Display Name Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 As for me, I'd be happy seeing nothing new. The xws and the the px5s are still brand new. They need to sell before Casio brings out something else and if nothing else comes out, it means Casio will still be marketing and releasing new stuff for the px-5s like Mike Martin's stage settings. If they release something that bested the 5x, I would have buyer's remorse and all their drive would be put into marketing that. I have only brushed the surface of what the 5x is capable of and I like reading these forums and all the bits I pick up. Now if they released a xw combo synth, I'd be okay with that because I haven't got one yet and am settled on the G1 but would like the p1 features too Also, I'm very interested in the headphones because Casio tends to release products which are quality and pack a lot for extremely competitive prices. I'm looking for a pair of headphones. I even asked on this forum for suggestions so I'll deffo be looking into these. I like the look of the decks but I just have no idea how to use them, wouldn't mind learning though. Well said... I am still learning the G1 and 5S.. I can wait a while for the next "big one"... No money left anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 This just announced at NAMM! woo hoo! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2k Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Well deserved, hope it gives more recognition so shops near me start to stock it. I always ask if they stock it, when I go into them and get blank faces but it has lead to some of the staff looking it up and being interested. I tell them it wipes the floor with anything else they have on their floor and it does. They tell me there is no Casio HQ in my country though so that is factor in what they stock as if someone needs a product repaired, there is nobody to go to. There is one large store that was getting in the synths last time I was in. I didn't see Mike mention the G1 in the live steam, just the P1, could that mean it really is being discontinued? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenK Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 As for me, I'd be happy seeing nothing new. The xws and the the px5s are still brand new. They need to sell before Casio brings out something else and if nothing else comes out, it means Casio will still be marketing and releasing new stuff for the px-5s like Mike Martin's stage settings. If they release something that bested the 5x, I would have buyer's remorse and all their drive would be put into marketing that.If we're talking stage pianos, then I agree. Obviously it would be crazy to replace something only one year old, especially given that it is still way better value than the competition's stage pianos and sounds good great regardless of the price.But if we're talking synthesizers I don't agree. The XW-P1 is now two years old and as Casio's first dip into the synth waters in over 20 years really just seeded the market for them (added chum if we keep the same analogy ). Casio should strike while the iron is hot (uhm...strike while the fish has taken the bait). There is little fear that a customer for the PX-5S would feel any buyer's remorse if a new unweighted action synthesizer came out now. These beasts are complimentary products. And for the record I was hoping for something that would not necessarily replace the XW-P1 but move on up from it: Casio's next step in worldwide keyboard domination. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoManChuck Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Nothing new to report for Keyboards for Day 1 at NAMM... at least not for Casio. Mike said they're working on a lot of new sounds for the PX-5s that you'll be able to download. Casio has always outdid themselves... but you can't honestly expect them to come up with something new each and every time there's a major trade show. Skipping a year will give them more time, which suggests (to me) a complete redesign (new case, new LED screen, perhaps even touch screen, etc). Casio wasn't the only one with nothing new - Korg's only new entry was a Keytar (but an interesting one at that). Kurzweil had nothing new. Roland has the RD-08 which has a great keybed, but I'm unimpressed with the piano (the Privia PX-350 and PX-5s sound better). Lastly, Yamaha has a new workstation - the Tyros 5, but I don't think there's an 88-key version of it, just 73 and 61. If anyone's interested, I slapped together my summary in this video: http://youtu.be/QadL-e268cQ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Arend Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Really enjoyed the casio show. I thought casio would be putting out new synth's too, but from my perspective if casio dropped off from making synth's, at least in the twenty first century they made three great synth's, XW-P1, XW-G1, and PX-5S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoManChuck Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Oops - my bad, I said Roland had the RD-08... its actually the RD-800, not 08. That's what I get for doing a video by memory with no sleep in over 24 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmark Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 One more item.. the Chordana Viewer App. This is great for learning new songs! Load in a song via iTunes, the app will analyze it and produce a chord chart. Connect your IOS device to a lighted keyboard and the keys light up to show you how to play it. See that it's £6.99 ( UK) and will only anaylise music purchased from iTunes.There are other apps such as Chordec that will work out the chords on any song, the trouble with some digital music is the latency so can throw up lots of strange chord detections.There's nothing better than the human ear as far as I am concerned . