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Summer NAMM 2015


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I'm wondering about the Privia PX-560M as well.  Summer NAMM is officially over today and I have yet to see a single video regarding this amazing looking keyboard.  I've seen no less than 4 videos about the CGP-700 in my inbox this week but not so much as a peep about the 560 or its little brother the 360.

 

I wanna know.  Is this a replacement for the PX-5S or is it a radically different feature set aimed at a different target audience?

 

Usually by now there's dozens of youtubes out of a NAMM show but aside from the Yamaha Reface Series and the CGP-700 I'm seeing nada. :o

 

Keep yer stick on the ice... :D

 

Gary ;)

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I'm wondering about the Privia PX-560M as well.  Summer NAMM is officially over today and I have yet to see a single video regarding this amazing looking keyboard.  I've seen no less than 4 videos about the CGP-700 in my inbox this week but not so much as a peep about the 560 or its little brother the 360.

 

I wanna know.  Is this a replacement for the PX-5S or is it a radically different feature set aimed at a different target audience?

 

Usually by now there's dozens of youtubes out of a NAMM show but aside from the Yamaha Reface Series and the CGP-700 I'm seeing nada. :o

 

Keep yer stick on the ice... :D

 

Gary ;)

 

Wonder what the M stands for one thing for sure it probably doesn't have a synth except for the hexlayers, I guess it would get the marked S as well if it we're.

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I wanna know.  Is this a replacement for the PX-5S or is it a radically different feature set aimed at a different target audience?

 

 

The PX-560 is not a replacement for the PX-5S. The PX-560 inherits lots of the Hex Layer tech from the PX-5S, melded with what we know and love from the other PX-series: Rhythms, Registrations, Music Presets, etc. It also has the new Color Touch Interface, speakers, etc. The PX-5S still has more realtime controllers, more MIDI controller functionality, battery power, etc. 

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I've been looking very closely at the 560 and comparing it with the PX-5S.

 

Pros >> Double the number of User Presets and Factory Presets.  Full and Half Dampering with the SP-33 pedal unit.  Expression pedal compatible.  Fully Hex Layer Compatible.  Fewer knobs and sliders but color touchscreen to compensate for that lack.  Rhythm accompaniment and user programmable rhythms.  Full 17 track sequencer.

 

Cons >>> Not sure if it has an arpeggiator or not.  No phrase sequencer.  Cheesy on board speakers. (Can they be disabled?)

 

??? >>> Is it compatible with PX-5S patches?

 

So far I wonder why Casio left off the arp and the sliders and cheaped out on the knobs and the phrase sequencer.

 

If they'd included those items it would be a PX-5S killer.

 

As it is, I think it represents a marginal improvement over the PX-5S but they are afraid of discontinuing the PX-5S so soon after its release.

 

Mostly though, I'm spitballing right now.  For a new product release Mike and the Casio crew have been very close mouthed about it's genuine features and capabilities.

 

Right now I have my Kurzweil up for sale and I'm seriously debating going with either the PX-5S or the PX-560M in a few months as a replacement but am wondering if either one would ultimately be the best choice compared to a Korg Krome or a Roland FA-08.

 

Gary :o

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Gary - As we said, the 560 is not a replacement for the 5S. It is an upper-end model for the x60 line. The target market for that line isn't looking for as much programmability nor control that the those who buy the PX-5S do. That's why the PX-5S is called Privia Pro, right?

 

Also, why do you think the onboard speakers are cheesy? Have you heard them in person?

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Joe >>>  Onboard speakers are ALWAYS cheezy ;)  At least compared to my studio monitors and sub :D

 

As for whether or not the 560 is a viable replacement for the PX-5S in many ways it surpasses the PX-5S.  At least in number of preset voices and available user preset memory.  The hex engine is fundamentally the same from what I can see, so its synth capabilities are at par.  The main things that seem to be lacking are the drawbars, one knob, the phrase sequencer and the arp.

 

I would have greatly preferred if they'd taken these enhancements and applied them to a PX-5S successor rather than this weird amalgamation of home/church/educational machine.

 

Anyway, I'm seriously thinking of a downgrade from my Kurzweil.  At this point I'm more interested in a good quality 88 Key controller than a full blown workstation.

 

So far though, any real information about the 560's sound and capabilities are still shrouded in mystery.  I'm still waiting for a good quality demo video that really takes it through its paces.

 

Gary

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Thanks for the video! Is the exhibition all shot only PX-560 and CGP-700? I tried to find a vido about Privia PX-360, nowhere! She looks so bad on the background of the 560?

 

Be looking for PX-360 demos coming soon. At the NAMM show the CGP-700 and PX-560 were up on the "main stage" and connected to the big speakers, so they got all the video time. I have a  video of the PX-360 menu screens I can post up -- just no sound as there was no good way to capture it on the NAMM floor (very noisy). For what it's worth, unless I am mistaken the PX-360 has the same sound engine as the 350 so the sound will be the same, if not VERY similar. The 360 may have added some technical nuances like key release velocity and maybe some others.  

