B. J. Love

File Name: BJz Rhodes File Submitter: playzkeyz File Submitted: 09 Sep 2013 File Category: PX-5S Stage Settings A working man's Rhodes based on the "New Roadz" Stage Setting. Stereo vibrato is created by the LFO, depth is assigned to the Mod Wheel, rate to Slider #1. Delay time is sync'd to Tempo and assigned to Slider #2. Slider #3 is assigned to Volume CC #07, used to layer Concert Strings on Zone #2. At default, Zone #2 is enabled but the volume is set to 0. There is a Warm Pad assigned to Zone #3 and a Sweep Pad to Zone #4. When enabled, these Zones are also controlled by Slider #3. Another feature of the SS is that the severe panning in the Concert Strings has been tamed. Low strings are still on the right and high on the left in opposition to the piano, just less extreme. Standard Chorus, Delay, and Reverb settings on Sliders 4, 5, 6. Knobs are standard master EQ settings. NOTE: The first upload was an earlier working version and had the wrong sounds on Zones 3 & 4 - fixed. (Thanks Mike) Click here to download this file

That worked. Thanks, happyrat 1. I uploaded it to the "OTHER" section of the DOWNLOADS area - same as Scott's original text file.

File Name: PX-5S Stage Settings List File Submitter: playzkeyz File Submitted: 07 Sep 2013 File Category: PX-5S Other Scott Hamlin's text list of original factory Stage Settings in Microsoft Excel format. Click here to download this file

I converted Scott's factory Stage Settings list to Excel and posted it on the PX-5S Facebook page. I tried to post it here but the file format is not allowed - probably fear of Macro viruses. No Macros in the file - just a simple, easily modified, formatted list. It was created on a Mac but should work for Windows too.

No David, the panning won't affect you at all - as long as you use the L/MONO output. The Left and Right signals are summed there. And yes, please upload your new strings!

I often use a piano/string layer too. I didn't need to fool with the amp envelopes as much because I use an expression pedal with a Midi Solutions Pedal Controller to fade the strings in and out. I tried all the stings in the PX-5S before settling on ConcertStrigs because I like the basic character of the sound and because it's a Hex Layer Tone so it's quick to change to one of the Hex Layer pads with a couple of button presses. The main edit I did to the patch was to tame the panning somewhat. At default, the lower strings are panned right and higher strings are panned left - in opposition to the piano. It's a very cool effect when you first hear it but grows kind of tiresome after a while. There are 6 degrees of panning used from hard left to hard right. I halved all the positioning so instead of +64 to -64 at the extremes, I have +32 to -32. The effect is still there, still cool, just not as pronounced and gimmicky, and blends better with the piano. Many times I'll blend in the Warm Pad to fatten things up a little or the GM Sweep Pad to give them a little more life.

