CT-S1000V: First impression good, but ...

[Brad Saucier]

30 minutes ago, moontom said:

One more question about the Midi Recorder: after recording multiple tracks in a linear fashion, is it possible to mark a specific section, like an 8 bar verse, and loop it?

 

thanks again in advance

 

Looping is not possible in the MIDI recorder.  

 

3 minutes ago, Casiokid said:

Is there a strip of felt at the end of the keys like the CT-S1 ?

 

No.  No felt. 

[Executor]

 

On 2/10/2022 at 4:32 PM, Shad0wfax said:

I'd recommend trying to get a low-end Yamaha PSR-S or PSR-SX or a Korg PA. They are far more flexible and capable as music creation tools, and honestly, the also sound better. Also, for some strange reason, Casio keyboards in Europe are significantly more expensive than in other regions/countries (that's not the case with Yamaha). For instance, while in the US you can get a CT-S1000V for about $450 (around 395 Euro), in Europe it costs about 475 Euro (around $540). Considering that you can get a PSR-SX600 for just a bit over 600 Euro, there’s little point in investing nearly 500 Euro in the CT-S. At this point, the CT-400, which costs in Europe about 230 Euro, makes more sense as a rehearsal/fun keyboard.

That is exactly the problem with these new keyboards. They are too expensive to use as home entertainment when for $175-$200 more, you get better, more professional keyboards. This is something Casio doesn't want to see.

[Mike Martin]

On 2/11/2022 at 7:01 PM, bytemare said:

What's up with an external bluetooth thing.   Why isn't it just built in?

In some countries it is not included. In addition the regulations surrounding Bluetooth devices are becoming very strict. This allows Casio to use one adapter universally for all products moving forward rather than have to deal with regulations for each product individually.

 

On 2/11/2022 at 7:01 PM, bytemare said:

Seriously, who has a USB-C to micro USB lying around?

Depends on what platform you're using. If you have a USB-C hub for your iPad that is all you need. Regular Micro-USB cable is all that you need. 
 

On 2/11/2022 at 7:01 PM, bytemare said:

Again, why a cable anyway for the lyric stuff?  It's 2022 -- it should be bluetooth.  Indeed there's a bluetooth adapter included, but yet it has no good purpose

The Lyric Files aren't small. Sending that information over MIDI Sysex would be very slow and inefficient.  I've been using my CT-S with bluetooth as a MIDI controller in Logic since the CT-S1 was released. Very good purpose for this and other apps.

 

On 2/11/2022 at 7:01 PM, bytemare said:

Why is casio classic its own category?

Why not? All the retro sounds in one easy to find place. 

 

On 2/11/2022 at 7:01 PM, bytemare said:

would like to see an easy way to change tones in a live setting. 

Change your HOME menu. The 5 buttons under the screen can be customized. You can put quick access to knobs, Active DSP or other parameters right there. It is quite quick. 

 

[Mike Martin]

On 2/15/2022 at 2:15 PM, Executor said:

That is exactly the problem with these new keyboards. They are too expensive to use as home entertainment when for $175-$200 more, you get better, more professional keyboards. This is something Casio doesn't want to see.

 

Interesting, having just returned from a trip showing the CT-S1000V to some of our largest accounts, they all said we should have charged a lot more for CT-S1000V.  Again if it doesn't fit your needs or budget then buy something else. 

 

[Executor]

52 minutes ago, Mike Martin said:

 

Interesting, having just returned from a trip showing the CT-S1000V to some of our largest accounts, they all said we should have charged a lot more for CT-S1000V.  Again if it doesn't fit your needs or budget then buy something else. 

 

I already tell you that, with the differences in prices with other products, here in Europe we do not think the same.

[Mike Martin]

3 hours ago, Executor said:

I already tell you that

Yes, several times. 
 

3 hours ago, Executor said:

here in Europe we do not think the same.

You don’t.

We also have dealers in Europe that would disagree. 

