a keyboard with fantastic piano sounds and synth capabilities, I don't believe you will find anything better at this price point. The grand piano sounds really are top notch. It really does a great job of recreating the sound of a grand piano, even down to the sound of depressing the damper pedal. The control offered by the sliders and dials really lets you dial in the type of sound you want. I like that these also send midi messages so you can map them to your favorite VST or another keyboard. I've used the sliders to control the lower manual drawbars on my Hammond XK1c. Whenever I sit down to program new stage sets, I usually find out new things this keyboard can do; the customization you can accomplish with this thing is pretty incredible. I really can't recommend this keyboard enough. I've had it for 7 or 8 months now, and really I can't think of any flaws, at least in regards to how I use it. It's lightweight, sturdy, and full of features that will be appreciated by any gigging musician. I use it every week and it doesn't ever let me down.

This keyboard feels AMAZING, the touch is perfect. The sounds, especially the piano and wurlitzer are spot on. The organ is good, but you'll need an outboard Leslie or simulator to make it usable. The only downside for me (coming from a semi-weighted action) is trying to play organ and synth parts on what is essentially a weighted piano action.

We helped our daughter with a new keyboard, and this is the model she selected. She is a professional musician. When my wife needed an new keyboard, I looked at the Casio and almost bought a less expensive model, but for only $200 more I could get this model. We are very satisfied.