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Casio gives the CT line a bump


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Ok I'm sold. Now can someone give us any intel on the CT-S400, which is only $30 more (according to the Casio site), has a pitch bend wheel, an LCD screen, and 10x the sounds??

The Players:  OB-X8, Numa Compact 2X, Kawai K5000S, cheap Korean guitars/basses, Roland TD-1KV e-drums.  Eurorack/Banana modular, Synth/FX DIY.

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Just watched this review

 

[video:youtube]

 

My notes from the video:

 

- Optional wireless dongle for wireless MIDI connection to DAW or stream backing tracks into the internal speakers by Bluetooth

- Audio In jack can be used if you don't have the dongle

- Voice Canceling on both dongle and Audio In jack, to let you play or sing along with backing tracks

- Speaker fabric resistant to cat fur

- Felt strip where keys meet chassis for some dust protection

- 4 velocity curves

- Semi-weighted action, not hammer action

- Matte texture makes repeated note (on single key) playing easier

- Less tones than now-older Casiotone models, in favor of quicker tone selection.

- Dual voice layers

- Reverb 24 configurable types

- Chorus, Delay and "DSP" (dunno what that is) effects are hardwired into most tones

- EQ: 10 presets

- 7 user Tone Memory

- Audio output might not be stereo?

- Pedal can be used to start/stop metronome and configured to control only 1 Layer if using 2 Layers (eg. Piano plus Strings).

- Recorder is single track

- Does come with music stand but looks kinda cheap. Probably don't want to put my copy of Metaphors for Musicians on top of that.

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Hi Jr, yessir thank you for the reply! I had already studied the description on their site that you linked and wondered why all these reviews were about the base model. The S400 seems infinitely more appealing to serious keyboard players for only 30 dollars more, a no-brainer really...

The Players:  OB-X8, Numa Compact 2X, Kawai K5000S, cheap Korean guitars/basses, Roland TD-1KV e-drums.  Eurorack/Banana modular, Synth/FX DIY.

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Optional wireless dongle for wireless MIDI connection to DAW or stream backing tracks into the internal speakers by Bluetooth

 

Dave used this with a Casio iOS synth in the video, I believe it's the same Bluetooth MIDI dongle that CME either makes or has been using.

 

Audio output might not be stereo?

 

The audio output is stereo.

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Love the Duxbury vid. 'It calls it a standard synth, but it"s anything but!' I was clapping and grinning with each new feature. I thinks he does the best job explaining the velocity layer stuff too.

 

If I was only going to have one keyboard and only had £300 the S400 looks a better bet (49 note polyphony though). But I have a 88 graded weighted keyboard, a 61 key clonewheel, a 49 key VA synth, some midi controllers, a raspberry pi with knobs on and other synthy stuff lurking about, all with 1/4" jack outs. The CT-S1 appeals to my vanity by looking cooler, and my want for simplicity. As well as sounding great, being light, running on batteries and having internal speakers like the S400.

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Optional wireless dongle for wireless MIDI connection to DAW or stream backing tracks into the internal speakers by Bluetooth

 

Dave used this with a Casio iOS synth in the video, I believe it's the same Bluetooth MIDI dongle that CME either makes or has been using.

 

Audio output might not be stereo?

 

The audio output is stereo.

 

The Bluetooth dongle is made by Casio. It is both Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth Audio (in) which is unique to Casio.

 

Audio out is definitely stereo.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

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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Ok I'm sold. Now can someone give us any intel on the CT-S400, which is only $30 more (according to the Casio site), has a pitch bend wheel, an LCD screen, and 10x the sounds??

The CT-S400 seems to be a very different board in the same chassis, possibly based on the earlier CTX models. Like the CTX, it has 48 notes of polyphony (unlike the 64 of the S1), and despite the much larger sound set, does not have many of the sounds that are in the S1. For live performance of bread-and-butter sounds, the S1 may be the stronger board.

 

Optional wireless dongle for wireless MIDI connection to DAW or stream backing tracks into the internal speakers by Bluetooth

 

Dave used this with a Casio iOS synth in the video, I believe it's the same Bluetooth MIDI dongle that CME either makes or has been using.

The Casio dongle looks interesting in being used for both MIDI and audio. I'm not sure I've seen another that does both. I don't know what CME may have used at various points, but AFAIK, all CME's own bluetooth products have been MIDI only, not audio. Or maybe I'm missing something here.

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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CT-S400

I'd like to try to clarify a few things. The CT-S400 is not a CT-S1 with more.

