NAMM Believe in music 2021

[likes_harmony]

NAMM Believe in Music 2021 coming up very soon

 

Any hints, rumors, etc about new Casio DPs that will be announced?

 

 

 

[XW-Addict]

The hottest rumors we can finally watch NAMM live again. 

Thank the lord we can it was just not the same even if there 

wasn't nothing to show for. I love watching people play music. 

[likes_harmony]

Mike and Rich gave webinars on CT-S and PX-S series.  I couldn't attend live but I watched them tonight.  They'll be available all week if anyone wants to check them out.  Some artists presentations as well which were pretty cool. 

[kybdsammer]

 

 

 

I really appreciate Tom's playing and sharing about the PX-S3000.  So thankful to have the keyboard!

[Chandler Holloway]

As always, look to the Japanese site first if you want to hear about new models. Teasers and press releases will almost always go up there first. Sometimes even months beforehand, depending on production and release schedules.

 

Looks like we've got two new LK's, but that's about it as far as what's publicly been announced thus far. Unless something was kept completely under wraps for NAMM, which I wouldn't rule out, but I feel like we would have gotten a teaser to build hype if there was something big about to drop.

 

The LK-515 is a slightly updated LK-512. These are both Japanese-only LK models built on the same platform as the CT-X800, and they are advertised as specifically using the AiX sound source. The main differences are the lighted key lesson system, the dynamic microphone port, and the lack of custom User Rhythm slots (you have 10 on the CT-X800). The only difference between the 515 and the 512 is an updated selection of built-in songs; these iterative releases with new preset songs make more sense for the Japanese market, where the LK keyboards are also often used for karaoke (hence the little built in mic holder on the front panel).

 

There's also the LK-315, which, again, is a slightly updated LK-312 with some new built-in songs to play/sing along with. These are basically just regional variants of the LK-S250, with a cuter white/pink color scheme and preset songs that are more familiar to Japanese buyers.

 

Of course, these are Japan exclusives, and NAMM is a show primarily aimed at the North American market, so you won't be hearing about these LKs this week. Possibly ever, as there's no indication that the LK-515/512 will be localized for the western markets and the 315/312 already has a localized variant in the LK-S250.

 

Good to see that Casio is still confident in the AiX chipset, as that gives me some hope that we could soon see the AiX platform brought to other product lines that need an upgrade (the WKs are my first thought), or (in the best possible timeline), an MZ-X successor.

[XW-Addict]

19 hours ago, Chandler Holloway said:

As always, look to the Japanese site first if you want to hear about new models. Teasers and press releases will almost always go up there first. Sometimes even months beforehand, depending on production and release schedules.

 

Looks like we've got two new LK's, but that's about it. Unless something was kept completely under wraps for NAMM, which I wouldn't rule out, but I feel like we would have gotten a teaser to build hype if there was something big about to drop.

 

The LK-515 is a slightly updated LK-512. These are both Japanese-only LK models built on the same platform as the CT-X800, and they are advertised as specifically using the AiX sound source. The main differences are the lighted key lesson system, the dynamic microphone port, and the lack of custom User Rhythm slots (you have 10 on the CT-X800). The only difference between the 515 and the 512 is an updated selection of built-in songs; these iterative releases with new preset songs make more sense for the Japanese market, where the LK keyboards are also often used for karaoke (hence the little built in mic holder on the front panel).

 

There's also the LK-315, which, again, is a slightly updated LK-312 with some new built-in songs to play/sing along with. These are basically just regional variants of the LK-S250, with a cuter white/pink color scheme and preset songs that are more familiar to Japanese buyers.

 

Of course, these are Japan exclusives, and NAMM is a show primarily aimed at the North American market, so you won't be hearing about these LKs this week. Possibly ever, as there's no indication that the LK-515/512 will be localized for the western markets and the 315/312 already has a localized variant in the LK-S250.

 

Good to see that Casio is still confident in the AiX chipset, as that gives me some hope that we could soon see the AiX platform brought to other product lines that need an upgrade (the WKs are my first thought), or (in the best possible timeline), an MZ-X successor.

Those look like decent addition, I've noticed that the PX-S serie are showing what they really capable of. 

Casio confident in AiX is certainly a relieve , The rate that some keyboards stick and others don't was quiet 

rapid in exchange for the ctx and PX-S. With those I'm purely looking at how to shape you're sound and the surface control to build upon that for the fully professional and semi professional. On one sound to sculpture to your need  if it must sounding quiet powerful and focus fully on the music as intended like Tom Brislin does. 

 

You now I can relate with the theme they went with Namm now , Music makes you think either you go with what in your head and play it , or shape the tones as imagined and play all of it. 

