DeltaJockey

Thanks very much for doing that Mike. I guess it's saved me upgrading for that reason. Perhaps down the track I might purchase one for the other reasons. Interestingly I downloaded the user manual with the MIDI implementation chart for the 3100, and noticed a slight difference in the the description of release velocity. For the 3000, it says....yes transmitted 1 to 127, which is obviously a misprint. In the 3100 manual, the description states yes transmitted, 64. Transmitting a fixed 64 is normally equal to a no. Subtle wording in my view! As the yes is a circle, it would be easy to miss this if you were scanning quickly. Anyway thanks, at least it's settled for me now🙂

thank you soo much Mike! Sorry to make such a big deal of it, but as a pianist using detailed vst's it is something that is important to me 🙂

thanks to both of you for your replies. I am left confused, as I know they are only recently released, however there are several people on this forum asking questions about theirs, which when I saw the threads, guessed there were people who already had them. Certainly some of our music stores in Australia have listed them in stock since before Christmas! Are they being overly optimistic? Jokeyman, I have the capability to monitor MIDI messages, which is why I discovered my 3000 didn't transmit release velocity originally. I'm not willing to risk updating to a 3100, unless I can confirm this is functional, as it provides no extra advantage for all the extra cost. Which is why I'm asking, as I don't have one to test. I get the feeling it's like the elephant in the room with Casio, as my several queries previously with my 3000 has Casio very silent on the issue. I just want to know, one way or the other. As the midi implementation for the 3000 states it does transmit release velocity. So I can't just look at the specs for the 3100 and trust this is correct. It's turning a simple query into a big discussion. I'm thinking it's just not worth the risk, and would be best to assume the answer is no.

So I guess after 6 weeks, and no replies, 😞 all the owners of these new boards must use them standalone and not have them connected to a DAW of any sort....or....no one's interested in commenting! Pity

Hi all, I was just wondering if any recent owners of these updated models could confirm with me whether they actually transmit release velocity externally now. As many know, despite the 1000/3000 midi implementation stating that they do, this is not the case, and it just outputs a constant value of 64. I originally bought my 3000 to include as a controller for vst pianos, so release vel is important to me, and one of the reasons I opted for the PXS. (My old 5S did have it). I had no way of knowing beforehand that this was not the case, and was very disappointed. As I have other keyboards, I to tend not to use the Casio as much now for piano, but if the updated models do support it now, I might consider upgrading. I just need to know that the output into a DAW produces the variable release parameters.

There seems to be quite a bit of disconnect between threads obviously. I mentioned to Pax that the SP34 works as a 3 state half damper. Pax you must not have seen my reply, as I never got any reply from you. You were concerned about buying an SP34 in case it didn't work. I would strongly suggest buying one which frees up the individual expression for just that. You won't regret it! Sorry...but unfortunately my only language is English, it would sometimes seem around here that I'm speaking jibberish 🙂

And to add, the pedal messages work with local on to the internal engine simultaneously with the midi output!

Hi Pax, My SP-34 transmits all 3 pedal functions out of my PXS3000 via usb by default. (Which I think is the default for every mid board I've ever owned.) I use it mainly on vst's, but any midi hardware connected or passed through from the DAW software will respond to the messages from the SP-34. The sustain function gives half pedal info ie (cc64) 0-64-127 The soft and sostenuto pedals both output cc66 and cc67 respectively 0-127. Definitely worth having this triple pedal in my opinion

I've owned the PX5S and I donated my PX560 to my granddaughter. I personally like the feel of the PXS3000 keybed more than the older ones. I used to get a bit put off by the wobbly looseness of the keys when playing them. Also I think I like the 3000 because the keys being a bit lighter with the shorter fulcrum, and though I do play a lot of piano, as a controller I find the lightness lends to be a better compromise for articulating other instrument sounds. I do own a range of keyboards and an acoustic grand, and they all have their individual attractions. No one keyboard is the answer to all my applications. Of course that is my personal preference only, and I can see why many people prefer the 5S/560 keys These days with so many peripheral controller options for other vst parameters, I don't think not having enough knobs and sliders on a keyboard is such an issue. To me the keybed is the first priority, then you can sort out the rest as an extra anyway.

