Allanon

Hi @Randelph , this is a scaring problem for live performer, a nightmare I'd say....

Anyway, reading to what happened to you I've notoced that your keyboard has started again once you was back at home... this thing make me think about the fact that in the meantime the electronics of your keyboard have had the time to completely discharge, I work with computer hardware and one of the trick that I try with pc that doesn't boot is to unplug the power and press the start button to discharge the capacitors.

I really hope you will not have the same problem again, it's really a panic-scenario...

Hi @Tson

1) the sliders utilize "jump" method, it could be really usefull if a "catch" method will be implemented!

2) 3) are great succestions for a future update!

Hello all!

I've just published on my blog a set of tones I made for my own pleasure, this keyboard is so fun to play!

The tones uses the internal samples so no precious memory is wasted.

You can download and audition the tones one by one; individual downloads as well as a single package are provided.

Let me know what do you think.

Here is the link

P.S.: later I will upload a copy on the download section and a one on the official facebook page

Ok, so let's say a possible configuration:

- On port A there is upper & lower tones, as well as the rhythms playing (and affected by the fade button)

- On port B I map all my pads, one for each channel

Then I select the port B as input port and I attach an external controller to the MZ-X so that I can use the controller sliders to control the pad volumes.

I will test it in the next days, I think it should work

No tricks for the sample-pads?

It's a pity, at least would be great that the global fade could affect also the playing pads, maybe could be a nice addition for a future update  
Would it be possible to manually fade pads using and external controller? I have seen on the Midi implementation manual (7.5) we can change volumes of each part (MIDI channel), but how can we also specify a specific port? Is it possible?
Any tricks for sample pads?
Thank you Brad for your assistance 

Hello all!

I was wondering if there is a way to fade-in / fade-out the pads, I'm not able to find anything about it on the forum, also hitting the fade button during a performance only the rhythm and the playing voices are involved in the fade-out, but the playing pads still run on their own until I stop them manually.

The ability to fade pads would be very useful on live performances and during improvisations, especially with looping pads  

On 2/9/2017 at 1:17 PM, Casiokid said:

Korg PAs are the slowest to boot-up and load.   There seems to be little change with the PA 700 in this aspect, over the PA 600.  This is an important feature for me when I get inspiration or have a musical idea I want to get down quickly.   I'm not alone even Miles Davis is reputed to have rushed around to his friends house, in the middle of the night, to get a  new 'riff' down quickly before he lost it !

Very true, I've sold my PA600 also for this reason...

Hi @Tson, as @Leonh says the sound quality of the MZ X500 is high, the piano sounds are amazing and the HexLayer engine is very powerful and can unleash creativity with outstanding sounds.

Before buying the MZ X500 I've read much about its direct competitors and I've seen many videos about the FA and its features but I've decided to go with the MZ X becuase I already own a MOX6 workstation which is in the same market segment of the FA.
For what I have seen the FA have a very nice song editor, if you are a composer it could be very useful, but, if I remember correctly, the FA couldn't record the pads sounds during a recording, I don't know if this feature has been added later with a firmware update or not, but at the time I've looked at this instrument I'm pretty sure that recording pads was not possible.

I all depends by you and what do you want to do with yout instrument, so my final words are the same as @Leonh : try both if you have the possibility, read their manuals, see tutorials and videos and decide
I'm having great fun with the MZ X500!

8 minutes ago, Leonh said:

Nothing really out there MZ X500 is arranger and workstation with sampling capability.

Roland FA is workstation and can do sampling  while Korg PA 600 is arranger only so you have to buy both to  match MZ X500.

Sound wise none of this two above keyboards are not better than MZ (I sold Yamaha MOXF to get Casio and I am very happy with sound quality i.e same to my ear).

I can think of Yamaha Tyros or Korg PA4X definitely better but at nearly 3000£ for Korg and even more for Yamaha choice is clear.

 

 

I agree about  the MZ X500 being quite unique on his genre, but I still have a Yamaha MOX6 which is (in my opinion of course!) superior in song editing, I love the ability to use patterns to compose a full song. The MZ X500 is an incredible instrument for what it offers and for its price, but editing a recorded song is not trivial. The Roland FA (from what I've read and seen on YouTube) has also a very, very nice song editor with a graphical interface, something you could find on a DAW.
Anyway I completely agree that to have what the MZ X500 offers you would need to buy an arranger and a workstation.

