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Casio Privia PX-S1000 ($600) and S3000 ($800)


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Their PX-5s download library is extensive with Casio built patches and User built ones.... pa-lenty of sounds up there for download for the PX5s... I would think they would do that for the 1000 and the 3000... isn't their an update procedure in the new Casio's ?

PX5S and PX560 are the only Privias that have had updatable sounds. But the CT-X3000/5000 do, and there does seem to be some carryover of CTX technology to the new PX, so... maybe?

 

Dynamic Rhodes is the closest the CTX gets to a Rhodes and its bark is embarrassing and very annoying the way the samples abruptly cross switches when you dig in a little and it produces an awful bark unlike any Rhodes anybody has ever heard..,I thought that obvious sort of cross switching had been done away with by sound designers years ago.

Obvious cross switching is still common, though I rarely find it bothersome, as long as you're playing from a board that well maps the velocity response to the samples. Even if the sound is the same, you may find that the CTX Rhodes you don't like plays better from the PX weighted action. If nothing else, you're not so likely to get the bark prematurely.

 

Casio sort of misses the mark when it comes to a Fender Rhodes sound. The Rhodes in my PX-360 sounds and behaves much better than the CTX set. So hopefully the new so called Amp E Piano saves the day.

An "Amp" patch would presumably be emulating how the EP plays through an amp, so unlikely to change characteristics like the presence of bark at a certain velocity. Casio has had a wide variety of Rhodes sounds in their Privias over the years... one of my favorites is what I think is their very earliest! But I've liked some others. Dave Weiser made some hexlayer EP patches for the PX5S, which I understand are being ported to the PX560. I think hexlayer EPs are the most nuanced of the EP sounds simply by virtue of having 6 layers to play with, which I think is more than standard AiR (or AiX). So if you wanted a version of your PX360 with upgraded EPs, maybe the PX560 is worth looking at. Though it won't have the new acoustic piano sounds of the new PX.

 

There is no Digital Processor DP option for Dynamic EP , nor for the Mellow EP, the only two Tones in the CTX Library that even come close to a Fender Rhodes sound. No DP for these is very disappointing . Its the DP that offers deeper editing.

Are you referring to the sounds not saying "DSP" in the data list? I think that just means that they don't automatically have a DSP effect assigned (phasing, wah, amp sim, whatever). It looks to me like you are always able to assign a DSP effect to any sound regardless.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Yeah the libraries are not great on the MZ-X500 either - but man are the CTX and MZ-X priced aggressively. Certainly on par at this price point, no? Both are more potent than a Roland Go.

 

Acoustic piano is really their strong point in the Privia line and the Hex Layer synth - but it only comes on the 5S and 560. The bulk of their sounds need work to bring them up to the expectations of this forum. But when they do, wow... well, we see what the 5S has done for competition in the lightweight affordable stage piano range. Personally I think it was the catalyst for the Roland DS88, Kurzweil SP6, Yamaha MODX8, etc.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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If the objective of these boards is to some extent a portable then why no love for the Yamaha P125? I've taken it out and it sounds great especially in the mid and mid-low range. Of course everyone will mention GHS which I can understand, but there are other boards out there like the FA-30 for instance as well.
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Yeah the libraries are not great on the MZ-X500 either - but man are the CTX and MZ-X priced aggressively. Certainly on par at this price point, no? Both are more potent than a Roland Go.

 

Acoustic piano is really their strong point in the Privia line and the Hex Layer synth - but it only comes on the 5S and 560. The bulk of their sounds need work to bring them up to the expectations of this forum. But when they do, wow... well, we see what the 5S has done for competition in the lightweight affordable stage piano range. Personally I think it was the catalyst for the Roland DS88, Kurzweil SP6, Yamaha MODX8, etc.

 

Elmer, not sure what you mean. The MZ-X500 sells for $1,100, even the X300 sells for $899 (United States, in Europe you can get a seemingly discontinued X300 for about $300, but unfortunately Casio doesn't allow European countries to sell Casio to the US). Anybody reading this that lives in Europe, this is the deal of the decade. For $300 you get a keyboard with kick ass speakers, under 18 pounds, touchscreen, MIDI jacks, audio and mic ins, decent keybed. Nothing I know of under about $800-$1,000 can touch it if you need its features.

 

Also, the MZ-X500 has hex layers as well, more advanced than the PX-5S, and unlike the 560, it has sliders that do the volume for each of the 6 layers plus cutoff filter and resonance for the total mix. It's too bad they did such a great job with the hex layers, killer feature to have volume sliders for each of the tones, but they didn't finish the job and give you a screen to see what tones you're boosting/cutting, so unless you have a perfect memory, you're adjusting volumes hit or miss. And for that matter, a more user friendly way of editing those tones as a package. So close, yet so far!