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasspike Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 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-20142.)Make a new CZ Synth based on Phase Distortion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoovJazzy55 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Did Roland also release the FA-06 and FA-08, a 61 key and 88 key workstation/arranger/synth that sort of competes with the XW's ? (But the Roland cost much more) The color screen is killer though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Did Roland also release the FA-06 and FA-08, a 61 key and 88 key workstation/arranger/synth that sort of competes with the XW's ? (But the Roland cost much more) The color screen is killer though. Yes they released them but they don't compete with the XW's (FA-06 is $1,200.. XW-P1 is $500)...It's funny when you look at the price and the functionality of the XWs they really have no competition in that market space. Too unique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenK Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Go to the 1hr 15min mark of yesterday's CasioMusicGear ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/43018585). Mike Martin starts talking about the XW series of synthesizers, which he says "was Casio's re-entry into the synth market just over a year ago." What?? The XW was introduced to big fanfare almost exactly two years ago at Winter NAMM 2012. It's true that they only started shipping in March and April of 2012, but that still makes it longer than "just over a year." He also says of the XW-P1 "the biggest challenge with this product is, it does a lot, it does a little too much." Okay, that makes it a challenge to demo properly. But for users a product can NEVER do too much as long as nothing it does is executed poorly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoovJazzy55 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Yes they released them but they don't compete with the XW's (FA-06 is $1,200.. XW-P1 is $500)...It's funny when you look at the price and the functionality of the XWs they really have no competition in that market space. Too unique. True, but for those that will put out $400.00 more (street price for the new Roland) they will do it just for the name. Personally, I prefer the look and feel of the XW's. If they added a larger color screen, and maybe a SSD, me thinks it would do even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XW-Addict Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm curious about the CTK 6250 I don't know if that one also a new keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Go to the 1hr 15min mark of yesterday's CasioMusicGear ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/43018585). Mike Martin starts talking about the XW series of synthesizers, which he says "was Casio's re-entry into the synth market just over a year ago." What?? The XW was introduced to big fanfare almost exactly two years ago at Winter NAMM 2012. It's true that they only started shipping in March and April of 2012, but that still makes it longer than "just over a year." He's been up for 48 hours straight... time has no meaning at that point. He also says of the XW-P1 "the biggest challenge with this product is, it does a lot, it does a little too much." Okay, that makes it a challenge to demo properly. But for users a product can NEVER do too much as long as nothing it does is executed poorly. He was talking to music retailers, not the consumer. I think he was trying to convey the fact that you can't really categorize the XW... it's so much more than a synth but it not quite a workstation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 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-20142.)Make a new CZ Synth based on Phase Distortion Yes to all the above! XW-MINI would be fantastic, and would sit very nicely alongside my CZ101 and HT700! Super portable and super powerful - big YES! As for a new CZ synth, no real need as modern digital synths are much more powerful and can go way beyond PD, though there's no denying that PD has a character all of its own. What WOULD have been good would have been if Casio incorporated a 'CZ sound engine' within the XW's circuit. Heck, the CZ's being digital can be emulated in software even. This CZ mode would accept original CZ data, and could be programmed the same way with those wonderful 8 stage envelopes. Best of both worlds, and nod to Casios CZ legacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenK Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 As for a new CZ synth, no real need as modern digital synths are much more powerful and can go way beyond PD, though there's no denying that PD has a character all of its own. What WOULD have been good would have been if Casio incorporated a 'CZ sound engine' within the XW's circuit. Heck, the CZ's being digital can be emulated in software even. This CZ mode would