Over a decade and still going strong

[jaspeter]

I don't frequent this forum nearly as often as I did years ago, but I'm glad to see a lot of dedicated users still here after over a decade.  The fact that ten years has elapsed has really brought several things to light for me.  The first, as I mentioned, is the continued dedication of PX-5S owners, old and new.

 

The second is the fact that I haven't had to replace a worn-out instrument.  My PX-5S gets a decent workout at least several times per week and has consistently done so since I got it shortly after Casio introduced it.  I would not have expected that kind of longevity out of it.  That said, it didn't take long before discovering that the keybed is LOUD.  My daughter mentioned that it sounds like a hailstorm when I play.  As most others with this complaint have discovered, it really isn't on the key strike, but on the release as the action returns to its rest position.  This, more than anything, has made me look elsewhere for a different keyboard.  However...

 

Third, I'm still learning that this board was ahead of its time.  Even when I research and try new competitors, I'm not all that impressed by the capability improvements that I expected a decade to bring.  The PX-5S has knobs that you can assign to several EQ bands... or not.  They can be whatever you want.  Some of the new keyboards are advertising multi-function knobs or dedicated EQ knobs as though they're a new thing that was just discovered.  The sounds on the new (ROMpler-type) keyboards don't seem to have changed much since 2010, either.  There is some pretty cool processing and modelling available on other keyboards in addition to the samples, but it doesn't seem to make as much of a difference to me as it's advertised to make.

 

Fourth, speaking of sounds, the ones on the PX-5S may not be incredibly impressive out of the box (don't get me wrong - some are!), but they're infinitely tweakable with envelopes and FX.  Earlier this evening, I was trying to mimic the montuno pattern in Smooth (Santana).  It didn't quite sound right.  Then I realized a lot of montuno styles play in octaves, but I was using my left hand for bass notes.  What if I add another piano layer and tune it up an octave?  Bingo!  Except I don't want to do that to the bass hand.  No problem - click, click, click, and the range of the new layer only covers down to the bottom treble note.  It could use a bit of EQ on the high mids.  Hey, did I mention there's a knob for that?

 

Then I thought, just for giggles, how close could I get to Santana's guitar sound?  I flipped through the guitar tones and found that the Overdrive tone was surprisingly not too bad, but it could be better.  I selected the Clean Guitar (which sounds nothing like Santana, of course), and punched in the Distortion FX.  Still not close, but some tweaks to the wah and distortion levels, and finally adding the RStack amp, some reverb and chorus (assigned to sliders!) and I was impressed!  It wouldn't fool a die-hard Santana fan, but with some pitch wheel work, it was actually impressive that sound was coming out of the PX-5S.  It would be nice to have a monphonic mode for parts like this, but I admit I don't actually use it all that much for lead sounds that would benefit by mono mode.

 

To get around the clacking keyboard issue, I thought I would try out VSTs hosted on my PC.  If I was happy with that, I could shop for a keyboard almost solely on keybed feel and then just run it through the PC for sound.  That worked, but there was a lot of fiddling involved in finding and installing a host, finding VST instruments, and running cables to a USB interface.  A lot of the VST instruments advertised as "free" really aren't, or they don't sound like they're advertised to, or they aren't in the standard VST format (to force you to use that company's host).  Even after setup, you still have to hook up cables, boot up the PC, start applications, and recall settings.  When I just want to sit down, put on my headphones, and play and relax, I don't want to have to put myself through that.  Fifth - I only have to sit down and push a button to have my keys ready to go.

 

Sixth, I don't gig much, but when I did gig a little, the PX-5S is lightweight and super-portable.  The only other equipment I had was a keyboard stand, bench, pedals, cables, and a DI box.  The line-outs are not very impressive, especially if you have to run them for any length to the mixer or powered amps.  The DI makes all the difference.

 

So, here I am, with no replacement for my PX-5S on the horizon.  I have been eyeballing the new Roland FP-E50.  But I haven't convinced myself that it's worth the investment after considering all the points above.  I've also considered "Frankensteining" the PX-5S into a compact keyboardless sound module, and then just buying a controller keyboard.  But I think the odds of success are probably pretty low.

 

I think I will just keep using the PX-5S until something goes seriously wrong with it and forces me to move on.  Given how it has performed so far, that could still be quite awhile!

[Jokeyman123]

The difficulty I've found comparing-well almost every keyboard there is in the last 10 years or so-I really see no ground-shaking new technology in just about anything-including the most costly Montages/Kronos/Rolands/Kurzweils-and sadly, seeing a rather dumbing down of the quality, even with the big names seeming to revert to plasticky keyframes. The Casio PX560 has held its ground, and i have most recently been composing, rehearsing with the Korg M3 and Alesis Fusion in addition to the 560 for quite awhile.

 

Virtual instruments-I get it only so far as even the best emulations-Garritan Orchestra, the costly virtual pianos-after years of struggling with every incarnation of Windows and Apple OS's-and a dozen DAW's large and small-hasn't been worth the struggle. An example-Kontakt, one of the more popular sample-based virtual instrument programs, is actually emulating many of the best workstations! i know this because I have followed sound designers and developers over the years, and have seen that many very accomplished creators originally designed sounds for the big hardware workstations-have now been now porting over alot of their work to programs like Kontakt-because this is what is selling. But put me in a studio with a bunch of real instruments and musicians (even drummers well I do that too) mixing consoles and PA systems, now that's living! I digress.

