Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I had previously reviewed this product, edited the review, and low and behold -- it ~vanished~. Amazon??? My former review gave the PX310 a 5 star rating. Having driven it around the block for a couple of months, I think I need to dock it a star.
The strengths of this 'board far outnumber its weaknesses. It's portabilty (weight), feel, and price have made this active musician's life much easier. Most digital pianos are still cumbersome affairs, and keyboardists suffer the grunt work involved with these to insure a comfortable feel or sound. Shortcuts have been made by way of abbreviated keyboards and non-weighted actions, but these are, at the end of the day, unsatisfactory compromises. When it's time to perform, one can't be contending with an instrument that feels or sounds lousy. The PX310 goes to bat righteously as a light-weight (26 lbs), firm hammer action dig-piano at a *killer* price. I more than paid for mine in 4 and a half gigs.
While I was initially quite taken with the 310's acoustic piano sounds, I now have some reservations. In a group application they really work quite well, soaring in all the right ways in the mix. But that strong suit becomes something of a liability in solo or small group work. While the sound is broad and dynamically sensitive, it is a bit over-cranked and *slightly* cheap sounding. I find the "Mellow Piano" sound from the 'Advanced Tones' to be helpful here, but it still isn't quite right. I would add that since the action is properly firm, there is a tendency to exert a bit too much energy with one's technique to get the job done. This really isn't necessary, as the 310 is, as previously mentioned, quite responsive and sensitive to dynamics. FWIW, the 'brilliance' of each sound can be adjusted, which is a useful option. I just haven't been able to quite tweak the acoustic pianos to find my own sweet spot. This isn't a *huge* issue, but I have found it to be distracting at times.
Many of the other onboard sounds I have found to be pleasing and useful. The Rhodes nicks are pretty doggone good, and the Wurlie is passable in a crunch. The synth pads are as I luv 'em: warm and old school. The 'Analog Synth Bass' is killin', and the 'Square Lead' is great (if only there were a pitch-bend mechanism). The general midi stuff is average, but hey, when ya need an accordian sound, who's complaining? The layer and split features are fantastic. Even though 'EP with Pad' isn't my highest ideal, it comes in mighty handy on variety and church gigs. The 32 slot memory bank allows the user to store favorite sounds and combinations for easy access. Hint: write a little chart to jog your memory when searching for GM Shamisen, or whatever.
I can't speak to the ~two-track~ sequencer feature, because I'll never use it. The auto-accompaniments and so forth are not of interest to me. Neither are the 'grooves'. These are, of course, home-use teasers. The on-board speakers are Ok, and suitable for duo and trio gigging.
In conclusion, the PX310 is an *excellent* offering for jobbing, church applications, or home use. It isn't a workstation, and doesn't claim to be. It's strengths lie in its splendid action, light weight, price, and reasonably good sounds.
Oh, yes -- Kase III makes a KILLER gig bag for this instrument for about 80 bucks. Wheels, many pockets for peripherals, sturdy... wonderful.
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