Just ordered the px5s

[Romero Reborn]

I just ordered a px5s and it should be here by the end of the week.I am very excited to learn how to make cool sounds.The faders and encoders look like they can do a lot to shape the sounds in real time.Off to watch the videos so I can hit the ground running.

[Brad Saucier]

Congratulations!  Welcome to the club!

[Display Name]

Now the hard part:
Waiting for it to come in. If you are on FB please join the group (link in my sig).

[dc2k]

Here's a tip. There are two manuals. The one that comes with it is the simple version that omits a lot. The other one is found here:  

http://www.support.casio-europe.com/es/download/manuals/emi/Web_PX5S-E-2A.pdf

 

It's a lot to get through, but when you are comfortable with the board and the basic controls, that second manual will come in handy. 

[Normski]

Your in for a real treat.

[guarib]

Ordered today!  Days becomes long....

[Ebonivor]

You'll be wishing the days were longer when you get it! There are just not enough hours in the day to do all the things we need to do, and yet have sufficient time to experience all the pleasures the PX-5S has to offer! All too often I find myself still playing and exploring its wonders at 3am... :-)

[SonnyDaye]

.......... I find myself still playing and exploring its wonders at 3am... :-)

 

I thought I was the only one!

[zebra555]

Congrats....make tons of coffee, use toothpicks when needed to prop your eyes open etc...the only thing bad about the px5s is that once your "get into it"...you cant let go. Hours go by, then days, then months...it never gets boring. New sounds and sound scapes are endless with this thing. I for one,find it difficult to decide what Stage Setting/Tone I am going to use. They all sound great and the more you use the board the more appreciate its abilities. The peculiar thing about it, is that if you want a stage piano only "you get it with the px5s" if you want a synth "you get it here also". Change your mind 10 times and the PX5S knows what you are wanting that day. No joke. Tons of fun.

[kgaetano]

    I have also just recently ordered a PX-5S. It's not here yet but should be in a few days. I'm so excited I can't sleep very well, but I guess I should save it up for when it gets here so I can stay up late playing with it. Funny thing is, is that I'm not really even a keyboard player, I'm a guitar player (yeah, one of those). I guess I am going to get my start learning how to be a keyboard player real soon, and I am really looking forward to it.

 

   I originally was just looking for a smaller MIDI controller, for running VST's and inputting notes into notation programs (Sibelius & Notion). I've been looking online for some time, and went looking locally at the area music stores to actually get my hands on some keyboards & help me come to some conclusions about what I should buy. I tried out a number of boards in the $300-$400 range, and was not real impressed with the feel of some of them. I'm very far from knowing my way around keyboards, but a lot of them really felt like cheap toys. They probably would have been fine for what I originally wanted one for, but they didn't seem like a good value for the money.

 

  There were a few controllers & some digital pianos from Yamaha, Korg, and Roland (a little higher cost) that had a much better feel to them, aside from their capabilities. Then I noticed a couple of Casio’s (Casio? Aren't they the company that made really cheap keyboards in the 80's? and watches?? and calculators???), and played on a couple (don't remember the models) and I was really impressed with the feel playability and sound (from a complete keyboard noob's perspective). I was thinking "Wow, that doesn't feel like the Casio keyboards I remember. A bass player from an old band I was in had one back in the days. Seems like Casio has come a long way since then.

 

   Then I saw some online descriptions, reviews and demos of the PX-5S, and I was floored as to how versatile it was, how light and playable it was, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and it really seemed like one of those products that sets the bar for other instruments and becomes a classic.

 

   Anyway, I was hooked at that point, kept looking for deals, found a good price on one & decided to take the plunge and buy one. Not a very good choice on my part for a “First Keyboard” I’m sure, but I think it will be so much better than the other choices I had in front of me. It really wasn’t that much more money than one of the cheap controllers I was looking at, and a VST or two for sounds.

 

  Hopefully, it will turn out well in the long run. I’m committed to taking the time to learn how to play keyboard, and I’m sure that will be a long (and hopefully happy) pursuit. Learning the controls & architecture will takes some time, but that doesn’t scare me after many rounds of multi-effects processors. Really what will take more time & effort is going to be learning to transition my musical skills from a guitar-centric perspective to the keyboard. Hopefully one day, I will be able to call myself a decent keyboard player!

[Brad Saucier]

Congrats!  It's a great first keyboard.  Come join the facebook users group as well.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/Casio.Px5s/

 

Live video today of the PX in action to here.  http://www.casiomusicgear.com/resource/html/ustream.html

[zebra555]

You made a great choice. I think the px5s is my 5th or 6th keyboard over the many years,,,I too am mainly and foremost a guitarist. That being said, I looked for a keyboard that complimented my guitar when doing recording sessions. The px5s does a really really nice job recording direct in.. Other keyboards I have owned did a nice job also, but the px5s is spot on. enjoy your keyboard good luck to you. btw...I have found some good patches on this forum...it stays pretty active with new stuff and support for your new px5s. nice group of members here imho  . . .

