Very different volume with different tones?

[Sofie]

Today I got my Privia PX-850 and I'm happy with it. However... When I switch between different tones/sounds the volume changes very much. The various piano tones are somewhat quiet, but some tones (e.g. the harpsichord) were much louder, I'd estimate it to 40% louder or more. I didn't change the amount of pressure I use when I press down on the keys, it just seems the volume is much higher on some of the tones. Is there something wrong with my piano, you think? Can one make the tones more similar in volume somehow?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Jokeyman123]

I do not own the px850 but do play the px350 Casio Privia. So perhaps someone else will help more than I but this does not seem right to me. All digital pianos I've ever played do not vary their tone volumes for important reasons-playing live and switching tones quickly would be a real difficult problem if every tone varied. So this seems like a malfunction imo. I studied the px850 manual and find no way to factory reset the 850 which could solve this problem if it can be done.The only idea I could find is to make sure the "backup" function is off, switch the piano off then on and see if that corrects this. If not, I'd contact Casio tech support online or by phone and see what they suggest. Hope this helps.

[cpcohen]

Not a malfunction!

 

Some tones are velocity-sensitive -- pianos, EP's, and others.

 

Some tones are _not_ velocity-sensitive -- harpsichord, organs.   They play _loud_ -- as loud as a piano, hitting the keys as hard as you can, which generates MIDI velocity = 127.

 

As an experiment, check the "Touch" setting when you're playing harpsichord.   It may show "0" -- not touch-sensitive, generating velocity=127.

 

As a second experiment, see if you can change "Touch" to "2" (the default for piano).  That might give you a touch-sensitive harpsichord (which does not exist as an acoustic instrument) or a touch-sensitive organ (which does exist as an electro-mechanical instrument).

 

Have fun -- there's nothing wrong with the pX-850.

 

.              Charles

[Jokeyman123]

Charles-you cannot make "tones" that are pre-programmed without touch sensitivity have it-such as the organs. Even though the touch sensitivity is supposed to be "global" at least on the PX350 it will only vary tones that have touch sensitivity. and although sounds with no touch sensitivity do lock into 127 max volume, there should not be that much of a difference in volume although i guess this is a matter of opinion based upon one's sensitivity to dynamics. Maybe the PX850 is worse in that regard, I don't know. The only tones in the PX350 that seem overly-loud are the organs, but other sounds with no touch sensitivity don't seem to be that much louder, again at least on the PX350. So Sophie, guess you are kind of stuck with preset ludness variations for certain tones, but not others. And Charles one of the minor drawbacks to the Privia series seems to be just that, that there is not a way to change the "fixed" dynamic levels of a tone if it is pre-programmed at maximum 127-unless I record through a sequencer and use that to reset the loudness levels which i can do with the PX350 but again not sure if this works with the PX850.

[cpcohen]

Yes -- After I wrote that post, I checked my PX-350.  Going to a non-touch-sensitive "tone" doesn't change the "touch" setting.   And changing the "touch" setting doesn't make the tone touch-sensitive.

 

So  there's no easy way to "fudge" a touch-sensitive organ or clavichord.  The constant volume is built into the sound generator.

 

.             Charles

[Jokeyman123]

Unfortunately so. You may have noticed some the work I've done trying to solve these (not so bad) limitations with my PX350 but I'm still knocked out by the PX pianos, very nice. Nothing is perfect. I have asked Casio tech support and Mike Martin if it is possible to add this feature to the PX series somehow-to be able to better control the dynamics of individual sounds, especially using the 17-track sequencer, but even if the fixed setting for key action could be adjusted instead of it defaulting to 127, that would solve this problem. 

 

Mike posted to me that this can't really be done due to how the software is installed-the XW and PX5s (I think) can flash firmware updates, the the PX series is not designed that way.

 

So Sophie for live performance, I guess a volume pedal will be the only "hands-free" solution. For playing at home just have to get used some sounds being louder than others I guess. Repeating myself but yes on the PX350 the organs are definitely quite a bit louder than many of the other touch-sensitive sounds or tones so like Charles said, probably not a malfunction, just a technical "weirdness"!

