The catch
Roland FP-30X
Playing audio from a flash drive doesn’t turn it into a stand-alone WAV recorder. The full 321-tone selection is reached through the Roland Piano App.
Side by side
Roland FP-30X vs Casio PX-S3100 for recording and shared practice: Casio records WAVs with Bluetooth unplugged, while Roland records into a computer
Quick verdict
If you record into a computer and want direct USB audio alongside Roland’s piano-led controls, take the FP-30X. The PX-S3100 is for accompaniment styles and WAV recording without a computer, or for battery power away from an outlet. Roland can play audio files from a flash drive, though its saved performances are MIDI. Casio records WAV files to a drive, and its Bluetooth adapter has to be unplugged from that shared port.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Having a USB stick doesn’t mean you’ll end up with a recording to send family
The FP-30X can play WAV and MP3 files from a flash drive, yet your own performance is saved as MIDI. Where the aim is an audio file to share with no computer involved, Casio’s WAV recorder is the advantage that counts. Where you already record on a computer, Roland’s USB audio brings the piano sound in directly, whereas Casio needs an analog audio-input route for live capture or a file transfer after you record to the drive. Pick the piano based on what you want in hand when practice ends.
Where this comes from
Roland’s support documentation draws a clear line between saving MIDI and recording audio on a computer. Casio specifies WAV recording to a flash drive and USB-MIDI to a computer. Playing MIDI back through a different sound engine does not capture the original piano sound.
The catch
Casio PX-S3100
One port serves both flash recording and the Bluetooth adapter. USB-MIDI to a computer doesn’t pass along the piano’s internal sound as audio.
Roland FP-30X
- Why pick it
- A computer handles your recording, and you want the piano’s own audio sent straight over USB.
- Bluetooth play-along and two headphone sockets matter to you, along with 56 tones reachable from the front panel.
- The catch
- Playing audio from a flash drive doesn’t turn it into a stand-alone WAV recorder. The full 321-tone selection is reached through the Roland Piano App.
Casio PX-S3100
- Why pick it
- You want a WAV performance file with no computer, and you can free the USB-A port by taking out the Bluetooth adapter.
- Built-in accompaniment or AA battery operation appeals to you, so you do not have to rely on an app or a nearby outlet for those jobs.
- The catch
- One port serves both flash recording and the Bluetooth adapter. USB-MIDI to a computer doesn’t pass along the piano’s internal sound as audio.
We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases. How we make money
What this page compares
Lessons and recording, FP-30X or PX-S3100? Keep USB playback apart from audio recording, look at which sounds depend on an app and decide whether battery power matters.
Each is a portable weighted-key piano with speakers, two headphone sockets and Bluetooth play-along features. The choice is between home practice centered on the piano with computer recording, and a more self-contained setup for arranging and recording.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Get live piano audio into a computer with no separate interface
USB audio comes with Roland. Casio’s USB connection to a computer is MIDI.
- Roland FP-30X
- Better fit
- Casio PX-S3100
- Caution
Make a WAV recording with no computer open
Casio puts audio on a flash drive once the Bluetooth adapter is taken out.
- Roland FP-30X
- Caution
- Casio PX-S3100
- Better fit
Play with accompaniment and leave the household phone alone
Accompaniment is built into Casio. Roland’s wider tone selection relies on the app.
- Roland FP-30X
- Good
- Casio PX-S3100
- Better fit
Teacher and student both listen on wired headphones
Each offers two headphone sockets and a side-by-side teaching mode.
- Roland FP-30X
- Good
- Casio PX-S3100
- Good
In practice
Differences you will notice
Having a USB stick doesn’t mean you’ll end up with a recording to send family
The FP-30X can play WAV and MP3 files from a flash drive, yet your own performance is saved as MIDI. Where the aim is an audio file to share with no computer involved, Casio’s WAV recorder is the advantage that counts. Where you already record on a computer, Roland’s USB audio brings the piano sound in directly, whereas Casio needs an analog audio-input route for live capture or a file transfer after you record to the drive. Pick the piano based on what you want in hand when practice ends.
How we worked this out
Roland’s support documentation draws a clear line between saving MIDI and recording audio on a computer. Casio specifies WAV recording to a flash drive and USB-MIDI to a computer. Playing MIDI back through a different sound engine does not capture the original piano sound.
A sound count can mask who has to borrow the household phone
When a child practices while the shared phone is busy elsewhere, Roland’s 321-tone headline doesn’t describe what is on the front panel. The current specification gives 56 tones at the piano itself and the full 321 only through the app. Casio puts its tones and accompaniment on its own controls, which makes it more self-contained for trying out arrangements. That says nothing about better piano sound. For ordinary piano practice, Roland’s smaller set of direct tones may be plenty, and both can give you two wired headphone connections.
