Songwriter2015

Thanks RICK!! As always your wishes are worth tenfold buddy :-)

LOBBARD - I almost fell off my chair laughing!! Brilliant!! :-) :-)

How I lasted out I have no idea, but it's "that day" at last!! ( so sorry LOBBARD but I just couldn't bring myself to open it before the day! ). Honestly guys, I am SO genuinely excited I feel like a kid! The next couple of years are just going to be BRILLIANT!! :-) Hope you don't mind but I'm posting a photo of me with the X500, PA300, and my, much treasured, X32! Happy days boys, happy days!! :-) Take care all Chris

As JAZZMAN says, LEONH, excellent points as usual ;-) No songwriter, as an example, will have the inherent quality of their creativity improved by buying a Tyros 5 instead of an X500, or a "J 200 " instead of the much less expensive Epiphone-alike. It'll sound lovely - but it'll still be the same song! Take care all Chris

RANDELPH - Hi mate! NEVER disagreed with ANYONE, since I joined the group, a while back, but I see all the problems I had with the "SYNTHZONE" attitudes, that I've talked about in another thread, in your reply here! If you take a moment to REALLY think about it, buddy, where on earth is the relevance in insisting that: " anybody who "KNOWS" ( sounds a bit "elitist " don't you think, Randelph?? ) would disagree that the X500 is on the same level as the Montage or the Kronos ""?......... Well who the heck, on this Forum, has ever claimed that it IS?? As LEONH illustrates, so succinctly, you're talking about two keyboards that are FIVE TIMES THE PRICE of the X500 ( apologies to the Group for using so many caps! ;-) ) ........ ...... and, anyway, those two keyboards are totally different beasts to the X500, with a totally different part to play ( excuse the unintended pun! ), whether in the studio or on stage! I, personally, have always maintained, and used, a simple criteria when it comes to comparing different pieces of kit - You're welcome to use it yourself, if it helps! Example - Keyboard "A", in terms of Sounds, Features, Functions, Spec, UI, Size, and PRICE, fits my needs as perfectly as I can find. So I now, on the advice of - well.... whoever, decide to do a comparison critique, with keyboards "B" and "C"..... ..... And here's the oh-so-simple bit!! ...... ...... Would my purchasing "B" or "C" serve ALL my, personal, requirements, as already provided by "A"? ........ NO? ....... Then that's it!! Comparison over!! ....... Are "B" or "C" going to cost me so much LESS than "A", that I'd be prepared to accept a keyboard that's going to provide less of the features that I actually NEED? ......... NO?? ........ Then that's it!! Comparison over!! You get the point - I hope?!? I've always hankered after a Ferrari! ( Yeah, I wish! ), but my wife and I have two married daughters, and grandchildren, and nephews and nieces, and THEY have children! Then there are our children's friends, and our grandchildrens' friends - and there are birthday parties, and barbecues, and day-trips, and holidays!!!! ........ .........Is the Ferrari a better car than our treasured MPV? Yes! Of course it is! But is it going to provide all, or, even, most, of the features we NEED, at an equivalent, or lower price, than the MPV? No, of course it isnt!! So that's it! Comparison ( and dream! ) over!! The X500 provides MOST if not ALL the features of an ARRANGER / SYNTH / SAMPLER, at a price that's not going to break the majority of players' banks! It's, maybe, time that somebody told it like it is! To a heck of a lot of people, £2500, or £3500, or £4500 is a HECK of a lot of money!!....... ......... And, to those players, the X500 is a veritable GIFT, from the gods of music!! Just my opinion guys, Take care all Chris

Now THAT's a couple of good ideas Rick! I see what you mean about it not being so convenient but still a good workaround mate!

