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To Mike Martin: What about a Casio workstation keyboard-derivative of the PX-5S PRO (but with non-weighted, 73-keys)


BeowulfX

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Apologies for some duplication of another post I made; I couldn't readily find it. 

Here's my wish list for a synth-action, or semi-weighted action, 76 key PX-5S. (Perhaps use the Kurzweil trick of calling it a PX-5S76?)

 

a) 9 "drawbars"

B) aftertouch; poly would be fabulous but I know it's way too much $. 

c) more of the "bread & butter" stuff for cover bands: organs, brass, strings, pads

d) some or lots of c) could be realized with additional presets, therefore:

       direct access to additional stage settings on the USB stick. In other words, more than just the currently available 100, an easy/QUICK way to get to stage setting 422, for example. The forum would provide a great # of custom settings and groups of settings. Of course, the forum itself is a big PX5S advantage. 

e) more samples in ROM, which is the other answer to c), and would fix the piano's C5 note clunk.

f) not just one but two expression/control inputs. 

g) personally, I like having more than two outputs, so I can use an external overdrive pedal, for example. Dave Weiser is known to do this. 

h) hex layers on any channel; maybe 6 of them?

i) at least a 50% bigger display

 

And, keep the 256 note polyphony, the high-res MIDI, and all the programability. That said, having many hundreds of settings quickly available would put a dent in competitor's advantages for the non-programmers among us.

 

Advantages of this format instrument: 

    Even smaller & lighter, and maybe less $.

Doesn't exactly duplicate PX5S, because the playing technique is so different. Waterfall keys, incidentally would be nice but I personally don't rate them high on my must haves. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

 hello all

 

Having worked in Japan and China believe me Casio will engineer whatever they like on a physical size basis.

73 keys is stupid, 76 key good for folk with limited home space.

 

What is more useful is to forget all the sequencer stuff and just make a players piano, keep the zones, layers splits etc but cut out all the nerdy crap for which 95% of all buyers don't use, or try to use and then think oh well id better concentrate on playing not fiddling with buttons.

 

Also a better construction in metal (aluminium ) , provision of fitting a music rest, ( see Kawai mp series ) limit the total weight to 17kg max

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Yeah...I agree...sometimes weighted keys are a pain when trying to do fast riffs using patches other than Piano. Especially when you are a keyboard hack like myself. Good ideas from all the responders !  I for one have been converted "for now" to the Casio line up. Had other brands and liked them also, but the support from Casio beats the competitors hands down. I think this is due to Mike Martins dedication to Casio.

Thanks.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

The sequencer stuff has already been worked out, so it's free to add, though I could think of some ways to expand it, and even if I don't use it yet, many do. Folks are free to ignore it as I have so far. It's a feature that doesn't add weight either, which metal would. I and many  others love the 24 lbs (11kg?) of the 88 key version; a synth action 76 would surely weigh even less: also metal would likely cost more as well. 

I vote for keeping it plastic. 

 

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BTW, for the next 88 key version PLEASE make it fit the typical 76 key case, by having the total length be 50 1/2 inches or less. The current PX150/350/5 appear to have empty, easily-made-narrower plastic cheek blocks. Cheek block is the acoustic piano term for the wood just to the left and right of the keys. 

1) those 76 key cases are a good bit shorter therefore fit in cars more easily

2) those cases are also less $ allowing more to be spent on other music toys. For example, anybody found a good external overdrive they love to use with the PX5 electric pianos?

 

 

 

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i agree 100% about Mike, I'm a fan from experience getting my XW-P1 back up and running. I'm lucky though, I live near Dover, NJ. Very cool walking into the heart of the matter! Great customer service people. (Commercial over). Check his resume-he's experienced at Kurzweil and quite a few of the other big boys. it seems he's brought the best of those experiences with him to Casio. Might explain some of the amazing improvements I've seen at Casio's keyboard division.

 

I agree about possibility of using more aluminum for added sturdiness and not adding weight. i think this would cost more, plastic fabrication is so widespread, but even a few aluminum parts-say the top panel and chassis surround could make a big difference-less flexible and could look immensely cool. Dents easily though. The Kawai k5000 is a good example I think, beautiful design. I also discovered something about weight-rebuilding an old Ensoniq MR76-almost 1/3 of the weight was due to just the key counterweight assembly, amazingly heavy for such a small part of the total keyboard. Taking that out took off at 10-15 pounds! The steel chassis was also part of the problem there. Don't use steel (it rusts especially inside over time).

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  • 3 weeks later...

I honestly do think a 88 key or 76 key semi-weighted keyboard with a stunning keybed would fly off the shelves.  Aftertouch, proper pedal ports (inc., Expression....) and a few tweakable midi controls and Casio would make a fortune.  I've been reading and participating on enough forums over the years to know this would be so appealing.  Oh obviously lightweight and a small form factor too.  But it's all about the keybed............