How we worked this out
Roland’s current specification counts front-panel tones and app tones separately. Casio documents its onboard tones, rhythms and controls. Nothing here predicts learning quality or which sound you’ll prefer.
Even Casio’s features that skip the computer leave you choosing a connection
Batteries let you take the PX-S3100 away from an outlet, and it records to a flash drive with no computer. Add a Bluetooth backing track to the plan and the WU-BT10 adapter wants the same port as that drive, so connect the source device to the wired Audio In instead, using the right cable or phone adapter. The FP-30X has Bluetooth built in, but recording audio on it requires a computer and it runs on AC. Neither piano delivers every piece of an outlet-free, Bluetooth-backed WAV session in the same way.
How we worked this out
On one side, Casio’s battery supply, shared USB-A port and Audio In. On the other, Roland’s AC supply, built-in Bluetooth and audio recording on a computer. Nothing asserts that the backing-track audio ends up in the recorded file.
Option A
Roland, FP-30X
FP-30X
A computer handles your recording, and you want the piano’s own audio sent straight over USB.
- Best for
- A computer handles your recording, and you want the piano’s own audio sent straight over USB.
Facts we checked
- Recording destination: USB audio into a computer, internal MIDI recorder
- What a USB stick does: Plays WAV/MP3 and saves MIDI performances, 32 GB limit
- Sounds without an app: 56 front-panel tones, 321 through Roland Piano App
- Bluetooth during flash recording: Built-in Bluetooth, but no stand-alone WAV recorder
Option B
Casio, PX-S3100
PX-S3100
You want a WAV performance file with no computer, and you can free the USB-A port by taking out the Bluetooth adapter.
- Best for
- You want a WAV performance file with no computer, and you can free the USB-A port by taking out the Bluetooth adapter.
Facts we checked
- Recording destination: WAV to USB flash drive, internal MIDI recorder
- What a USB stick does: Records and plays WAV audio as well as MIDI
- Sounds without an app: 700 tones, with 200 built-in accompaniment rhythms
- Bluetooth during flash recording: WU-BT10 must leave USB-A for the flash drive
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Roland FP-30X | Casio PX-S3100 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording destination | USB audio into a computer, internal MIDI recorder | WAV to USB flash drive, internal MIDI recorder | Working in a computer-based studio and producing a stand-alone audio file need different connections. |
| What a USB stick does | Plays WAV/MP3 and saves MIDI performances, 32 GB limit | Records and plays WAV audio as well as MIDI | Being able to play audio back doesn’t prove a piano can record it. |
| Sounds without an app | 56 front-panel tones, 321 through Roland Piano App | 700 tones, with 200 built-in accompaniment rhythms | When practice happens without the household phone, compare the controls on the piano itself. |
| Bluetooth during flash recording | Built-in Bluetooth, but no stand-alone WAV recorder | WU-BT10 must leave USB-A for the flash drive | When that USB port is taken, Casio’s wired Audio In offers another way to play along. |
| Power away from the usual spot | AC adapter | AC adapter or six AA batteries | How long Casio runs on batteries depends on use, but it does let you practice away from an outlet. |
| Quiet shared practice | Two headphone sockets and Twin Piano | Two headphone sockets and Duet | Two wired listeners work on either one. Receiving Bluetooth is no promise of Bluetooth-headphone output. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Roland FP-30X
- Practicing away from the usual spot still means finding AC power, since this model has no battery-powered workflow.
With Casio PX-S3100
- Batteries are no promise of a whole evening’s playing. The published figure of roughly two hours is for continuous demo playback.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
You make your recordings in music software on a computer
Go with Roland FP-30X. The piano sound arrives directly through USB audio.
A stand-alone audio file and built-in accompaniment are the priority
Go with Casio PX-S3100. Casio offers both, within the shared USB-port limit.
Decision guide
Before you buy
Lots of sounds and recordings are what you are after, with no need for a phone or laptop to make practice work. More of that work happens inside the Casio, while Roland’s direct USB audio helps when a computer is already part of the plan.
What this page can’t tell you
- No key-feel, sound-quality or acoustic key-noise winner is claimed from testing.
- Wireless-headphone support does not follow from either Bluetooth play-along feature. Stick with the documented wired headphone connections.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the digital pianos we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roland FP-30X |
|
|
|
| Casio PX-S3100 |
|
|
Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Roland FP-30X
A computer handles your recording, and you want the piano’s own audio sent straight over USB.
Bluetooth play-along and two headphone sockets matter to you, along with 56 tones reachable from the front panel.
See price & reviews on AmazonCasio PX-S3100
You want a WAV performance file with no computer, and you can free the USB-A port by taking out the Bluetooth adapter.
Built-in accompaniment or AA battery operation appeals to you, so you do not have to rely on an app or a nearby outlet for those jobs.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases. How we make money