A point of criticism

[TheBradge]

So, i was thinking about some things today while playing my old beaten up Tyros (Buttons that are very hard to press, screen is broken, but it still plays great)

And i was wondering what it is that makes Casio so far behind with technology?

- The styles are pretty bland, 15 years ago their styles sounded lifeless and it seems that it hasn't changed, what's up with that? They could've atleast try to spice them up, right?

 

- Only since 2 years we get 4 variations on a Casio (With the exception of the MZ-2000 but that was already 18 years ago and rumor has it that the machine was developed with Roland)

- We get Versatile tones, super awesome! But again, this is almost ancient technology, first machine to have that was the Yamaha Tyros, and that came out in 2002..

 

- We now get a brand new sound engine which finally seems to allow saxophones to have natural vibrato and flutes to have an overblown effect when you press a key hard.. However, that was introduced by Yamaha in 1997 in their Sweet! Voices. That's 21 years old..

 

- Velocitylayered drums.. Sorry but i had a Technics KN2000 which already had that. 2 To be precise. And that machine came out in 1993.
I can list a couple of other things (Touchscreen, Roland used that in 2005 in the G-70, polyphony of 128? PSR-9000 Springs to mind, that was 1999) BUt i think i've made my point..

I love Casio to death, i really really do! Don't get me wrong. And if the CT-X5000 is really going to sound even better than the CT-X700 then i will buy it as a replacement for my Tyros. But WHY o WHY are they so far behind? I mean, the technology i'm talking about is what 15-20 years old roughly,  so why is it so hard for Casio to implement it in to their machines? Why is it so hard for them to catch up with their competitors, is it because they don't want to, or because the can't? 

Not bashing Casio (my main axe for 3 years was a CTK-731 and until last November i played a WK-1800) But, this is something that has been bothering me for quite some time. Can someone explain/elaborate ? Thanks!
 

 

[Lee33]

Hi again Bradge. I don't personally know. But it is my opinion that it's down to price. If you're charging thousands for your instruments for decades, it stands to reason you'll have considerably more cash for R&D than someone who charges a few hundred. Also, You have to consider i think cross-over technologies. Yamaha, Korg and Roland make other electronic instruments and have done for decades so sound technology and sampling is surely cheaper and easier to obtain not to mention the experiences their engineers gain from all this. The likes of Yamaha must have enormous reach within the music industry too, being able to work with the industries finest production engineers to produce sounds and get great feedback as such.

 

 I do believe Casio could make a 4000$ instrument and it would be great but then who in the mainstream spend 4000$ on a Casio instrument instead of the tried and tested Yamaha's etc when you are parting with such a large amount of money. So everything is cut down to a price and for that there is no competitor to Casio is there? hmm

 

Casio have provided many firsts with Keyboards over the years and i respect them for that and i personally don't think the prices of the Tyros and Genos are worth thousands more, that's not to say they are absolutely magnificent instruments having played both but i think you are a teapot short of a spout to buy one, unless you are a true professional and/or are selling your music.

[AlenK]

IMO, the only thing that makes any of what Casio has shown at NAMM impressive is the price. Sure, it's all old technology wrt the functionality. But it's new technology wrt distilling that down to a chip that Casio can put into a $175 keyboard that also gives you 61 full-size keys. Except for Casio's various digital pianos, they are playing down at the lower end of the market. Of course, even their most expensive digital pianos represent great value for money. That's what Casio has always been about: great value for money.

 

That said, Casio seems to be a little slow getting some of that older technology into their keyboards. But they're getting there. 

[Chas]

When the XW-P1 was released, it got great reviews and even won an award:

 

 https://www.keyboardmag.com/miscellaneous/casio-xw-p1

 

It was also well featured and offered more than any other keyboard at that price point. It was in a class of its own.

 

Since then, I would agree that Casio have mostly not pushed the boat out. They've also had some bad choices in terms of features and products. The XW-PD1 is a cool and feature packed little device, but, no 5 pin MIDI? No ability to send or receive MIDI clock? Were Casio deliberately trying to cripple the use of an otherwise great product? And the XW-DJ1 - poor promotion, most had no idea what you could actually do with it, nor how functional it could be in a set up.

 

Also as great as the MZX500 is, it's basically the XW's sort of combined with some added features while others have been omitted. Not groundbreaking in the way that the XW-P1 and G1 were.

 

Casio are a very successful and profitable company regardless, so their business model obviously works. Just a shame they don't try and push the development of cutting edge synths or professional level products any more 😔

[faz726]

Hi everybody, new poster here...

 

After 20 odd years I have just replaced my CTK 611 with a CTK 6200 and although I'm a very happy
chappie I'm inclined to agree with the sentiments of Bradge. Yes, I've got 6 watts instead of
2.5, more rhythms, voices, SD-Card slot etc.

 

But, and this is a big but, I see no great technological advancement. Apart from the SD-Card slot
and the horrendous menu system the two keyboards - technically - feel very similar. Oh, I hear you
say, what about the sequencer, improved mixer, rhythm editor, 600 tones. Uhmm..
Inspecting the internals of both keyboards tells the same story. Lazy wiring and a lack of plug/socket
for easy board replacement. No improvements there. If the instrument falls over repair costs
are going to be in 3 figures. Cheaper to buy a new one.

 

OK, having got that of my chest, I must say that without a doubt the CTK 6200 represents
fantastic value for money. Keep it up Casio.

 

Thanks for listening,

 

John (74 years young)

[Display Name]

Some of the dance-oriented preset accompaniments on the XW series synths (P1, G1, PD-1) & MZ-X series are really good, modern tracks. That being said, EDM is easier to pull off than acoustic-sounding or live band styles of  backing tracks.

 

Here's my thing: I look at backing tracks as a jumping off point. I mute out whatever I don't like and go from there to make it mine. Sure a Tyros sounds great when you just put your hands on it with a major chord.. but it's playing you.. you ain't playing it! Sure it's fun and instant gratification, but it's not really "your music". 

 

So I use Casio's strengths: The drums and bass are usually really good so I build from there: That's what built DA-DA-DA and Sleng Teng!