Casio Music: Hitting All The Right Notes

2015 marks Casio’s 35th year in business, and they’ve come a long way since their humble beginnings in 1980.

This has been a banner year for the company in many respects, from the expansion of their sales force and refining of their distribution models to an amazing number of new product introductions. What’s particularly significant is that many of the new instruments that Casio is rolling out right now are in fact new additions to their line, and not just new version of existing products.

For some MI retailers, the name Casio might invoke the thought of the mini keyboards that put them on the map in the ‘80s, like the original Casiotone CT-201 that used vowel-consonant synthesis to attempt to replicate the sounds of existing instruments, or the CZ line of phase distortion synthesizers that ended up creating new sounds altogether. Some of those retailers, who might be inclined to dismiss the relevance of the brand as too entry-level or sophomoric, would be wise to re-examine what Casio is bringing to the table in 2015.

Last month, at Lincoln Center in New York City, Casio unveiled their new Celviano Grand Hybrid Digital Piano. Elements of these new pianos were designed in collaboration with C. Bechstein, one of Germany’s most prestigious piano makers, which has been building grand pianos for both world-renowned composers and performers and European royalty for almost two centuries. The Natural Grand Hammer Action Keyboard combines the same processes and spruce materials used in C. Bechstein grand pianos with Casio’s unique action mechanism, which makes the keyboard and its action nearly indistinguishable from a grand piano. These pianos also feature Casio’s latest AiR Grand technology to meticulously replicate the tone and nuances of 3 legendary grand piano sounds, the Berlin Grand, the Vienna Grand, and the Hamburg Grand. C. Bechstein was also involved in the development of the Berlin Grand Piano sound. These pianos are a major leap forward in the industry, and what Casio calls “the perfect hybrid of digital and acoustic technologies”.

Emulating the unique touch and feel of an acoustic grand piano has long been every digital piano maker’s goal, but Casio is not one to put all their eggs in one basket and the team has been very busy developing many new products throughout their lines, as well as dramatically improving their service and partnerships with their retailers. We spoke with Mike Martin at Casio America about some of the company’s top sellers, new products, and Casio’s relationship with their MI dealers. Martin is general manager of marketing at Casio’s Electronic Musical Instruments Division, and one of the eighteen full-time employees in the division at Casio America’s headquarters in Dover, New Jersey.

Martin tells us that their new Privia PX-160 has been a great seller. The Privia PX-160 is the entry price point to the Privia Digital Piano line and offers many new features usually only available on more expensive digital pianos, including Casio’s new multi-dimensional AiR Sound Source, a new Tri-Sensor Scaled Action Hammer keyboard, simulated hammer and damper response, as well as USB and ¼” outputs to expand its applications. Mike notes that, “The most significant seller, however, has been the new CGP-700 Compact Grand Piano. This model has a 5.3” Color Touch Interface, an included stand and a remarkable 40W six speaker sound system. It is incredible technology and at $799 (MAP) it offers incredible value as well.” He goes on to point out that, “As far as trends, we’ve noticed that as the economy has improved, customers are looking at higher price points. Products like our Privia PX-860 and Celviano models which retail over $1,000 have been doing very well.”

Martin is very excited about the introduction of the new Celviano Grand Hybrid. He tells us that, “The AiR Grand Sound Source that is in our new Celviano Grand Hybrid pianos is a major leap forward in technology. The AiR Grand Sound Source provides nuance and detail that will immerse the players. We’re also the first to put three different world-class grand piano sounds including the ‘Berlin Grand’ which was developed in collaboration with C. Bechstein. This gives the players a variety of experiences to choose from when they play the piano. One of the biggest differences between our instrument and others is the action itself, which plays like a grand piano, not an upright. The performance level of these instruments is incredible and we’ve already received great responses from major colleges and universities that have played it because this is the first time an instrument that truly plays like a grand piano can fit in a small practice room.”

Casio also offers fully updated lines of the keyboards and synthesizers that made them famous. Their mini-keyboards, Standard series, and Lighted Keys series all offer unique learning tools and a broad range of features, while their High-Grade series presents a wide range of soundscapes, rhythms, and programming and editing functions. Their new Oriental AT series allows the player to explore an array of rich musical cultures from the Arab, Turkish, and Indian worlds.

While Casio’s primary focus has been in the keyboard and digital piano area, they’ve also expanded their product mix to embrace the trends in the EDM and DJ markets. Their Trackformer series is comprised of the XW-DJ1 DJ Controller and the XW-PD1 Groove Center. The XW-DJ1 is a battery-powered, all-in-one compact DJ controller with a built-in speaker that features a seven inch scratch disc, cross fader, and loop button, and is compatible across multiple platforms and DJ apps. The XW-PD1 is a portable music production workstation that includes a synthesizer, a sequencer, and a sampler, and features sixteen pads, four knobs, two faders, and hundreds of presets.

Casio’s distribution models vary from region to region, but the goal at Casio America has been to focus on the music dealer channel. While they do offer some portable keyboards through mass merchants, their model selection is limited. Casio makes sure to offer similar as well as step-up models to their independent music dealers, along with margins and packages that allow them to succeed. Mike adds, “I’d welcome any dealer that isn’t carrying Casio to take another look. We have an expansive product line, high dealer margins and incredible dealer support. With the holiday season coming soon and our CGP-700 and our Grand Hybrid pianos shipping, there has never been a better time to be a Casio dealer.”