 

Specifically the sound set of the CT-S1 has many tones that are unique to this instrument. Of the 61 tones, nearly 30 of them are new and developed specifically for the S1.

This includes:

Vox and Farfisa organs, OB Synth, Lead synth, String Machine, Vibes, Electric Grand (CP-70), the "Advanced Layered tones", The classic Casio sounds and more.

 

The CT-S400 is a more versatile instrument as it has 600 tones and 200 rhythms. In terms of sounds and rhythms, there is some new content and improvements over the CT-X700. In addition to the size, speaker system the real big advantage is the user interface built around the LCD display. The menu system under the display can be configured for your needs. So things like Layer Balance (not found on the CT-X700) can be set to a button under the display an example.

 

Obviously our focus this week was on the CT-S1, it ships to stores in Mid-May. The CT-S400 and the LK-S450 will be a month behind. We're working on video content which will include a video on what the differences between the instruments are in video form.

 

Hope this helps,

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

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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It's easy to see the value of this for beginner players. But I'm really intrigued by the potential for certain kinds of gigs for certain kinds of folks. Specifically, any gig where transportation and gear shlep are big issues. I suppose these will tend to be small venues in urban areas. I love the idea of a sub-10 lb keyboard in a backpack, no stand or stool needed, just place it on a table, in your lap, or maybe use the strap (not great for 2-handed playing). For some situations, there's a good argument that what you lose in ergonomics and quality of the key action is worth it for the convenience of being able to walk, bike, or take public transportation.

 

The new Casiotones sacrifices much less in the quality of action and expressiveness than you'd expect for the price and the weight.

 

Amplification is a separate problem that the on board speakers don't solve, but there are solutions.

 

The quality of the sounds of course matters. Now everybody that can have great sounds on their phone, this isn't really a barrier anymore. But I would want the onboard sounds to be useable for a low key gig, and this Casiotone definitely clears that bar for pianos and epianos.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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It's easy to see the value of this for beginner players. But I'm really intrigued by the potential for certain kinds of gigs for certain kinds of folks. Specifically, any gig where transportation and gear shlep are big issues. I suppose these will tend to be small venues in urban areas. I love the idea of a sub-10 lb keyboard in a backpack, no stand or stool needed, just place it on a table, in your lap, or maybe use the strap (not great for 2-handed playing). For some situations, there's a good argument that what you lose in ergonomics and quality of the key action is worth it for the convenience of being able to walk, bike, or take public transportation.

 

The new Casiotones sacrifices much less in the quality of action and expressiveness than you'd expect for the price and the weight.

Precisely my take on it.

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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Mike, can the USB port handle taking power from a power bank for mobile usage? Or is it strictly recommended to only use the AA batteries?

 

No it can't be powered over USB. Our power adapter is providing 9.5V. I think that is beyond the typical 5V that can be done over USB.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

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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The Bluetooth dongle is made by Casio. It is both Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth Audio (in) which is unique to Casio.

 

Thanks much for the clarification, Mike. It was the W in the screenshot that threw me off - the CME BLE dongle is called WidiBud, and they also have Widi Master, Widi Jack, etc.

 

But now I'm curious about the Casio dongle. Is it standard Bluetooth, or Bluetooth Low Energy? If a computer doesn't handle BLE, will it work with a BLE adapter (e.g., Widi Bud)? How's the latency? Seems like the CT-S1 would come in handy for the "I'm-in-the-living-room-and-have-an-iPad" context.

 

I'd like to try to clarify a few things. The CT-S400 is not a CT-S1 with more.

 

Specifically the sound set of the CT-S1 has many tones that are unique to this instrument. Of the 61 tones, nearly 30 of them are new and developed specifically for the S1. This includes:

Vox and Farfisa organs, OB Synth, Lead synth, String Machine, Vibes, Electric Grand (CP-70), the "Advanced Layered tones", The classic Casio sounds and more.

 

Interestingly, of the various sounds Dave was playing, those were the ones that perked up my ears the most, and sounded very realistic. Seems like the CT-S1 soundset is kind of like a "greatest hits" collection.

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Mike, can the USB port handle taking power from a power bank for mobile usage? Or is it strictly recommended to only use the AA batteries?

 

No it can't be powered over USB. Our power adapter is providing 9.5V. I think that is beyond the typical 5V that can be done over USB.

 

Thanks! This is ok for me, but other people I talk to love to use power banks so I thought I'd ask.

 

Another question: in the context of this article explaining AiX, the "DSP" means EQ right?