oops sorry, you said 1000, everything I said applies except the knobs on the left, which is on my 3000 only

I use a PXS3000 as a portable weighted controller for vst's. Though it doesn't have much in the way of external controls, the keyboard is excellent as a high res midi keyboard input. I tend to use the onscreen functions on the software mostly anyway, so lack of extra controllers doesn't bother me, as long as I have the 88 keys. The 2 knobs on the left are assignable though, so you can use them.

This is something I discovered too, which disappoints me. The MIDI implementation states that it transmits 0-127, but I can only get a constant 64 out of it. Using my PX S3000 as primarily a piano controller, release velocity is bread and butter for all my vst pianos' action samples and damper release nuances. I know for most people, it simply isn't an issue, but for me....for piano especially, it's important to me

Actually, when I use my PX as a controller for vst's I don't bother turning the local off, I have a registration which has the keyboard volumes all turned down to save me menu diving between internal and external sounds. When setup for portability, I use the audio in for my vst audio from the computer and control it with the PX main volume. It all works well, and I don't have any issues with latency. In fact the PX makes a particularly good controller with it's hi res MIDI out!

David, yes. Maybe it's an Australian distributor thing but it is a black thin plastic fabricy kind of cover. It is shaped squarely so slides straight over the keyboard to the bottom edges. I do have a few of those Casio stretchy ones I bought separately and use them on my other keyboards, but they are a bit big for the S3000. I remember getting the same light plastic fitting one with my PX560 way back when I had it. They are waterproof and dust proof, unlike the stretchy ones!

I assume people aren't using the dust cover which came with the PX. Though very light in construction, I find it is dustproof and fits my PXS3000 like a glove.

This seems to be an occasional complaint by owners of any brand of digital piano. My impression when listening to your video, it sounds like you are triggering the higher velocity samples of each note which will sound harsher with more artifacts. Is your keybed velocity curve set too light? What happens if you play those same notes very softly? If I hit the keys on my real acoustic grand in certain hard or clumsy ways, I can generate all sorts of overtones and artifacts. That's the skill of a good pianist on a well regulated action, to caress the keys in such a way that the hammers give a clean strike, with skillful application of the damper. This is all done for you on a digital piano! I often don't like the sampled pianos which have been tuned and recorded with such precision, that they sound clinical and sterile, they really miss the organic reality to me. I even need to play a digital piano with all the action release samples turned up high so I feel at home. Digital piano samples with real artifacts when striking the keys with high velocity like this appeal to my sense of authenticity, and remind me to play with skill and gentle grace like on my acoustic.

Hi David, to me this key weight thing is a non issue. It just highlights how everyone has such different viewpoints about what is important to them, and how they think things "should" be. It also brings home the fact that the only way to make your own choice is on trying it out for yourself. I mentioned in my first post that I thought he was taking the keyboard feel a bit too seriously. With the other keys I own, costing many more times that of the S3000, if I go looking, there are historically just as many negative opinions on those as well! Social media can potentially do such a disservice to any topic that is posted. The wisdom is to see through the motives and realise the difference in views, and extract what is important to yourself. Had I seen his youtube review before purchasing my S3000, it would have made no difference whatsoever to my decision for these reasons, and what is important to most happy S3000 owners, is quite different to the reviewer's priorities. I've never bought a piece of sound or music equipment purely from someone else opinion...yes I have taken on board their comments, and filtered the context of their comments, but in the end to me, only buying a keyboard from others recommendation, would be like buying a pair of shoes without trying them on!