[kgaetano]

Thanks Brad & Zebra. I can't wait to get started. As you said, this looks like a vibrant active forum community here, which is also a big plus to learning anything new. It's a huge benefit to have other users to bounce ideas off of & get questions answered. I've been on some forums for other equipment that are so dead they make you feel like you're completely on your own, and that's not the feeling I get here. I'm very happy to have a forum of this quality for the PX-5S

[kgaetano]

   Well, my PX-5S was delivered last night! The adventure has begun!!  After looking at it in dumb disbelief for a few moments, and after the initial thoughts of    "Oh my God, What have I done?" had passed, I got started digging into it. Hooked it all up, and started to try out a few sounds & start weeding through the user interface. So far, so good, but this is going to be a process not an event. Initially some of the sounds are really outstanding! The feel of the keybed seems pretty similar to acoustic pianos from what little experience I have had playing them. Trying to find my way around is a little slow, but it's coming along. I even managed to update the firmware to Ver 1.11 without any drama.

 

    After watching a lot of video of Mike explaining the inner workings of the instrument, and pouring through many pages of the manual(s), it's becoming apparent how deep this instrument is, and that it's going to take a little time getting to know it well.

 

   Also, what is painfully apparent is my complete lack of keyboard skills. As I said earlier, I am primarily a guitar player, and this is really my first keyboard instrument. I can play a tiny bit, a few chords & assorted strings of notes, but I have no real keyboard technique to speak of.

 

   Both of these are going to be "Eating the Elephant" experiences for me & I knew that going in so I'm OK with that. Besides, getting there is half the fun, right? I will definitely be hanging around here trying to absorb whatever tips & tricks I can to get more familiar with the the instrument and how to get the most out of it. Also, I know it's kind of off topic, and maybe not the right place for it, but if any of you have any resources for someone who plays other instruments but is just learning how to play keyboards, I'm all ears!

[Brad Saucier]

Just take your time.  Explore all of the stage settings.  Slide the sliders and twiddle the knobs.  Use both sustain pedals.  Use velocity, strike with force and softly.  There's great stuff to find in those stage settings.  Don't worry about messing anything up.  It's all restorable.  Have fun. 

[zebra555]

Great KG...glad you got it. Just to let you know, I cant read music..not a note! So don't feel daunted by a keyboard. My advice is.."just play" . You will get hooked on a stage and will want to tweak it...that it where it started for me. Unlike me, you sound like you want to do this right and not just jump in. Which is a good thing. You will notice it will take time for your fingers to get "unguitared" and stretched and shaped to playing keys...takes about 4 days, Your fingers will become accustomed to playing the keyboard. Be aware, when  you flop back to a guitar it will take just about as long to readjust to guitar playing...lead playing especially.  I don't know of any special tricks or anything like that to assist your endeavour. I am full of bad habits and low luster techniques, but I still play/practice every night. The px5s offers a ton of options and in my opinion pretty logical to modify sounds etc,,I am sure someone on the forum can be of better assistance and give you valuable guidance a lot better than I can.  Good Luck, rest assured you made a great choice in keyboards imho.

 

Zebra555

[Edward]

I just joined the forum today and my PX-5S comes in two days.  I am primarily a pianist.  I took my first ever piano lesson the year I turned 50, and now, after 14 years, sometimes the fingers and the mind work in sync.  Sometimes not.  I spend most of my time at my Yamaha Concert Grand, but at 650 pounds, it really isn't very portable.  My current gigging keyboard and my second Privia is a PX-330.  It works for most of needs, which is primarily comping behind my wife.  However, it is not up to some of my wants.  I attended a concert where the keyboardist blew me away with what he was able to do with a top end stage piano.  After spending dozens of hours over the past month, analyzing everything I could find on sub-30 pound stage pianos, it came down to a choice between a couple of Nords, a Roland, a Korg, and finally, the PX-5S.  What sold me on the PX-5S wasn't just the great piano sounds, both acoustic and electric, the familiar keyboard action, the 24 pounds, and I hope I am correct, is that it seems to be programmable and able to do everything I could potentially need at my level of ability.  But what really sold me on the PX-5S is this forum and the wealth of information available here.  I won't be on my own trying to figure everything out by trial and error.  So, be ready for another newbie.  I'll try to find the answer first by reading prior postings, but I am sure to ask questions that will cause some rolling eyes.

