End of MZ X500?

[cphil]

On 4/8/2020 at 10:06 AM, Mike Martin said:

The MZ-X500 is still shipping and available in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  I can't speak for distributors in other parts of the world.

 

hi Mike, I have been trying since April to find one in Canada. I found 1 store that used to carry it that says it's discontinued. This store and another Casio dealer I called both contacted the Canadian distributor who told them it was no longer available in Canada.  The store that used to carry it is currently trying to find out if it can be special ordered. They have been trying for 2 weeks.

 

Can you find out how to get one in Canada?

 

Thanks.

 

It's true that there are stores in the USA that have some stock. But most don't ship to Canada and then there are the duties.

It's odd. Sweetwater just ordered some more 2 weeks ago and only received 1 unit.

 

Also, I notice that the CTX 3000 & 5000 have recently been pulled from the Canadian website. These are new Casio products.

 

I have heard that there are supply chain issues due to the pandemic.  Is that the real issue with availability in Canada?

 

Thanks again.

 

[Jokeyman123]

Cphil-I can't speak officially for Casio-but I have noticed that the usual big vendors here in the US don't seem to have availability of alot of music merchandise, Casio and others, that I usually see, including the MZ-X series. Only the biggest vendors seem to have much of anything, and even those-much lower inventory at least that I've seen with online marketing. It must be the pandemic, I've never seen this before in many years of buying online-from small or large suppliers.  And another poster here from Canada had tremendous trouble just recently-waited for weeks to get a PX-560, and had to try several vendors before he got one. Very odd.

[Mike Martin]

They're in stock at Casio USA - which is the distributor for Casio Canada. 

 

High end arrangers like the MZ-X500 are a bit of a niche product and some dealers simply choose not to stock them. 

[Rick Stirling]

14 hours ago, cphil said:

 

hi Mike, I have been trying since April to find one in Canada. I found 1 store that used to carry it that says it's discontinued. This store and another Casio dealer I called both contacted the Canadian distributor who told them it was no longer available in Canada.  The store that used to carry it is currently trying to find out if it can be special ordered. They have been trying for 2 weeks.

 

Can you find out how to get one in Canada?

 

Thanks.

 

It's true that there are stores in the USA that have some stock. But most don't ship to Canada and then there are the duties.

It's odd. Sweetwater just ordered some more 2 weeks ago and only received 1 unit.

 

Also, I notice that the CTX 3000 & 5000 have recently been pulled from the Canadian website. These are new Casio products.

 

I have heard that there are supply chain issues due to the pandemic.  Is that the real issue with availability in Canada?

 

Thanks again.

 

 

ZZOUNDS will ship to Canada ... See this page https://www.zzounds.com/item--CASMZX500 - I have no affiliation with them except as a satisfied customer for many years.

 

[Mike Martin]

20 minutes ago, Rick Sterling said:

 

ZZOUNDS will ship to Canada ... See this page https://www.zzounds.com/item--CASMZX500 - I have no affiliation with them except as a satisfied customer for many years.

 

 

It is against Casio's contract with zZounds and all other Casio America dealers to ship outside of the USA. 

[Rick Stirling]

22 minutes ago, Mike Martin said:

 

It is against Casio's contract with zZounds and all other Casio America dealers to ship outside of the USA. 

Interesting, they have a Canadian Flag on that page indicating they will ship to Canada. I'll give them a call and get back. I'm sure you're right Mike.

 

[Rick Stirling]

3 minutes ago, Rick Sterling said:

Interesting, they have a Canadian Flag on that page indicating they will ship to Canada. I'll give them a call and get back. I'm sure you're right Mike.

 

Talked to Jeff at zZounds and he said to get the zip code for cphil to him and he would check it out. 😉

 

[Rick Stirling]

On 7/14/2020 at 9:17 AM, Rick Sterling said:

Talked to Jeff at zZounds and he said to get the zip code for cphil to him and he would check it out. 😉

 

For those following this thread. zZounds will not ship MZ-X500 to Canada.

[Joshik Trejbal]

Any link for mz-x500 in europe. Best would be for under 700 euro. 

[Sidney Menezes]

Em 17/03/2019 às 4:41 da manhã, jibin.jacob3 disse:

Casio parou de fabricar MZ X500? Vendedores na Índia dizem que estes estão esgotados. Espero que Casio esteja planejando lançar algo melhor. Vou esperar até 2020 por algo melhor.

(Anteriormente, eu estava confuso entre o MZ X500 e o PX 560, mas quando eu decidi comprar o MZ X500, não consigo encontrá-lo e nem consigo encontrar nada ainda mais perto do MZ X500.)