accept original CZ data, and could be programmed the same way with those wonderful 8 stage envelopes. Best of both worlds, and nod to Casios CZ legacy.See point number nine here: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/4366-ideas-for-casios-next-synth-platform/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 See point number nine here: http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/4366-ideas-for-casios-next-synth-platform/ Yup, totally agree. Plus another addition: Make the XW's knobs and sliders able to be assigned to give real time 'CC' control over the CZ's parameters. That's something else CZ lovers have been asking for too, and would make it a fantastic performance keyboard almost akin to a Roland JD800. Come on Casio, there's a big opportunity waiting here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenK Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 After watching Casio's live feed from NAMM off and on these last few days it always surprises me to see people come by the booth who apparently have never heard of either the XW-P1 or the PX-5S. Of course, they are always blown away by the prices (who wouldn't be?). I guess they don't read Keyboard magazine or any of the other pubications that Casio advertizes in regularly. PS. Just a few minutes ago Larry Dunn of Earh, Wind and Fire was playing the PX-5S. Before that he was playing the XW-P1. This live feed is one of the rare times I have been able to hear similar sounds (in this case electric piano) on both keyboards one right after the other (I don't own both). The XW-P1 didn't come off too bad in comparison but it was missing some "bite" (noticeable even over the crappy audio from the live feed). It's too bad we haven't seen improved versions from Casio of electric pianos and other electro/acoustic emulations released as hex layer sounds for the XW-P1. Casio seems to be concentrating on such sounds for the PX-5S, which is understandable since it has been much more of a hit with pro musicians than the XW-P1 and it's more oriented toward piano sounds (being a stage piano!). Lots of new synth sounds have been released for the XW-P1, of course, but few improved electro/acoustic emulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Percivale Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 So no new synth from Casio at NAMM 2014. What should we be expecting now till the next NAMM show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 CASIO'S 2014 NAMM ROUND-UP: - PX-5S wins Best Keyboard/Sound Module Award from Music & Sound Retailer. - PX-5S "Extreme Synth" Soundset being released in MarchProfessionally designed synthesizer sounds using the PX-5S' monster synthesizer engine. - 5 new models coming to the states: CTK-6200, CTK-6250, CTK-7200, WK-6600 and WK-7600. http://www.casio.com/news/content/Casio_Hits_a_High_Note_at_Winter_NAMM_2014/ - XW-J1 DJ Controller IOS/PC/MAC"A VJ / DJ controller for creating remixes of audio and video from music players, smartphones, and PCs that supports OS X, iOS, and Windows platforms"http://www.casio-intl.com/asia-mea/en/emi/djcontroller/xw-j1/ - XW-H1 / H2 / H3 Headphones"Headphones for on-the-go professional DJs and music enthusiasts that combine high audio fidelity with superb usability"http://www.casio-intl.com/asia-mea/en/emi/headphone/xw-h/ - New Chordana Viewer App"Casio original technology automatically analyzes the chords in your audio files."https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chordana-viewer/id711042441?mt=8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Martin Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 He's been up for 48 hours straight... time has no meaning at that point. He was talking to music retailers, not the consumer. I think he was trying to convey the fact that you can't really categorize the XW... it's so much more than a synth but it not quite a workstation.Sleep is overrated. ;-)That is exactly right. Music retailers have difficulty with the XW series and understanding what it is. That is the danger of doing something so different than most synths and workstations on the market. Some retailers that "get it" have done well with the XW series some have not because it's not a cookie cutter product. As I said repeatedly at NAMM and elsewhere, anyone one thing the XW series does is worth it's price (Solo Synth, drawbar, step sequencer, controller....etc)Two big new XW users from the show-Larry Dunn and BT!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Saucier Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 BT! POP! Nsync (Listen to the song - you can actually hear BT mentioned in it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenK Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 CASIO'S 2014 NAMM ROUND-UP:MUST...CONTAIN...EXCITEMENT.Zzzzzz....... Although I certainly do applaud Casio for receiving the award. Well deserved. Now get cracking and finish those truly new products you are working on. People are even starting to say you are discontinuing the XW synths. The rumors are flying. In today's cruel world you can go from "Well done!" to "Casio who?" in very little time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoManChuck Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 The NAMM panel's "Best in Show". http://youtu.be/tiZreG0Adsc Somewhat disappointed to see a 'mic stand' in that list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.