[Executor]

6 hours ago, Mike Martin said:

Yes, several times. 
 

You don’t.

We also have dealers in Europe that would disagree. 

 

6 hours ago, Mike Martin said:

Yes, several times. 
 

You don’t.

We also have dealers in Europe that would disagree. 

My messages are not specifically addressed to you. You take it for granted, but it's not personal. On the other hand, dealers are dealers, better let's talk about consumers who are the ones who pay

[Shad0wfax]

8 hours ago, Mike Martin said:

You don’t.

We also have dealers in Europe that would disagree. 

He, me and almost everyone else in Europe. You can just ask people from Europe here in the forum. It is an objective fact that Casio products in Europe are significantly more expensive than in other parts of the world, and it's difficult to understand the reasons for this. For instance, you may like Yamaha products or not, but the prices of Yamaha keyboards are more or less the same both in Europe and in America. Dealers might be satisfied with Casio's prices but the main interest of dealers is getting as much profit as possible. If I have to spend my hard-earned money, I'd prefer getting a SX600, which is light years ahead in terms of flexibility and editability of sounds, styles and effects, than a CT-S500/1000V.

 

Speaking of prices, in Europe the new Yamaha PSR-E473 costs 50€ less (or even more, depending on the store) than a CT-S500. In terms of sound quality, it's a matter of personal preference, but it is an objective fact that in the E473  you can modify the sounds and the effects of the styles, or assign DSP effects to the incoming midi data from a DAW, which is not possible in the Casio (or perhaps it's indeed possible, if Casio would provide us with de relevant sysex information. This leads me to another point. I contacted Casio Europe asking if they could give me a comprehensive midi/sysex implementation of my CT-S400, and they replied me literally  "This specific information cannot be published", as if they wanted to prevent anyone to make a serious use of the keyboard in a DAW, and they had interest in keeping it as a musical toy, in the bad sense of the word. Anyway, the message was quite clear: if you want serious music tools, look elsewhere).

Edited February 17, 2022 by Shad0wfax
Typo

[pianokeyjoe]

Having lived in Puerto Rico I know about prices! Sadly it is a matter of supply chain even back in the 1980s when I was in PR. Prices depend on import taxes and shipping prices as well as currency exchange rates and Store profit margins. Also the markets being targeted will have or NOT have certain keyboard models available to that Country or region/territory as in my case(Puerto Rico). So far as I see in the USA a Yamaha PSR-E473 61 note keyboard is $369.99 retail price and a Casio CT-S500 61 note keyboard is $379.00. The Casio IS higher in price even in the USA.. It is $9 higher and offers a DIFFERENT set of features to the Yamaha but overall they are both Home keyboards meant to compete one with the other. Notice I did NOT compare the Casio CT-S1000V here.. THAT model is a different beast and offers a feature not offered so far as I know, on ANY other keyboard or BRAND of keyboard YET... Roland has a heck of a Vocoder that does realistic voice manipulation with it's now older tech known as Vari phrase ELASTIC AUDIO featured on the V-synth and Variphrase synth and VP(vocal processor)lines of keyboards of which includes the very old VP330 vocoder keyboard. KORG has it's own thing in that area though not as nice as Elastic audio and vari-phrase. Yamaha has Vocaloid mini keytar and Vocaloid software... The only vocal synth Yamaha ever had that I know of is the FS1r rack formant synth. So then Yamaha Vocaloid KEYTAR vs Casio CT-S1000V would be the more apt comparison if we want to compare VOCAL synthesizers and price points. The Yamaha woefully is under powered and under featured for the price, in this area! The Casio offers that niche Voice synth feature along with ALL the features of the CT-S500 home keyboard in one package with a price difference of $71!!!!!!! Now...and this is KEY, find me a Vocal ONLY synth keytar for $71 please..... Any one? Any one? Beuller? But please get me not, wrong. I do understand the pricing issue in EU versus USA. Again, it is down to taxes,shipping, profits,and availability. If I had a choice of the Yamaha versus the Casio of LIKE price and usage(E473 vs CT-S500), I would most likely get the Yamaha too, but only because I want to record my own rhythms like an arranger keyboard.. But if I was to really think about it, I have arranger keyboards, but I DO NOT have a speech synth keyboard! I think I would wait to buy the Casio CT-S1000V for the $71 more. I would just have to wait one more month to save my pennies thats all. Choices choices. So many choices.. Not enough money or space lol!

