The XW's manual is your friend

[trancedelicbluesman]

I was just noticing that I posted on this forum over a year ago. But I haven't posted much since, and the reason is simple--I never really warmed to my XW. And I never really stopped to analyze why. Plus, I misplaced the adapter for my 1/8 inch headphones. The keyboard has just been sitting in the corner propped on its side for a year.

 

The adapter finally turned up the other day so I fired up the board and started noodling around on it.

 

I found myself shaking my head. It just sounded muddy to me. Plus, it's really complicated to get around on--that hadn't changed.

 

I really used to like the drawbar mode on my old WK3200. But the XW's drawbar mode just wasn't cutting it. As I said, it sounded muddy.

 

And the solo synth was way too overbearing. Just unusable in my opinion.

 

Then a light bulb went on over my head. Maybe some EQ would help? So I started perusing the manual, and what do you know? The XW has global parametric EQ that you can adjust to your liking, and the settings will be remembered.

 

When Keyboard reviewed the instrument they commented there were a lot of lower mids in its sound, so I knew I wasn't the only one to have this perception.

 

I cut the bass and the lower mids--and, lo and behold, the sound was much improved!

 

The drawbars sounded a lot better, more like my old WK. The solo synth also sounded better--the preset "Moog Lead" actually sounded like a Moog, finally, though it never had before. Delightful!

 

Some of the hex layers sounded more delicate and new-agey rather than mushy and lofi like they had before. Big difference. The piano was a lot clearer, too.

 

Now, don't get me wrong. The instrument still has a lot of bass in its sound. That's just its nature. It doesn't sound thin at all, just cleaner and clearer.

 

Just my subjective opinion, of course. Some may prefer the XW the way it is. But for me, at least, it has been like getting a new keyboard.

 

I wonder how it would sound if I added a little treble?

 

[Jokeyman123]

Yes excessive midrange and bass  will always tend to muddy up a sound. Just curious-what headphones are you using-I have several posts re the Privias-and how great a variation there is in dmonitoring with different headphones-some that sound great with other equipment don't work well with the Casios, while others that might not be considered "audiophile" work well. AlenK's XW-P1 manuals posted here are excellent-the Xw is a complicated board-but Mike Martin's videos and a few others (look for Alenk's posts-he compiled all the best video tutorials for the XW somewhere in the XW posts.

[trancedelicbluesman]

The phones are AKGs--pretty decent, I think.

 

I agree that AlanK's manuals are really good. And what videos with Mike Martin Casio did post before they moved on to their next products were indeed helpful.

[AlenK]

You avoided using your XW-P1 for an entire year because you thought it sounded muddy through your headphones!? I don't want to sound like I'm being critical but did you consider trying any other headphones? Did you consider trying an actual stereo audio system with full-range speakers? That's what I use (my speakers are two-ways with silk tweeters and 8-inch woofers). My XW-P1 sounds anything but muddy through it, and I didn't change the EQ settings.

 

Headphone response varies wildly among models, partly because of impedance differences, partly because of driver characteristics, partly because of basic design (open back, closed back). Sounding good plugged into your stereo gives no indication of what they will sound like plugged into a keyboard. You have to audition them actually plugged into the XW-P1. Jockeyman123 went through all of that for his PX-560. Unfortunately, his findings for that model may not be directly applicable to the XW-P1 unless Casio used an identical headphone preamp circuit on both models.

 

PS. At the risk of sounding critical again, it sounds like you didn't really study the manual in any detail until just recently. To borrow a phrase from the Brits, I am gobsmacked. I wouldn't dream of buying an electronic device with more than a couple of buttons on it without immediately cracking open the manual and reading it cover to cover. But then, I do admit to being a bit fastidious when it comes to manuals.

[trancedelicbluesman]

Yes, I avoided using it because I didn't like the sound,  OK? The headphones are AKGs which sound terrific in all other applications so I really doubt if other phones would have made a difference--or proper monitors with flat response, for that matter.

 

As for the manual--I'll just say I have seen better manuals and leave it at that.

[AlenK]

Now, see, you took what I said personally. I did not mean to sound critical. But you must have a lot of other keyboards to be so easily dissuaded from using that one simply because it didn't sound good right out of the gate. I only have three keyboards (not counting a really old Casio sampling "toy") so I have always felt more motivated to get the most out of anything I have. 

 

Regarding the manual, of course I agree! That's what motivated me to go beyond it. 

[trancedelicbluesman]

And I sort of got the impression you took my criticism of the XW personally. Hence your rather heated defense of the unit.

[AlenK]

No defense, really. Read my words again. The only thing I said that is even close to defensive is, I said it sounded fine without EQ adjustments through my audio system. That's not really a defense as much as a simple statement of opinion. It must sound at least acceptable to a lot of other people as well because your particular complaint is not common.

 

What I will cop to is being surprised that anyone could sit a keyboard aside for a year, and without trying just a little harder to see if the issue they had could be solved. Most people would sell it if they were unsatisfied with it. And many people have. It's not God's gift to keyboards. If it had been, Casio would have been far more successful with it than they were. But it is unique enough that, personally, I decided to keep it. If you came to the same conclusion (and there must have been some reason you kept it around propped up in the corner instead of selling it) then great.

 

Muddy sound aside, it still has a complicated interface with a relatively tiny LCD. The PC/Mac editor is a little easier to use and if you haven't tried that give it a go. In any case, the more time you spend with the XW-P1, the easier it is to get around on.