Px-5S - Any dissenters?

[High Diving Act]

When is the PX5 gonna hit Canada or more specifically Southern Ontario... Hard to be a dissenter before I can even try it out. lol

[wmp]

I might be the only person who finds the PX-5S action too heavy and fatiguing. For that reason alone, it's a no go for me.

 

I'm very surprised to hear this. It honestly has been the lack of fatigue that so many pro players have switched to Casio. Joe Sample, Michael Boddicker and others have all commented specifically about this.

I'm a lot rustier than those guys and I agree. It's plenty heavy enough to give me a good workout doing exercises. The first time I took it out was a party where I played for about four hours. I expected fatigue problems and had none. YMMV.

 

 

[LX88]

Ditto for liking the Roland RD 300GX action. It's very non fatiguing.

 

I have to confess that I have been perplexed by the textured action of the newer Casios. At first I didn't get it, but I am willing to believe that a person could get used to it, and that there may be some advantage.

 

If there is an advantage, why would we not be seeing someting like this on acoustic instruments? I certainly have never minded plastic keys on acoustic pianos, in fact I prefer them most of the time.

 

I would like to hear comments on textured keys.

 

But yes, I can see that a used RD 300GX could be an option to the Casio for some in a similar price range. Apparently it was a real sleeper during the time of its issue but has been picking up a few fans on this forum.

[voxpops]

If you're a sweaty-hands sufferer, like me, textured keys are a godsend during hot, steamy gigs.

[wmp]

I like the textured keys. Ivory and ebony have texture. More so as they age. The Casio key texture is a bit exaggerated, but I like it. I believe Roland trademarked "Ivory Feel" to describe the same sort of thing a few years ago. (RD700?X ??) It's certainly nothing new. I don't like the way ivory gets slippery with my perspiration. I think that's because it's porous and absorbent.

[LX88]

Thanks for the feedback on the key texture. In both cases, it had to do with sweat issues. Interesting.

 

That has never been as issue with me, but I have a friend that plays my B-3 from time to time and you can really tell that he has issues with it.

 

Texture is not a deal breaker for me, but I do prefer the smooth keys. A lot of my playing involves sliding into notes so that is why I probably prefer smooth.

[tucktronix]

Sorry, but I don't get this thread. The PX-5S is not for everybody. There will be folks who will have issue with it(just like the Kronos, Jupiter 50/80, MOX8 and so on), and I'm sure their issues have been addressed in previous PX-5S threads. For myself, this board has been nothing short of a godsend to me on so many levels. Love the ac pianos, the action, how well they sit in a live mix.. in addition to some of the ep's and other sounds. The programming capabilities are off the charts for a board in this price range. I also own a MOX8(which is currently in need of repair) and I have to say that I kinda favor the MOX's ep's a little more, but IMO this baby blows the MOX away in everything else.

[AnotherScott]

I also own a MOX8(which is currently in need of repair) and I have to say that I kinda favor the MOX's ep's a little more, but IMO this baby blows the MOX away in everything else.

I'm surprised at that. The PX clearly has some significant advantages over the MOX... price, weight, action, the versatile assignable slider-and-knob implementation, the shallow depth allowing you to add a second tier board at close proximity, all significant. But the MOX has a lot of great sounds and areas of usability where I think it excels, too.

[tucktronix]

I also own a MOX8(which is currently in need of repair) and I have to say that I kinda favor the MOX's ep's a little more, but IMO this baby blows the MOX away in everything else.

I'm surprised at that. The PX clearly has some significant advantages over the MOX... price, weight, action, the versatile assignable slider-and-knob implementation, the shallow depth allowing you to add a second tier board at close proximity, all significant. But the MOX has a lot of great sounds and areas of usability where I think it excels, too.

 

I agree, the MOX8 excels in a lot of things(I will say the MOX8 organs trumps those in the PX-5S, but organs are a non-factor for me, I have a CX3 with Vent). I'm not putting it down at all. It is a great sounding board. I guess I'm referring to the total user experience. There is just a higher "feel good" factor I get with the PX-5S.