 

 

Have to say, am anxiously waiting for the S3000 reports to come out and have a chance to try myself. Since my MZ-X500 has been stolen I've been looking at replacement boards. The current contenders are Korg PA 700, MODX7 and now the S3000. I tend to play just one board, it's a lotta work to set up any board, and for my needs each of these 3 boards tick alot of boxes. The S3000 is particularly tempting if the keybed and piano sounds are as good as people report, that would get me back to piano in a big way. The early adopters of the S1000 have yet to report!

 

Randy

Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425

Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder

QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus 

Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB

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The Piano sound is the CTX series Piano sound. The only difference will be the key action and the interactive software between the key sensors and the Tone.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Ill be releasing a video this week on the PX-S3000 which should clarify everything and answer all your questions. Stay tuned just a few more days.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

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The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network

 

The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for.

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Ill be releasing a video this week on the PX-S3000 which should clarify everything and answer all your questions. Stay tuned just a few more days.

 

Is there a way also to find out which retailers carry these? I find in general across all models that often these stores don't carry items beacuse they feel people might buy them online anyway.

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Some Non-jazz Rhodes usage:

 

Billy Preston - The Beatles: Get Back and Let It Be, The Doors :'Riders On The Storm'. The Doobie Brothers. Earth Wind and Fire. Catalyst. Max Middleton. Billy Joel: The Stranger. Phish. Paul Simon: Still Crazy. The Eagles. SquarePusher. George Harrison All Things Must Pass. Commodores. Ohio Players. Sly and The Family Stone. Pearl Jam. Band On The Run. Rad. Stevie Wonder. D'Angelo. Traffic: Empty Pages. Donny Hathaway. Sly Dunbar. Eisley. Steely Dan. Taxi. "Sheep" from Pink Floyd. Jamiroquai. Chic. Ambrosia. Incognito. E Street Band. Magma. The Roots. Nilhs Frahm. George Duke - Zapa band. Camel. Alan Parsons- Eye in the Sky . Jaguar. Santana. Metalwood. Marvin Gaye. Off The Wall Michael Jackson. James Taylor. Linda Ronstadt. Sister Sledge. Gil Scott Heron. Joni Mitchell. Jan Hammer. Tori Amos. Yes': Sound Chaser on Gates of Delirium. Beck. Gentle Giant. Elton - Daniel. Pipeline. Led Zeplin "No Quarter". Seals and Croft. Prince. Carpenters. Greyboy Allstars. Remy Shand R&B. Level 42. Radiohead. Portishead. Jivestone. Bob Marley. The Hellacopters. Rose Royce. Beastie Boys. Manzel. Johnny Guitar Watson. Soul Basement. Black Diamond Heavies. Brian Auger. Air (French band). Alex Harvey. Frampton comes Alive. Ray Charles. Al Jarreau.

 

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Some Non-jazz Rhodes usage

I'd say you've got a lot of jazz-based stuff in there. (And little that qualifies as "rock and roll.")

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Some Non-jazz Rhodes usage

I'd say you've got a lot of jazz-based stuff in there. (And little that qualifies as "rock and roll.")

 

Maybe if you lump all black music in with jazz.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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As a keyboard player I need 5 essential sounds.

Based on my CT-X (same as S3000 library) , I score Casio CT-X this way with the Rhodes being the biggest disappointment:

 

Piano: B+

Rhodes: D-

Wurly: C+

Clav: C

Organ: B

 

I'm also a huge fan of Vibes which I grade B+

 

 

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I guess the Wurly never showed up in a rock tune. *phew*

?

 

The fact that Wurly (and the nearly indistinguishable Pianet N) and acoustic piano and organ show up in more rock than Rhodes does is kinda the point here. Even the "rock" that has Rhodes tends to be either jazzier rock or mellower ballads that are more "adult contemporary" than rock. Some exceptions, sure. But Rhodes isn't really much of a rock and roll instrument overall.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I play solos that require single note lines, like fusion and jazz. The Rhodes is ideal for soloing like a horn player. So is organ and piano and vibes. Not so much Wurly or Clav. I think of those two as background comping instruments.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Anyways the CTX (S3000) library Rhodes sucks. And a DSP isn't gonna fix it when the underlying samples are so lacking. They really cheeped out on the Rhodes. Both the S3000 and S1000 are directly based on the CTX sample library, confirmed by the release of the manual on Friday night. I have been testing the CTX patches using MIDI from my PX-360 all weekend.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Is it so hard for keyboard manufacturers to produce a good Rhodes sound? I know it's hard for them to produce a good piano sound and a good organ sound. But I thought Rhodes was supposed to be easier. Yamaha's CP4 and their Mojo seemed to have no problem with a good Rhodes Patch.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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Very fine Rhodes on Korgs Grandstage and Vox Continental.

My favorite Rhodes is still Korg SV1. But I do also like the Kronos EP engine (which would include Grandstage and Vox Continental).

 

Is it so hard for keyboard manufacturers to produce a good Rhodes sound? I know it's hard for them to produce a good piano sound and a good organ sound. But I thought Rhodes was supposed to be easier.

