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Hello Friends,

 

Greetings from India.
I am a composer and arranger with a YAMAHA MOX6. And I am also a keyboard player in a local band. So I am determined to upgrade to an 88 note keyboard and CASIO PRIVIA PRO PX-5S ticks all the boxes. I am very pleased with its capabilities from being a stage piano > Synth to master controller. I am a self learnt musician, but my technical knowledge with regard to cutting edge products like PX-5S is very limited. But I am a quick learner, so I am confident that I'll get it to my grips. Now the reason why I am asking you the following details is, In India we don't have showrooms like Guitar Center or Sweetwater or Kraft Music etc.,to go and try out to get hands on experience and decide what suits my needs. So my only hope to grasp an understanding about such fine products is people like you. 


Myself as a musician:
1) I am not a PIANO player and I have never played any acoustic grands.
2) The reason why I have decided to purchase a PX-5S or PX-350 is, now I am learning piano on my own. So I am also curious about the playability of classical piano etudes on PX-5S. Besides, PX-5S will be my main board in live performance with a YAMAHA MOX or a YAMAHA PSR 750 on top.

Now the question is,

1) Though the PX-5S has no half-damper capabilites, can I simulate something closer to half -damper effect by editing the TIME / DURATION of the SUSTAIN/DAMPER RESONANCE??

For Eg: Etudes like, Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude" and "Winterwind" , many such classical compositions will require half-damper operation. If its possible to get close to such requirements, I'll be considering PX-5S. So I am requesting you to help me out on this issue to understand the technicalities involved here. Even with all the editing if it's not possible to get close, then I think I will have to go for PX-350. Even the Privia PX-350 is good. But I am a kind of a person who would love to tweak and create own sounds... and being a gigging musician the 256 note polyphony will be much helpful to create complex splits and layers. And going by youtube deoms, voices/ tones other than piano are also better in PX-5s... so im leaning towards PX-5S. 

2) With the PX-5S, other than iPad, what will be the compatibility with a Samsung or other tabs which runs on Android?
Will I be able to use a Soft Synth apps like 'Morphwiz' of Jordan Rudess and the like.? Can I connect any other hardware like a Tab other than iPad with PX-5S? If only with iPad, then please impart me with the advantages of integrating an iPad instead of other Andriod running devices with the PX-5S.

If I have foreseen any other details or If u want to hint at any important details, plz feel free to educate me on that too.  :)

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I am using my PX-350 primarily to develop and play repertoire-jazz, classical primarily.

 

I like the immediacy of the built-in speakers for that, the keys feel close to a grand piano-longer throw than most digitals, slightly heavier weight to the keys but this is what I prefer for dynamic contrasts especially important in classical compositions.

 

I would prefer the PX5s for gigging for several reasons however. Although I only have the PX-350, from what I've studied:

 

1) the PX5s is much more programmable for changing sounds live, adjusting equalization and DSP effects-very important as each live open venue or band will be different and require fine tuning of "bread and butter" sounds and this can't be done as well with the PX-350. 2) I wouldn't want to carry around the PX-350 since the bulit-in speakers will probably not hold up too well to being jostled around on the road and the case is designed as more of a home use instrument than appears the PX5s and 3) the small buttons and controls on the PX350 are not really suitable for use in what may poorly-lit live situations-I think the PX5s is designed more sutiably for that.

 

One other thing I've tried to work around is the lack of "fine tuning" with the PX-350. It is really designed more for home use than live, unless you will  be using it primarily for it's acoustic piano sounds. I believe both use the same acoustic piano samples-others here with PX5s will be able to advise you better than me regarding that.

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1) Though the PX-5S has no half-damper capabilites, can I simulate something closer to half -damper effect by editing the TIME / DURATION of the SUSTAIN/DAMPER RESONANCE??

For Eg: Etudes like, Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude" and "Winterwind" , many such classical compositions will require half-damper operation. If its possible to get close to such requirements, I'll be considering PX-5S. 

 

The problem with emulating half damper is the lack of continuous pedal inputs on the PX-5s.  A slider on the PX-5s can be assigned to the HOLD function.  This slider will act just like a continuous controller pedal.     Depending on the position of the slider, the release of the piano tone will have different timing.  But, of course, it's not a pedal.  It can't be controlled by foot.  So this method is not useful.

 

The best option for the PX-5s would be to buy a continuous controller foot pedal that works over midi.  Like the Behringer FCB1010.

 

Of course, the PX-350 supports half damper pedal inputs.  It should be noted that this support on the PX-350 is ONLY for Casio pedal boards (SP-33).  The jack for the pedal board is a proprietary connector and is not compatible with any other brand of expression pedal available. 