[Mike Martin]

59 minutes ago, Synthwave said:

It was easier to say that Casio will not present anything new this time ..... How long has the ctx line been on the market? 3 years? .... the arranger keyboards are a bit forgotten by Casio

 

If you look closely at the site, there is a sneak peak about what is coming quite soon. Unfortunately I can't give any more specifics at this time  

[Chas]

I always hope to see a new XW series synth announced, but alas, still not happening 😔

 

I also tried to navigate the Japanese site on my phone. Appears that only the Casiotone CT-S200 model is available now? What happened to the CT-S300 model? That seemed to be the one to have with its additional pitch bend and velocity keys?

[Chandler Holloway]

3 minutes ago, Chas said:

I always hope to see a new XW series synth announced, but alas, still not happening 😔

 

I also tried to navigate the Japanese site on my phone. Appears that only the Casiotone CT-S200 model is available now? What happened to the CT-S300 model? That seemed to be the one to have with its additional pitch bend and velocity keys?

 

The CT-S200 is the only one being marketed in Japan, but the CT-S300 and LK-S250 are still being produced and actively sold in other regions. Casio often has different offerings for different regions based on what will sell well, or what's cost effective to import from manufacturing centers. For example, here in the US we have all three of the main CT-S models, but we don't have the special made CT-S rolltop gig bag because it just isn't profitable for retailers to carry it here.

[Random_Vibration]

On 1/21/2021 at 1:57 PM, Mike Martin said:

 

If you look closely at the site, there is a sneak peak about what is coming quite soon. Unfortunately I can't give any more specifics at this time  

Obviously, I can't look that closely at the site because I saw nothing relevant to something coming soon.  I guess I'll be surprised in 6 months.  Roland and Yamaha left nothing to my detective skills this go round.  Maybe the summer is when Casio is bringing out something new.

[XW-Addict]

19 hours ago, Synthwave said:

Hahaha, the same has happened to me, I have looked at the web 40 times, backwards and forwards and I don't see anything new or any clue ... I don't know what Mike is referring to.

Same here hahaha even translated the pages for any hint to PX or anything with X in it. 

[Joe Muscara]

Just because your avatar has an X doesn't mean this thing does (these things do?). Or does it? 🤷‍♂️😇

[Brad Saucier]

Can you blame him?  XW Addict is looking for his next XW addiction.  🤪  

[XW-Addict]

I can read between the lines , You guys are just a tiny bit curious what kind of ware Casio has prepped next, 

I know lets do a guessing game ,  if both of you just from the top of you're head say what could be next maybe. :))

[Joe Muscara]

I'll start.

 

I think it will make sounds.

[Brad Saucier]

22 hours ago, Synthwave said:

The next thing is not going to be for another six months (if there is something new) but I would settle for a clock out implementation through firmware in the ctx

 

Who said 6 months?  

 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10164844843175541

[XW-Addict]

6 hours ago, Joe Muscara said:

I'll start.

 

I think it will make sounds.

Oof I can't top that. 

[Chandler Holloway]

Well there's the teaser I was expecting! Thanks for sharing, Brad. I figured the Casiotones would be getting some love, they've been selling like crazy for a while now. I would think that they would have done their usual "release a teaser before NAMM, drop the official announcement at NAMM" thing, but it's understandable that production and development schedules didn't allow for a more substantial announcement at the show itself.

 

Some takeaways/blind guesses:

 

• This means we'll be getting more boards that use the updated CT-S keybed, which is awesome. That keybed feels amazing and doesn't seem to have any issues with key noise after prolonged use.
• From what I can tell, there are three distinct models in the teaser (Black, Red, and White, like the original color variants of CT-S200s), although these different models could have their own color variants as well.

 

• The black model. Note the dedicated transport controls, including onboard Recording. I suppose we can expect these boards to have a few more arranger features built in, but probably nothing that would overshadow the CT-X700/CT-X800 because those models are still in the active line-up for the foreseeable future.

 

• The white model. Note the ridged block that runs up to the front edge of the keybed (not present on the black model), seems to be a bit more "piano-like" to me but hard to say from such a small snap shot. The edge feathering effect seems to be obscuring the view of the right edge of the chassis, but I would expect them to stick with the rounded edge styling for aesthetic continuity with the rest of the Casiotones.
• Blind guess alert: Possibly a 76-key model with extra attention paid to having a good piano sound? They wouldn't put out a weighted key model that doesn't fall into the broader Celviano, Privia, or CDP lines, so I'm sure that this isn't a digital piano. However, Casio's 76-key models are getting a bit long in the tooth for 2021, so a 76-key revamp for the Casiotones might be nice. I'm very likely wrong here, but everyone loves some wild speculation.

• I'm assuming this is from the third model. The other two both seem to have cloth coverings for the speakers, whereas this seems to be more reminiscent of the metal speaker grilles from the CT-X3000/X5000, especially with the more industrial look of the speaker behind the grille as well. Gives me hope that one of these new Casiotones will have AiX, wouldn't that be fun?