Why do you think that? One thing I noticed is that low-priced Korgs (like Microstation) can actually have more velocity layers for their Rhodes than their acoustic piano. So to get the quality of piano and EP sounds they wanted in that budget instrument, the Rhodes required more sample resources and velocity mapping than the acoustic piano did! Also, some want an EP to sound as it often did when played as it was originally, i.e. typically through a tube amp... which is generally better handled through further processing (rather than samples), another complication. I am curious what the "amped" PX-S Rhodes will sound like. Anyway, the point is just that the different instruments have different challenges, and one is not necessarily simpler than the other. Depending in part upon how fussy you want to be about each. ;-)

 

As I mentioned, I think some Casios have pretty good Rhodes sounds. But if you're going to complain that a $175 CT-X700 or even an $800 PX-S3000 doesn't have a great Rhodes sound, I think that might be qualified by... what $175 unweighted or $800 weighted action boards DO have strong Rhodes sounds? For the latter, you might look at a Kawai ES110... though it's pretty minimally featured, more like a PX-S1000 (or even CDP?) than a PX-S3000. But maybe you don't need all the 3000's bells and whistles, and just a handful of strong sounds will work for you, so that could be worth looking at. (Bonus, it has MIDI jacks.) Possibly the best "value keyboard" for Rhodes is a Yamaha Reface CP. But it's twice the price of a CT-X700 and basically has just 6 sounds, and 37 mini-keys, so you trade-off a lot there too. (And unfortunately, it's not simple to run a Reface from the PX-S, either.)

 

What was enticing you to trade up from the PX360 to the PX-S3000 to begin with? Was it largely the hope for better Rhodes? Or...?

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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There will surely be a new PX5s if there is no update feature in these ..I think Mr Martin's clue is valid now after hearing this!

There isnt a library update feature. Its the CTX Library with a few modifications resulting in some new Tone variations. The upside is that there is a decent jazz organ #454

 

Organ2 G in the CTX that should be in the S series. And the pianos are bright and clear. The Organ Bass is ok too. I will use that organ in the S3000. Thisll be the first time Ive had a good organ in a digital piano.

 

The new key response software should make the CTX /S3000 patches behave better. One fix on the CTX Dynamic EP is to edit the touch to Hard, then the crazy velocity bark isnt triggered. It becomes a useful Dyno Rhodes.

 CP-50, YC 73,  FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122

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Mike hinted at 5S successor. Id be inclined to wait and see what that means. They have years of feedback now from users on refining that design.

 

The PX-S3000 and 1000 will be a hit at their price points Surely canabilizing sales of the PX-160 (if give or take $200 isnt a deal breaker). But above that - it all depends what your needs are. If internal speakers and the slim design sub $1k are the priority... But if the best they have to offer in sound engines and controller features are the priority the 5S successor is the one to watch for.

 

The Kawai ES-110 was an improvement in key speed over the 100. Its worth a look to compare to the S1000. See which sounds and action you prefer.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Some Non-jazz Rhodes usage:

Great list, Jazz+.

For the record, I have continously owned a Rhodes piano (have had 4 or so) for over 40 years now. I prefer playing my Rhodes 88 Mark II to my Wurlitzer 200 overall. The last few shows I have seen were Little Feat, Tedeshi Trucks Band, Goverment Mule, and Corey Henry's Funk Apostles. All of them had a Wurlitzer on stage, not a Rhodes in sight. That was my point, that's all. Wasn't trying to stir things up. :)

:nopity:
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dbl post

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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To clarify a couple things.

 

- Entirely new action. Obviously a huge task and also a risk for any manufacturer to undertake something like this. First impressions from artists, dealers and customers - this is a dramatic improvement over a previous action.

 

- AiR stuff. For all practical purposes this should be AiR2. Everything from the chips driving it to the software is new. Some of the nuance tech (string and damper resonance) is derived from what we've previously done in our Grand Hybrid pianos but it is not 100% identical. This also includes new DSP (reverbs, hall simulations) that is dramatically better than previous products.

 

- Realtime stuff - I think Joe covered that but PX-S3000 has 2 knobs and an expression pedal input. The knobs have pairs of choices for their assignments (Attack / Release, Cutoff/ Resonance....FX Parameter 1 / FX Parameter 2). The list of choices is extensive.

 

SP-34 Pedal: Half Dampering, YES!

 

- Editing. PX-S3000 does have selectable insert effects. Again an extensive list. We haven't had as much time on this product prior to NAMM but again the list is quite remarkable.

 

PX-5S replacement. Remember the history. PX-5S was released a year after the PX-150 and PX-350.

 

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I asked Saul at YamahaMusicians.com about the CDP-S, and he asked Casio, and they said the new CDP-S models use AHL ii, not AiR or AiX.

 

Hes correct about the CDP-S100 only.

The CDP-S350 is a AiX variant.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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