Mike Martin

I have both here. The CT-S1 is the one I gravitate towards more. Something about its simplicity and immediacy of the CT-S1 is so great and addictive. I'd also say about 1/3rd of the CT-S1 tones are unique and you won't find them in the CT-S400. This includes things like the string machines, mellotron flutes, the classic Casio sounds and more including variations on the pianos and other sounds too. In terms of sounds that YOU will use, I think you'd find the CT-S1 more attractive.

I've got a decent sized CD collection but as we've been doing some major projects around the house I'm wondering at this point if I should keep them. I can't remember the last time I listened to an actual CD outside of whatever discs are that have been in the changer in my car for the last 10+ years. We have Apple Music, so most everything is there. It feels like a crime to throw any of these away. I could take them to a used shop and maybe get a couple dollars for them, or donate them. Do any of you still have your CDs? If you've ripped them into your collection what is your preferred bit rate & format? M4a?

TAI CHI is on sale - the "lite version" which does everything you need is $29. https://www.liquidsonics.com/software/tai-chi Easily one of the best reverbs I own.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thank you very much. Anyone that has heard my music over the years knows that I'm obsessed with all things Vangelis. I desperately try to make my music sound like me, but in this case I pushed things further than I normally would. It was absolutely my goal to try to pull off some of the trademark sounds but also try to explore other areas. The Dual & Split modes really open up some incredible options. Huge thanks. We have some things going on at home, my studio was completely disassembled after I completed my preset bank and I told the team at Cherry that I probably would not have time to do a song. On Sunday night I was able to get part of my home studio working again and I wrote this in one sitting, that proves how inspiring this instrument was for me.

It is a beautiful and expressive instrument. The "LAST" mode they've done for last note priority on aftertouch (for those of us without Polyphonic aftertouch) is just brilliant. I was on the preset team for this one. Here is a track I made.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I usually have one hidden in my camera bag. I plan on getting more. I did put it in my checked luggage one time I had more photo gear than I could carry on a plane. That ended up being a flight with a layover and I could actually see that my bag did not make the second flight. It works great for me.

I like it and it has been very solid for me so far. Some great routing options for everything (via front panel or software). USB-C interface which for me was important for a little bit more flexibility on multiple computers.

I really like the EVO16. https://evo.audio/products/audio-interfaces/evo-16/overview/

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Everyone is gravitating to the very first "Taxi" EP which is very clean. There is quite a bit of variety including some with tremolo, others with chorus and some with a little added speaker simulation. The PX-S6000 does have the flexibility to get in and modify amp/speaker simulations. It is in my opinion the most extensive set of pre-amp, amp and speaker models in any keyboard product available. It goes beyond what we have in other products significantly.

This is a really nice synthesizer with some very creative options. The modulation capabilities are deep and well thought out. Although the interface seems overwhelming at first glance it is actually very straightforward. It has some handy utilities to copy parameters between oscillators. It reminds me a little of Alchemy but has its own unique flavor. Highly recommended.

The PX-S6000/PX-S7000 are physically larger and heavier in comparison due to the speaker system and overall design. The PX-S5000 provides the new action in the most accessible and portable combination. Due to the physical differences in the chassis, the PX-S7000 and PX-S6000 will have a quieter action than the PX-S5000 but mechanically it is the same.

Sorry none of Casio products have audio interface capability. While I understand some practical reasons for it, it can also be very tricky and unpractical depending on what computer system you're on as example. Mac can handle a combination of audio interfaces in an aggregate device. On Windows, not so much. Our instruments instead offer .wav file recording to a USB thumb drive. In the case of a PX-S7000, the thumb drive isn't even needed you can record digitally internally without having stop and plug anything in, then transfer that recording afterwards. We feel this is a faster way to capture that moment of inspiration without technology, cables and software getting in the way.

I can honestly say, this is absolutely the best action Casio has ever produced outside of the Grand Hybrid. There are some forums where people are analyzing diagrams saying this can't be true. I can only tell you that I was also skeptical about how dramatic of a change it is...until the moment I played it. It is a world different. We have a live event which will include some performances and discussion this coming Thursday at 1pm ET. Joining us for the live stream - Steve Weingart, Michael Whalen, Christian Cullen, Leon Thomasian and Alicia Witt. Please join if you can.

Completely heartbroken. I met both of you in person at NAMM 2018. He was such a nice and genuine person. RIP Murray.

Yes, all three models have the new action.

They don't budge. Incredibly SOLID.

This was a pleasant surprise. I was actually pretty bummed because I haven't taken any bird photos the summer. I've kept the hummingbird feeders fresh all summer but haven't even had much time to enjoy them. Last week, after a stressful day I sat on my front porch with one of the feeders just a few feet away and one of the hummingbirds came and sat right in front of me for a little while. Made my day. This is with a Canon R5 and my Sigma 150-600mm lens at 600mm f/8. I have a medium sized Macro extension tube on this lens to improve its ability to focus close. Shutter is 1/250th because I am using which was off camera to the right.

Mostly true about rack units but no one has been making those for quite a while. My original Polysix battery (the kind that leaked) was replaced long ago when I had a MIDI kit added. The lithium battery that is in there is currently dead and needs replaced. Casio was very early with MIDI 1.0, I hope that we'll see some 2.0 features soon.

Yesterday, I got out my good 'ol Korg Polysix which I've owned since 1984 and compared it to the virtual Korg PolySix software. There is no question that the real-deal was more FUN to play. The immediacy of the controls is just fun and since I've owned that instrument for 38 years I know exactly how to get every sound it can make out of it. The virtual Polysix, honestly was quite good. In fact I did a side by side comparison recording of the two of them and two people guessed wrong about which instrument was with - I left the "running noise" of my real PolySix in the background of the virtual tracks and people couldn't tell the difference. The UNISON mode is the one place where I noticed a difference by default but with a little tweaking of detune amounts in the software it was even closer. I'd expect you'd find that much variation between two different real analog models. Playing the virtual instrument - without having dedicated knobs every parameter, just isn't as inspiring in comparison. I don't see myself getting carried away for hours on the plug-in as I might on the real thing but I know that if I need something specific it can probably do it and it won't have the noise of the original. So I'm not rushing out to buy new or used analog. The nearly endless supply of virtual instruments keeps me mostly happy. What I want is a control surface that makes using these software tools more engaging.

The sequencer and arpeggiator were distinguishing features of the original Synthex. In this case it is a faithful reproduction. With this type of dual engine synth it really opens some creative options. Dreamsynth doesn't have an arpeggiator or pattern sequencer and and I wish it did. 🤷‍♂️

Cherry Audio has another new release. This one is the Elka Synthex. https://cherryaudio.com/products/elka-x I was lucky enough to get an early preview. It is a really fun synth and you can't beat Cherry Audio's prices. I've never played the original but this has a ton of character. I created this track the evening I installed the plug-in. Nothing except the Elka-X is used except Vintage Verb on one track - I'm not a huge fan of the built-in reverb.