@AlenK
I cannot reverse engineer, it needs too much time and I also have dubts about legal aspects of this operation....

Hi,

I'm also following this thread with great interest

Are there any public informations about MZ-X and PX file formats (Tones and HexLayers)? 

I'm a programmer and I could try to build a conversion software in my spare time if there are enough docs about file formats.

Unfortunately, because of my poor English, I am not able to fully understand the latest posts in this thread, but I managed to perceive only a controversial tone without yet understanding what the real motives of this controversy were.
I would like the users of this wonderful tool not to argue with each other but, instead, try to help to master this incredible keyboard, full of resources, and infinite source of inspiration.
As far as I'm concerned, unfortunately, in the summer I do not have much free time to follow the forum and to contribute to the forum but within a few months I will have much more free time to contribute with my direct experiences. I have many things to share with the community, many sounds I have created and many rhythms I have converted from the PSR world.

Do not make war, make music instead!

ah ok!

Thank you for the info

4 hours ago, CasioCTK said:

Hi Ian,

yesterday arrived my brand new keyboard with firmware version 1.21. The latest one is 1.5.

Ladislav

1.21? MZ X500?   O_O'

I'm using the MZ-X500 to produce music and I'm finding this incredible instrument very inspiring.... well, to be honest, it inspires too much!

In fact when I play the MZ-X500 I fall always into random jam sessions 
Fortunately this keyboard can record WAV and MIDI with just a button press, so I can freeze all those ideas that I get while playing  

It's the most amazing and fun keyboard I've ever owned, no doubts on this!

Hi,

I've uploaded some MZ-X500 rhythms converted from various Yamaha arrangers styles.

I own an MZ-X500 and the conversion has been entirely made using the internal instrument's tools without using a PC.

I've revoiced wrong instruments, adjusted volumes, re-mapped wrong notes (especially in some drum tracks), and shifted up many bass tracks that where too low.

I've also adjusted the effects values and the panning to my own personal taste,

I hope you will like them

In this package you will find some 6/8 rhythms, 8 Beat rhythms and 1 16/8 Ballad for a total of 18 rhythms.

Link to the download section  

Let me know if you like it!

Have fun!

I confirm, electronic sounds are awesome, many HexLayer tones are really great

Hi @pete ! and welcome!

I'm having great fun with my MZ-X500,in these days I'm converting some nice styles I will publish soon on the download area, I've also made some experiments creating new HexLayer tones and... wow... this baby can bring incredible sounds!

I'm coming from a Korg Pa600 and there is no comparison on how much fun can bring to the player the MZ-X

I've updated yesterday my MZ X500 and I must say that it is a great update!

First of all I made a backup of all my user data but after the update user data was kept, wonderful!

I played a bit with the HexLayer and the new Cut-Off filter assigned to the slider 8/16, as the manual said, but I also noticed that the resonance was assigned to the MIX slider:it was a great surprise because for live play it is incredibly handy and it gives even more fun playing the MZ-X

As soon as I'll have some free time I'll try the new synch pad because if I have understood correctly we should be able to synch pads without the need to start the backing rhythm, this way we could use the phrase pads a bit like patterns, also assigning a tone to the pattern make its use even more flexible and enjoyable.

For now all I can say is : THANK YOU CASIO!

More to came

Hi @dalekwars , and welcome to the club 
I'm a proud owner of the MZ-X500, this is the first Casio instrument I bought and I'm really impressed by MZ X capabilities. I came from a Korg Pa600, a great instrument but too complex for my own needs, lack of hardware controls (knobs & sliders) and rhythm & sound programming really difficult to get, even more difficult than my MOX6 with it's tiny display. The MZ X has almost all under your finger tips, very intuitive interface, plenty of hardware controls and relatively easy to program and understand.
For my personal experience the MZ X is a very inspiring instrument and incredibly fun to play.

Hi @Randelph

I'd like to use the MZ X to compose original music, I also have a MOX 6 for this purpose. I'm from the old school, I do not use any DAW because I love using the keyboard internal sequencer

So, for me, it's very important to have the needed tools loaded on the keyboard.