I've tried a couple of configurations that work quite well, I have a pair of iLoud micromonitors which sound pretty amazing for their size, (with the internal speakers off), and they keep it within the portability realm for me, which is one of my main reasons for having this board. Barely not much more than the keyboard itself, and they pack in the carry bag too! Secondly, I hooked up a small KRK subwoofer, with the internal speakers. Not intended for the road, but do-able. That gives me the low end, and some power, so the internals act as midrange/ tweeters and I retain the nice stereo sound field when in 3D. I have used it with both, and no internals.....Sub and micromonitors, absolutely spectacular and powerful sound in a small footprint.😆 Chris

I quite agree Joe, My point in that comment was that I was reading that people are making comments without actually trying it for themselves, based on technicalities someone else has provided, that they say make it a deal breaker. It's their loss as I'm sure if those people tried it they would come to their own positive conclusions, just as all the famous people you mention have said.

Sounds a bit like a storm in a teacup😁 I wouldn't worry too much about it. I see he mentions he's been playing piano for about 14 years, and with his experience he noticed the problem. He also references the issue to a well regulated acoustic action. Trouble is, in order to be a well rounded pianist, you have to have the experience handling most actions that are not recently well regulated, and often vary differently from piano to piano, with sometimes random keys on a given keybed perceptively different to each other. As I mentioned in my own thread, I find great value in playing a range of actions, and like many of us, have no problem if the 3000 action has any inconsistency. For all we know, this may be part of the smart scaling feature, as there is a lot of merit in the psycho acoustic feedback tricking your brain into what the hands are feeling.😀 Though I don't consider myself a particularly accomplished player, I have been playing keys for about 56 years. I think it's a bit sad the people on youtube have left comments about reconsidering even buying one now, over a technicality, that may only have relevance to a small minority.

Hi Shep, thanks for your reply. I think we have had some brief conversations in the past, as I remember you from being up the Tweed🙂 I hadn't originally planned to buy the S3000 for a little while longer, but having been impacted personally by the bushfires, and almost losing my home, I decided to bring it forward as an indulgence of "comfort", and to give me a decent keybed to play on the road, if I was forced to evacuate my home again with the bare minimum essentials. I know much of our recent circumstance began up your way late last year, only to make it's way down south to my region. My music is an existential part of my life, and single handedly trying to choose which heavy keyboard I didn't want most to lose and pack into the car was agonising, so the S3000 will fill that hole wonderfully.😄 Between the S3000 and my laptop, I feel I have most of my music creation ability covered! Chris