Hi RICK! 😊 I've just checked-out the "Chord Variation " table for my PA300!........ ....... I am an idiot!! 🙄 Take care Rick Chris

RICK S. - Hi mate! Rick, I confess I'm a little confused by what you describe in #1 ( " the BIGGY " ) of your PA600 / X500 comparison. Okay, I obviously realise that the PA600 has 3 intros and endings whereas the X500 only has 2, but the rest of that paragraph, where you talk about the CVs being triggered by the chord type you play has be totally confused! Surely ANY Arranger has to "sync" the accompaniment track to the chords you play otherwise it wouldn't work?!? You also talk about each of the 4 variations on the PA600 having the potential for SIX Style Patterns via "Chord Variations" and that these C.V.s are: "triggered based on the chord type you play" (??)...... and there, Rick, you've lost me! I realise that I'm obviously being thick, Rick, but, if it's not a hassle, and if you have the time, I'd really appreciate it if you could explain what exactly it is that you're describing, and how it works, because, IF you're saying that you can, literally, change from one Variation to another simply by playing a certain chord variation, then, as you say, that really IS "a BIGGY"!! 😊 Thanks Rick Take care mate Chris

Message received Lobbard! 😂 I'm grabbing a big pair of scissors and then I'm off upstairs!! Sod convention! Sod Family history! I've been patient long enough!! 😂😂😂😂 Take care my friend - and thanks for the "permission"!! 😂😂 Chris

Hi RICK 😊 , I think I may have been a bit unclear in the point I was trying to make ! As I've said before, I'm the very proud owner of a PA300, and, although, apart from their " mini-keys" model, it's Korg's entry level Arranger, I was still pretty impressed when I bought it last year! When I started this thread, it was because I'd read an awful lot of bigoted nonsense, on the SynthZone site, rubbishing the MZ-X500, whilst comparing it to THE PA4x and the TYROS...... which, to me, anyway, was simply ridiculous!! It was the extreme price difference between those two keyboards, ( in particular ), and the Casio, which, to me, made such comparisons totally redundant! I take on board what you and Silvano have said about the features that the PA600 has that the X500 lacks,( although I wasn't actually making ANY comparison between those two keyboards! ), but, surely, those have to be balanced against , ( to me, anyway 😊 ), some of the constantly useable features which can make the X500 the keyboard that I think it is - bearing in mind that it's STILL 8 days before I get to open it!! 😊 Also bearing in mind that MY opinions, anyway, have ALWAYS been related, hand-in-hand, with the extraordinarily low price of the Casio, I'm talking about: The Pads, The Sampler, The Mono Synth, in particular. The fact that the MZ-X500 will be a studio-based instrument, with, possibly, less "live" use than some of you, or, I guess, most of you, will be using it for, I guess my needs, and, thus, my opinion of it, will differ from the mainstream? I still, however, having read the manual "from cover to cover" , and absorbed, ( I THINK! ), pretty much everything that's available on the 'net, retain exactly the same opinion I had at the start of my own, extremely unusual, X500 "journey"!! 😊 I THINK, as you point out, RICK, at the end of your excellently detailed comparison, the majority of the features, which you list, which are lacking from the X500 when compared with the PA600 relate to PERFORMANCE specs. Now, I'm not stupid, and I realise that that's precisely what these keyboards are!! Performance keyboards! But MAYBE that's the "secret" as to why I find the X500 so fascinating even before I've played it, Rick? I believe it's going to be a whole different instrument to each person who buys it, and the features it DOES have, to many players, are going to far outweigh any negatives in terms of what it may lack in OTHER players' eyes! To paraphrase what LEONH said at the end of his last message: " Where is that perfect "keyboard" we're all waiting for "?!? RICK, after the extraordinary welcome that yourself, BRADMZ, and LOBBARD extended to me when I joined the group, I would never diss ANY opinion you have, and I would certainly never dream of comparing my, very superficial, knowledge of the X500 with that of my three "new heroes" 😊, I only hope that, after ( finally!! ) getting my hands on it, and in the succeeding months, I may be able to repay that welcome with some illustrations as to how it's added to my studio setup. Who knows, they may be of no use to anyone here, but it'll be fun discovering just how much the MZ-X500 can offer! 😊 Take care all, Chris

LEONH - I totally agree buddy! The MZ-X500 has such an extraordinary range of features that it's incredible that Cadio have been able to market it at such an incredible price. The other point is, of course, ( as you pretty much indicate in your reply ), that the X500 doesn't really HAVE any competition when you start to compare the feature set!! I honestly believe that, unless you are happy to be seduced by the "name" on the keyboard you buy, whether it be a Yamaha, Korg, Roland ..... whatever, and are equally happy to pay MORE money for a feature-set that gives you FAR LESS than the X500, then your choice is the cliche "no brainier"!! Those of us who've made that "no-brainier" choice can count ourselves, I firmly believe, as VERY lucky people!! 😃 Take care mate Chris

