Grasspike

I wish really wish Casio would make a new modern SK style sampler with 12 voice polyphony, mini keys, real MIDI in and out jacks, SD card storage and built in speakers. Rather than add sampling to a low end Rompler make sampling it's primary function. Allow it to be able to easily sample things that could then be played back polyphonically Make a simple PC editor for it that turns WAV files into samples that could be played in the instrument. No need for USB just have the editor save to SD You also don't need to load it up with a bunch of rompler sounds either, just include an SD card with some cool samples loaded on it Korg was very close to this with the Microsampler.

one other thing you will need, but you might have already is a usb dvd/cd rom drive as there is not one with the lenova, you will also probably want a micro sd card. It comes with 32gb of built in flash memory, but has a micro sd card slot as well, Windows sees it as another harddrive, and as you mentioned you have the regular windows file explorer with it

agreed, I originally got this for work use, not music, however don't let the ram limitations stop you from using this as a midi sequencer, As a test I had it running 50 different midi tracks, a few wav files and a few VSTs at the same time and it had no issues, it only slowed down when I started to apply effects to the wav files using plug ins the battery is claimed by Lenonvo to run for 7 hours, in real world use I get 5-6 hours of actual use, in the test I ran above i set up the DAW in a playback loop with the 50 MIDI files, 4wavs, and two VST synths, I let it run for 4 hours in constant playback and still had battery left You could easily run an entire gig right from it and still have plenty of battery left It would however struggle with soft synths like Diva, or Omnisphere that are real system hogs, but in a live sequencing situation, you could just render those tracks on your main DAW system to audio and play back wav or mp3 files anyway which brings up another major plus to the system, since it's windows 8.1 setting it up to share and swap files on a wireless network could't be easier or faster. I just created a folder on my main DAW and everything I put in it, the Lenova can instantly see

yes you can, it has the full version of windows 8.1 it has a micro usb port, and you have to use a micro usb to usb host adapter, I got this one http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-5in-Micro-Host-Adapter/dp/B00B4GGW5Q/ref=pd_sim_e_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=149874RFHK7MWRBKJPTZ can plug right into the XW-PI and since it's windows you can also use the casio windows software. it's actually a pretty sweet setup you can run any usb device, I have also plugged my USB interface into it for controlling multiple synths via midi, works great the only downsides are it only has 2gb of ram, so it's hard to use ram hungry plugins in your daw, and it only has one micro USB port which is also used for charging, so you need to make sure it's fully charged before your gig, I have not tried using a powered USB hub with it, that could possibly work. However it seems to want more juice than my LG Android phone, when I use that phones charger it takes much longer to charge than the charger that came with the tablet

I got a Lenovo Miix 8 tablet which has a full version of Windows 8.1 on it, I loaded a copy of Sony Acid Pro 7 on it, which has a very nice sequencer on it, it was only $199 at Best Buy and makes a very good mobile sequencing solution Having the full version of Windows in a tablet it pretty cool

I have an SK200, one of the stranger ones of the SK line. Has some great preset sounds as well as sampling of course. Some of the "synth" presets sound really good with some reverb and a touch of chorus

Even if they have nothing really new ready to be released they should have repackaged some older products into new things, something the other synth companies do very well for example a repackaged PX-5S with 61 keys, it seems to me like the PX-5S is a great synth trapped in a stage piano body, I can't gig with an 88 key stage piano as it's way to long, but a 61 key PX-5S call it the XW-PX or something would be great and something I would buy putting the PCM drum sounds, sampler, solo synth engine, and step sequencer from the XW -G1 into a drum machine box with midi i/o would have also been easy and would be a great seller for say $299 put the solo synth engine and some or all of the PCM sounds from the XW-P1 into a "micro synth" with mini keys and midi and sell it for $199 would be very much in line with Casio's legacy of making mini keyed instruments and could be a big hit call it the XW-Mini looking towards the future two things I would LOVE for casio to do 1.)Make a new minikeyed sampler and call it a Casio SK-2014 2.)Make a new CZ Synth based on Phase Distortion

would love for Casio to make a dedicated drum machine again based on the drum samples and step sequencer from the XW-G1, with multiple individual outs

actually the Korg Microarranger at $499 is also an amazing synth. It's based of the Triton synth engine and is pretty much an exact replica of the PA80 only with minikeys. It gets overlooked because of all the cheesey to downright terrible preprogrammed "arranger styles" however if you ignore then it is filled with a great variety of high quaity Korg sounds that since they are from the Triton are different than the M3 based Microstation. Beyond that you get very deep sequencers. However the coolest part of the synth is the "arranger sequencer". Don't think of it as an arranger, think of it instead as a multi timbrel, multi-midi channel 2 bar looping phrase sequncer, with a built in drum machine. It's amazing for EDM

Mike I know you probably can't say but any chance of a 5 octave version anytime soon. The 88 key is just to long for me to gig with but I would buy a 5 octave version in a heart beat

get the Monotribe Midi kit from Amazing machines. It is very easy to install then you can sit the monotribe on the rubber pad of the XW and it will sync via midi. http://amazingmachines.com.br/

I am still keeping my fingers crossed for new CZ synths, please Mike, pretty please with sugar on top

I like this a lot, I wish it came in a 61 key version as I do not have space or the need for 88 keys