Olá, o que está por fazer.

[cuneiform]

Going to enlighten the folk a bit: MZ-X500/300 just like Casio CTK7200 will never or any more be produced and also smth alike either, just like Roland VR09, Yamaha Motif XF6, etc., too.

These ones were famous for their  d r a w b a r s  simulating the Hammond organ along with its synthesis from simple tones known unmistakably by its sound.

These modern times require simplification and reduction in the understanding of the real arts within the postmodern times now:

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_(Duchamp)

 

Thus, Cory Henry shows up here that there will be no massive Hammond-like sounds or those made by orchestras set of 100 strings from the modern times as those from the Hollywood studios known in the 50's to the 60's. However, some 4 schoolboys with guitars like the Beatles could dismiss all the orchestras in the world and close many opera houses. As playing 4 guitars is more simple than playing 100 violins in an orchestra. Now anyone from the street might play for you, not only professionals.

Therefore, musical instruments should not be so complicated as ever before. The matter is just to play, nothing else. No matter what and how. Like in Woodstock.   

Just compare it to any other Cory Henry's videos on youtube.com.

 

 

All what you can do now is to find a granny 'next door' who still has MZ-X500/300 thus willing to sell it to you.

Or alternatively to find a  d r a w b a r  synthesizer from another manufacturer which would produce the Hollywood Big Sound known from the modern times.   

Happy successful searching. 

 

PS. I have bought one MZ-X500 from a granny 'next door', now looking for a next one, say, MZ-X300 to put it under the first to play them both at once. I love Casio instruments like Cory Henry does. To have 2 instruments from Casio is completely OK.

 

[Jokeyman123]

Humans have been creating new and innovative musical instruments for thousands of years. I don't think that will stop any time soon, keyboards included. And musicians will always find ways to create music, ugly and beautiful with whatever they have at their disposal, new or old, or will invent their own.

[Random_Vibration]

While the sun may be setting on the MZ, they are plenty of great instruments announced at Winter NAMM 2021.  There will be more at future NAMMs.  NAMM is older that 99.999% percent of living human beings.  Musical instruments date back much further.  Music isn't going away nor are great tools to make it.  

 

Talent always finds a way.  Poor carpenters always blame their tools for bad results.  I would be one of those 'poor carpenters' because I really like cool tools. 

 

It's sad the MZ is disappearing but there are still other options from other manufacturers that cover roughly the same space.  A new MZ-X500 still can be had at the moment as are competing models.  The MZ ends but the music doesn't stop.  

 

Once pandemic supply chains are restored, expect to see new and exciting products hitting the streets.

[Rick Stirling]

I play a variety of genres from Bach to County Swing just for my own satisfaction. I have two instruments that fulfill my requirements 100% - A Casio MZ-X500 and a Korg Kronos 2 - Don't think I'll ever need anything else till I 'shuffle this mortal coil'. 😉 off

[Gregor Lichtenberger]

I was able to buy my MZ-X500 thru American Music Supply in December 2020 and now the Website says it is not available.

[Jokeyman123]

The so-called "pro" drawbar synths are still not too commonplace-and the ones that are, are pretty costly. The slightly older dedicated drawbar keys are still running mostly over 1000 US dollars-and the newer/older Nords, Kurzweils, Rolands same. Why I kept my old Equinox-Closest to a drawbar organ until the more recent and more expensive keys. With the right Leslie simulator-the XW is an alternative to the MZ-X500, but quite a different instrument in many respects. Can be used as a kind of auto-arranger if one is willing to program original patterns with the sequencer. These too, seem to be in pretty short supply new or used.  And I would have liked to see an 8/9-drawbar PX-560 which shares so many features of the MZ-X-except the drawbars, and more features when editing the song recorder. But that's a pointless gripe, I guess!

[Random_Vibration]

On 3/13/2021 at 8:44 PM, Gregor Lichtenberger said:

I was able to buy my MZ-X500 thru American Music Supply in December 2020 and now the Website says it is not available.

 

I was one of those who helped empty out American Music Supply of inventory.  I had been watching the supply of MZ-X500s leading up to the 2021 NAMM event.  When I saw Roland, Yamaha, and Casio weren't bring much new to the table with the exception of the previously announced PSR-SX600,  I bought the MZ.  As soon as the NAMM situation indicated nothing was headed in the pipeline, I jumped.  I hope Roland, Korg, and Casio have new product coming soon in this space.  Looks like only Yamaha is taking the prosumer workstation market seriously enough to keep new product in the pipeline.  Roland and Korg haven't brought anything new to the space for a bit like Casio.  Nord prices itself out of the segment.