 

• The caption slate leading into this seems to show a bedroom producer guy with a home studio set-up behind him. Great sign that this red model might have some MIDI control features to make it appeal to the DAW crowd, which is something I have been wishing for FOR YEARS now.
• REAL TIME CONTROL KNOBS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. The graphics seem to indicate that the LEDs surrounding each ring will light up to indicate the current setting values, super convenient feature. Reminds me of the Korg R3 that way.
• A lyrics button? Odd. Could be a nod that this model might include vocal sampling, which would be an awesome SK-esque throwback, but I think it's more likely to handle some karaoke/DJ related feature. The inclusion of Center Cancel for the audio input on the vast majority of recent Casio models would indicate that karaoke and singing along are important features for the design team, so I wouldn't be surprised.
• Getting major CT-X vibes with the red and black, plus the speaker grille is back with red accents now.

• There are five different snippets here, but I don't know that that necessarily guarantees there are five different models coming out. I think it's more likely that we have the three main ones with some extra color variants at each tier (for example, the second snippet from the right is a full chassis red model, but it clearly lacks the extra pedal ports from the red panel/black body/knobs model). But again, that's a blind guess.
• The knobs peeking out over the top of the right most cut-out (plus the faint red line showing the top panel cover) confirms that this is the red model with the knobs I'm so excited about. It's got two pedal jacks, one of which is assignable (a great inclusion for MIDI control purposes), but what's interesting is that you can see a third full sized 1/4" jack right next to it. All the Casiotone models (and even the recent CDP-S models) thus far have only used the single 1/8" combined headphones/output jack, and I doubt they'd switch it up for just one of the Casiotones, so my best guess is that this will be a dynamic microphone jack. The last two letters appear to be "NE", as in microphoNE, but it is strange that they would spell it out like that (they usually abbreviate it as "MIC IN" to save panel space), and the way the letters are centered over the jack doesn't make it seems like there's be enough space to spell out "microphone." It could be full sized L/R line outputs, but then where does the "NE" come from? It wouldn't be a 1/4" headphone jack, because 1) in it's in the wrong place on the panel and 2) they would abbreviate that as "HEADPHONES" or "PHONES" with an S at the end.

That's enough wild speculation for today. I honestly wanted to have all this on record now in case I guess completely right across the board, so let's see if I'm on target in the coming months.

[Brad Saucier]

Gee wizz.  That was fun to read.  I'll be back when they're revealed to award points on correct guesses.  🤪

[likes_harmony]

lol, I saw the vid when Mike hinted to it at NAMM and all I got out of it was that it would be "Casiotone".  Guess I wasn't quite as observant as Chandler.

[Chandler Holloway]

Haha well, the guys at the main office don't tell me very much about unreleased products, often nothing at all. I do occasionally get some general insight into the thinking and aims of the design team, and I've been familiar with the entire product line for about 4 years now, so that tends to set me up pretty well for educated guesses like these.

[Mike Martin]

9 hours ago, Synthwave said:

Seriously, a Casiotone? Let's say I expected something more "serious"....

 

It is serious.  Very serious.

[TheBradge]

41 minutes ago, Mike Martin said:

 

It is serious.  Very serious.

I saw a lyrics button on, probably, the most expensive/advanced model.

Please tell me that it has the MZ-X OS, the AiX chip, atleast 64 Notes of polyphony, and maybe even a Vocal processor!?

 

Or can you atleast tell anything? Like an announcement date or some specs?

 

A CT-S with those features for $400 would be a killer machine that i would buy the moment it comes out!

[Chandler Holloway]

I wouldn't get your hopes up for the full MZ-X OS with touch screen and hex layers and all that, very unlikely they'd put something so complex on a model in a series that's aimed at providing simplified, straightforward music making tools. I wouldn't be surprised if the one with knobs has a special mobile app paired with it for added touch screen controls and whatnot, though.

 

AiX chip already has 64 voice polyphony, so if it's got AiX, then you're good there.

 

Every mic port for Casio in recent memory has the ability to apply some kind of effect to the vocal input. Even the super basic LK-S250 will apply whatever reverb sound you've chosen in the Functions list to the incoming mic signal. So if that 1/4" port is indeed for mics, you can expect some form of vocal effects. Will it have the ability to process DSP effects specifically for the mic input, and then a separate set of DSP effects for the internal sounds? Very likely no, that feature wasn't even on the XW or CT-X models.

[Chas]

12 hours ago, Synthwave said:

Seriously, a Casiotone? Let's say I expected something more "serious"....

 

Casiotone is a much loved product line name, and also historically significant for Casio as that's what their early keyboards were sold under.

 

And Casio have a long history of offering bang for the buck for (sometime considerably) less than their competitors. Don't prejudge or underestimate these new product line developments just because of their name.