[Polychrest]

When is the PX5 gonna hit Canada or more specifically Southern Ontario... Hard to be a dissenter before I can even try it out. lol

 

It's here already: Cosmo Music

[Ken Beaumont]

I like the CASIO key action more than the GHS on my MOX.

In fact, I sent posts to Mike Martin asking if they were about to update the PX-3 after they released the PX-350. So when he didn't respond with even a hint, I purchased the MOX 8. I'm happy with the MOX, especially after purchasing the Vintage Keys library. But it would have been nice to save $600! I don't use the sequencer on the MOX8 at all.

[Moon Zero Two]

I had a PX5S for a couple of weeks and returned it. I just didn't like the piano sound. I think something might have been wrong with the unit I had and it is not available for comparison at local music stores. The piano sounded plunky in the octave above middle C on a couple of notes and I just couldn't get with it. I really wanted to love this board - it would have been a great problem solver for me.

 

It's funny that there is so much love for the board on this any other forums that I was starting to think something is wrong with me. It has become a running joke with the Mrs. when I mention that I have just read another post from someone who loves the PX5S she says see you made a big mistake sending it back now you're going to want to buy it again.

 

As one of these threads mentioned the PX5S is the only board that comes with a Mike Martin - and that is a huge plus.

 

For the record (no pun intended) I use a Yamaha CP5 on jobs and the Ivory American and Italian Grand at home. I am continuing to search for a good lightweight board that can do splits for left hand bass for the various lounge/reception type gigs that I do. The CP5 is too heavy but I love the sound and feel. Maybe the CP4 will be the droid I am searching for.

 

[AnotherScott]

I had a PX5S for a couple of weeks and returned it. I just didn't like the piano sound.

...

I am continuing to search for a good lightweight board that can do splits for left hand bass for the various lounge/reception type gigs that I do. The CP5 is too heavy but I love the sound and feel.

I would go two-piece. A PX5S or a PX350 just as a nice feeling 24 pound controller. Then something else as a sound source.

 

Could be a laptop.

 

Or if you don't like that approach, maybe a Roland Integra-7 if you like its SuperNatural piano. It's light and compact.

 

Or a second keyboard. On the low end, it sounds like the forthcoming MOXF should let you load some of the nice piano sounds that are available on the Motif XF, and the MOXF will presumably be light and well-priced. On the high end, a Kronos 61. If you don't like the Kronos piano, you can follow Busch's instructions and sample another piano into it (even the one from your CP5). The samples won't be quite the same, but close. It's a little hefty at about 28 lbs, but it would still be a lot easier to move that and the PX in two pieces than the CP5 in one.

 

If you go with the second keyboard, a PX350 can probably do as the controller, plus you get internal speakers, into which you can feed the external sound, which could come in handy on occasion. If you go with a laptop or rack module, though, you'll probably want the patch selection and zone functions of the PX5S.

[Jim Alfredson]

This thread just goes to show how subjective everything is. I do not like Roland's weighted actions. My hands start to hurt within a few songs. I like Yamaha's weighted actions but they also get tiring by the end of the set. The action on the PX5s is perfect for me. My hands don't get fatigued and it's responsive enough to play quick runs (for a guy that plays mainly organ).

[MusicaL]

Sadly, I returned mine because the EP's were not in the ballpark for me. I didn't care too much about the AP either, but that was not the deal breaker because I hardly ever use AP sounds live and I have alternatives at home. I liked the Wurly sound well enough.

 

I liked the action although I thought it a tad heavy. I wasn't quite convinced about the textured feel, but could live with it and get used to it.

 

Now, I'm thinking about picking one up again after I threw my back lugging the (relatively light) Nord 88. But, at almost half the weight, the Casio could add to my back's longevity.

 

I may end up midi'ing it to my NS2 73 and using the 73 as for all my sounds, and perhaps add some color from the Casio by the way of pads, and perhaps other sounds as well.