[Mike Martin]

6 hours ago, Executor said:

My messages are not specifically addressed to you. You take it for granted, but it's not personal. On the other hand, dealers are dealers, better let's talk about consumers who are the ones who pay

 

I don't take anything on this site personally. The overwhelming theme is our dealers want all of our products to be more expensive not just in the USA but also in Europe. Based on results I'm seeing around the world they're not having problems selling them at the current price.

 

The reality is the cost of doing business is different everywhere in the world. Freight costs and other supply chain issues are wildly different than they were a few years ago.

1 hour ago, pianokeyjoe said:

The Casio offers that niche Voice synth feature along with ALL the features of the CT-S500 home keyboard in one package with a price difference of $71

 

Exactly. 

 

To conclude, I think Casio is doing some unique things. Does Yamaha have a great product? Of course they do. But they're not the same. So you'll simply have to determine which fits yours specific needs. 

4 hours ago, Shad0wfax said:

I contacted Casio Europe asking if they could give me a comprehensive midi/sysex implementation of my CT-S400, and they replied me literally  "This specific information cannot be published"

 

I'm sorry this happened. That isn't a proper answer. Generally speaking, if the R&D team has resources to make it available they would and it would already be on our site. Most likely it is a question as to whether or not the things you're asking for are actually implemented as MIDI Sysex.

 

[Shad0wfax]

@pianokeyjoe

 

You are absolutely right when pointing out that the final prices are in most part determined by "external" aspects such as import taxes, availability and so on. But the point is that Yamaha products, and of many other brands, are also produced in countries such as China, Indonesia or Phillipines, and they are subject to the very same import taxes of non-EU products, but for some reason, whereas Yamaha's prices are quite simmilar in EU and the USA, Casio products are significantly more expensive. Unless someone can give a rational and reasonable explanation for this, I'm assuming that this responds strictly to the company's marketing decisions, which of course are legitimate, but difficult to understand as long as this puts Casio in a clear disadvantage against the competition. It's not only that simmilar products of other brands might be cheaper, but that even the very same product in other countries are much cheaper (compare CT-S500's $379 in the USA to $465 in Europe, in the cheapest online stores; and E473's $369 in the USA to $419 in Europe). In fact, in most cases prices in Europe are a direct "conversion" from USD to EUR (that is, a product which costs $100 in the USA costs €100 in the EU, even though 1 Euro is about 1.12 dollars). As due to globlization and internet it's very easy to see those differences in price, this makes many people in Europe less prone to purchase Casio products.

[krunchr]

Here in Germany, the CT-S1000V doesn't cost very much less than a PSR-SX600, which is in a higher league in every way, but is also a very clunky device and its complexity (at least if you haven't gotten into it yet) doesn't make it as much fun as the Casio. 

 

The SX600 is class-compliant for audio and MIDI, so you can seamlessly expand it with an iPhone or iPad and a few synth apps. I'm pretty sure that sooner or later (more likely sooner) there will be iPad apps with similar functionality of the Vocal Synth. It already exists as a VST for Mac and PC, even as freeware. Time will tell ...

[vbdx66]

3 hours ago, krunchr said:

Here in Germany, the CT-S1000V doesn't cost very much less than a PSR-SX600, which is in a higher league in every way, but is also a very clunky device and its complexity (at least if you haven't gotten into it yet) doesn't make it as much fun as the Casio. 