[Silvano Silva]

Here in Brazil, sales of the Casio MZ-X continue and there is a new MZ-X available

[Allanon]

14 hours ago, Silvano Silva said:

Here in Brazil, sales of the Casio MZ-X continue and there is a new MZ-X available

Hi Silvano, do you mean a new model?

[jetgraphics]

I hope Casio has a new and better MZ-Xyz001 in the wings.

Recently, was intrigued by a "new kid on the block" - the Medeli AKX10. I hear mixed reviews about their older products, so the lack of available inventory may be indicative of other issues.

But based on specs, the AKX10 is a MONSTER, allegedly $699 retail.

61 Keys (meh - rather have 76); velocity, no after touch
Joystick pitch / mod controller (yes!)
7" touch display (very intuitive) (also has a drawbar organ simulation on-screen)

multicolored buttons & lighted rotary controllers (user assignable)
256 polyphony
1100+256 GM2 + 500 users (sounds / voices)
280 + 1000 user Styles
Music library: 3 songs - 80 + 1000 user albums
Biamped speakers : (2 x 15W) + (2 x 25W)

MIDI & USB I/O (excellent!)

Bluetooth capable

(appears that the design was poached (inspired by?) from Yamaha PSR SX900 Arranger Keyboard)

. . . oh, and another thing . . . For those romantic evenings when you serenade your S.O., it has LED mood lighting on both side panels . . . EEK!

 

https://www.yamahamusicians.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17505&sid=373f68abab718866ebdded29bcf7bea9

 

 

 

https://www.medeli.com.hk/akx10

You can find manuals on line, too.

But you just can't find any in stores at this time.

Pandemic issues?

 

[RogerBannister]

Yes, the Medeli sounds interesting, on paper at least.  Can't imagine they've got the R&D budget / expertise of the big names and I worry that this will be reflected in the sounds / rhythms but will be keeping an eye out for it.

[Jokeyman123]

There were supposed to be a variety of new Medelis I had found online that the company had advertised as they did this one-but I haven't seen any of these at all, anywhere-even on international seller websites. And that was quite awhile ago. I'm not sure this will ever be available in the US. Casio-take a look at this. what the next CTK might look like. I believe the newest Kurzweil PC4, for 2000 US, is using a Medeli hammer-action keybed in it, although from internal pics i've seen, doesn't look too long-lasting for constant playing. I could be wrong.

[jetgraphics]

13 hours ago, RogerBannister said:

Yes, the Medeli sounds interesting, on paper at least.  Can't imagine they've got the R&D budget / expertise of the big names and I worry that this will be reflected in the sounds / rhythms but will be keeping an eye out for it.

The AKX10 has been out - and sold in Europe and Asia. On YouTube there are a couple of videos by reviewers and demonstrators.

Netherlands:

What is SUPER SLICK - each tone can be auditioned via the DEMO button, in a unique rhythm. Garsh.

 

 

 

 

 

[jibin.jacob3]

On 5/19/2021 at 3:49 AM, jetgraphics said:

AK XD10 looks very promising. There needs to be serious competition for the established players who are least bothered. Can't find any MZ X500 and it is really a sad thing that Casio won't supply these MZ X500 keyboards nor will they launch a successor. Pathetic!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jokeyman123]

The Mini-moog isn't available anymore either-nor the Korg Trident. Nor is the Fairlight, Synclavier, many Korgs, Rolands, Yamahas. Generalmusic is gone, so is Ensoniq. Siel, Sequential Circuits, now isn't that "pathetic". No, I don't think so, not to the musicians who still have them!!!!!! i know a very famous songwriter/producer who has made a very successful career just with primarily-his Ensoniqs. Stop whining, and keep your eyes open-maybe you can find the (now rare and probably soon very coveted by collectors) MZ-X500! 

 

I listened-very closely-to the Medeli-sounds pretty nice, but if you listen REAL CAREFULLY, I'm not convinced the sounds are professional grade-the piano in particular sounds-a little tinny. But that's just me. For 700 US dollars at this pont, looks pretty promising in the arranger field though. if anyone has pics of the key mechanism, I'd like to look at that first. ZAnd i just found it available in the US-by one vendor is Wisconsin for 699.00. Looks pretty tempting. But Casio is supposed to come out with some new releases in July, i will wait a bit before I "drop the hammer".