For many people, a good quality, portable 88-key digital piano that occupies a space above the entry-level market, yet doesn’t break the bank the way a bona fide professional does, offers the ideal combination of price and functionality.
Roland’s FP30X absolutely dominates this category, as it offers many of the same features found in the more expensive FP-X series pianos – the FP-60X and FP-90X – at a much lower price point. In fact, due to the middle ground it occupies, it’s almost equally popular with beginners as well as professionals who need a relatively less costly but fully capable gigging piano.
Casio happens to offer a piano in the exact same category targeted at exactly the same customer out in the marketplace – the super slim Privia PX-S3000.
This means it only makes sense to get these two pianos side-by-side to see exactly how they stack up together, and which direction it might make sense for you to go in if you happen to be considering a piano in this category.
Roland FP30X vs Casio PX-S3000 – Background
Up until recently, digital pianos available at this particular price point weren’t really considered viable gigging instruments.
With the rapid acceleration, we’ve since in overall quality with digital pianos in recent years, the technology from higher-end models has trickled down into instruments at much lower price points, thus making legit gig-worthy instruments less expensive than ever before.
The Casio Privia PX-S3000 and the Roland FP30X are two prime examples of these as lightweight instruments that could simply be used for personal use inside the home but are also more than capable of meeting the demands of stage use. Kawai and Yamaha have options in the class too, but we’re going to focus on these two today.
Many people are selecting one of these two instruments as their very first piano, and at the same time, many experienced musicians looking for something lightweight and affordable are also going in this direction, as they both also have a low percentage of warranty claims.
Despite the similar price point and the fact that these two are aimed at the same end user, they actually differ quite a bit in terms of what they offer musically, to the point that discerning shoppers will likely have a pretty strong preference for one or the other based on their unique needs.
Let’s start by comparing the piano sounds.
*Note that the PX-S1000 and PX-S3000 has been replaced by the PX-S1100 and PX-S3100 respectively.
FP30X vs PX-S3000 – Digital Piano Sound Comparison
Roland’s SuperNATURAL Piano Sound vs Casio’s Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source
The FP30X featured quite the improvement over the FP-30 by adding the new Behavior Modeling Core (BMC) sound chip.
The result is a substantial improvement in the processing power and thus a much more dynamic and full piano sound, despite the same sample-based version of the SuperNATURAL Piano Sound engine returning.
Over on the PX-S3000, Casio has equipped it with its Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source. This is also a sample-based engine, is well regarded for its rich and expressive grand piano sound, and serves as a step up over what’s used in the CDP series.
On top of the sample, both engines use synthesis layers to add various acoustic phenomena such as damper resonance, string resonance and more (Casio calls this the Acoustic Simulator.)
Polyphony
Both pianos have a very strong, pro-level polyphony count with the S3000 coming in at 192 note polyphony, with the 30X coming in even higher at 256 notes.
In both cases, this is going to be more than enough polyphony for the vast majority of professional applications.
Musical Impressions
In terms of they actually sound in practice, there’s actually a pretty big difference. Starting with the default piano tone on the 30X, we’re getting quite a bit of warmth.
Roland digital pianos in general are known for a little bit of an understated mid-range tone and more of a V-shaped EQ. This can be really good for stage use because it nestles the tone nicely around a singer’s voice. When playing solo, a little bit more mid-range presence is generally preferable. There’s good depth in the bass register and nice roundness in the upper register.
Over on the S3000, the tone can be played in a number of different sound modes, adding some heavy reverb and a cool 3-dimensional effect.
The bass response is quite different on the S3000, and very substantial for the size of the speakers. At the same time, the 30X definitely sounds warmer overall and a little bit more resonant, likely due to the case design.
On the other hand, there’s more mid-range complexity out of the S3000, as well as a higher degree of intimacy.
Dynamic Range
We’re going to pay extra attention to the dynamic range of each sound engine here as this is going to be important to folks looking for a solo performance instrument.
The FP30X has been significantly improved over the FP-30 in terms of just how many layers you get to work with in the lower volume ranges with much better control.
The S3000 is quite tonally varied with a great range of different colors at your disposal, but from a dynamic standpoint, it’s actually fairly compressed, similar to how similarly priced Yamaha’s tend to sound, such as the Yamaha P-125.
Other Sounds
Once we move past the core acoustic piano sounds, we get a pretty difference between these two pianos. The FP30X has a respectable 56 onboard sounds, while the PX-S3000 has a killer 700 sounds in total.
The 30X’s sounds are solid across the boards, and all the major categories like e pianos (with cool modulation effects), synthesizers, pads, organs (with a cool rotary speaker effect) and strings are covered, but if you’re after sheer quantity and variety, it’s no match for the S3000. In addition to the above instrument categories, the S3000 also has brass, woodwinds guitars and more, plus a host of DSP effects.