 

Once Mike and Rich recover from NAMM more information about all the new models will come out. Until then, I'll get that video of the interface posted up so you can see what's "under the hood" of the PX-360.

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Joe >>>  Onboard speakers are ALWAYS cheezy ;)  At least compared to my studio monitors and sub :D

 

As for whether or not the 560 is a viable replacement for the PX-5S in many ways it surpasses the PX-5S.  At least in number of preset voices and available user preset memory.  The hex engine is fundamentally the same from what I can see, so its synth capabilities are at par.  The main things that seem to be lacking are the drawbars, one knob, the phrase sequencer and the arp.

 

I would have greatly preferred if they'd taken these enhancements and applied them to a PX-5S successor rather than this weird amalgamation of home/church/educational machine.

 

Anyway, I'm seriously thinking of a downgrade from my Kurzweil.  At this point I'm more interested in a good quality 88 Key controller than a full blown workstation.

 

So far though, any real information about the 560's sound and capabilities are still shrouded in mystery.  I'm still waiting for a good quality demo video that really takes it through its paces.

 

Gary

 

Whats this you're up in cloud nine eh Gary you need to come back to earth that is not a synth like the PX5S and neither a workstation, Which can't be cause none of the PX series shown to be capable of WS functionality. Those are more like arrangers totally.

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Whats this you're up in cloud nine eh Gary you need to come back to earth that is not a synth like the PX5S and neither a workstation, Which can't be cause none of the PX series shown to be capable of WS functionality. Those are more like arrangers totally.

Well yes and no on both of these statements. First, while the synth on the PX-560 is not as "controllable" as the PX-5S, it certainly is capable in its own right. Many of the hexlayers from the PX-5S have found their way over to the PX-560. I don't think you can load the PX-5S stage settings and sounds directly in, but you can certainly recreate a lot of sounds.  The one thing that the PX-560 does not have is 4 independent arpeggiators; it has one.

 

As far as workstation functions, the PX-560 has a very slick 17 track sequencer with quite a few editing options. So while not a full-blown workstation, it certainly goes beyond being just an arranger.

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Joe >>>  Onboard speakers are ALWAYS cheezy ;)  At least compared to my studio monitors and sub :D

 

As for whether or not the 560 is a viable replacement for the PX-5S in many ways it surpasses the PX-5S.  At least in number of preset voices and available user preset memory.  The hex engine is fundamentally the same from what I can see, so its synth capabilities are at par.  The main things that seem to be lacking are the drawbars, one knob, the phrase sequencer and the arp.

 

I would have greatly preferred if they'd taken these enhancements and applied them to a PX-5S successor rather than this weird amalgamation of home/church/educational machine.

 

Anyway, I'm seriously thinking of a downgrade from my Kurzweil.  At this point I'm more interested in a good quality 88 Key controller than a full blown workstation.

 

So far though, any real information about the 560's sound and capabilities are still shrouded in mystery.  I'm still waiting for a good quality demo video that really takes it through its paces.

 

Gary

IIRC correctly, this happened with the 5-series keyboards as well. I think some of the PX-x50 models came out before the PX-5S did. I expect (hope? I have no inside info on this) that there will be a PX-6whatever-letter-makes-Casio-happy that will replace the PX-5S at some point, though it probably won't have internal speakers nor a music stand, which will keep some people unhappy.  :lol:

 

Did you know that the internal speakers on the CGP-700 are 40 watts? Those may not be so cheesy...

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"40 Watts", (usually reported as Peak Power in the specs) translates to about 10 Watts RMS.

 

Also power numbers are meaningless without THD or TID distortion numbers and frequency response.

 

Believe me, a pair of Klipshorns or top of the line Bose  have a hard time reproducing the low notes of a simple upright piano and no way a pair of ghetto blaster 5" cones shoehorned into a plastic piano housing is going to sound anything remotely like the real thing. 

 

Anyway, hopefully someone from Casio will clear up the mystery surrounding the 560 and perhaps they'll revise the webpage with some more detailed specs.  Currently they don't even mention an arpeggiator at all.  Thanks for clearing that bit up Scott.

 

Gary

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IIRC correctly, this happened with the 5-series keyboards as well. I think some of the PX-x50 models came out before the PX-5S did. I expect (hope? I have no inside info on this) that there will be a PX-6whatever-letter-makes-Casio-happy that will replace the PX-5S at some point, though it probably won't have internal speakers nor a music stand, which will keep some people unhappy.  :lol:

 

Did you know that the internal speakers on the CGP-700 are 40 watts? Those may not be so cheesy...

 

 

Just me spit balling here, but if the next gen PX-5S uses the same chassis as the x60 line, I would expect the music stand holder would stay. 

