vbdx66

Interesting stuff indeed. Some time after I got my CT-X800, my late husband, while observing myself fooling around with the keyboard, made a reflexion upon the fact that since these cheap keyboards were aimed at beginners, people would probably never even use one tenth of the functionalities, sounds, patterns etc., available to them. At least in this forum, people are trying to push these machines beyond their possibilities! This is rather cool.

This whole topic is really interesting. The panning of the tones is really a great feature of the program. A long time ago I had a Yamaha PSR E433 and I was using panning all the time in my tracks in a way to position the acoustic instruments like in a real orchestra. Panning is also nice when you’re layering synth tones to create your own patches. Or, if you hard pan the same synth tones with different values but keep all the other parameters and store the different panning values in, let’s say, four regs, you could use that to move your sounds quickly in the stereo space during your performance (in a way to mimic the action of control knobs). By the way, will the trick of changing the auto harmonise voice also work for the CT-X700/800/CDP-S350? I already use auto harmonise to create some synth patches and it would be even more savoury if we were able to choose the auto harmony tone (this would be a workaround to layer three tones). A nice feature of the PSR E4xx line of keyboards is that you can work on the envelop of the tones, modifying parameters such as attack, decay, sustain and release. Would there any way of implementing this in the editor? Also, one of the arpeggiator patterns triggers a nice filter. I am dreaming out aloud here, but would there be any mean of triggering this filter without triggering the arp pattern? This is the same arp pattern as the first one, so maybe there is a way to separate the filter from the pattern, so to say. Vinciane

Hi, this is roughly what I did two years ago. I bought the CT-X3000, felt overwhelmed by the user interface although I loved its sounds and rhythms, so I sent it back and ordered the CT-X800 some time later (in the meantime, I also tried the Yamaha PSR E463, which is very user-friendly but its sounds are pale in comparison with the CT-X range). I wished that the CT-X keyboards had the control Knobs of the PSR E463 and its integrated digital midi and audio interface, though. This offers so much flexibility. From a recent teaser video I think that there will be more Casiotones coming out this year, including one with knobs and buttons to control the sounds. This looks really promising. Vinciane

If you are on a budget and you like the CT-X700 you might look at the CT-S400. Same sounds and accompaniments as the CT-X700 but it has a pitchbend wheel, a basic mixer (you can adjust the volume and panning of the tones in the internal 6-tracks recorder), a better, less clunky user interface than the CT-X range and, if I understood correctly, an improved keybed. It also takes less place, which might be convenient for a desktop use with a DAW. The only drawback is that you’ll have to wait a few weeks until it hits the shelves.

Thanks for helping. This business is a bit confusing and I have other, more important problems to solve. I hope that the spare parts will eventually arrive. I called Nikken today and they said it was a matter of 2 to 3 weeks. I hope that they will be able to fix the keyboard. This has been lasting for so long that I can afford to wait for a couple of weeks more.

@CasiofunThank you so much. Where did you find the above address? Is it right if I address my letter to « Casio »? As for Nikken of course I know them, this is were I sent my keyboard for repair.

Thanks 🙏 I’ll try this if/when I get my CT-X800 back.

Hi @Chandler Hollowaywill this very useful workaround work with the CT-X700/800 (exclusive of the fills of course)? The subject just popped up on a YouTube thread and someone asked if this could also be done with the CT-S400 because this is super useful. Unfortunately I cannot test this right now because my poor CT-X800 has been in the repair shop for one month and a half.

Hi guys here is a short update: Still no news from my keyboard, it has been in the repair facility for a month and a half now. Since my CT-X800 was taken under the warranty scheme, I’d like to know whether I am entitled either to get a new keyboard or a refund from Casio if they’re unable to repair my faulty keyboard. N.B.: I am located in France. Nikken, the official local Casio keyboards repair facility, told me they contacted Casio and communicated my request to them, but since then I have got no news whatsoever either from Nikken or from Casio. Any clues about what I should do? I don’t have any keyboard for the time being and I’d like either to get my CT-X800 repaired or replaced, or else to get a refund from Casio which would enable me to buy another keyboard (which I cannot afford for the time being). Is there a contact address in France to which I could send an official complaint letter to Casio? Thanks for helping, Vinciane

Thanks Joe and Brad. I was busy with other endeavors so now I'll take time to view the live event.

Hi everybody, I stumbled on his video of Jeremy See demonstrating the CT-S400 and LK450: Quite impressive, but how come Jeremy is releasing this video while these keyboards were due somewhere in late May or June? I am surprised that this video came out as there isn’t any official demonstration from Casio, apparently. @Brad Saucier @Mike Martin Any clues about this? Great demonstration anyway, and the CT-S400 seems to be very good value for money (depending on the street price of course). I am more dubious about the LK450. It is a pity that some of the sophisticated functions from the CT-S400 were removed, such as the 32 reg banks or the pitchbend wheel. While it is more meant for beginners, it is probable that the whole family will play it, including the more tech-savoury members. Can’t wait for @Chandler Holloway to get his hands on the CT-S400 and tells us what he feels about it as compared with the CT-X700/800, featurewise (the UI seems to have been redesigned from the ground up) and as far as the keybed is concerned (in my case at least, the keybed of the CT-X800 has been a great disappointment). Vinciane

Under water you can’t hear the noise made by the keys... this could be the solution 😜🤓

Interesting. If I may ask, what made you get a Yamaha PSR E363 after having had a PSR S670? And after that, having a PSR E453 for the second time? Mind you, I had a PSR E433 twice and I am seriously contemplating buying an used one for the third time if I find one for a reasonable price. Nice sounds, best keybed ever. I had a CT-X3000 for a couple of weeks in 2018 and loved its rhythms and sounds but sent it back becaus the UI was so complicated. I then bought a CT-X800 but honestly, the keybed is a disaster. The keyboard is now in the repair shop under the warranty scheme and they’ve been keeping it for one month and a half... if this lasts longer, I’d like to get an exchange or a refund. I might buy the CT-S400 later this spring if the keybed is better. Or else, I’ll wait for the PSR E473 to come out later this year..