And the quality of presets on the S3000 is actually very consistent across the board as well, especially for such a portable digital piano. Having a huge stable of electric pianos and synths can be important for performing musicians.
Speaker Systems
When it comes to the onboard speakers, both pianos are using a dual speaker system. The 30X has a pair of 11-watt amplifiers for 22 watts of power, while the S3000 has a pair of 8-watt amps for 16 watts of power.
The extra power of the built-in speakers is noticeable on the 30X, and the speaker placement is different so the way in which the sound is presented diverges. On the S3000, the speakers are backwards facing with tone ports so you get more direct sound, while they’re downward facing on the 30X for a more indirect sonic experience.
Piano Action
The key action on these two instruments is quite different, to the point that it will be a deciding factor for some users. Casio has changed things up quite considerably with the PX-S series from an action perspective so don’t automatically assume you’ll be familiar with how it will feel based on past experience with Casio’s actions.
Roland’s PHA4 Standard Keyboard Action
The FP-30X is equipped with Roland’s mainstay PHA4 Standard Keyboard Action. This action is featured all throughout the lower half of Roland’s lineup and is regarded as one of the top plastic hammer actions currently available.
It uses a triple sensor for a high degree of accuracy, escapement, and ivory feel keytops. It’s considered a pro-level action, though it’s not built to withstand real heavy-duty use in the way that the PHA50 action is (the PHA50 is reserved for much of the upper half of Roland’s lineup.)
Casio’s Smart Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard
The PX-S3000 is equipped with the new Smart Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard from Casio, and on paper, it looks underwhelming compared to the PHA4. For example, it’s using a dual sensor instead of a triple, and there’s no escapement, though it does have a nice key texture just like the PHA4.
The keysticks are remarkably short, and Casio had to go with this approach due to the extreme cabinet design they’ve gone with the PX-S series pianos. As a result, it does feel different from a normal key action, especially the weighting which is uneven from the top to the bottom of the keys.
The Playing Experience
From a playing experience perspective, the Smart Scaled action feels different enough from most other weighted key actions that you wouldn’t want to buy the S3000 sight unseen if you have a decent level of experience with pianos.
If you’re brand new to piano this advice won’t apply to you since you’ll be starting fresh, and this action is still solid so you aren’t likely to develop bad habits or anything like that.
As we said, the PHA4 has better on-paper specs, and we suspect anyone with piano experience will prefer it due to its increased touch sensitivity, escapement and longer key-stick.
Features/Connectivity/Accessories
Connectors
These two pianos are pretty similar in terms of their connectivity, though there are a few minor differences. In terms of similarities, both have dual headphone jacks, discrete 1/4” line outputs (L/MONO, R), USB Type A and B, a sustain pedal port, and a triple pedal unit port.
The PX-S3000 adds an additional pedal port for an expression pedal or something else beyond a standard damper pedal, a stereo mini audio in, and a place for 6x AA batteries to ditch the power supply cabled adapter and run the S3000 entirely on battery power for maximum portability.
Both pianos offer Bluetooth connectivity, but this is limited to just Bluetooth Audio on the S3000, whereas the 30X offers both Audio and Bluetooth MIDI. If you want to connect to a smart device on the S3000 for piano apps, like the Chordana Play for Piano app, this means you’ll need to use a cabled connection.
On the 30X, you can do so wirelessly for apps like Roland’s Piano Every Day, Piano Designer and Garageband for Android and Apple iOS.
Functions
All of the standard functions one would expect on a digital piano are covered on each instrument, such as twin piano (duet), transpose, metronome and split.
The 30X also has a basic MIDI recorder onboard and can also perform playback of Audio files (WAV), but the extended functionality really expands when connecting to the apps.
The S3000 instead has more functionality directly onboard, including some arranger-like features such as an arpeggiator and an extensive auto accompaniment with 200 different rhythms/styles.
The S3000’s onboard MIDI and Audio recorders are also a lot more robust, lending credence to the fact that it has arranger functions. It also has real-time controls like a pitch-bend wheel and assignable knobs bringing it closer to a true stage piano.
Accessories
Both pianos ship with a sustain pedal, owner’s manual and music rest for your sheet music. Both are available with fitted keyboard stands and optional 3-pedal units.
Closing Thoughts
We hope this comparison has been helpful. As a general guideline, the FP30X will probably be the better choice if you’re looking for an acoustic piano-focused instrument due to its superb action, and in our opinion, more dynamic piano tone.
The PX-S3000 on the other hand is going to be the better choice if you’re looking for something with a ton of sounds (since there are no less than 700 tones,) arranger features and maximum portability – it’s literally the slimmest instrument in the class by far.
Thanks for reading!