 

The SX600 is class-compliant for audio and MIDI, so you can seamlessly expand it with an iPhone or iPad and a few synth apps. I'm pretty sure that sooner or later (more likely sooner) there will be iPad apps with similar functionality of the Vocal Synth. It already exists as a VST for Mac and PC, even as freeware. Time will tell ...

Actually, the cheaper PSR E473 and even the entry-level PSR E373 are also MIDI and Audio class compliant. So for people who’re on a budget but have access to an iPad, the PSR E373 might be an interesting choice.

[Just Alex]

Since the rhythms we hear in demos, are same as in CT-X series, I can estimate that, .AC7 rhythm files will be supported...

By the way, comparing CT-S to Yamaha MX is a lot of fun - totally different devices...

[Chas]

1 hour ago, Just Alex said:

Since the rhythms we hear in demos, are same as in CT-X series, I can estimate that, .AC7 rhythm files will be supported...

By the way, comparing CT-S to Yamaha MX is a lot of fun - totally different devices...

 

I believe that the rhythms are the same. I downloaded a .AC7 file from the forum downloads section and successfully loaded it into my S1000V. 

[bytemare]

On 2/16/2022 at 3:51 PM, Mike Martin said:

In some countries it is not included. In addition the regulations surrounding Bluetooth devices are becoming very strict. This allows Casio to use one adapter universally for all products moving forward rather than have to deal with regulations for each product individually.

 

Ok, I get this.  Basically regulations to make things inconvenient for everyone, and it would be super expensive to integrate it.  Anyway thanks for addressing my issues.

 

So I have been able rehearse and play a show with this -- Awesome!  Using a suggestion from someone here, I created some registrations and was able to fairly quickly adjust sounds/settings during songs.  I did need to have a cheat sheet though.   Sounded great, audience was happy, and it was easy to transport.  I must say too that keys feel really good considering the price of this keyboard.  I even used lyrics (the built in lyrics)!

 

One plus with the USB port on the back:  It's powered.  So you can plug in USB powered LED light and and it works, which is what I need to see my cheat sheet and controls.

 

None of us can figure out though why plugging both left and right out into 2 different amps creates buzz in both amps, but as soon as we unplug one, there's no buzz.  It's happened at different places.

 

On 2/16/2022 at 3:51 PM, Mike Martin said:

Depends on what platform you're using. If you have a USB-C hub for your iPad that is all you need. Regular Micro-USB cable is all that you need. 
 

 

I have an android phone.  Which is I'm sure what millions of other people have.  The number of people who have an Ipad with a USB-C hub I'm sure would be in the minority.  In any case, it's not a simple solution - you need a hub, or a cable, adapter, or a combination of things, all of which will get lost, broken, etc.   I do not understand the logic - using a regular USB port would have make it easy for anyone to connect.

 

On 2/16/2022 at 3:51 PM, Mike Martin said:

The Lyric Files aren't small. Sending that information over MIDI Sysex would be very slow and inefficient.  I've been using my CT-S with bluetooth as a MIDI controller in Logic since the CT-S1 was released. Very good purpose for this and other apps.

 

Why not? All the retro sounds in one easy to find place. 

I guess there is some nostalgia with these instruments.  

 

On 2/16/2022 at 3:51 PM, Mike Martin said:

Change your HOME menu. The 5 buttons under the screen can be customized. You can put quick access to knobs, Active DSP or other parameters right there. It is quite quick. 

 

Thanks, going to look into this.   I thought I did program them but once I turned it off/on, nothing stuck.  So I'll go back and double check the instructions.

 

By the way, I'd LOVE to see something like this with a big touch screen in a small form factor, a la PX-560  (hint hint!)   But this thing is going to be killer as is!

[Just Alex]

Aukey and other cable makers do make single cable, which has usb type-C at one end and Micro USB at another end, and they're quite cheap. So no need for hub. But anyways, I was hoping for something like CT-X3000mk2 - increased polyphony, bug fixes, larger and more detailed screen, better sequencing/looping, normal piano sound at least. Instead we got worse speakers, ever tinier screen, but hey, we got singing chipmunks, yay, that's great!