Nice little animation 😜

Hi @pqueninCongratulations for your new purchase. When you’ll be more familiarised with the CT-X3000, could you please tell us what you like and dislike about it as compared with the Yamaha PSR S670? I am curious. Thanks. vbdx66

I don’t agree. If Yamaha wins clearly over Casio IMHO it is in durability. I never had an issue with my PSR E433 during the few years that I owned it whereas I had key issues with the CT-X800 after one month. It is in the repair shop for the second time under the warranty scheme and it has been there for one month and a half which means that I cannot play it. For me, the quality of the keybed is the second most important characteristic of a keyboard after the sound quality. The sound quality of the AiX chip is great but the keybed of the CT-X800 is subpar. I don’t want to play with headphones at all times (if you tach a kid or play for family and friends what are you supposed to do?) and on my keyboard it is not only a keybed issue, some sounds are distorted (a sensor issue maybe?). I strongly hope that the CT-S400 will solve all the issues of the CT-X range. If this is not the case I’ll probably wait for the Yamaha PSR E473 to hit the shelves.

The WK-7600 is a bit outdated but okay. If I were you I’d wait for the announcement of the new Casiotones, though. The CT-S400 will be a revamped CT-X800 with a better UI. There will be more models to come during the year... maybe a revamped CT-X5000, too.

Hi Alex this style is very nice and this would be great to have it on Casio. I don’t agree that it is best to use GM sounds. Actually I bought the CT-X800 esp. because I think that the rhythms sound so much better with the AiX sounds.

Interesting indeed. In Yamaha styles there is an undocumented part called CASM (no clue about what the acronym means) about which not much is known. It seems that likewise, Casio AC7 rhythms must have an “hidden” part to which we don’t have access, Casio most probably have a proprietary editor handling DSPs and other features we don’t have access to with an “ordinary” AC7 editor.

This thing is just incredible and your track is very nice. Please do some more 😉🙏

Hi John, thanks for your kind words. No news yet from the CT-X800. I’ll ask the repair shop for an update by the end of this week. Vinciane

Hi guys, So I sent the keyboard for repair on March 12 and contacted the repair shop yesterday to ask for some news. Here is what they answered me in an email today (translated from French): “Hello, After a period of observation and testing in order to identify the problem, we ordered parts from the manufacturer at the end of last week. Upon receipt of these, we will repair your keyboard. We are at your disposal for any further information. Best regards,” So I hope that this second time round and after two years, they will eventually be able to repair my keyboard! I have asked them to give me a description of the method they will use to fix it. Vinciane

@mrmr9494Thanks for your concern. The disease declared itself about 10 days ago and I am beginning slowly to see the light, so to speak. 😎 As for the DSPs, I am pretty sure they can be accessed, even though this is not documented. My reasons to think so are twofold: 1) I noticed that when you play a tone with a DSP applied to it then move to the next tone with the “+” sign while the first tone is still playing, the keyboard switches to the next tone but the DSP from the first is applied until the notes which were played before the change of tone finish to decay. 2) It seems that the AiX chip is the same for the whole CT-X range (and the CDP-S350), so the problem of not having access to the DSPs is simply a question of “seeing” them one way or another. I am pretty sure Syssex could accommodate this. It would also be interesting to figure out if the rhythms do use some DSPs - this could give a workaround to control the DSPs since the CT-X700/800 can accommodate new rhythms. I am sure the Freeze functions might help, too, since it gives the possibility to change only some parameters while the others remain frozen. Also, if,the rhythms can control DSP, then it is pretty sure that this is through Sysex, since rhythms are basically MIDI files. Which is exactly the way of controlling Delay in the CT-X700/800 rhythms? Does it involve AC7 or RBK files? Vinciane

Hi @Chandler Holloway and @mrmr9494 I couldn’t follow this topic from the beginning because 1) my CT-X800 is still away for repair so I cannot experiment for the time being and 2) on top of that I caught Covid19 but fortunately it is getting better now (pfeew). Gret job done! One of my greatest frustrations with the CT-X800 (together with its fragile keybed) was the impossibility to adjust the volume of R1, R2 and L voices. It is also a pity that the Chordana app doesn’t work with the CT-X700/800 when it works seamlessly with the CDP-S350. So the fact that it is indeed possible to send Syssex messages to the keyboard using RBK files as a workaround is really great news. It is already nice to be able to balance the various voices, and also to add some reverb or delay (I didn’t understand if it is to the rhythms or to the tones by the way?). I am wondering to which extent the CT-X700/800 parameters can be tweaked using RBK files. Since some tones have DSP applied to them, it would be interesting to check whether some of those can be tweaked through RBK files. Since the DSP are pre-set and not tweakable on the CT-X700/800, a question I have been asking to myself is whether the CT-X800 has a fully-fledged DSP unit but no function menu to access it from the front panel. If this is the case, it could probably be possible to add some effects to tones using RBK... I am thinking e.g. of adding a Leslie to an organ, a Flanger to a lead synth or a distorsion effect to a guitar, to name but a few. Right from the beginning, I am convinced that what the CT-X range in general and the CT-X700/800 in particular needs is a computer-based editor, like in the golden times of the Yamaha DX7 and Korg M1. Take care of yourself guys, Vinciane

@roncist Thanks for your kind words. The Black Forest is beautiful indeed. A very long time ago I staid for a couple of weeks in Schopfheim and with my husband we halted once in Passau when travelling back from Wien to Brussels.