Sharpie Extra Fine Oil-based Paint Marker #1875034

Here's mine. I've had the PX5S for about a month now. I'm not ambitious enough to write a full review but here's a few impressions based on my experience. For context, I play live mostly in one of two distinct situations - as the keyboard player in a fairly loose 6-member blues band and as a solo vocalist/pianist playing material exclusively from "the great American songbook." (Gershwins, Porter, Rodgers & Hart, et al). In the blues band, it's about 75 or 80% organ - Hammond SK1. The other 20-25% is, as you'd expect, mainly piano or Wurli with a tiny bit of Rhodes and clav. The solo act uses a keyboard split about 90% of the time - acoustic bass, sometimes with the ride, and acoustic piano, shifted 1 octave down. I have strings layered with the piano, controlled by an expression pedal to fade in as needed. So - pretty conventional stuff and nothing that would take advantage of the more extensive synthesis and arpeggiator features of the instrument. One more "context" note: The PX5S replaced a Privia PX-330 in my rig so a lot of my first impressions are based on how well or poorly it fared in that context. Pros and Cons in no particular order. PROS: Useable Rhodes and Wurli sounds. The 330 had a perfectly useable acoustic piano, both stereo and mono, but the Rhodes sound just wasn't even close and while the Wurli was really pretty good, it was sabotaged by a vibrato that was ever-present, set at an arbitrary depth, unrealistically slow, and couldn't be controlled at all from the instrument. (Contrary to popular belief, the vibrato is not in the sample, but is a DSP effect that can be controlled, both rate and depth, via midi CC #16 & #17. Adjustments can be made in real time but cannot be saved.) The PX5S sounds like the same Wurli sample, and while it could use a little more bark, the EQ, amp models, and ability to control and save the rate and depth of the vibrato are huge improvements. The Rhodes, on the other hand, is simply much better overall. The ability of the EQ to help dial in your preferred Rhodes sound can't be overstated. I was astonished at how profoundly this simple effect altered the basic sound. Again, combined with the Layer 5 key noise, amp models and other effects, this is one fine sounding Rhodes. I only found the extreme velocities lacking: that out-of-control "thwuuuaaaanngg" that I used to hate so much when I'd unintentionally trigger it on a real Rhodes. It's not a sound I use often, but I miss it when it's not available when I really spank it. The keybed. For some reason, I didn't expect a huge difference between the 5S and 330. I was wrong. The textured keys just felt weird at first, now I love 'em. The action took some getting used to and like some other folks have written, I suffered some soreness in my arthritic hands and fingers at first. Now, a month later, I love it too. I think it's my favorite weighted action of all time. The Acoustic Piano. Again, just a much bigger improvement over the 330 than I was expecting. I've used the original ConcertGrand in my solo act and a slight variation on Jim Alfredson's EQ'd Grand for the blues band. Both sound great. The computer editor (Mac). Invaluable. Butt-ugly, but invaluable. Editing on the computer screen really helped me grock the whole Tone/Stage Setting architecture and now it's much quicker and easier to do simple tweaks on the keyboard itself. Much improved controller features. Knobs, sliders, pitch bend and mod wheels. All very welcome additions. (I never did understand the logic of offering a pitch bend but no mod wheel.) HOWEVER…. CONS: The pedal implementation still sucks. Big time. Suckage. Let me count the ways. No sweep pedal input. That means no expression pedal for your organ, no real control over your wah, no fading in strings or pads, no volume pedal for your EPs. And sorry Mike, your cute pre-programmed attack delay fade-in and pseudo-wah control doesn't count. A switch is not a sweep - no matter what it's switching. Likewise, it ought to be a crime to include such wonderful half-pedaling implementation and have absolutely no way to access it from the instrument itself - not even from your own Casio proprietary hardware. "Geez, your piano sounds fantastic and the keybed feels terrific. Does it support half-pedaling?" "Yup, and it's great! Very responsive. You just have to trigger it from something else." Huh? This is a particular pet peeve of mine but I know I'm not alone. I've bought just about every midi gizmo known to man over the years to add simple control features to digital pianos: Oberheim Systemizer, Yamaha MCS2, Anatek Pocket Pedal & Pocket Mapper, G-Media Phat Boy, Digidesign MC-2, Midi Solutions Velocity Converter & Pedal Controllers. Thankfully, most of this stuff can go back to ebay from whence it came. But not the two Midi Solutions Pedal Controllers; nope, I still need them if I simply want to fade in some strings on a ballad or access the half-pedaling. And they can only be programmed to control one parameter at a time via sys ex. I need a separate pedal for volume. (This, I'm running in line) If I want to control the wah, another pedal and another MS Pedal Controller. I have to use two damper pedals - one for half-pedaling the piano and the other to sustain layers on more than one channel. (my older Pedal Controller only controls one channel at a time) Sucks. No MONO Mode. This one really baffles me. Why not? Requires no additional hardware and I would think, not much more than a line or two of code to provide a feature that's been around since the dawn of MIDI. I don't play many synth leads these days, but I'd sure miss it if I did. In my situation, I really miss it playing left hand bass. My split stage settings have the damper pedal disabled on the bass channel and while this helps keep things clean down there, I'd much prefer keeping the pedal active and running the bass in mono mode - just as clean and much smoother. PHYSICALLY: The white color is sure pretty coming out of the box. But you're going to have to tell your spouse you bought one. There's no way it's just going to blend in with whatever else is set up in your studio. She/he's going to notice. Love the big, black, rubber put-something-here space in the upper right. I've used it for a drum machine in the solo act and a small mixer with the band. Besides better pedal inputs, I would like to have seen a few assignable buttons and dedicated split, layer, and transpose buttons. LASTLY: Overall, I love the PX-5S. Following shoulder surgery two years ago and approaching my dotage, I've completely revamped my rig looking for lighter, smaller, easier while maintaining superior sound. With the purchase of the SK1, I'm convinced I've found my last Hammond. Now I think I may have found my last digital piano - unless the PX-7S gets its pedals right!