 

aL

[voxpops]

Although I think Scott's right in that, if you don't like the internal pianos, the PX would make an excellent lightweight controller with bonus sounds, personally, for my main bread and butter sounds, I'm done with external boxes/PCs, etc. on a gig.

 

That said, there ain't much out there sub-30lbs that fills that niche. I decided (even though 64 keys is really too small) to give the RD-64 a second go. For me, the AP sound, main EP, and even the action, have the edge over the PX (I'm talking marginal improvements here - but enough to make the difference). Of course, it can't do a tenth of what the Casio can do, but that's OK for my situation, and there are a few head-scratching irritations, but that's true with many boards these days.

[AnotherScott]

I may end up midi'ing it to my NS2 73 and using the 73 as for all my sounds,

Ah yes, how did I manage to forget Nord in my response to Moon Zero Two! That would be a nice, very portable rig.

 

For not a lot more money, I think a Nord Electro 4D (or 4 SW73 for extra piano memory) plus a Casio PX-350 would be better than the 73-key hammer action Nords, because you get a better feeling action plus the full 88 keys.

[AnotherScott]

Although I think Scott's right in that, if you don't like the internal pianos, the PX would make an excellent lightweight controller with bonus sounds, personally, for my main bread and butter sounds, I'm done with external boxes/PCs, etc. on a gig.

 

That said, there ain't much out there sub-30lbs that fills that niche. I decided (even though 64 keys is really too small) to give the RD-64 a second go. .

You usually gig with a second (unweighted) board anyway, right? Do any of your potential second-tier boards have a piano sound you like better than what's in the PX-5S, that might be good enough to be your piano sound?

[voxpops]

You usually gig with a second (unweighted) board anyway, right?

Correct (unless I'm doing a solo gig, for which I have the Roland FP-50).

 

Do any of your potential second-tier boards have a piano sound you like better than what's in the PX-5S, that might be good enough to be your piano sound?

Numa Organ: No.

 

Roland VR-09: No. The VR's pianos are pretty thin, and although the APs play quite nicely from a weighted board, they wouldn't suffice, particularly in terms of the awful looping. I also don't want to mess with splits etc. on that board, given the limitations. The EPs are inadequate for me, too. The PX is better, IMO, for all piano-related stuff.

 

Korg Krome 61: Maybe. The Krome's APs played from a weighted board are quite nice - and significantly better than the VR's. However, I'm one of those who thinks that, despite the multi-gig samples, they don't eclipse either Nord's or Roland's APs. I would rank them slightly better than the PX's (primarily due to the 88-key sampling and lack of looping, and because they sound a little less plunky). The EPs are pretty good, on the whole. But I generally don't use the Krome as my second-tier gigging board because I need drawbars, and I don't think the Krome is well suited to live gigs because it's more like a laptop with keys - crappy power connector and long boot-up time.

[objectguru]

I tried one of these at Guitar Center. Not too impressed with the action or sounds. Kurzweil PC3K8 is my current board of choice. The best feature of the PX-5S is the weight and cost. Might be great for casuals and jazz gigs.

[Bill H.]

I am a light action guy. I was originally very concerned that the PX-5s action would be too heavy for me, but as I've posted before what I discovered is that the action is not heavy at all. The board is just programmed for a heavy hand. Once I set the keyboard as a whole to a light touch and then dialed back velocity responses on the individual sounds, things really started to fall in place for me.

 

This is now my favorite action, and it's difficult for me to play anything else. It is extremely responsive to the lightest of touch.

 

I also found the main piano as a whole to be too plunky, but you can set that anywhere you want it with initial level in amp. It's also too warm for my taste, but that can be adjusted with the very flexible EQ section.

 

The main piano's issues in the C5 area are more problematic. There are (in my opinion - others may differ) two weak sample groups centered around the very crucial area of C5. There are fixes but they are Band-Aid approaches. Mine was to layer another piano between A4 and E5 over it in another zone to add fullness. This definitely works to some extent but doesn't solve the fundamental problem.