 

I am not new to computer music software-I started with the Atari 520ST-FM and all its original music programs-and honestly, all i see is more complexity, and more of the spontaneity of music creation being either taken over completely by the technology (the M3 is a prime example of this-I push a button and entire film score comes out), and then Karma takes a degree in computer science to create anything that makes sense-the developer did, but doesn't leave much for me to do), or making the process so complex as to render any real immediate musical creation difficult to impossible. One of the joys of being a musician has been the ability to spontaneously create-with real instruments and sounds-to be immersed in the experience. All this virtual music and technology is like looking at a picture of a pizza instead of eating a real one!  I read a warning statement in one of my history books from a Chinese ruler who was worried that as technology was evolving, it was taking away people's abilities to be available to do anything useful-this was over 2000 years ago. I guess he was wrong, but lately I'm beginning to wonder. what has savd us I guess is that there will always be something rewarding about just hitting something with a stick to get a sound....and then being able to do the same with a group of other stick beaters/pickers/bow rubbers/tonsil ticklers or any other real physical motion that gets some kind of sound out!

[Brad Saucier]

Glad to see you're still hanging out with us.  My PX-5S is still the center of my keyboard world.  It's true that it's been so good that nothing (still, to this day) can entirely replace it.  I think we'll eventually see Casio offering a replacement.  I'm kinda glad it has taken this long.  Not only does it show how well the 5S has held up over time, it means we have a chance to see an all new stage piano with some of the great sound programming that has appeared in other Casio products released in recent years.  I know many like to use VST instruments, but I'm very much a built-in-sounds type of guy.  The chance at a significantly improved preset library of tones is a very tempting reason to update my PX-5S.  I'm still hopeful and waiting for that chance.  

[XW-Addict]

hear hear, I say we have been quietly waiting for some time, And that time has been spent very well.

Learning to adjust sound steadily over time has shown how very enriched the Air tones are. 

Unlike most of you who truly create the sound you want and discover how it is those facets that explain

how deep this board really can get. And being quite an oddball myself in how I showcased my sound and style 

the years passed I loved and love it a lot more in retrospect an improved board would expand the coming years.

Knowing what Air / tones can do Analog sounds , ethereal pads , prog sounds , piano , EP , clavs  , I can do electronic 

sounds I have a stage I've even found Acces Virus like. Looking back at old sounds I've done and what I can do now 

is very inspiring, Limitation does breed creativity.  

[Choppin]

Hi,

 

if one follows and perhaps analyzes Casio's financials and projections, one may be able to infer that something like the PX-5s may come out again.  March 2023 CASIO was projecting a focus on higher-end privia brand keyboards.  While this may mean only the Celviano keyboards, it could be encouraging for the return of deep synths.

 

I think CASIO was a bit surprised that their push in previous years for entry level instruments didn't do very well and saw more relatable sales to their higher end products.  They had thought young people would be pairing apps and targeted mobile software with basic e-instruments.  That market never really materialized as many young creators use their computers and relevant software directly to create music.  They may use MIDI controllers and less often dedicated small synths.  Older and/or more skilled folks purchased higher end instruments and were also influenced by the instruments aesthetic.

 

Covid killed the gigging musician for a large part so portable unit sales have been down.  If small restaurant and bar businesses re-surge, there may be an uptick in demand for portable keyboards.  

 

 

 

 

[craZivn]

Another long-term user of the PX-5S checking in! I've had my PX since 2014, I'm now in a regional band covering a 5-state area and the PX is still the center of my 2-board rig! (The other board is a HydraSynth.)

 

It's got scuffs, scratches, even some burn marks from a pyrotechnics "miscalculation" in Chicago. It's got LEDs mounted in the bottom and an auxiliary power supply installed inside it for my MIDI wireless receiver. I've had it apart several times for cleaning and upgrades, a few minor repairs but no major ones.

 

It's far from perfect. Most of the sounds are not great out of the box. The effects, most notably the rotary speaker effect, just plain suck. The screws must be screwed in VERY delicately to avoid breaking the plastic bosses inside. But the reason this keyboard still hangs with me as a professional is the mod-ability of the sounds and the assignable controls. The workflow, with it's tiny screen, is considerably faster than my Korg with it's much larger interface and the ability to easily flash everything to USB means that the heart of my rig can be transferred to a replacement PX5S in the event of a disaster.

 

The light weight of the PX is also far beyond anything else in it's class, although I'd be happy to accept a little higher weight penalty to strengthen the fastener bosses that hold the board together.

 

If Casio releases a PX5S Mark 2, I have one huge request, and it is that the Mark 2 accepts the Stage Setting files of the original as I've got dozens of them representing many hours of programming. Otherwise just keep making the original!

 

I originally bought this board when I joined my first band, with the intention of replacing it when I'd hit it's limitations. That's still my plan, it's just that I haven't hit the keyboard's limitations yet.

 

Ivan