Keyboard, Synthesizer & MIDI Accessories

A blast from the past - even better than wispas!

Advantages: Retro, fun, easy, the speaker, the price etc
Disadvantages: Nothing at all

The other half is a bit nerdy, (well a lot nerdy, but don't tell him I said so), and he loves all things gadgety and retro so when I saw that they had re-released the "Stylophone", I knew I had to get him one for Christmas. (I ended up getting one for a friend too). After he unwrapped it Christmas day, (he LOVED it by the way), I realised just how cool they are and wanted to share with all you lovely people. ~~~*~~~ What is a Stylophone? ~~~*~~~ ...
...what a Stylophone is remembering them from the "first time round" back in the 1960s/70s. Stylophones were made popular by Rolf Harris and David Bowie who used them for songs such as "Two Little Boys" and "Space Oddity". (It's actually amazing now to think that Rolf Harris could make anything popular). For those of you who don't know what a Stylophone is I will endeavour to explain without waffling too much, (for those of you who want to know more, ...

donnabroom 13.01.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Re:creation Stylophone Original

Not a piano-style pedal, but good at what it does

Advantages: Reliable switching action, durable
Disadvantages: Not piano-style, can slip, cable perhaps too long

...una corda pedal with my Casio Privia PX-310 stage piano, alongside an SP-20 as the main sustain pedal. As you'd expect from Casio, it's well-made and has served me well through many gigs and even more hours of practice at home. This pedal is a class above the cheaper models available in this design and the switching action is positive and reliable. Obviously though, anyone hoping for the realistic action and feel of a "proper" piano pedal will be ...
...problem on some stages. At nearly 2 m (6 ft), the attached cable is almost certainly longer than you'll need and this can contribute to the inevitably messy-looking stage, but it's a minor gripe. A perfectly acceptable budget sustain pedal, but before long you'll want to spend a little more on a proper piano-style pedal and relegate this one to secondary (una corda, etc) use. ...

PhilThePenguin 04.01.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Casio SP3 Pedal

Does exactly what it's required to do

Advantages: Well-made, robust, reliable, good piano pedal feel
Disadvantages: Can slip, cable perhaps too long

...main sustain pedal with my Casio Privia PX-310 stage piano. As you'd expect from Casio, it's well-made and has served me well through many gigs and even more hours of practice at home. The feel of the pedal is excellent - far better than with the smaller switch pedals available - and players of "real" pianos shouldn't find the switch difficult. The action is positive and reliable, so you needn't worry about missing the odd pedal point, unlike with ...
...a problem on some stages, though there are attachment points at the front of the pedal for an optional heel mat to eliminate this. At nearly 2 m (6 ft), the attached cable is almost certainly longer than you'll need and this can contribute to the inevitably messy-looking stage, but it's a minor gripe. All in all, this pedal does exactly what it's required to do, and does it reliably and well enough for gigging use! ...

PhilThePenguin 04.01.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Casio SP20 Sustain Pedal