Nice to hear from you Silvano! Sounds to me as if you've become a real fan of the MZ-X500! 😊 I'm looking forward to joining you! Take it easy Chris

Well Rick ( one of my new "heroes" - and there's no bs in that Rick, I promise you!! ) in response to your last comment, well, I've been trying every ploy, excuse, bribe, whatever, to get my hands on it before the 15th but, so far, no luck 😄 16 days to go and it STILL seems like an eternity! I can almost promise you mate that, once I, finally, manage to open that precious box, I'm going to sit in front of that piece of instrument-design genius for as long as I can go without sleep!! 😊 In-so-far as your first comment, Rick, I totally agree with the inference of what I think your saying? I, myself, as I think Ive said before, own a Korg PA300, which was a terrific little Arranger for the money. In addition to that, which was my first ever arranger keyboard, I have a Kawai (still a stunning synth!), an Emu Proteus, as well as a KORG Monopoly, and Polysix, ( both of which will show you how old I am, Rick! ), which both still function perfectly!! The thing is though, Rick, being ( mainly ) a guitarist for most of my life/career, although keyboards have always played a significant part in my playing/recording, I've never "loved" a keyboard the way I do, say, my J200, or my precious Fenders..... BUT, strange though it may sound to some, I simply KNOW I'm going to feel different about the X500! Like I've said, Rick, I believe this keyboard is the beginning of something very special from Casio..... I know it is for me! Take care Rick Chris

Hi folks! I know, full well, that to some of you ( probably the majority! 😊 ), the fact that my X500 is sitting in it's Thomann box, just upstairs, and that, because of Family tradition, I can't get my hands on it until the 15th ( my birthdate ) will sound plain daft!! Well, there it is, and I console myself that, the fact that my wife and two daughters have combined to buy me such a very special gift, is something pretty amazing! 😊 As some of you, incredibly special guys, already know, all this hasn't prevented me from doing as much research as I can, both on the features of our extraordinary instrument, AND on the way it's been received, and perceived, on other message boards! One such site is the "SYNTHZONE" board ( which I think a couple of you contribute to - in a positive way! ) and I confess to being astonished at the apparent " snobbery " that seems to be prevalent, in particular from owners of such as the "top end" Korg, and Yamaha Arrangers! Rightly, or wrongly, it seems to me that resorting to comparing £3000+ keyboards to a new, almost unbelievably, feature-laden, Arranger/Synth/Sampler from Casio, smacks of envy in spades!! A couple of the regular contributors to the aforementioned site have even, whilst desperately searching for ways to criticise the MZ-X500, in the same breath asserted that, and I quote: " It's the KING when it comes to functionality ", and: " Yamaha could learn some lessons from Casio "!! - and there are many more - surf their board..... You'll find them! 😊 Even before I get to play, what I know, is this wonderful instrument, I begin to feel, more and more, that we are all owners of a keyboard that will only truly begin, and continue, to reveal its true brilliance, as the months ( and years?? ) pass!! Personally - I can't wait!! 😊 Take care all, Chris

Lobbard - Thank you SO much, you're reply has made me feel like a far more "normal" member of this brilliant group! 😄 And to you BRADMZ and LOBBARD - Both Phyl ( my wife ) and I just LOVE your emojis!! They're are absolutely AMAZING!! Talk to you all soon, I hope. Take care Chris

Thanks Rick! You're a real gem buddy 😊 Take care Chris

To - BradMZ, Lobbard, Rick S. et al who've already shared their help and "hellos" even before my "MZ" arrived, well, ITS HERE!! (No apologies, this one time, for the caps! 😊). I must admit I thought it had already arrived last week but it did, in fact, get here from Thomann this afternoon ( U.K. time ). Now all I have to do is wait ( my Family is very old-fashioned when it comes to birthdays, Christmas etc) an interminable 23 more days before I can open the box! I was in touch with Thomann shortly after it arrived and explained there would be this delay before the keyboard could be checked-out - the outer box, as always with Thomann, is fine - and they were, typically, brilliant about it and literally said "don't sweat", so all good. Guys I have been a musician/songwriter since I was 13, and was fully pro for 2 1/2 decades, but I don't remember EVER being any more excited about a new piece of kit! This really is going to be a long wait!! Forgive me if any of you think my posts are a bit too "chatty" or overly emotional - I guess that's just who I am. I've played, over the many years, with some of the best of them, but even so, I guess I'll never lose the thrill that comes from a new song, a new recording...... Or a brilliant new instrument. Hope you'll forgive my "childish" enthusiasm? Thanks for all the help so far guys Take care Chris

Thanks Rick! Appreciate it.