 

I can hardly wait for Friday.  I know what I will be doing for the next 48 hours.

[Joe Muscara]

sometimes the fingers and the mind work in sync.  Sometimes not.

This happens to all of us, no matter how long we've been playing. 

 

Welcome to the PX-5S club! It's a great keyboard for all levels of users.

[zebra555]

Hello Edward, yep, you will have a blast. Please make sure you check out the downloads area and get the Data Editor too..I find it very useful.

[Edward]

It came today.  My PX-5S.  Major impressions: First, the overall feel, touch, sound is excellent.  I am running it through a Roland KC-60 amp.  It sounds really good.  It's not my Yamaha Concert Grand, but if I wasn't spoiled with a great acoustic grand, I would be blown away by the quality of the PX-5S' grand piano sounds.  However, my acoustic grand can only do a couple of things the PX-5S does.  So, lucky me; I need both.  Secondly, I am overwhelmed.  I spent a couple of hours reading the basic manual and scratching the first few pages of the Tutorial manual.  What I do know is that the learning curve is huge, and it will take me a lot of time to begin to take advantage of this marvelous keyboard.  I watch Video 1 about half way.  Tomorrow I am going to rewind it and listen to the first half again.  I stayed with Mike until about 20 minutes or so and then my eyes glazed over.  Baby steps.  My wife and I have a gig tomorrow.  I will be hauling my PX-330 one more time before putting it out to pasture.

 

Oh, one question.  I new it didn't have a music rack.  I figured I could just use a music stand.  The problem, besides being old and unable to memorize music, is that the music stand gets in the way of the pedal and my foot keeps knocking it.  I imagine some of you have found a solution.  At home I will have a wall mounted music stand.  The problem is at performances.  Thanks for your help.

[Null]

If you have a mic boom attached to your keyboard stand at performances you could consider using one of these.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stagg-MUS-ARM-Attachable-Large-Music/dp/B001RERC7W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397535336&sr=8-1&keywords=stagg+mus-arm+2

[Display Name]

Yeah a music rest like the one Gary linked to has that arm that will put it closer so the stand feet will be further away from the pedals. Also check out a well-stocked music store that has a lot of orchestral instruments.. they tend have a nice selection of music stands, rests and mounts. You will probably find something that will work with your rig. 

 

I do sympathize. I NEVER used to read music or charts.. pretty much played and composed by ear and memorized everything. Now I am really getting into learning a bunch of 70/80s hits from fake books and using chord charts... I find I am really relying on having the music/charts in front of me. Problem is, I can learn 10 new songs a day by using music/chords.. If I try to memorize it after a few run-thrus, I can only get 2-3 down pat. It's all about choices I guess. 

[Edward]

Now that I have had my PX-5S for a few days, I am ready to eat a few of my words.  I believe it might not just sound as good as my Yamaha Concert Grand acoustic piano, but with a some of stage settings I downloaded (The_Pianist1, The_Pianist2, Nord2GrndPad), I might just say it sounds better, richer, fuller.  Yamaha acoustic grands tend to be a bit bright in the upper register.  Mine has been voiced for over 10 years by an excellent piano technician, but it is still a bit on the bright side....not like when it was new, but I still need to be careful to hold back up high.  The PX-5S, with the stage settings mentioned, and 0-0 GrnPnoConcert, seems much mellower.  I like that a lot.  What it seems I miss most with the PX-5S is the sensory feedback an acoustic piano gives me from the vibrating strings.  I have been bouncing back and forth between the two, and the biggest plus of my Yamaha over the PX-5S is this acoustic vibe....the sensation of playing a living instrument.  On my PX-330, the only time I ever played it was at a gig or rehearsing or the gig.  Never just for the sheer pleasure of it.  That will change with the PX-5S.  Rather than being left in the corner, it is set up dead center in my studio.  I have put the cover on my grand piano.  I think she will be getting lonesome.  I never thought that would happen.  Kudos to Casio.  They got this one very right.......

 

Oh, and thank you to all of you brilliant musicians who have put together and posted your stage settings for us newbies to use and to learn from. 

[Display Name]

Yeah my acoustic grand has been sadly neglected since the PX-5S arrived. 

[zebra555]

Well, my baby grand hasn't gone to pasture. I doubt it ever will. That said, I cant easily carry a 6 foot grand downstairs to my studio. Next best so far is the Px5s. Ed,glad you are seeing the potential the Px5s has...granted there are a few things about it that could be tweaked strings,orchestral samples, etc... but I for one couldn't be happier. I constantly forget this is categorized as a stage piano..but it does so many things so well, I get greedy.That is my fault, not Casio's. Hats off to the px5s.