[Steve F]

4 hours ago, bytemare said:

Thanks, going to look into this.   I thought I did program them but once I turned it off/on, nothing stuck.  So I'll go back and double check the instructions.

 

To make the home menu customization "stick",  you have to save to "My Setup", then have it recall

that setup upon "power on".  See pages 106 thru 110 of the (English) manual.

[budisantoz]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:32 PM, Shad0wfax said:

Also, for some strange reason, Casio keyboards in Europe are significantly more expensive than in other regions/countries (that's not the case with Yamaha). For instance, while in the US you can get a CT-S1000V for about $450 (around 395 Euro), in Europe it costs about 475 Euro (around $540). Considering that you can get a PSR-SX600 for just a bit over 600 Euro, there’s little point in investing nearly 500 Euro in the CT-S. At this point, the CT-400, which costs in Europe about 230 Euro, makes more sense as a rehearsal/fun keyboard.

in Indonesia, CT-S1000V price is Rp.8.820.000,- or US$617. that price is the same as Yamaha DGX-670 😁🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩

[Shad0wfax]

5 hours ago, budisantoz said:

in Indonesia, CT-S1000V price is Rp.8.820.000,- or US$617. that price is the same as Yamaha DGX-670 😁🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩

This is quite odd, as it makes the CT-S1000V very expensive, and the DGX-670 very cheap ;)

[Steve F]

On 2/21/2022 at 4:11 PM, Steve F said:

To make the home menu customization "stick",  you have to save to "My Setup", then have it recall that setup upon "power on".  See pages 106 thru 110 of the (English) manual.

To correct myself, page numbers 106-110 are for the CT-S500. The correct page numbers that apply to the CS-1000V are EN-140 through 144.  Sorry.

[Just Alex]

Here in Georgia, S1000V costs same as Yamaha PSR S-670, which is far better in all aspects (except it is missing the singing chipmunks feature, of course)

 

[pianokeyjoe]

Wait until a custom colored version of these Keyboards comes out like they did in the 80s.. Baited breath here, baited breath lol. The price will be higher of course, but who doesn't want an all white or all black CT-S1000V? Hows about one with all black case and all black keys? Hows about a Steampunk version? Prices would be higher then for sure too, but I would BUY IT! Mind I understand the deal on the higher price point of the CT-S1000V versus the Yamaha but again, the Casio CT-S500 is $379 and the Voice synth version CT-S1000V is still only $71 more! No way Jose will you EVER find such a deal elsewhere.. If you do, please tell us cause I am ready to pull the trigger money in hand!

[Shad0wfax]

Quote

the Casio CT-S500 is $379 and the Voice synth version CT-S1000V is still only $71 more! No way Jose will you EVER find such a deal elsewhere..

 

The small difference in price between the CT-S500 and the CT-S1000V could also be seen as the CT-S500 is too expensive... Here in my country the CT-S500 is 40€ more expensive than the CT-X5000, the flagship model of the CT-X series, which has more features, especially regarding sound and style editing, and a much more powerful sequencer, better amplification... I agree that the CT-S1000V is a good deal, but when comparing the CT-S500 vs the Yamaha PSR-E473, things are not that clear.

[pianokeyjoe]

@Shad0wfaxTenes razon! You are correct! I did not really think of the S500 as too expensive in my comparison. Sadly I am still a virgin to MODERN Casio lol! The only real modern Casios I have so far are:CTK6200,CTK4200, and LK300TV. I have 2 cheaper units but since I have no PSU for them I have not played with them YET. I am all about the Classic 80s and early 90s Casio keyboards as I can afford many of them in fleamarkets only of course. But I digress. You have a point with the price of the S500 which would be high. The Yamaha? The jury is still out on that one. I have not played Modern Yamaha in decades!