Hi all! Another couple of questions in preparation for getting my MZ-X500 in July, if I may? In terms of the way the recorder works, can I assume that the accompaniment track is recorded on its own, separate, track, and that we then have the 16 tracks to record whatever we wish? If all that IS the case, can we then add an audio track to that midi sequence ( including, obviously, the accompaniment track ), and will that audio track, ( e.g. a vocal recording ), then, automatically, be sync'd to what's already been recorded? IF the answer is "No" to any of this, then any advice, on this topic, prior to my getting my precious "MZ", would be, very genuinely, appreciated. Thanks guys Best Chris

Ah-Ha, Robin, now you've bought back some memories! Many years ago, I bought two pieces of software from a company which, at the time, I confess I'd never heard of. That company was the, now, renowned, Spectrasonics, and the software was the original ATMOSPHERE, and its bass "sibling" TRITON. To this day they are the two most impressive pieces of sound producing software I've ever purchased!! I still use both, regularly, and, as far as ATMOSPHERE is concerned, I'm still discovering new sounds I'd never used before! There's no way, unfortunately, that I can justify adding OMNISPHERE to my "collection" of software, but I promise you if I could I would! It's brilliant Robin, and I can't believe that it won't pay for itself in no time, in your various projects! You made a good choice, Robin!! 😊 Take care Chris

Thanks Brad. Appreciate your time mate. Chris

Hi, BradMZ Simple question, I think: If I load, for example, a loop or pattern into one of the Pads, and I want to start a song with that Pad's pattern, can I get the main accompaniment to then start and automatically be in sync with the Pad's loop/pattern? Maybe I should add - CAN I start a song with a Pad's pattern, or am I assuming too much? Its no real "biggie" one way or the other, Brad, but it would be nice if I could. As I've said, already, in my very brief time on this message board, I won't be getting my MZ-X500 for a few weeks, but I'd really like to pick up as much information as I can before actually sitting down in front of it. I really hope no one objects to that? Take care all Chris

Just did a bit of quick research and, if it's any minor consolation, even the "mighty" Tyros can't do what you're looking to do ..... At the best part of £3000-£4000!! I realise you've pretty much accepted that an Arranger/Performance Keyboard was, perhaps, not ever going to fit into your way of creating music, but I thought it might give you a smile ( if only an ironic one ) to know that, just because a "Rolls Royce" has every luxurious, hi-tech, feature one could imagine, they don't make it go as fast as a "Ferrari"!! Good luck with your, seemingly, ongoing project! Chris