 

Having said that... although I can pick it up when playing solo here at home, I never notice it when playing live. And playing live is what this board is all about. It's not for the masses. It's for playing professionals who know how to edit, and there's that not many of us out there comparatively speaking. This board doesn't merely suggest that you tweak it to get the most out of it - it demands it. My hat goes off to Casio for even doing a project like this.

 

Now that I've got it all set up I can lose myself for hours playing this board. And that says a lot at my jaded age.

[voxpops]

Now that I've got it all set up I can lose myself for hours playing this board. And that says a lot at my jaded age.

I think that's a very valid observation. It is a board that draws you in... perhaps it's a little less cold and clinical than some of the competition, perhaps it connects just a little better. Whatever it is, it helps some people to overlook the limitations. And even though it's not my favorite AP/EP emulator, it's one hell of a deal. For people to even be mentioning it in the same breath as Nord is testament to it's outstanding design and value.

[Dana.]

I am a light action guy. I was originally very concerned that the PX-5s action would be too heavy for me, but as I've posted before what I discovered is that the action is not heavy at all. The board is just programmed for a heavy hand. Once I set the keyboard as a whole to a light touch and then dialed back velocity responses on the individual sounds, things really started to fall in place for me.

Mike, is this true? It seems counterintuitive. Default velocity setting should be medium, not hard. Regardless, I feel like I've given that action enough chances. I'm not willing to go under the hood and do a lot of tweaking to get something that I like when there are alternatives that are more to my liking right out of the box.

[Bill H.]

I should add that the acoustic piano layers very well, which is a focus of mine playing praise music. I've got several layers set up on the faders, and bring them in and out in real time during the service over the piano. It's a very slick setup. 256 voices of polyphony is a must because these layers are always active. It's often overlooked that this keyboard is 256 voice poly.

 

My EPs for praise work are not of the Rhodes or Wurly type, but more of a 90s vintage. Once again I found what I was looking for in the raw waveform tables.

[Bill H.]

D-Bon the default velocity setting on the keyboard is medium but the sounds themselves are IMO programmed for a heavy hand.

[Dana.]

D-Bon the default velocity setting on the keyboard is medium but the sounds themselves are IMO programmed for a heavy hand.

OK, well, still a pass for me.

[Dana.]

Maybe the CP4 will be the droid I am searching for.

The what?

[Bill H.]

Yep it's not for everyone and since that's the topic of this thread it's good that you brought that up D-Bon.

 

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to roll up their sleeves and learn the nuts and bolts of the board's operating system either. For those who shy away from that kind of stuff there are other better choices.

 

 

[DulceLabs.com]

It's not for the masses. It's for playing professionals who know how to edit, and there's that not many of us out there comparatively speaking. This board doesn't merely suggest that you tweak it to get the most out of it - it demands it.

 

 

Hi Bill - I completely understand what you are saying, but I also think this is a great board for beginners and intermediate users and here's why:

 

This board is very "plug-and-play" - I spent the first two weeks just playing with the presets and seeing what the knobs and sliders do. There are a lot of great presets, and new sounds are available for free download every week over at CasioMusicForums.com.. so you can get a lot of sounds without having to do much programming.

 

There is also an incredible support system that has grown around this board. Mike and other knowledgeable members help new users on the forums and on Facebook... often a member can get an answer to their question in a matter of minutes.

 

Now, if you want to start programming your own sounds and set-ups, you will definitely need learn how to navigate the OS.. but the PC/MAC Data Editor is very useful for learning the sound architecture and setting up complex sounds and zones.

 

The PX-5S will keep anyone, beginner to pro, engaged and learning for a long time.. there's just so many possibilities. yes, it definitely is a "thinking person's" keyboard, but that doesn't mean a total beginner will be frustrated or unable to get the most out of it. Just my humble opinion, of course.

[Jazz+]

I might be the only person who finds the PX-5S action too heavy and fatiguing. For that reason alone, it's a no go for me.

 

I'm very surprised to hear this. It honestly has been the lack of fatigue that so many pro players have switched to Casio. Joe Sample, Michael Boddicker and others have all commented specifically about this.

 

I agree with Mr. Martin. And I think it's a superior action.