Px-5S - Any dissenters?

[Moon Zero Two]

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

The what?

 

Check the inside back cover of this months Keyboard magazine. I shall make that board mine one day.

 

 

[RetroVintageOld]

A. Paint it black

 

B. Must have expression pedal

 

C. 73 key version

 

D. Internal power supply

 

Then you have the perfect board and every one else can put thier pencils down.

[Brettymike]

You forgot your own "button boost" invention .

 

Brett.

[jcazzy]

A. Paint it black

 

B. Must have expression pedal

 

C. 73 key version

 

D. Internal power supply

 

Then you have the perfect board and every one else can put their pencils down.

 

My take:

 

A: Sorry, the Rolling Stones have already done this.

 

B: Probably agree for some of the sounds it is capable of doing.

 

C: Used to have a Rhodes that had that many keys. Like the 88 keys better.

 

D: Don't hear people complaining about laptops not having an internal power supply?! Modern technology maybe?

 

There will probably never be a perfect board for everyone.

[opdigits]

There will probably never be a perfect board for everyone.

There is. I surfed with it yesterday morning!

[LX88]

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.

 

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. This definitely works to some extent but doesn't solve the fundamental problem.

 

This board doesn't merely suggest that you tweak it to get the most out of it - it demands it.

 

 

Oh No... not another board that I have to tweak to get it to sound good.

 

At home just I turn my Yamaha Nocturne on and it sounds good . And I think a big reason it sounds as good as it does is because there isn't even so much as a tone control on it .

[HammondDave]

I just turn my Hammond B3 on and it sounds good as well... No tweaking necessary...

 

Oh well... We live in a world of instant gratification where we want hundreds of patches to sound pristine for under $1000. Maybe our expectations are a little too high?

[Charleston]

A. Paint it black

 

B. Must have expression pedal

 

C. 73 key version

 

D. Internal power supply

 

Then you have the perfect board and every one else can put thier pencils down.

 

E. Half-pedaling

[Outkaster]

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.

 

 

Im the same way actually. I dont like to fuck around too much trying to edit of program something, I dont have the time. If there is something out of the box that gets it right the first time for my ears taste then thats fine.

[area51recording]

I hear the anomaly in the C5 sample you guys are talking about, and it really bothers me......if I sit there with a good set of headphones and strike the key over and over whilst listening to it. You know when it dosen't bother me? When I'm actually making MUSIC with this board. Besides, I've heard worse "anomalies" come out of a real grand piano more than once in my life.....

[voxpops]

I hear the anomaly in the C5 sample you guys are talking about, and it really bothers me......if I sit there with a good set of headphones and strike the key over and over whilst listening to it. You know when it dosen't bother me? When I'm actually making MUSIC with this board. Besides, I've heard worse "anomalies" come out of a real grand piano more than once in my life.....

I think that's a pertinent observation, but it will bother some people more than others during performance. IMO, it actually is a very musical board, and it's a real fine line that separates the yeas from the nays with the 5S. Interesting that aL (above) is reconsidering it due, primarily, to its capabilities as a lightweight controller. I've done that a few times with DPs - they don't quite live up to expectations, so I sell, and then find that the original reason for the purchase is still valid. If the PX-5S could be upgraded in terms of the samples (a la Nord) I'd be all over it again.

[GovernorSilver]

If the PX-5S could be upgraded in terms of the samples (a la Nord) I'd be all over it again.

 

I thought Mike Martin said that they could add new samples with a firmware update?

[voxpops]

If the PX-5S could be upgraded in terms of the samples (a la Nord) I'd be all over it again.

 

I thought Mike Martin said that they could add new samples with a firmware update?

 

Yes, I remember that, but I'm not sure whether that would extend to replacing the core samples or not (although I'm not sure what the difference would be, unless they're in ROM). Maybe I should have used the word "when" instead of "if."

[mate stubb]

I would not count on new samples being possible or ever available. Buy or don't buy based on what the instrument is now, and you will never feel cheated later.

[tucktronix]

Here is an interesting little "tidbit" I've discovered recently. The guitarist for one of my bands has a studio in his basement where we held some rehearsals. In his studio sits a Kurzweil stage piano(don't remember the model). It didn't have the best sounding AP's or EP's(it was more than likely an entry level model), but they were playable. But what it lacked in realism it made up for in presence. Those AP's and EP's were cutting in the mix very well and really filled up the room. See where I'm getting at. With the major keyboard manufacturers, there always a huge emphasis on realism that the volume and playability are never thought out. This seems to be an issue with a lot of the boards I've owned over the years.. all the nuances, while awesome in a studio recording, are easily lost in a live mix. The PX-5S is one of very few boards that nixes this problem. It is, in fact, the most fun-to-play board I've ever owned that would still sound good in a studio recording.

[DulceLabs.com]

 

D. Internal power supply

 

It already has that....

 

http://oi41.tinypic.com/21njwn9.jpg

 

Just messin' - I don't really mind the power supply.. it's not like it's a wall wart.

[wjones]

I love the PX5s for what I bought it for: low cost, excellent 88-weighted key-bed, ample master controller functions, and super-low weight.