Hi Robin - And I should clarify, here, that I speak as someone who won't be getting his MZ-X500 for a month or so ( because it's been, generously, bought for me, by my family, (from THOMANN) for my birthday in July! 😊 ), but I hope I can still contribute to your post, if not in a particularly helpful way! Whilst having very genuine sympathy with your apparent problem concerning batch loading of a large number of files, a couple of thoughts occur to me - and if I'm totally wrong, here, then I, equally genuinely, apologise in advance! Firstly, I'm getting the sense, from your various replies, that you have been, up 'till now, and, at least, in the main, used to working with folders/files, in a "computer-driven" setup, via some form of DAW, Virtual Sampler, whatever, with the almost, limitless, options available, in such a system, with regard to storing, collating, moving, saving, loading, etc, those folders/files, with the only "qualifications" being the size of the hard-drives / SSD, storage available, together with the amount of (vital, obviously!) RAM you have, and the inherent options within the Daw, other software, virtual instruments/samplers, etc? Now, to my knowledge, and I'm pretty certain about this, NO KEYBOARD, has, or can EVER have ( out of the box ), that level of storage, file-manipulation, or ease-of-use, editing, that is available in all, pro-level, DAW software. So, and in reality, ANY, comparison or, perhaps, more to the point, EXPECTATION, that the MZ-X500 ( because that, I assume, is what we're all here to discuss, and who's power,features, and abilities, we want to disseminate, for the benefit of all owners/users ) should have the ability to even approach, let alone, match, the file manipulation features of a fully-loaded, computer-based, setup, IS, in my opinion, totally redundant! The various recording and editing, as well as loading/saving, features of the MZ-X500, are, nothing less than, outstanding, imho.......... BUT - It is, first and foremost, a KEYBOARD!! A keyboard the costs less than £700!! It has a stunning variety of Sound options, an excellent spread of Rhythm options, and features such as the "Pads", and physical "Drawbars" that you won't find on many keyboards costing more that two and a half times as much!! These, and many other, reasons, are why, I believe, most of us have chosen to purchase it!........ ......... And that brings me to my second thought - and, for once, I'm not going to apologise for the length of this reply. I was, literally, on the verge of purchasing KORG PA4x ( which my family would, most certainly, NOT, have given me for my birthday!! ) when, almost by accident, I came upon a brief review of the MZ-X500, and, to be totally frank, I simply could not believe what I was reading, seeing, and hearing...... at less than £700?!!? So I read, researched, and absorbed, everything I could possibly find. Having done that, I assessed what the keyboard could and couldn't do, how it could improve and enhance my studio setup, and what sort of fit it would make, in relation to my other kit. I simply cannot remember coming up with ANY major negatives! And here, Robin, is where you may take offence at what I'm about to say, although I promise you that NONE is intended - in ANY way! You have made much criticism of Casio in the way they have "failed", in your eyes, in regard to the MZ-X500's "inability" to handle the loading and storage of sounds/voices, in a way YOU think it SHOULD! But did you ever read ANYTHING that told you that the MZ-X500 WOULD behave in the way you expected? I suspect the answer is "NO"....... Because I never have! Robin, I'm NOT being sycophantic when I say that you sound like a seriously intelligent guy, BUT, in this case, I suspect that you've allowed your expectations - and, maybe, your wallet - to override that intelligence. SURELY, ANYONE, assesses, before they buy ANY new piece of kit, whether keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, mic., whatever, that it's going to do what they want it to do? Who buys a new keyboard and then complains because it doesn't do what they EXPECTED it to do?!? I am truly sorry at your disappointment, Robin, but I'm equally sorry that you choose to criticise CASIO over features that the MZ-X500 doesn't have when, I'm afraid, in truth, that criticism should, it would appear, from everything youve said, be aimed, squarely, at your own lack of adequate research. I truly hope, Robin, that I haven't caused you any great angst. Regards Chris

Good morning everyone, and I hope you'll forgive me for beginning by saying, in light of the heartbreaking events in the UK over the past week, what a genuinely uplifting night it was, last night, at the One Love Manchester concert. How on earth they organised such an amazing night in less than five days is beyond me! Sure, much of the music was not what I'd call my "first choice", but my admiration goes out to all those artists who appeared for free. Right! - To BradMZ, Lobbard, and tuxfriend - THANK YOU so much! To get your replies, so quickly, and to be made to feel so welcome, even before I've got my MZ-X500, is very special! As I said in my post, I know little about BAXX-SHOP, but one thing I HAVE discovered, since I posted, is that, although they have a UK phone number ( in Kent, I believe ) they are actually based in the Netherlands! Gives some weight, I think, to the general opinion, on the 'net, that they are aiming to be in direct competition with Thomann. To be honest, as the price difference is tiny, and, with the cost of the Casio qualifying for free shipment - and, as I said, with the fact that I've purchased countless instruments and kit from them over a lot of years - I'm pretty much 100% certain we'll get it from Thomann. In fact, rumour has it, over breakfast this morning, that it's going to be ordered today! Which means it'll be almost within touching distance of me within the next week or so....... And I won't get my hands on it for almost a MONTH!! I tell you guys, that's going to be a long, long, four weeks!! 😃 Apologies for the long, drawn-out, post, and can I just thank you all, once again, for your kind replies,and I genuinely do look forward ( I hope! ) to being able to share some of your combined knowledge and talent concerning "our" keyboard, which I KNOW, is going to make those tricky, early weeks, with a new, and unfamiliar, instrument, so much easier to navigate. Thanks, guys, so much Regards Chris