Here is my opnion about the topic you have requested:

SOUNDS

Many sounds are ok, many sounds like the synths and the hex layers are excellent (some are breathtakingly beautiful I'd say!), as well as the piano sounds, I've found the piano sounds even more realistic than the MOX 6. 

The organs including drawbar organs are very good.

Few MZ X sounds need more love from Casio .

Some PA600 sounds are also great, for example I loved the vintage synths reproduction, they are very good and fun to play.

The MZ X offers the ability to create tones much more easier than the PA so I think that soon we will enjoy new great tones created by the community!

EASE OF USE

The MZ X interface compared to the PA600 is definitely more simple and immediate to operate, you have all at your finger tips and after few hours you have the feeling that the instrument is entirely under your control. I like it very much, especially the registrations: initially I've understimated this feature, but after some times I've realized that a registration is a snapshot of almost all the keyboard's settings and this is awesome!

SPEAKERS

Very good in my opinion, good frequency range and good basses. Compared to the PA the MZ X500 seems louder.

KEYBED

I'm not a pianist (to be honest I've studied piano but ages ago...) and I'm used to synth-action keybeds, so for me it is good...  it's quieter than my MOX6, almost the same (speaking of keys noise) to the PA600 one. Very playable in my opinion.

OVERALL SATISFACTION

It was a very good buy for me, I do not regret purchasing it nor I do not regret to have replaced the PA600 with the MZ X.

This keyboard is loaded with amazing features like the various pad modes, the very user friendly edit screens, the wav recorder/player, chord progression (amazing!), mixer, the organs! And the drawbars! The sampler! Tons of stuff to unleash creativity!

The ability to import midi and foreign styles it is also amazing, it's quite easy to import a foreign style and adjust it for the MZ X from the MZ X, without the need of a computer.

WHAT I MISS FROM THE PA600

Right now there is only one thing I miss 

- The ability to search tones/rhythms/registrations/etc... by name. When you need something specific it's difficult to remember where it is located, with a search by word function it could help a lot. At least a favorite section could also help.

Well... there are so many things I like, that I'm still excited when I turn on the keyboard

I was forgetting  to talk about booting time: well, the MZ X boots in few seconds, the PA600...loading... loading... loading... ... ...

Anyway the most important thing that convinced me to switch to the MZ X is the support: the Casio staff is always present to answer questions, suggest tips and fix bugs.... it's really nice to have a post-sales support like this.

Ciao @msx ! 

@all

Lately I've played around with my X500 and I've seen many features not mentioned in the manual (unless I have misread it!).

For example to revoice a rhythm I was hoping to find something to quickly change the tone of a specific track for all variations, however I have found the following method quiet fast:

1. Go into rhythm edit

2. Tap the tone you want to change in your track and select a new tone to assign

3. Instead of goin' back and select a different variation for the revoice operation just press the variation button on your keyboard

4. The tone screen will not change so you have only to tap again the tone you want to assign to the previously selected track

5. Do it for all the variations

A second tap to the variation (1, 2, 3, 4) will select the relative Fill In (1, 2, 3, 4), the keyboard will signal the Fill In selection flashing the variation button.

Another nice thing I've found about pad phrases is that you can select which track you want to play with your phrase, this way you can trigger a bass phrase of any other tone in your current rhythm, this feature is very nice because you can trigger many different tones/phrases with your pads.

Maybe many of you was already aware of these tricks  

If I can suggest a possible feature to Casio developers, well, it could be really helpful a search function to find items by some typed text, especially for tones, rhythms and registrations.
Also an updated manual with detailed informations on key-features could be very helpful for possible new buyers...

Before buying this keyboard I've read the manuals and I've guessed the potential in it, I've also seen many video on YouTube and I what I really liked was the HexLayer technology, but now that I can dig deeper into this keyboard I can say that it is a very innovative and powerful instrument

Yes, so far I'm very happy with it, and I cannot hide this feeling!

Thank you @Lobbard, this keyboard is incredibly fun to play!

Just to say hello to all MZ-X users!

Today I've received my MZ-X500 and after 1 hour I can say that it's an incredible instrument loaded with great features, I've replaced my PA600 with this shining gem and so far I'm very satisfied by it.

to Casio!