krunchr

Here in Germany, the CT-S1000V doesn't cost very much less than a PSR-SX600, which is in a higher league in every way, but is also a very clunky device and its complexity (at least if you haven't gotten into it yet) doesn't make it as much fun as the Casio. The SX600 is class-compliant for audio and MIDI, so you can seamlessly expand it with an iPhone or iPad and a few synth apps. I'm pretty sure that sooner or later (more likely sooner) there will be iPad apps with similar functionality of the Vocal Synth. It already exists as a VST for Mac and PC, even as freeware. Time will tell ...

I solved the problem of missing MIDI ports with an old Raspberry Pi I still had in the drawer. I followed the steps described in the link below exactly. This solution has the advantage over the commercial MIDI host adapters that you can also let USB MIDI devices (without MIDI DIN connectors) talk to each other. https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=19736

I don't expect to be able to edit or create rhythms in detail. In multitimbral sound generators, the level of the single parts is an essential parameter. This has nothing to do with optimization, but rather with adaptation to one's own listening habits and/or the current musical context. From this point of view, a rhythm cannot be optimized at all. I almost always mute individual parts of styles/rhythms or reduce the volume of certain parts. This often reduces the cheesy character of a typical accompaniment. No, not DSP effect parameters. I actually meant the Casio's few sound parameters like envelopes, modulation, effect send etc. See pages EN-94 / EN-95. Thank you for the very helpful link. This does not solve my basic problem with the rhythm part levels, but expands my choice of available styles. The analog chorus effect of an early 80's synthesizer is hard to compare to the capabilities of a current digital keyboard 😉. When I work with delay effects, for example, I want to have access to at least the delay time and feedback. That's really not too much to ask in the context of any delay fx. Anyway, thanks for your time to answer my questions so detailed.

Thanks to all for your feedback. The CT-S1000V does indeed recall the special charm of Casio keyboards from the early 80s. It's a great toy -- in a positive sense. Despite my criticisms, the new Casio is a great product. I like the design, the weight, the compact dimensions, the battery compartment and even the built-in speakers. I still would have liked to see a little "deeper" editing. Not much, just a little. 😉

I own the CT-S1000V since yesterday. My first impression (appearance, workmanship, sound) was very positive. But the more I look into the details, the more disappointed I am. This is mainly due to the following points: 1.) I have not yet found a way to adjust the volume of the individual parts of a rhythm. Apparently you can't even mute them. 2.) Did I understand the manual correctly that I have to assign a sound parameter (e.g. Reverb Send) to a knob before I can change the parameter's value? This is extremely cumbersome, even with a manageable number of parameters. Why can't I do sound editing via the menu? 3.) How do I create/modify rhythms? I know that this isn't possible directly on the keyboard and I can live with that. But since there are memory locations for user rhythms, I'm wondering which way to get alternative styles. Is there a software I can use to create/modify rhythms? 4.) Do I understand correctly that the (system-wide) send effects are not editable, but can only be used as presets without any parameters? Disclaimer: I know that the CT-S1000V is not placed as a professional arranger keyboard, it's more of a crazy fun keyboard for home use. I'm also not asking for deep editing capabilities. But the above mentioned points should be self-evident even for simpler keyboards.