 

However, being used to the Nord sounds, effects, and interface- I prefer them.

 

Yes- the Casio has a lot going on under the hood... and I'm glad it's there, but generally I'm not a tweaking pre-gig synth programmer- I'm a musician who likes to plug in and tweak effects, layers, and splits in real time. I realize I can program the sliders and knobs to change parameters- but I prefer dedicated knobs and buttons like the Nord.

 

Am I happy with the PX5s? For sure. I didn't buy it for the sounds or interface. I bought it to have weighted keys for the sounds in my Electro 4d (and hopefully a new Nord Stage Compact with drawbars- are you listening, Clavia?) Until the Stage comes out- the Casio APs/EPs will work wonderfully when I need two sounds at once. They are solid- just not my preference. I would still hold that the Casio is the best keyboard out there for the money- I just prefer the Nord design philosophy.

 

A disclaimer: I've only played two full band practices with this new rig. I'm open to change my mind after more tweaking and giging.

[HammondDave]

I would not count on new samples being possible or ever available. Buy or don't buy based on what the instrument is now, and you will never feel cheated later.

 

True... Don't make the mistake in assuming that the company will improve anything. Look at the Vr09... Those cats are still waiting on Roland...

[Mike Martin]

In the other 50 page thread the topic of adding samples was discussed. It is true that with the v1.10 update we did add some samples. I would not expect additional samples to be added.

[uncledunc]

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. ..

 

It is definitely fast action, especially compared to the new Roland 300nx series, which feels sluggish in comparison. What I noticed with the PX-5s action was resistance during the last 20% of travel, or the escapement phase. It's a hard, stiff feeling when it bottoms out, as if the keybed is made of concrete. LOL. This was what was ruining the playing experience for me. I'm glad so many players have better technique than I do, because the PX-5s is a great keyboard with comprehensive programming and performance features.

[Six-string-man]

I would not expect additional samples to be added.

 

That's a pity, but to be fair to MIke, he did mention that there was no guarantee of new samples in the other thread.

 

Maybe the sounds in this board are so good that no new samples are needed

 

Of course, I have no way of knowing, as it will not reach the UK for another six weeks, minimum

 

 

[b3maniac]

I'm enjoying my PX5S very much, and I agree with Jon that is is fun to play this board. The more I play it, the more I like it. I'm especially impressed with how good it fits in the live mix. That says a lot about the quality of the sound. Don

[smanzella]

I know its been said, but I'll say it again. I wish there was a 73 or 76 key version of this board. If there was, I would immediately buy two of them to replace my heavy, tendonitus inducing Kurzweil PC1SE and Kurzweil SP2X. Just saying. Hope Casio and other manufacturers are listening.

[David Emm]

 

The new "perfect keyboard" is the one you realize you've just been playing rather than dissecting. If it grabbed you within the first 10 minutes, its a keeper. I understand the desire for The One in 'boards; its the same thing I felt when I first played a solid baby grand as a teenager. We all want that feeling of total immersion. The PX-5s has a similar tingle to it. Its subtle, but sweet, ain't it?

 

I'm glad I don't need a stage piano, because I'd crave this one, despite its sparse GUI. I can hardly see using it without the editor, because its internal structure is humbling. Its already designed to let you hot-rod it in a big way. You can set it up to be a major synth controller and never touch an EP in it. I've heard the demos and its in Desert Island Synth territory. Its pianos are stout enough, but you can also send its zones to outboard gear. Presto, a mini-T.O.N.T.O., if you are adventurous enough. When you can grin and feel good about the appearance of an instrument you don't personally want, that's a win-win. This PX raises the bar in a way that's good for the whole industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[voxpops]

This PX raises the bar in a way that's good for the whole industry.

+1

 

I think that whether you like specific sounds or not, the entire package has been very well thought out, and, with one or two minor omissions, provides working musicians with pretty much everything they've been asking for, in a package that also includes high audio quality (something that is frequently compromised in other manufacturers' lower weight, lower cost boards).

[Aidan]

I bought a PX-350 and swiftly unloaded it because of the plinky mid-register. I want to like the PX-5 and will certainly try it when I can lay my hands on one in-store but I wouldn't buy one unseen after my previous experience.

 

Over the summer, I've been using a borrowed Casio PX-320 for many casual gigs. Supplementing the internal speakers with a small EV monitor, it's proven a difficult combi to beat for solo work.

[AnotherScott]

I bought a PX-350 and swiftly unloaded it because of the plinky mid-register. I want to like the PX-5 and will certainly try it when I can lay my hands on one in-store but I wouldn't buy one unseen after my previous experience.

 

Over the summer, I've been using a borrowed Casio PX-320 for many casual gigs. Supplementing the internal speakers with a small EV monitor, it's proven a difficult combi to beat for solo work.

Likewise, I found the piano sound in the PX-310 to be more musical than in the PX-3/330.

[voxpops]

I found the piano sound in the PX-310 to be more musical than in the PX-3/330.

There was a PX-310 being sold not too far away from me for $100 - and it looked brand new. I was sorely tempted to buy it as I remember that board as both useful and fun (if you don't mind a little latency). Just can't clutter the place up with any more DPs, though.