Hi everyone, I've been away from this forum for some time, as I sold my PX5S and donated my 560 to my granddaughter to encourage her to learn music. I've just bought an S3000 a couple of weeks ago, and wanted to share my impression of it relative to my experience with the previous and my other current boards. It was the promise of a good playing experience in such a compact unit that attracted me to it. I am not disappointed! As much as I liked the weighting and response of the 5S keyboard (and 560), it was the rattly sloppiness that finally got to me. A pity.....but I have to say, the new PXS keys are such a hoot to play. I was again looking for a weighted key for portability. I use a number of boards at home, Kronos RH3, Montage Balanced Hammer Action and Kawai Real Hammer Action in an MP11SE. Next to the Kawai, I like the Casio action a close second. I also play a Kawai Acoustic Grand. Does the Casio feel close to my grand action? absolutely not......... does it feel an expressive and great weighted action for playing piano?...most definitely! I was motivated to write my post after watching James recent review, and was interested in his perspective as a pianist. It highlighted how there is such a difference of views between pianists on such matters, as I felt he was probably taking the authenticity of the keybed a little too seriously. But that's the value of diverse opinions and experiences, and playing styles. I personally find great value in playing on a variety of keybed actions, it seems to exercise my muscle memory like exposing the immune system to a variety of pathogens 🙂 If I play piano on an unweighted action, it seems to improve my playing on my favourite weighted action. This is why I don't have a problem with the short key pivot. Sure it doesn't have the more realistic balance of my acoustic or my MP11SE with longer keysticks, but Casio have done a wonderful job in designing the counter balance for a good response in any case. (And at least my finger strength seems to be able cope with the push close to the pivot). I did buy the S3000 also to use as a controller, and I notice there was some discussion about the smart scaled action, and whether it applies to MIDI out. I see there's been no definitive answer on this, and from my playing around with piano vst's, and deducing how it might be applied to the inbuilt tones, I'm guessing the answer is no, that it is a dynamic sensing of the key motion tightly applied to the Casio samples and software. In any case, I feel the 2 sensor keybed is still very responsive externally. This has been my experience in the past that, a well desinged 2 sensor keybed can still perform better than a not so well designed 3 sensor action. A few other observations about the S3000. The longer sustain samples which are being talked about....correct me if I'm wrong, but I can here the looping points, even when sustaining a triad. It is noticeable to me, but fortunately not something to be doing much in the average playing. The pianos are terrific though. There's often a lot of talk about the quality of the actual piano samples per se, but to me, it is so much more than that. The whole ambience needs to be captured, Casio have done an amazing job imaging the sound field. Certainly makes the imagination work easier when visualising sitting in front of the acoustic grand. The high notes have than realistic hammer knock, and the bass even has evidence of the stretch tuning, when playing octaves. This appeals to me, because many digital piano samples are so tightly tuned to concert perfection, that they sound quite sterile, which for most pianos, in everyday use don't stay that way for long. I find the Casio pianos sound like they have been tuned in a way to give them a bit of character like they have been tuned to everyday use rather than one night's concert or a recording session! Just some other impressions. The ivory touch keytops, are ok, not my favourite, but I don't mind them. (I like the matt finish tops best, but there are very few keybeds which have that). The S3000 keys actually feel more like a vinyl texture, rather than ivory. I've wondered though, in the past how long that texture will take to wear down a bit to shiny spots in the high contact areas. My 5S was starting to show signs of that after a couple of years. Well that's my general impressions so far, very very subjective of course. But overall, this keyboard is an absolute gem, it's not perfect, but it provides an amazing piano playing experience in such a portable unit, and it really pushes my buttons! Sorry for the long rant😀 Chris

Thanks for the quick response Scott! that's good to know. I've always looked after my keybeds, and I do play with washed and clean hands...always. Just can't stand the feel of dusty or grimy keys under my fingers! Obviously the plastic construction of the keys are of a high quality hard material, as anything less would probably not last. (Think about a well worn computer mouse as an example). Chris

Hi all, I've not had my PX5S for all that long, but as I really love it.... I do plan to :-) I was wondering if those of you who've now owned it for a number of years, could tell me if you've noticed whether the ivory and ebony texture on the keys have worn to shiny smooth spots where the fingers have made contact. Not that it's really anything that bothers me, it just occurred to me that by the nature of the surface, it would show this type of wear eventually? I've not had a textured keyboard long enough to date, to have this happen, and my other keyboards have the standard shiny plastic surface, so not the same. Anyway, just curious!

I agree with what has been said too. I have owned a PX5S for some time, and was so impressed with it, that I bought the PX560 recently as I like the touch screen and the built in speakers to use as a freestanding instrument. I also own a Roland JP80, and agree the the Privia piano is much better in my opinion. I also own a Korg Kronos, which to my taste has the best piano of all, but to me the Casio piano is the next best thing, when I don't have my Kronos with me. I had historically held the feeling too that Casio were products dominating the low end of the market mostly, but then discovered the Privias, and I have as much respect for these as the so called "other professional" gear. I am very happy to advertise that the Privias are in the same professional category as Roland, Korg, Yamaha! To own a Digital Piano\Synth which has so much functionality, quality of sound and fantastic weighted action in such a lightweight instrument is where Casio in my view are ahead of the rest, and there seems to be no equivalent if you rate it by that combination of attributes.