 

I've just ordered a PX5S but if the above came on the market at a decent price I would be making the wife another rum and coke to sweet talk her in to my latest purchase lol!! :D

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Ok, I'll bite ... always loved spec'ing up. Besides, my first synth was a CZ-1 so, it's a long love affair with Casio. (Had the VZ-10M too) and last year bought my son a WK-7600, which has brought him back into music, so...many thanks. Here's what in my opinion Casio should have in a "PX5S-Pro":

 

76 waterfall keys (more wheight on them than in the WK-7600, as it feels underwhelming and 'cheap' to my taste)

1 pitch + 2 modulation wheels above the keyboard (Remember the VZ-1 keyboard? - yes, that)

Channel Aftertouch

4 independent, syncable, step sequencers with 64 steps, with 10 modulation slots per sequencer line.

Arpeggiator

The AIR synth engine from the PX5S (hex layers) but with double the sample memory onboard.

9 sliders (as in the XW-P1, but with better quality hardware for better grip) and 9 endless rotary encoders, freely assignable.

4 zones

Midi In / Out / Thru on dedicated DIN sockets

USB Audio and Midi

Bigger screen (mono) with soft buttons underneath (a la Kurzweil PC3), with enough resolution to display waveforms.

8 touch sensitive pads, freely assignable

Improved organ/leslie simulation engine

2 main audio outs + 2 aux outs that can carry the "dry" signal, bypassing the FX (for ease of recording into a DAW)

Sustain pedal input + Expression Pedal Input + Momentary Switch Input pedal (Why not combine all three in one piece that Casio may sell separatedly?)

16-Part multitimbral.

Integrate one of the new Korg nano tube chips. (Hey, they're willing to sell them to other companies...)

 

And more programs :P

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Hey Mike, what the heck, while we're dreaming up the future.

 

Currently 3 great EMI brands: Privia, XW, WK in descending order of price:functionality. Mash-up best of each into something new?

 

• take best features; re-blend form/function/foundaiton into mobile/genius/never-seen-before tone-spewing powerhouse!!!!

 

• 61/76-key WK chassis, performance guts of XW/PX

  (AiR / Hex / HPSS Mono Synth / Stp Seq / Drwbr Org)

 

• brilliant, re-designed control surface with:

- larger GUI display w/ intuitive/data-rich/menu-divin' navigation...

- 9 full-size/9-step sliders (Drwbr, synth osc/env parameters, etc.)...

- 9 rotary encoder knobs above sliders with preset/assign control...

- 2 or 3 pedal inputs (sustain, volume, trigger, expression, etc.)...

- semi-weighted, waterfall keybed w/ aftertouch, string/damper resonance...

- improved Drawbar Organ samples and Leslie DSP - make it best-in-class...

 

• and, of course, all of the above-related super-intelligent requests from my distinguishes peers...

 

Suffice, re-think, re-design, re-invent the GUI/control surface to be REALLY user-friendly, super-powerful/super-fast for realtime creation, control and edit of every parameter in the kb. No more cryptic, convoluted, time-consuming menu-diving to get things done.

 

Make the control-surface dashboard of this product the easiest, fastest and as realtime as possible. This kb's controls should allow a player to quickly/easily create amazing patches, save/recall/adapt/edit/tweak in realtime during performance. This new GUI control surface should be the best the industry has ever seen and lead the rest of the pack for years to come as the definitive, best genius re-think of a kb's user interface.

 

And one more thing. Stay competitive in the mobile app market with tablet editor/performance control apps! iOS now and Android when possible.

 

Deliver at competitive Casio prices and make it mobile-portable and batt-pwrd!

 

And you've got yourself another winner!!!!

 

;-)

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I've had the PX-5s for about a year now.  I'm generally happy and used to how it works.  One thing I really wish worked differently is the song sequencer.  It would be so nice if one could record directly to a track instead of (or perhaps in addition to) piecing together tracks and songs from phrases.  I like to do a lot of recording and testing out ideas but this one design decision has prevented me from doing that.  I don't want to have to go through a DAW or external recording device every time I want to lay down a couple of tracks of ideas.  Phrases just don't cut it for sequencing.

 

And while I'm at it, I think the pitch bend wheels goes back to center a little too slowly.

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I'd love to see Casio continue the PX range and release a PX6S with an expression port, a better user interface, nicer screen and improved "bread and butter" sounds like guitar, cello and brass etc.,  Dedicated buttons like transpose are always handy on a gigging type board so they should be added.

 

I'd also like to see Casio release a 76 key controller keyboard with a semi weighted action.  A few knobs and sliders but a really, really nice keybed and a low price could see this fly off the shelf.

 

And finally..........how about Casio shake up the likes of Yamaha and dive in to the TOTL arranger market?  But release a lightweight, 88 or 76 key arranger with a wonderful keybed with a superb sound engine and backing styles - easily comparable to the Tyros 5.  That would shake things up a bit.  Again, do this and keep the price around $1500 and the likes of Yamaha etc., will start to panic!!

 

Do it!! B)

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  • 4 weeks later...

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