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thank you Jokeyman123 and BradMZ :) for the info.... 

 

BradMZ,Its good to learn that half damping can be emulated with a continuous pedal.. like the Behringer FCB1010.  Besides learning piano, live performance is also of equal importance for me.... PX-5S is definitely an advantage in live situation with zones,hex layers,real time controls,editing etc..  and now its clear for me that,with a continuous pedal, I can get what I need (half-damper) with a PX-5S... now my choice is pretty much clear... it will be PX-5S....

 

I am also curious about the compatiability of PX-5S with Android Tablets..... If someone can throw some light in this regard, it will be very helpful... since the PX-5S is not capable of emulating monophonic sounds, there are some synths which can be downloaded (you guys will be knowing better than me). Provided I have a soft synth downloaded into my tab, how to make use of it with PX-5S in live situation?? what type of connections will be required to make it happen??can somebody teach me the basics of this topic please...???

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2) I wouldn't want to carry around the PX-350 since the bulit-in speakers will probably not hold up too well to being jostled around on the road and the case is designed as more of a home use instrument than appears the PX5s 

There were several people who toured extensively with the PX-330 (the predecessor to the PX-350) and had no such problems.

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There were several people who toured extensively with the PX-330 (the predecessor to the PX-350) and had no such problems.

I use both the PX-5s and the PX-350 for gigs.  The PX-350 is my first choice for smaller, more intimate gigs in that I don't need to bring anything else with me (ie: no PA), and the music rest holds my set list.  I've gigged with it a lot, and I've never had to worry that it might not "hold up" after transporting it around (and ocassionally bumping it into walls).  Both the PX-5s and PX-350 have the exact same external case, just with different cutouts for different things.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Ok guys..... initially I thought I would stick to PX-5S.....but the lack of half-damper...and I need to purchase a MIDI device like Behringer FCB1010 to achieve half damper ...so the additional costs keep adding....

Plz help me with this... Lets say ,1) I dont have FCB 1010 or any other MIDI foot controller....AND 2) I am not assigning sustain to any of the slider.

Is it possible to emulate a near half-damper scenario on PX-5S by tweaking the values Damper Resonance,String Resonance,Lid Simulation etc..... If its possible to do so,, plz rate it out of 10.... how close can i get to half-damper emulation by such tweaking.... If its not at all possible or satisfactorily attainable, then i'll go with PX-350...

 

Also plz suggest me...which DP is much Pianist Oriented...in terms of classical music playability..PX-350 or PX-5S? coz I am learning piano on my own with the help of online piano tutors and I am appearing for Trinity Guildhall Piano Exams..... So dear friends, plz guide me in the proper direction in the classical piano music perspective......(For Eg: If Chopin's Op.25 No.11 Winterwind Etude & Revolutionary Etudes were to be played.... which DP will be best suitable?? PX-350 out of the box or PX-5S with Maximum Tweaking ??...coz it seems at certain passages, it requires and many such piano etudes requires half-damping...so how efficiently and how close can I get to such a necessity on PX-5S?) 

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 Oh that a million-dollar question my love for synth and piano's made me choose between Casio PX100A , PX5S , Yamaha CP4 or Yamaha MOXF8(+karma). The closer I could get to the authentic feel for practicing and playing piano the better, Was the first thing in mind for me since I'm an amateur\beginner pianist/keyboardist 

 

When its all about specifications you will go through long thoughts and decision making to fill that "close to authentic" feel of things. So I started thinking do I want 

it big and loud or gentle and elegant (I like sugar coating my choices :)). Lots of choice big investment.

 

In the end I've stop thinking and just as you I was looking at what I would have to carry or need for extra's , Well monitor speakers and PA I have plus good headphones and pedals don't have to invest in that.  I love classic , funk , jazz , blues and pop above all I like to program my own. MOXF8 would be great addition,

I choose PX5S in the end any sound go's with it plus sound programming which helps me focus on one thing music making and playing.

 

Speaker would be a good addition on the PX5 but I leave that to Casio for a mounted additional speaker setup (ti-hee I wish). I'm not a good pianist as of yet to understand half-damping nor do I have "soft paws" pressing key's as light as possible, My hearing a bit damage because of the years working in loud places.

If half-damping an very important part for decision go for the best electronic keyboard fit for that in the end a real grand piano will proof if you're skills ,touch and feel has developed good enough. I've witness that already in my first year beginners classes recital with the novices and advanced and oh boy I'm going to stop writing and pick up my practices again as of now :)  

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