 

https://music.casio.com/en/products/keyboards/high_grade/ctx/features/sound_voice/

 

es__img--3.jpg

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But now I'm curious about the Casio dongle. Is it standard Bluetooth, or Bluetooth Low Energy? If a computer doesn't handle BLE, will it work with a BLE adapter (e.g., Widi Bud)? How's the latency? Seems like the CT-S1 would come in handy for the "I'm-in-the-living-room-and-have-an-iPad" context.

 

Latency is a non-issue for me in use. I'd have to figure out a proper way to measure it. If you have an idea about that, I'd be happy test and show my results. I'm not sure about pairing with a WIDI device, I'll see if I can get my hands on the CME product for testing. :). There is NOT a way to pair one WU-BT10 to another that I'm aware of. You'd pair it to your iPad / iPhone / Android or computer.

 

 

I'd like to try to clarify a few things. The CT-S400 is not a CT-S1 with more.

 

Specifically the sound set of the CT-S1 has many tones that are unique to this instrument. Of the 61 tones, nearly 30 of them are new and developed specifically for the S1. This includes:

Vox and Farfisa organs, OB Synth, Lead synth, String Machine, Vibes, Electric Grand (CP-70), the "Advanced Layered tones", The classic Casio sounds and more.

 

Interestingly, of the various sounds Dave was playing, those were the ones that perked up my ears the most, and sounded very realistic. Seems like the CT-S1 soundset is kind of like a "greatest hits" collection.

 

Greatest hits is a great way to describe it. I was lucky enough to be involved in some of the early choices on the list. Not all of my choices got in but also some nice surprises in there too.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

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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Another question: in the context of this article explaining AiX, the "DSP" means EQ right?

 

https://music.casio.com/en/products/keyboards/high_grade/ctx/features/sound_voice/

 

es__img--3.jpg

 

There are a few different components to AiX. One is the sample playback engine, the amount of memory it is accessing for those samples and in some cases the interpolation between samples that is happening in real-time.

 

Then there is the DSP stuff. That chart is an over simplification. Referencing that picture "DSP1" is actually 4 separate effects. In the CT-X3000/5000 and PX-S3000 you can actually dive deep into this stuff.

DSP1 could actually be Wah->Pre Amp Model->Speaker Simulation->Modulation effect...then you have send levels to System Delay, Chorus and Reverb.

 

I'll add that some of the pre-amp and speaker modeling is based directly on a very high end system that guitarists adore. When you have 100+ speaker models plus variants to choose from it is rather amazing.

 

In the context of CT-S1 / CT-S400 - yes some of this DSP is being used. It is preset within the tones so there isn't any ability to dig in like you can on the other instruments I mentioned.

-Mike Martin

 

Casio

Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook

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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Latency is a non-issue for me in use. I'd have to figure out a proper way to measure it. If you have an idea about that, I'd be happy test and show my results

 

The only meaningful test is whether it's an issue or not!

 

If it's not an issue, it's probably BLE (?) but that might mean it's less of an issue with Mac that Windows. Some Windows computers do BLE. The ones designed for accountants running spreadsheets probably do not :)

 

Greatest hits is a great way to describe it. I was lucky enough to be involved in some of the early choices on the list. Not all of my choices got in but also some nice surprises in there too.

 

What Dave called the "Huge Synth" is really something...it's one of several I liked.

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You know, a stack of a pair of these for $400 (and under 20 lbs total) would handle an awful lot of gigs.

 

Or to get 88 keys on bottom, put one of these over the forthcoming Korg L1, total should be about 23 lbs and maybe $600.

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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You know, a stack of a pair of these for $400 (and under 20 lbs total) would handle an awful lot of gigs.

 

Or to get 88 keys on bottom, put one of these over the forthcoming Korg L1, total should be about 23 lbs and maybe $600.

 

Pair it with the PX S1000 and you wont need an amp or any psu :D

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You know, a stack of a pair of these for $400 (and under 20 lbs total) would handle an awful lot of gigs.

 

Or to get 88 keys on bottom, put one of these over the forthcoming Korg L1, total should be about 23 lbs and maybe $600.

 

Pair it with the PX S1000 and you wont need an amp or any psu :D

Same with the L1. The L1 vs. the cheapest/lightest of Casio's 88s (CDP-S100/150) is largely a choice of whether you'd want to add 10 lbs of travel weight (and probably about $150) to get a hammer action (plus whatever you may think of their sounds). Though realistically, you'll still need an amp for gigs!

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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