 

Also to clarify: There are internal speakers on the CGP-700 and then there are external speakers built into the stand. The powerful ones are in the stand -- not sure of the exact power of the onboard speakers, but if they are the same as the 360 it would be 8w + 8w.  The whole thing sounds awesome and really simulates playing an acoustic. They did a really good job with this system.

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I was at NAMM last week.  Some things to clear up.  The PX560 is NOT a PX-5s replacement.  It's a sister model in the Privia Pro line that appears designed for those who are not satisfied with the PX-5s feature set.  This shows Casio is listening.  The PX-5s replacement is still down the road.  

 

Information on the PX560?  Casio USA just saw this model for the first time last week. They had a near finished board to show at NAMM and had to roll with it. These guys have been working their tails off.  I am patient enough to wait for the details.  

 

Information on the PX360 and CGP700?  The PDF owners manuals are on Casio Intl site for all to see.  

 

The 40 watt power rating?  That's total power across 6 speakers.  2 mid plus 2 high freq drivers in the keyboard plus 2 low freq drivers housed in ported wood boxes in the stand.  I heard the system in person on the NAMM floor.  It sounded loud, clear and full through all of that noise the NAMM show is known for.  

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I was at NAMM last week.  Some things to clear up.  The PX560 is NOT a PX-5s replacement.  It's a sister model in the Privia Pro line that appears designed for those who are not satisfied with the PX-5s feature set.  This shows Casio is listening.  The PX-5s replacement is still down the road.  

 

 

I posted this in the Facebook Group but it bears repeating here: "Privia" means "private piano". This can mean a piano you can play privately, but it can also mean a "personal piano", or a piano JUST for you.  With so many different models and feature sets, Casio is letting YOU decide what is important to you instead of offering just a "one (or two) sizes fits all".  

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I wanted to share some comments Mike made on the Keyboard Corner regarding the PX-5S vs. the PX-560.

Posted by Mike Martin:


"- The piano sounds between the PX-560 and PX-5S are exactly the same.

 

- The PX-560 has 1 split point. It has 2 Upper and 2 Lower sounds and one selectable split point. It is possible to have layers that split within a single HexLayer sound but at the top level there is 1 split point.

 

- The PX-560 is still in beta stages so it does not load HexLayer sounds from the PX-5S at this time. The existing 100 HexLayer presets in the PX-560 are directly from the PX-5S and hand selected by me.

 

- The PX-560 will NOT be compatible with the Stage Settings of the PX-5S. A Stage Setting contains information for all 4 zones, the sounds within each zone, arpeggiator information and more.

 

- The PX-560 does have many new samples in it including stereo strings, acoustic guitars, drums and more. Within the HexLayer section of the PX-560 there are many more waveforms available as the PX-560 has many other tones to support the range of rhythm styles world-wide. This means that at some point the PX-560 will be capable of some HexLayer sounds that the PX-5S can not recreate. In general however as we've proven the other capabilities of the PX-5S such as its arpeggiator and phrases, not to mention the sliders and knobs for control make the PX-5S superior for synth sounds."

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Ahah so I'll take it for what the PX-560M is follows suite with the x50 series so where looking at something like that to which the PX5S also belongs to. 

Although a bit lost how to place them I was thinking marketing wise Casio changed direction cause it seemed odd that presenting the 560 took long.

And this still in beta 560 is the totally different ball game for this kind of keyboards, Makes sense to me now. If there is a change in products line why they 

just don't say so or is reluctant silence a bigger give away of new things to come. Just to let you know the net is buzzing about Casio coming up quietly with stuff that as good for pro's as for amateur or hobbyist , Just as Roland does with their new line of synth and Yamaha also changing track to meet a generation of musicians.

 

fool me once shame on you fool me twice can't put the blame on you :P  Nice marketing. 

 

I'm fond about the XW step sequencing its the one most used on the XW  tons of options and versatile sound movements. On the 360 

there is a curious new feature with the midi-recording according to the specs the 360 has 16 multi-tracks and 1 systems track, 

What is a system track would this be a complete new Midi recorder.

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Well, I hope Casio also offers a 73/76 or 61-key version of the PX-560M to somewhat replace the current WK-series...may be at 61-keys or 73/76 keys, it will make a good 2nd-tier keyboard or companion keyboard to the PX-5S :) ...assuming there'd be better "warmer" samples/patches of strings (solo and section), better-sampled guitars (acoustic: nylon & steel, electric)...

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What is a system track would this be a complete new Midi recorder.

 

In addition to notes you play on the keyboard and other performance operation data, the system track also includes a wide range of setup information for the song, including layer on/off, split on/off, tempo, auto-accompaniment settings, reverb type, etc. When you record a single-track song to recorder memory, everything is recorded to the system track. 

 

Tracks 1-16 record notes, pitch bend and pedal data and the keyboard tone settings. 

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