Bachus

If you want to join synthzone, you need to email the admin, and convince him you are not a spammer... By telling him what keyboard you own and why you like it...

in general synthzone is a nice place with many nice people...  there is a lot if good advice comming from the members when you ask questions..

the whole mz-x discussion getting out of hand was probably my mistake...  I tried to explain why these high end arrangers and synths never come witouth small bugs... Sadly it never landed how hard it is to test these instruments internally with just a few develoopers.

On 7 mei 2016 at 0:36 AM, AlenK said:

Well...I believe this is as professional as a Casio arranger will get. The PX-560 has a similar DSP structure, if I'm not mistaken. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they share some of the same core circuit boards. But two DSP effects in what is essentially a gussied-up stage piano is not as much of a problem as the same limitation on an arranger.

 

IMO Casio should do four simultaneous DSP (insert) effects on all pro keyboards going forward. The competition has been doing more in comparable function keyboards for quite some time.

If Casio ever wants to compete with the real high end market, then they will need more then this...  The new montage for example has 2 dsp/channel..  Thats a whole 32+ for the whole instrument...

there is a way however to archieve this witouth a really huge investment for Casio, integrating external computer power...  Imagine having 32 channels audio over USB(3) up and down to your PC.. Which could give every instrument near limitless access trough a PC program supporting VST effects....   I have said it before, casio has made huge steps and is very very innovative compared to the other bigger names in buiseness...  Audio over USB combined with a high end VST wrapper and onboard controll of the (vip) would set Casio ahead of all those others...

but on the current Casio i agree with you that they all seem to be build on the same architecture, and i dont think that leaves much room for expansion of dsp within their current hardware..

maybe if they release the px-7s pro, there will be signs of new hardware, who knows? Only time will tell

I agree Brad, but if i had to point out the weaker points of the Mz-x it would definately be the 2 insert effects for global use...

convincing guitars, DP, organ all require their own DSP..  And allmost every style has all 3 of these..  Leaving you very limited for your major sounds..

if they ever build a pro version of the instrument, they definately need to add more DSP,...  

So the instrument has 48 channels multitimrabilty... 3 midi in a/b/c * 16 channels...

but the way i read the manuall there are only 2 dsp insert effects, shared by all active channels...

could this be the culpit of the instrument?   Or am i missing something?  

2 hours ago, tuxfriend said:

Thomann says arrival on 13 May. There you have it. ;-)

If the MZ-X500 had 76 keys, I'd be seriously tempted. 

Make that 88 keys with aftertouch...

but then who knows, if it really is that good, having an extra key at that price is allways nice..   Tough i think i would also get a Px-5s(or its replacement) and use it as a set..

Same question here, where to view it in Holland or the border parts with Belgium and Germany?

i don think it arived in europe yet?

Seems Casio really made a lot of progression since the XW release....

espescially the interface... Of the MZ is out of this world 

(i know they are not direct competitors, bu personally i see the Mz-x 500 not as much as an arranger, but more as a worlstation with added arranger styles)

so any chance we will ever see an update of the XW series? 

Personally i am wayting till Casio comes with an 88 key workstation combining the px-5s, with the xw and mz-x

On 26 april 2016 at 7:14 PM, Scott Hamlin said:

100% agree with AlenK. While the MZ-X series has hexlayers, solo synth, and bass synth tones it lacks the step-sequencer which to me is the heart of the XW synths. I don't view the MZ's as a successor, but rather a supplement to the existing synth line. 

Only time will tell waht position the Mz-x will take, it certainly a lot of synthesizer capabillities for an arranger (which i love) . Tough i dont think it has the solo synth of the XW on board (which would be awesome if i was wrong) ...

i agree with you that it would be cool if the step sequencer would have made it too..  Also there is only one single arpeggiator if i am correct..  I would have loved to see arpeggiator parts for all keyboard parts...

please correct me if my facts are not correct, (solo synth/arpeggiator) but thats what i ubderstood so far from reading the manuall..  

Just one tip.....

never be an early addapter if you rely on a product for serieus buiseness..

so if you want a keyboard for gigs, wayt a few months till after release

keyboard producers dont have 1000's of beta testers, so they all rely on early addaptors to improve their products

I missed that one Edd, thats the same way It works in pa4x DNC voices?  

I.e. Using portamento, plays the tones witouth attack, and choosing legato on top of that, plays notes with attack, unless you play them legato and then it playes them portamento (witouth attack)

thats a very important expansion to me...   If you combine that with articulations... Pitch and modulatiion wheels, you can get very expressive..

I have detected the same attitude overhere in Holland...

something tells me they can make much more money selling a Yamaha then a Casio, because everwhere i go, all they want to sell you is branded Yamaha...

I redownloaded,mand they seem to be the same versions...

i think everyone wants Casio to add more information to the manualls, maybe this is the right place to tell casio whats still missing, so they know what the current users want to see in future manuall uodates...

On 14 april 2016 at 2:53 AM, AlenK said:

If you don't really want an arranger you might want to wait a little longer. I am hopeful that a successor to the XW-P1/G1 is next in the product cue. In the last year or so Casio has updated their entire digital piano line aside from a true successor to the PX-5S (the PX-560 isn't quite that) and most recently their arranger keyboard line (the MZ-X models of course!) The XW line is now over four years old and if Casio follows the order of previous non-home-piano introductions it's next in line. Mind you, there is probably more of an argument to be made for updating the PX-5S. The 5.3-inch touchscreen and expression pedal input are just what that product needs. 

 

What could an XW successor look like? See my post in the XW General Discussion section for my attempt at prognostication. 😊

I think the MZ-X is just as much a synth workstation as an arranger...    It might as well replace both the XW instruments as the WK arrangers...  

I think the formfactor of the MZ-X promisses to be the right base for future instruments...  A high end synth workstation with added solo synth(s) and more arpegiators could be a first step.... Maybe even a high end piano workstation based on this concept... High end casio piano sounds, solo synth, arpeggiator options for every voice, step sequencer....  If they combine this with an integrated version of akai VIP, 8 encoders, and audio over USB for ultimate VST integration...  It would blow everything on the market out of the water...

to me MZ-X shows how an integrated arranger in a synth workstation can be a perfect part for creating EDM, fusion as well as classical music and other performances...  It shows it is okay to have added arranger finctionallity in an inuitive workstation... The Mz-x is a workstation from which the arranger is just a part..