[BNicholls]

On 10/6/2014 at 0:28 AM, Jokeyman123 said:

Unfortunately so. You may have noticed some the work I've done trying to solve these (not so bad) limitations with my PX350 but I'm still knocked out by the PX pianos, very nice. Nothing is perfect. I have asked Casio tech support and Mike Martin if it is possible to add this feature to the PX series somehow-to be able to better control the dynamics of individual sounds, especially using the 17-track sequencer, but even if the fixed setting for key action could be adjusted instead of it defaulting to 127, that would solve this problem. 

 

Mike posted to me that this can't really be done due to how the software is installed-the XW and PX5s (I think) can flash firmware updates, the the PX series is not designed that way.

 

So Sophie for live performance, I guess a volume pedal will be the only "hands-free" solution. For playing at home just have to get used some sounds being louder than others I guess. Repeating myself but yes on the PX350 the organs are definitely quite a bit louder than many of the other touch-sensitive sounds or tones so like Charles said, probably not a malfunction, just a technical "weirdness"!

Not sure if you are still submitting post on this thread but here goes. I recently purchased a PX410R and I have the same problem. Generally pianos, woodwind, organ, brass,and electric guitars (especially so) are all pretty loud, but elec pianos, accoustic guitars are all much quieter. Did you resolve this problem at all? I'd be very interested to know. 

[Jokeyman123]

Just noticed this post, yes still lurking around.  I also have and play the PX575/410 and the workaround for this is do-able (I think that's a word!) 2 ways I do this. One way is through the "mixer" function in song mode. The default tone is always on mixer channel 1, and the loudness of that can be changed with the mixer functions. I find this to be pretty easy since I can be in song mode even if not recording. Check my PX575 posts here for more on this.The other option I've used is to pick a tone, switch to "synth" mode and edit the "level" setting or touch sensitivity or both, and store the changes to a user tone. I only wish  the PX350 had these functions. I've noticed the newer PX360 and 560 have some of these functions built-in.

[BNicholls]

On 4/13/2016 at 10:13 PM, Jokeyman123 said:

Just noticed this post, yes still lurking around.  I also have and play the PX575/410 and the workaround for this is do-able (I think that's a word!) 2 ways I do this. One way is through the "mixer" function in song mode. The default tone is always on mixer channel 1, and the loudness of that can be changed with the mixer functions. I find this to be pretty easy since I can be in song mode even if not recording. Check my PX575 posts here for more on this.The other option I've used is to pick a tone, switch to "synth" mode and edit the "level" setting or touch sensitivity or both, and store the changes to a user tone. I only wish  the PX350 had these functions. I've noticed the newer PX360 and 560 have some of these functions built-in.

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a try. I've always owned Yamaha or Korg in the past. This is my first Casio. It was new in a sale in Thailand at only 300 pounds. At first I thought it a bargain, 88 key board for that price, But to be honest I'm not overly impressed. A couple of the problems others are experiencing are now happening to mine. Now the D key next to middle C is clattering when pressed and does not return to it's normal position. Could be a spring. I will keep you informed. Cheers Bob

 

[Jokeyman123]

This has the same basic mechanism as the newer privias-a metal fulcrum arm that is weighted and hits the top and bottom felt cushion strips pretty hard-it has a very narrow footprint and tends to cut into the felt strips if you play often with typical piano velocity-I do. I have to add felt strips to this one as well as my PX350-no easy task even if you are experienced at this. There is a plastic panel underneathe the PX575 which when removed will reveal the fulcrums and felt strips-there are no springs visible from underneath-the keytops unfortunately can only be accessed by disassembling the entire PX575 and i had difficulty doing that and gave up. You will be able to at least inspect the key action from underneath and might be able to see what is happening. nd yes compared to my Yamaha and Ensoniq workstations this has some serious limitations but as an alternative to much more expensive boards, It's been fun. Hooking up the IDES 4.0 gives me a nice software drawbar front-end and a few other very handy programmable parameters.

 

I just wrote up  a quickstart to record multi-track midis with this to a computer and it's a little fussy but works. i turn local off, software midi thru on and select my midi channel with the function key and record each track like this, manually setting my program and bank changes for each track. Not elegant but better than the the built-in 6 track "song recorder". And i also need to keep the midi implementation chart handy so I can see what the bank change numbers are-since my software will always default to the GM soundbank unless I get the bank change message in there. for instance-the grand piano "000" tone actually needs bank change 100! Makes no sense to me, but there you are!